Anderson Valley Winter Solstice

       I totally doomed Brooklyn by saying how great their Octoberfest was.  Now I'll jinx Anderson Valley by mentioning that their Summer Solstice was the best of the Summer Beers this year.  Only the sublime beet beer, Wacko was even close.  Solstice pours out a dark amber with a creamy caramel and sweet tart nose.  The flavor is very sweet with lots of caramel, classic malted and mocha flavor. The hops are steady throughout adding a nice crisp mouth feel.  I think it's quite good, although it seems very similar to their Summer Beer.  Maybe just a different label.  This would be a first class Winter Beer if it just had a touch of spice and more alcohol, of course.  I still think it's pretty good though.

Wacko vs Summer Solstice

Of all the summer beers I tried only two stood out to me as interesting or even any good. Wacko, a beet beer, from Magic Hat and Anderson Valley's Summer Solstice. These are both beers you should go out and try, but there can be only one. Wacko still pours out pink and has heavy caramels, a hint of beet and some sweet hop on the nose. Solstice is copper to light brown and has some mocha and citrus with its caramels. But how does it taste you ask? The Wacko is strong on the lush caramels, with a hint of mocha and honeyed beet. There is something here that just works. Balance between sweet and bitter, etc. What about the Solstice. Wow, chocolate, caramel, and a milky, creamy flavor. There's also a nice hop bite that lingers, but is not at all bitter. This beer is full of yum and really different in a very good way. Same can be said of the Wacko. I'm gonna start hitting these sip for sip. Both these beers stand up well to one another, but the Solstice is so good and really unique. I think the Solstice is the clear winner for me. However, I could tip either of these back all day long. Of the other summer beer, the Blackberry Witt and Odd Notion #10 were pretty decent and the Summerfest was O.K. The rest sucked.I hate you summer beers.

Summer Beers: Summerfest vs Summer Solstice

O.K. I'm not a big fan of most summer beers. To me they are not as good as the hot weather beers that are already out there. Like mexican or Thai or Plillipino beers. Anyway I'm going to taste a couple that look promising in pairs to compare and contrast. First up is Anderson Valley Summer Solstice and Anchor Summerfest. Summerfest is a pale gold with light caramel, citrus and a bit of candy ( sweet tart) on the nose. Solstice is amber with rich caramel, light mocha, and crisp sweet citrus on the nose. The Fest is crisp with hop and caramels, strangely none of the sweetness I found on the nose. It's pretty bitter on the finish, but is a nice refreshing classic lager. The Solstice is very sweet with really rich caramels. It's like a dulche de leche beer. Actually, it seams like a take on a Dos Equis style amber, but better. There's some good hop here, but the malts really shine. This is really a unique, delicious beer, I have not had anything quite like it. The Solstice is a clear winner here, but the Fest is a good beer and could slip in to a second round. If I do a second round.

Anderson Valley Boont Amber Ale

Boont Amber just drew the short straw and has to follow Railbender. Well it better be good. It's made by the Anderson Valley Brewing people from Boonville California. That would be somewhere in the northern pot growing region of the state. Alright, it's amber and it's caramelly. These amber ales all have the same flavor profile, so I'm getting sick of writing the same stuff. Well this is a decent amber, but after that Railbender this beer is lame. Oh well, better luck next time Anderson Valley Brewing.