Summit Extra Pale Ale

Brewed by Summit Brewing Company
Style: American Pale Ale
St. Paul, Minnesota USA

Aroma is a bit light, citrus hops -- grapefruit specifically. Head is maybe a pinky finger thick. Pretty well balanced between hops and malts, the latter of which has hints of caramel. Could be bolder in flavor, a bit too carbonated. I agree with those who say this is a good summer beer.

[Bottle] Pours a light amber color with a slight haze. Very little head. Aroma of grains and light citrus. Taste is pretty similar, with various citrus notes. I got some lemon and grapefruit especially. Dry finish with some slight pine notes. Decent palate. A good beer in general.

Poured from bottle into Summit pint glass. Clear, pale amber with a quickly settling head and some lacing. Aroma of citrus hops and sweet grainy malts. Strong caramel and toasted malts flavoring for an APA. Mild sweet, fruity flavors and somewhat of a citrus hop balance. Sharp malt and somewhat bitter aftertaste. Moderately high carbonation, with a moderate body and strangely semi-sweet finish. This is often the session beer of choice in Minnesota. I can understand why so many love it, but there is something about the malts that is a slight distraction for me. Very good brew nonetheless that is easy to keep chugging away.

Draft: Golden orange with a modest sandy colored head. Nice thick sheets of lacing. Mild, almost faint aroma is lightly sweet with citrus and caramel. The tastes comes through much more flavorful. Citrus hops, grapefruit, even grape itself, and a small amount of maltiness. Wet feeling overall. Very light floral element. This is drinkable stuff; potentially a perfect house beer for summer.

An amber ale with a thin lacing and silky off white head. In aroma, light pinhey c-hops over caramel malt. In mouth, a nice smooth pale ale with nice restrained floral hops, light and quaffable. On tap at Ike’s MSP, Sept. 13 2009.

12 ounce bottle purchased at Total Wine Tampa, FL for $1.34 in a 4-style sampler 12-pack. Good.

The beer pours a medium to slightly light amber color, with a small but long-lasting white head. The nose is initially a little hard to get a sense of, and generally needs to be a bit more gregarious. Even so, I was able to detect some characteristic grapefruity notes of Cascade, along with some medium crystal malt notes. The palate seems to trend more toward the English version of pale ale, showing an earthy hop character, and about a 50/50 balance between gravity and bitterness. Again, I detected some medium crystal notes. The finish is about medium sweet/dry, with some slight fruity notes. Overall, a decent, if slightly boring APA.

Bottle from cute Summit rep. Pours a clear deep gold with fizzy head. Aroma has a nice hoppy citrus note and some light caramel. Flavor is nicely balanced in this beer, some light hoppy pine, citrus notes and a little light caramel. Mouth feel is light body, kinda watery, high carbonation. Overall, a decent easy drinking pale ale.