What's in the Fridge?

My weight class, as regards beer snobbery, hovers around middleweight. While I've always held an appreciation for different kinds of beer, I often stuck to old stand-bys until I discovered Pretty Things' "Jack D'Or" and found myself going further and further down the rabbit hole that is craft beer. I even attended my first beer event in Somerville back in July put on by DrinkCraftBeer. So while I still keep Gansett readily available, I also find myself prowling Blanchards and our Whole Foods for new offerings.

The middleweight thing? Simple. Taste being subjective, I like what I like. Honestly, I'm not fond of IPA's. Uber hoppy, chewy offerings are never going to find a spot in my fridge, however complex flavors are welcome. I've had a membership at BeerAdvocate for some time but I've never reviewed a beer and discussed the mouth feel, carbonation, etc. I may give that sort of thing a shot here.

Much to my dismay and upon entering my favorite aforementioned spirits emporium, Blanchards, with my partner in crime, Thing 1 in tow(he comes for the lollipop hookup) I see a proliferation of pumpkin ales. Don't get me wrong, I am fond of pumpkin ales. Southhampton Publick House, for example, makes one of my favorites. But it's not quite Fall yet! We're not out of August and Oktoberfest offerings are starting to pop up! Leaves are still on the trees! Labor Day has not hit just yet! Therefore, I refuse to stop drinking Summer style beers until they're gone from the shelves!

With that segue, I present Mayflower Brewing Company's, Summer Rye Ale. I originally had it on draft at a local establishment I have been known to haunt from time to time. I found it tasty then and tastiness always merits another visit. Ok. It's described as: "The ultimate summer session beer, brewed with pilsner, rye and wheat malts and plenty of American hops, this beer is dry and spicy with mild and fruity bitterness." Damn. That's what I was going to say. In any case, it's appearance, poured into my favorite Schlitz goblet is a pale, cloudy straw with a one finger head that dissipates slowly. I'd say it's got medium carbonation, mouth feel is pleasant with a fairly clean dry finish and I do detect hints of fruit and spices. The first things coming to mind are banana and a hint of cloves.

This is a definite summer session beer, perfectly at home out on your front porch with some shrimp and scallop skewers cooking on the grill. With a low ABV of 3.80, you can certainly have a few. Thing 1, known to cadge the occasional small sip, bestowed a hearty rating of "that's good!" and I concur.

Unfortunately, their offerings are confined to MA but if you find yourself in my neck of the woods and Summer Rye is in season, give it a try.













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