Have you ever enjoyed a bottle of Anchor Wheat Beer? If you have, my friends, then you already know what Anchor Summer Beer tastes like. That’s because it’s the same beer, re-packaged and re-labeled for the twenty first century.

I don’t ever recall seeing Anchor Wheat Beer in six-packs, only 22-ounce bottles. Summer Beer, however, is packaged in six-packs, which will probably lead to more sales of the beer for Anchor. Here’s what Anchor tells you about the beer on the label:

Anchor Summer is the first American wheat beer in modern times. Our first brew of this light and refreshing beer was in the summer of 1984.

Anchor uses more than 50% wheat malt for this beer, which tends to lighten the body of the final product considerably. Anchor Summer Beer is not a hefeweizen. It’s a filtered beer, which gives it a clarity suitable for hot weather drinking.

It is also a very clean and, frankly, rather average beer. I used to enjoy it more for some reason when it was Anchor Wheat Beer, perhaps because that beer was not always easy to find. At least for me when I lived in New England. Today, Anchor Summer Beer will be a seasonal sold from April through November.

Now, it should be noted that Anchor Brewing is one of my very favorite brewing concerns. They were pioneers in the brewing world, and beer lovers around the world owe a lot to Fritz Maytag, the company’s owner. Anchor has a reputation for brewing unique and wonderfully bold beers the likes of Anchor Steam, Liberty Ale, or their wonderful annual Christmas release, Our Special Ale.

Which is why, I think, the relatively lackluster character of Anchor Summer is a shocker to many. Sure, it’s a decent enough and quenching brew, perfect for summer time enjoyment. It’s even more refreshing with a slice of lemon. But Anchor Summer beer has less character than even an American Hefeweizen the likes of Widmer.

Anchor Summer Beer pours to a rather pale golden color with a medium spritzy head formation which builds as the beer purls into my glass. The nose is soft, a little biscuity with hints of fresh malt. The body is relatively thin, and there is not a lot of flavor going on. Just a hint of light biscuity malt, some tart wheat notes, and a gentle hop bitterness in the finish to balance things out.

The hops and the wheat do make this very refreshing, but overall the character is reminiscent of Bud or Miller. Just not a lot going on. As I said this one is decent enough for quenching your thirst, but at $7.99 a six-pack I don’t think I’ll be buying a lot of it. There are certainly much better wheat beers out there for less money.

Update 7/26/2015: Here it is, a very warm summer day in Canton, Georgia, so why not revisit Anchor Summer beer at Taco Mac? I did. It's still a clean and refreshing wheat beer that is not complex or complicated. Not a lot going on, and these days it runs $9.99 a six-pack and $6.50 a mug on tap. Still not a beer I would rebuy very frequently as there are other examples I prefer at a better price. I'll admit though it hits the spot in the Georgia heat.

And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.

*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.

(B)=Bottled

(D)=Draft

 

 



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