The collaborative love child of iconic Norwegian craft brewery Nøgne Ø and Wellington's own Garage Project, Summer Sommer is a strong golden ale, brewed with rye malts and Pohutakawa honey. Rich gold in colour, smooth with a touch of rye spice, honey and warming alcohol, it's sunshine in a bottle. The taste of the New Zealand summer is here.
Garage Project / Nøgne Ø - Summer Sommer - Brewed by Garage Project in the style that is a Specialty Grain and they did that in Wellington, New Zealand
7.6% ABV making it 268 calories a serve size, 650ml bottle that makes it 3.85 standard drink units.
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Reminds me of lyrics from a T-Rex song[/caption]In collaboration with Garage Project, Wellington. A strong golden ale brewed with rye malts and Pohutukawa honey. Rich gold in colour, smooth with a touch of rye, spice, honey and warming alcohol. It is sunshine in a bottle.
Come and brew with us! " said Pete and Jo from Garage Project in Wellington, when they heard that we were going to New Zealand.
"Clearly we want! " we said .
" Christmas beer " we said . " Sommerøl " they said.
" It's the same; in New Zealand" we agreed .
The result: A sommerjulerugøl with Pohutukawa honey.
What could possibly be awry with that?
Sweetish aroma, underlined by a wet hay kind of bitterness, but mostly sweet.
An what a brilliant almost bright red orange colour on the pour, and with a decent a fluffy head too!, it looked fantastically carbonated and effervescent. Quite noisy to the ear too!, haven't listed to a beer for a while. Aroma isn't so much of the sweetness and it's pretty neutral.
Oh, ok wasn't expecting that . It's a lot 'fuller' in mouthfeel than I was prepared for, the honey certainly packs out the body on this, bringing sweetness and fullness, covering the bitterness that is the carry. Lots of harsh type hops too at the top, it's a bit of a mixed bag is this.
It's a shame that this is not a more aromatic beer, and it relies on the more subtle honey to greet the nose and prepare the mouth for incoming. Which is still surprised by the fullness of taste, and then the bitter bite, and the towards bitter finish.
For me though not the taste of summer that I was expecting, and neither does it give me anything that would, or does, make me think of my own personal summer things. It is however a very engaging beer of some quirk that makes it welcome at the table, it is at both the same time an unremarkable and yet loud beer, with many of the taste points lingering and hangind around, the honey sweetness, the bitterness and dry-isn finish, which are all a bit over the place.
The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 8 a of its things from the thing. I like it for the sweetness, and the way that the bitterness is balanced and muted by it, I'm let down by the lack of aroma in this, being picky. Not a session beer, I think that this would tax the palate if left unchecked by intervention of something, or a change of pace.
The double dip review
- Am I enjoying it? It is nice, yes
- Would I have another? Yes indeed, it might work better in a warmer setting, at the end of the day.
- Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? I don't think this is the 'taste of summer' or a go-to summer beer I think that it's a bit rough around the edges, and whilst you could take it for a spin you might send it to a quiet place and get on with the party without it.
Music, well, Bombay Bicycle Club was on the music machine, A Different Kind of Fix, and this track "Lights Out, Words Gone" Seems apt. Bombay Bicycle Club are an English indie rock band from Crouch End, London.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vglxk3JbHnQ
I also wanted the music to be more, well, better, and this has been wittering away in the background and won't be going on repeat. Can't win them all.
SPECIALTY GRAIN
Beer made with a speciality grain, most typically rye, but also common are rice, sorghum, millet, corn, buckwheat, oats and spelt. As this is a catch-all category, alcohol levels, bitterness, and color vary.
