Summit Horizon Red Ale

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

Thanks to ericandersnavy for this one. Pours a clear reddish copper with a frothy 3-finger beige head. Light roast caramel aroma with mild floral hop. Near medium body with foamy carbonation. Flavor is roast caramel with a touch of citrus, but mostly floral. Seems astringent. Decent drink.

Bottle- Amber ale poured with small off white head. Aroma of light hops and sweet light citrus. Bit fizzy, earthy and dry. Dry bitterness lingers in this one.

Hop aroma is strong - both citrus and grass in the nose. Bold, tasty hop flavor as well; as others have pointed out, the malt does not balance the brew fully, rendering it somewhat empty. A bit too much carbonation for my tastes -- makes the beer bite back a bit, but it’s a thin, somewhat disingenuous bite. Very pleasant red hue. On tap.

Bottle. Woody amber color with an average head on the pour. Modest aroma of mild caramel malt. Easy drinker with the same nutty, caramel malt of the aroma. Nice little citricly bitter finish. (#3742, 11/15/2009)

Bottled at Monk’s Café Wallingatan, Stockholm. Clear nut brown, mid-sized head. Perfumy nose with roasty notes. Medium sweet with light-medium body and slick, well rounded mouthfeel. Slim and quafable. Salty perfumy hops on a distance, surfacing late to give balanced bitterness A pleasant if somewhat superficial beer.

Draft sample at The Happy Gnome. True amber in colour with medium carbonation. Floral aromas upfront, followed by notes of grapefruit, white grape skin, and toasted nuts on the back end. Flavors are of leafy C-hops, lingering black pepper and pine, and a bit of hard caramel sweetness. Chunky bitterness. Definitely hoppier than most ambers I’ve had. An enjoyable pint to say the least.

Pours amber, with medium head. Aroma of hops with some sweetness underneath. Flavor is watery, underwhelming, but not that bad. Thinnish.

Poured from bottle into Nonic Imperial Pint. Clear reddish-brown with thin head, some lacing on glass. Aroma of citrus and ash, slight pine and malt. Expected malts for a Red Ale upfront, but quickly overtaken by bitterness. Bitter aftertaste as well. The hop flavor is somewhat of a surprise, as it reminds me of ash. I detected that in the smell, but didn’t expect to taste it. Never would have thought I would like an ash taste, but I do. Maybe this is from the Horizon hops, which I know very little about. Lighter than I expected, but considering the low carbonation and smooth body, it all works. Almost reminds me of a Bitter in terms of feel. Very easy drinking ale, I would choose this over the ESB, EPA or IPA. Still prefer the Porter as my favorite year-round bottled beer by Summit.