Summit India Pale Ale

Brewed by Summit Brewing Company
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
St. Paul, Minnesota USA

Perfectly yummy IPA (tasted on tap), much better than the Fuller’s IPA which I rated the other day. Also good bottled.

Nice hoppy malt aroma. Nicely hopped without being overstated. Pleasant malt just underneath the hops. An India pale ale everyone should be able to enjoy.

Caveat to any concerned: this is a long-time favorite, and one of the first beers I really fell in love with, long, long ago. However, I've had many other, sometimes better IPAs since, and must strive for objectivity in this examination. Appearance: cast in a bright, ruby-red hue, with a 1/2 " layer of fizzy off-whitefoam, leaving small traces of lace. Aroma is at first bitter, coppery, but boldened by an enticing dark fruit character, over all big and spicy, though less like a Pacific Northwest hop profile, closer to an English-style. The tastebuds are led by the nose, urging my lips closer to the glass...Taste is bitter, yet slightly sweet, with a caramel-y essence, perhaps the malt speaking up. Tons of fruitiness, cherries, and berries, but almost candy-fied with the sweetness. Body is medium, finish more mildly bitter, but persistent, riding comfortably along on the palate, never quite quitting the mouth. A thirst-quenching, totally tasty treat, even if it's no longer my favorite IPA, I'm still plenty pleased any time I'm in it's company.

Super nice color of opaque darkish caramel-orange, coppery glow with a nice inch high head of off-white creamy thick foam, very thick and lucsiously rich looking with major hefty staying power. Lots of bigger bubbles dotted in its thickness and many areas of grouped spotty tight lace patches. Soft pleasant nose of floral hops with some citrus and peach, nice sweet malt backing and a note of musty grass. Freshness abound, nice sniffer. Taste is quite brillantly done soft but biting hops, a bit piney with a great mild earthy toned bitterness. The malt note picked up in the smell seems to never show up in the taste, but obviously there to keep this from being to hop heavy, which it is, but not in a bad way. Great dryness thats a bit smokey in the very late finish, nice! Feel is pretty full and solid medium body with excellent bittering drynesses in levels.

Fluffy white head that dissipated quickly. Beautiful amber color. The hops are not apparent in the aroma, but the flavor is nice and crisp with good hop bitterness. Overall, however, this beer is suprisingly well balanced with nice round malt character. Not as hoppy as many IPA’s, but it’s very drinkable. Actually much better on tap, but still great in the bottle.

I like this one. Just hoppy enough for me, it goes down good. A thin short lived head,but a very good beer. I have already gone back for more.

Nice IPA.

June 2006 - Beer poured with moderate heat, little lacing, but beautiful dark amber color, which was a bit odd for an IPA. The flavor was complex for an IPA...sweet citrus (not overly grapefruity, more orangey), other darker fruits, a definite caramel presence and a touch of pine. The hop bitterness was mild for the style but enjoyable. I bought this just to have a MN beer, but this was really nice.