Summit Extra Pale Ale

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

the aroma is weak but color is rich. this beer is pretty damn smooth. It has a nice dry finish. not very hoppy overall but this easy easy to drink.

Pours with a nice very white head, which slowly fades to an uneven layer of thin foam on top. This clings a bit to the sides of my Summit glass as the beer disappears (a bit too rapidly). Nice golden-copper color, very clear. There is a light hop aroma, with no trace of maltiness in the scent. I like the mouthfeel that the strong carbonation gives the beer. This makes up for the lighter body. It is light but still has enough going on. Somehow, even thought the beer is both hoppy and lighter in body, it comes accross as balanced. There is a prevalent hop bite up front which compliments the carbonation very nicely. The hoppiness is slightly citrus - no spice or pine flavors. Again, no maltiness in the flavor. The hops in the aftertaste are still present, but less so. More of a straight hop bitterness (not citrus, floral, spicy, pine, etc).

Got some sweet malt and slight citrus hops in the aroma.Pours a medium copper with a thi off white head.Caramel malts and citrus hops stand out in the flavor.Medium mouthfeel with a sweet malt finish.

My favorite Summit, not a heckuva lot different than the other Extra Pale Ales I’ve tried. Drinkable and reliable, although I am partial being from Minnesota. Big Top actually had 12-packs for $8.99 during the month of December. Pales in comparison to Three Floyd’s Alpha King ale. Just had one of those and am now on a Summit and the dropoff is something fierce. :(

Bottle. from sampler pack. Amber color, clear. Very good. Nice balance of hops and malt. Some caramel malt flavor. Probably the best in the sampler pack.

12oz bottle. Aroma: Caramel, malt, floral and light citrus hops. Appearance: Amber in color and clear. Light beige head was full and foamy with nice retention. Not much lacing. Flavor: Light caramel and sweet/grainy malt. Light pine, citrus, and floral hop. Bitterness was light but pleasant. Clean finish. Palate: Medium-light bodied. Medium carbonation. Overall: They say this a beer for the masses, and they’re right. Pleasant and drinkable, but not remarkable in any way. A safe beer.

12oz bottle acquired in trade with brewblackhole (thanks!). Poured a medium amber color with a smaller sized off white head. Aromas of floral and caramel. Tastes of floral, oranges and caramel. Some lacing left on the glass.

I’ve had this a few times...my understanding is that it is Summit’s largest volume beer, but the Extra Pale is my least favorite Summit product (I think their Maibock is great). This beer pours a dark amber/orange color typical of a lot of APAs. The beer is clear, but has a certain dullness to it and an adequate amount of head. The smell is of sweet hop esters, and is quite pleasant. I didn’t pick up a lot of citrus or pine notes. The taste is a bit of a letdown. The beer is slightly bitter (that’s good), but there’s a maltiness or an earthiness that just doesn’t seem like it belongs there...I know that malt taste is there for balance, but I feel this beer would be better with it toned down. This beer has a different mouthfeel than most other IPAs. My mouth seems to interact with the beer in the back of my throat, instead of the roof of my mouth where other APA’s seem to "stick." Mouthfeel is a bit thin and watery. In terms of drinkability, the beer is light enough to drink several of, but I didn’t really want another.