The time of year plays a big role in what I feel like drinking. In the icy gloom of Winter, it’s all about huge, potent, mouth-dominating flavors along the lines of stouts, double IPAs, porters, and massively spiced Belgian behemoths. With the arrival of Spring (it’s about damn time) and the first glimmers of Summer on the distant horizon, my brew senses have begun to shift to drinks of similar characteristics – light in feel (but never flavor), crisp, refreshing, maybe some sweet and fruity qualities.
Sure, I’ll always have time for a thunderous IPA or a hulking stout, but if there’s any time of the year where the other end of the beer spectrum shines the brightest, it’s now. And, there are few better ways I can think of to celebrate that fact than with an offering from Columbus Brewing Company. Specifically, their Summer Teeth Lager, a golden elixir of sunny skies and good times. Grab your flip-flops and tanning oil, it’s about time we shed our Winter brew skins.
Summer Teeth begins with an aroma that is crisp and malty with a hint of fruit near the back. Mild bread malts arrive with the lager-style sweetness that surrounds the nose in a gentle cloud of olfactory stimulation, while a light tang of pilsner-esque hops team up with a faint breeze of orange and lemon zest around the edges. Actually, the initial bouquet is quite similar to a quality pilsner, with a bit more emphasis on the malt sweetness. The slightest hint of apple tartness makes a brief appearance near the end of each breath, but it is a fleeting aroma, and seems to diminish to barely perceptible as the beer warms a bit. It pours a lovely golden orange with a gentle cloudiness, all beneath a bubbly, white head.
On the tongue, the flavors are pretty much the same as the aroma. Bread malts and hints of yeast arrive first, sweetened with a drizzle of honey. A mild hop tang flows just beneath the malts, adding a touch of bitterness and hop flavor, but submitting to the malt-forwardness before it can alter the overall flavor. A light mist of orange and lemon citrus arrives from the sides and adds a touch of fruit sweetness before settling at the back of the tongue. Like the aroma, the flavor is similar to a pilsner, with the dials tuned more in favor of the malts. The result is a full flavored brew of crispness that’s as bright as it is refreshing.
Columbus Brewing Company’s Summer Teeth is a perfect beer for Spring and Summer. Easy to drink at 5% ABV, this will quench your thirst without inhibiting your ability to enjoy Mother Nature’s equivalent of a sundress. Actually, it will go well with just about any fair-weather activity you can think of – grilling, a patio party with friends, frisbee golf, chasing your dog around the neighborhood after he saw that squirrel again and decided that this was his time for glory, or simply just chilling out on your front porch. Grab a six-pack or two and enjoy the sun on your face. Unless it’s raining. You might just want to find a heat lamp at that point. A heat lamp and a bucket for your rain-induced tears.
