Bison IPA Single Hop Series - Summit

Brewed by Bison Brewing Company
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Berkeley, California USA

Pours amber with a thin white head. Smells of pronounced grapefruit and melon. Tastes of sweet tangeriones and grapefruit with a hint of malt presence on the finish. Too much astringent bitterness on the finish to make this one enjoyable.

Hazy amber pour white fluffy head. Grapefruit aroma. Earthy, toasty grainy, and hops.

Taster - North American Organic Brewers Festival - Portland, OR
Aroma – Nice deep hops aroma. I liked the malts and slight spices.
Appearance – Golden yellow in color, thin head and clear.
Flavor – Nice single hops IPA flavor. This was a decent beer had some good malt and hops balance.
Palate – Nice Mouthfeel, Good texture with a dry finish.
Overall – A good IPA. This had flavor was crisp. Finished very nice.

From a 22 ounce bottle purchased at Belmont Station in Portland, OR--Eww! Summits. These hops can be good if blended right, but by themselves, I always get this onion flavor with extreme alphas. I like the alphas and the floral side, but that gritty dirt onion flavor pops up everytime (see W ’07 from Widmer). I guess it is just a personal preference, but I prefer not to drink straight up Summits.

Appearance: Pours a hazy orange body with a thinnish, off-white head. Smell: Musty grapefruit aroma with a faint, faroff hint of caramel. Taste: A small dose of caramel malt flavor with even less sweetness before you get the citric grapefruit flavor with a pungent pithy bitterness. Finishes quite dry. Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Fizzy carbonation. Drinkability: I gotta say, the overabundant carbonation is displeasing. As a beeriment showcasing the Summit Hop variety it’s fine, but as a beer I’d pass on it.

Name: IPA - Summit
Date: 08/17/2007
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting, Cellar Party

hazy amber, fine white head, drippy lace, sweet crystal malt and earthy hop aroma, lots of earthy and floral hop flavor balanced by crystal malts, nice citrus comes in a second wave,

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 7/10; Overall: 13/20
Rating: 3.4/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: **+/4

This turned out to be one of the worst, yet best IPAs I’ve ever had. I did not like the flavor, but loved the clear and sharp isolation of the summit hop. The flavor and bitterness sped over the sides of my tongue straight away, then vanished with virtually no finish. You’d have to blend this baby.

Pours a slightly hazy orange amber with a wispy-lacing white head. Aroma of fresh grapefruity hops and some earthy grainy pale malt. Body starts with some effervescent lightly toasted, earthy grainy malt and some fresh, grapefruity bittering hops toward a drier bittersweet finish. An ok IPA, but could use a little more balance.