Summer Shandy (New) 7-15-2010

Ze Beer? Summer Shandy

Ze Style? Wheat/Shandy/Radler

Ze Maker? Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company

Ze Content! 4.2%

The spring semester of school is over, and I can happily get back on track with doing beer reviews for my blog. Ze Beer Guy is back! Going to start the summer off with the new summer beer from Leinenkugel’s. More popular for its Sunset Wheat, that the women love to drink due to its “Fruity Pebbles” back end; the summer shandy hopes to be an interesting and fun beer. Having only tasted one other shandy before the Stigel Shandy, an Austrian beer, this style is a quiet favorite amongst Europeans. It seems the fad at European clubs, is to enjoy your beer with some Sprite/7-up in it. The Shandy style is practically that, a lager type beer mixed with a type of lemon soda/juice. My boss was gracious enough to give me a bottle of this beer to taste for, “educational purposes”. Well there is only one way to find out. Thanks Bob! Here we go.

Pouring a golden pale, yet cloudy color this beer had a fluffy head for a whopping 7 seconds. Though the lacing is quite nice, the head leaves little desire. From the nose, it smells like an unfiltered wheat beer with loads of lemon zest. A little bit of tanginess in the nose as well. Tastes like an unfiltered wheat beer with a lemon tang taste. A prickly carbonated texture gives you the feel of that lemon soda, but with a very light body, the only body you get here is a slight weight from the unfiltered wheat taste (Think Pyramid Hefe, but with Lemon zest steroids). There isn’t much malt/hops to this beer if any to be honest. But then again, it’s true to the style indicated. This beer would probably be a bit better if it was less of an unfiltered wheat texture, and more of a lighter crisp pils/lager with the lemon steroids. Not a beer id have too many of but it isn’t too bad, if it’s a hot day outside, and you want something different.

Would I PAY for this beer? I’d buy an occasional pint if I wanted something different, I mean it is enjoyable, but I think a six pack would be a bit overboard for me. Thanks for taking one for the team Bob!

Overall Rating: C+

Cheers,
-Ze Beer Guy