Welcome back, everybody, to the CSU-Pueblo weekly beer review. My name is Eric. I’m a senior at CSU-Pueblo majoring in mass communications and an employee at a local liquor store, and it’s my job to review beer and tell you if it’s any good or not.
Not a bad gig, eh? “Yeah, sounds nice! So why are you six weeks behind on your reviews?!” you reply angrily. That’s because I’m only human! I was supposed to carry on my reviews over Christmas break. I thought it would be nice sitting next to a cozy fire typing away at my laptop with a fresh beer at my side, snow falling gently outside the window and Christmas lights twinkling on the tree.
Ha, what a scenic dream. The reality was a tangle of Christmas chaos and holiday hours at the job so every free moment I had was spent sleeping in a pile of unfinished laundry on my bed, dreaming of summer.
Ah, but it’s not summer; it’s never going to be summer! School has begun yet again, with all its schedules, essays, personality disputes and testing in full effect. Winter winds beat at you as you walk to class, tearing at your soul! Snow piles up in front of your car, as if a sign of the obstacles that block your progress through life! These are harsh times…times that require a harsh brew to keep things in check…such as Never Summer Ale.
Never Summer Ale is a seasonal ale produced by Boulder Beer based out of, you guessed it, Boulder, Colorado. Available during the winter of 2007, several liquor stores still have six packs lingering in their coolers and I was fortunate to pick one up before I wrote this review.
When opened, Never Summer Ale has a sweet smell to it, with hints of pine and berry. It has a rich red color to it when poured, with a tan head of foam crowning the top of the glass. Toasted malt and traces of cinnamon, berry, caramel and hops make up the flavor of this medium-bodied ale, while the dry citrus aftertaste doesn’t linger unpleasantly in any way.
The alcohol content is a standard 5.6%, making it a fine sipping beer for dinners and parties alike. Don’t let my dramatics above fool you. Never Summer Ale is a smooth, tasty beer that would have fit perfectly in my dream of Christmas break.
This beer gets a 5 out of 5. I would have passed on Never Summer Ale if its label didn’t appeal to my bitter outlook on the future, and this may be the first time I’m glad I was in a bad mood. It’s the tastiest red beer I’ve had in a long time. Priced at roughly $7.99, Never Summer Ale isn’t a cost effective beer to get trashed on but if you happen to spot a six pack of it still left at your favorite liquor store, do yourself a favor and pick it up, call over some friends and start a fire.
