King Of The Chill
Matchless Brewing

hilarious can art, and its awesome how many beers from these guys have been floating around, its been fun drinking through the diverse mix, but i had higher hops for this one, not as summery as i would expect given that they outright call it a summer ale, its not that light or clear or refined, its pretty darn hoppy, and it doesnt seem as well refined as their best beers even though its fresh and all according to the can date, not calling it a miss, but i didnt rip the whole four pack in one sitting or anything either. it is somewhat different through, especially when considered as a summer beer, and i can get there in my mind if i am generous, like its lower bitterness, simple on the malt side, super carbonated and excited feeling, dry, all things that lean summer, but im not sure its all that refreshing with the hops and some of the cloudiness, whatever, maybe im thinking too much about that part of it, a session type pale makes more sense. i am also seeing a unique mix of hops here, which i wasnt aware of when i had this, comet, moutere, and triumph, anyone seen those three in a beer together before? yeah me either. the nose is lightly floral, somewhat grassy and green but not in a harsh burning way, a little lemon verbena thing, chardonnay, light dill, kiwi fruit, and melon rind, odd but pleasant all together, light pils malt apparent, not much from the ferment, trace oxidation i reckon, not quite popping and bright, some relaxed bitterness. the flavor is muted compared to the nose a little bit, earthy and mineral forward, clay and graphite, then the grassy side of the hops with early than expected bitterness that never ramps up real high but stays a consistent part of this, light green apple, grape, and citrus rind in play, green tea and dried flowers too. light body from the malt but a little fuller with the haziness in it, very little grain flavor once i settle into it, and rushing carbonation pushing it so quickly that the flavor window almost feels rushed. its subtly different with these hops, but the beer is just less compelling overall than it sounds like it should be, despite having some intangibles working for it. ill revisit this tonight, still got three cans in the fridge, but i would say the first one was underwhelming overall...

edit: i am through the four pack a week or two later now and i like it better, raising some scores, it has unique grain undertones, grassy not not too intense hops, and is still light despite the unfiltered nature of it and it not just being a yellow beer or something. i think i was perhaps too harsh on this the first time around, its different but it works better than i gave it credit for above in a summer context. still not a matchless standout, but solid.

 

Slight haze on the grayish yellow brew with plenty of foam in the big Stout glass. Quite sudsy and slushy in the mouth. Pleasant aroma of dry hay and lemon. Flavors of tangerine and citrus peel. Some grapefruit and pineapple in the finish. Definitely on the juicy side with an overabundance of citrus. Aftertaste is sharp, slightly astringent, and mildly bitter. They call this a Summer Ale, and it does that job well enough. From the 16 oz can purchased at Elizabeth Station.