Blue Point Brewing Company has been around since 1998 and have become fairly well known. Their Toasted Lager is one of their most popular offerings, you can read that review here. They also offer a Summer Ale among others but the Summer Ale is the subject of our review today.
The Summer Ale pours a yellow-gold with a white, foamy head that rose to about a finger and a half at its height. There is an aroma of citrus and grass. Some carbonation can be seen bubbling to the surface but it doesn’t appear to be a lot. The head didn’t last but a nice ring and some lacing followed as the beer drank.
The first sip offers a little citrus followed by the grassy hops. Neither are overpowering. The beer is light in the mouth and crisp with a slightly dry finish. The citrus notes are hard to place but lemon seems to be the most dominant flavor there but it is still subtle. The hoppy aftertaste isn’t awful and reminds you that this is a beer. The amount of carbonation is respectable. There is a little tongue-ticking but the beer is crisp and refreshing and the carbonation is just the right amount.
Overall, this is a fairly decent beer. It is similar to some other summer ales so it does have a familiarity about it. It doesn’t stand out like the Toasted Lager does but it can be a good summer beer at a cookout, ballpark, on the boat, at the beach, or anywhere in between. The citrus doesn’t dominate but rather compliments the grassy hops and the grassy hops don’t dominate either. At 4.5% ABV this could easily be a day-drinking beer with a taste that could make it acceptable as a session beer if you so desired. It won’t be for everyone but it is good in its own right.