ABV: 4.8%

IBUs: 34

Tonight I went grocery shopping for the first time in, oh, about six weeks. Yeah, I was living on pasta and eggs. Better than ramen I guess. Anyway, I saw a beer on the shelf I hadn’t ever noticed before, Mt. Carmel‘s Summer Wheat Ale. With it being the heart of the summer, I decided to pick it up.

Like a lot of summer seasonals, Summer Wheat is citrusy. Unlike a lot of summer seasonals it’s hoppy. Now normally I’m not terribly big on citrus beers, and as I’ve mentioned before I’m just beginning to acquire a taste for hops, so you may think the two together would be too much for me, but it was just the opposite. They’re actually a perfect pair! It’s like the bitterness is neutralized or something.

Mt. Carmel’s Summer Wheat Ale pours a golden orange, and you can instantly smell the fruit. It’s crisp, clean, carbonated, everything you’d want in a refreshing summer beverage. And it’s made with American hops! Between Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day, I feel like summertime is as American as it gets. Basically, this beer is the embodiment of the season, quintessential summer if you will. Bring on another heat wave ‘cause I need an excuse to drink a 6er of these in one sitting!