It's April and summer has hit, which probably means you better hurry up and enjoy it before fall hits in July. That we don't have a lot of summer ales available yet might be a problem, but luckily Fremont already has a good one in stores, the imaginatively titled Summer Ale.
This pale session beer -- a mild 5.2% ABV -- is refreshing, with a nice citric bite. It pours a vaguely dark golden color with about a finger worth of crisp, white head. Give it a quick whiff and a light, floral-y maltiness hits you straight up. It's a simple nose, but not in a bad way, particularly seeing how good it smells.
Sip it, and a nice balance of flavors reveals itself straight away. The citrus is right there, but it doesn't overpower the round tones of malts and hops. Together the three flavors create a surprisingly creamy mouthfeel -- almost like a Creamsicle. There's nothing wrong with that when it's warm outside.
Summer Ale was brewed with one grain and one hop and is not an incredibly complex beer. That's a good thing in this case. It's hard to beat Fremont's offering as far as a refreshing summer ale goes.