It has been a hot summer in the Tri-state area and a trip to the bar for more than a few cold beers just seems like the right thing to do lately, and as you know, summer means a lot of different summer ales to choose from. Summer ales are refreshing, fruity, light, and typically I would go with a Brooklyn Summer but this time I stumbled upon a summer pale ale, also by Brooklyn Brewery, known as Scorcher #366.
Scorcher is one of the rarer finds in my area since Fairfield County is not Brooklyn and this particular brew is part of the Brewmaster’s Reserve collection so finding it was a win just so I could say I scratched that one off my list. However, it was not my favorite. Tolerable, but still, not my favorite.
Scorcher #366 is not like Brooklyn Summer Ale at all. This pale ale played off like an IPA; hoppy, a tad bitter, but does not pack the ABV punch that most IPAs usually have (Scorcher comes in at 4.5% ABV). Although they’re not my favorite, I do like a bunch of IPAs and even though this is not considered THAT, the hoppiness in Scorcher just did not do it for me. But I suppose if someone bought me one without asking what I wanted, sure, I’d drink another.
Scorcher #366 fun fact: The brew uses hops from the lupulin plant, a flowery hop that does actually grow in North America.
M