Summit Amber

Formerly brewed at Summit Brewing Company
Style: Amber Ale
St. Paul, Minnesota USA

Pours a clear copper amber, with almost an inch of cream colored foam. Decent head retention, pretty good lacing. Mild aroma, but caramel and toasted malt are easily identified. Sweetish malt flavor up front - with caramel and some toasted grain. There is a touch of fruit flavor throughout the sip that becomes more prominent and a little tart in the finish. Mild floral hops are noticeable in the finish as well. Some tanginess lingers a good long while in the aftertaste. Medium body, solid yet soft carbonation.

On-tap at McGovern’s: Super clear bright orange color with a slight burnt brown tint to it. Small compact foam on top thats lightly creamy in texture and ivory hued. Keeps a slight open skim and collaring. Laces in small blobs mostly close to the collar. Aroma is light and airy with just a hint of sweet malt and brown sugar softness. Clean but far to light and nearly non existent in the nose beyond its sweet, very light breadyness. Taste is OK, clean crystal malt-like sweetness with a touch of breadyness and brown sugar dustings. Very light toasty grain and husks help carry it through to a halfway decent finish where it drys off tightly with a bolder tone of malty sweetness then what the front or middle provide. The finish is really the only thing keeping this beer from being completely bland, but its bordering that line pretty darn closely. But the feel is respectfully nice and malty rich with just the right amount of easy, creamy carbonation. Seems about medium; perhaps lighter in the front but gains a gradual build that fits it well. Its the Summit O-fests very little brother beer. A smooth and easy drinker thats mild on the taste and smell but is worth trying and having around and a pleasure to see at some local tap lines. Better then the usual macro stuff that tends to dominate the St. Paul scene.

On tap at probably the same generic airport brewpub as the other people that rated it... Amber color with a big off white head. Heavy malt taste with a slightly hoppy finish. A bit of caramel flavor. Enjoyable.

Tap at Old Chicago, Minnetonka. Not much aroma. Some roasted malt notes. Relatively faint nose with some milk. Clear, reddish amber body. Some visible carbonation. Slightly off-white head and nice sheet lace. Limited hop profile. Fresh, clean, and good; just not overwhelmiing. A slightly above average microbrew. I’m guessing that this wont be available much longer as we head into Fall.

On Draft at MSP airport, 7/5/05. Reddish tinge and a sweet cookie-like nose. Flavor follows as anticipated ... sweet malt and a hint of caramel and a lightly bittered finish. Average.

On tap at the airport in Minneapolis. Deep amber color with a foamy light beige head that left nice lacing. Wet grain nose. Mild grain astringency with some caramel sweetness. The finish was a little tangy, like turned orange juice. Not bad with my food.

BLBF. Amber pour (duh). Aroma is a musty malt and flavor continues on that note. Finishes a little watery.

On tap at Old Chicago. Aroma is average, appearance is average. Malty flavor, but nothing that hits me as an extraordinary beer. Average beer, nothing super interesting here. Slightly watered down. Somewhat mediocre for a Summit offering.