Beer Review: Anderson Valley Summer Solstice

Serving Type: Bottle

ABV: Five percent

Appearance: Summer Solstice doesn't immediately look like a summer beer, but that isn't a bad thing at all. Still, it pours a pretty copper chroma. and features hues that are both orange and red. A very flashy and colorful body. The head is mostly white, but still has a slight presence of beige in it and left some decent lacing clinging to the glass. I looked close and noticed dozens of bubbles within the dark body of the brew. The bubbles that made up the head were pretty defining. Unlike other bubbles I've seen in other beers prior. Pretty unique.

Smell: Lightly toasty, but mainly sweet. The malt smells very sweet and smooth, but there's just an interesting roasty profile to it. Also, I picked up some caramel scents. It was as if it was almost as if it's sugary and spicy, too.

Taste: This was very sweet, malty and full of caramel up front. The head added a tasty touch of cream on the front as well. The finish was very, very smooth and featured a sweet and nutty presence. Kind of like a nut roll. The spiciness of the beer provided a small kiss before everything went down. The sweet malt and nut flavor only intensifies as the beer is able to warm.Once again, very unique. This brew looks a bit on the heavier and thicker side, but plays light and refreshing! The plethora of carbonation in this just added to the crisp and refreshing aspects of this.

Overall Rating: 

I remember my first encounter with this beer. I was in a bar and ordered a pint glass of it. When it got there I was confused. My stomach sank as I didn't expect this to be on the darker side. I've grown to love this beer and how it's dark sweetness miraculously plays light and makes this a great summer selection. I've discovered that some batches of this tend to play differently. I feel like I've tasted it about three different ways, but when I've had a good one I can definitely taste it. This will forever be a beer I seek every year.