Goin' Skinny Dippin'

Photo: New Belgium Brewery, Fort Collins, CO

One more of those summer beers. Very appropriate since I'm writing this on the 4th of July. This one is a lager from the folks at New Belgium Brewery. My first experience with a New Belgium brew was their Fat Tire ale. I was hesitant to sample any of New Belgium's offerings after tasting that beer. I found it to be unpleasant. But that's for a future review, maybe.

Skinny Dip is another low alcohol brew with a refreshing taste that's perfect for summertime get-togethers. At the outset, it has a somewhat fruity/sweet/peachy flavor that I find to be tasty and delightful. It finishes with a slightly bitter taste, but it's a "good" bitter. It's just right to get your palette primed for the next mouthful of beer goodness.

When poured, it has a rather bubbly head that doesn't last very long, but that's forgivable. It's got the pale yellow/orange color you would expect from a lager. They've managed to pack a lot of flavor and (dare I say it) complexity into a low alcohol seasonal brew.

A quick thought about these summer beers. For me, summer beer drinking is somewhat different than cold weather beer drinking. Usually (but certainly not always) in the summer, I drink a beer because I'm hot and thirsty. So when I take a drink of one of these summer brews, it's such a refreshing hit to the inside of my mouth that (almost) any beer would be good at that first taste. So my first sampling of many of the summer beers I've been trying are going to make a good first impression. They're cold and wet - just what my body wants at that time. I try not to let that sway me. In the interest of proper research, I form my opinions after more than one, or two, or three or more over time (not all in one sitting). I had eight Skinny Dips before writing this review. Over a period of weeks... c'mon people!

Would I buy this beer again? Oh, yes

Hoppy To See You Rating: 3.75 | 5
Highest possible rating: 5