Schlafly first debuted their summer seasonal in aluminum last year. They're canning this brew at Stevens Point Brewery in Wisconsin as they don't have their own canning line. It's nice to share. Like quite a few other breweries Schlafly is just doing cans in the summer time but who knows where that might lead. Maybe we'll see more of their regular releases in cans in the future.

From the Ska site:

"Our Helles-Style Summer Lager is a bright, golden beer, perfect for summertime. The malts we use impart a wonderful, fresh grain character, reminiscent of European lagers. The German Noble hop, Mittelfrüh, lends a mild lemony, spicy flavor."

Here we go...

Pour - straw-color in appearance with a decent amount of white foam sitting on top of this pour. Plenty of carbonation in this very clean and clear looking lager. 

Aroma - grainy, a little sweet, perhaps a bit of lemon zest and some soggy cereal. Also, I can't help but get some subtle hints of smokiness when I really stick my nose into the glass. Hmm...I wonder where that is coming from. I guess we'll find out.

Taste - very light with a very abbreviated finish. That first sip almost dries my mouth out. Nice medium sweetness and certainly a bit of tart and tangy citrus lying there as well. I don't really taste that bit of smokiness I smelled but the malt profile in this is certainly a lot bigger than the color of this beer may lead on. Very well put together summer brew and a nice change-up from the very popular American Pale Wheat Ale-style that seems to crowd the canned summer beer landscape.

Overall - easily approachable, very drinkable and certainly session-able. Stick some of these in a (disc) golf bag, a backpack or a cooler and you're all set.

Would I buy more of it? - I probably would. It's a nice change from all those IPAs I love so much.

Note - a little more about this beer style from the Schlafly site...

"In the mid 19th Century, Gabriel Sedlmayr, of the Spaten Brewery in Germany, took pale ale brewing techniques from Britain and applied them to existing German lagering brewing methods. The resulting light-colored, light-bodied beers became the most widely consumed beers in the world today.  The main elements of Sedlmayr’s process are still used today, and depend on a slow acting yeast that ferments at a low temperature while being stored over long periods.  The German word “lager” means “to store”.  Today, many American craft brewers offer the style as a maltier and hoppier alternative to American light lagers."