Speights Summit Golden Lager

Brewed by Speights Brewery (Lion Breweries - NZ)
Style: Premium Lager
Dunedin, New Zealand

330ml bottle. Dark gold hue, thin white bubbly head quickly diminishing to thin ring around edge, minimal lacing. Faint aromas of biscuit malt and citrus hops. Mild to moderate sweetness, mild bitterness. Light body, thin creamy mouth feel, tingly carbonation, dry slightly metallic finish. This beer is just another one of those NZ jump on the "new beer without all the usual additives we put in the rest of our beers" marketing bandwagon. Nothing special.

Draft at Speight’s Alehouse in Greymouth. Pours clear gold with a white head and a lot of visible carbonation. Aroma of hops, grain, grass, and straw, and a very simple flavor of grain, hops, sweet malt, and straw Light bodied, crisp, refreshing, with a little bite late. Nothing special, but not terrible.

Half pint served chilled from tap at the Southerner, Temple. Crystal clear, golden body with a short lived, white head. Grass-malty aroma. Malty sweetness in flavour and little else. Rather dry in the mouth. Some refreshments (London, 01.08.2009).

Enjoyed over a lamb burger at Ziff’s. Brassy golden with a dense marshmallowy head that leaves rather thick lace down the glass. Aroma is grainy and sweet with some subtle fruit character. Palate is the same with a surprisingly soft velvety mouthfeel. Actually drinks like a cream ale. Simple, but not bad.

Small white head. Yellow body with light carbonation. Watery fruity aroma. Dry-sweetish fruity mealy soft drink taste. Mild soft mouthfeel. Aftertaste is about the same. One-dimensional, but not bad. (0.2l sampler, The Southerner, London.)

On tap 01.07.09 at the Ministry of Sports, Queenstown. Clear gold with white head. Aroma is malty, hoppy, fruity. Flavor is malty, hoppy, and crisp.

White rocky head that disappears, pale yellow in colour. Metallic aroma with weak hops and malt. Rather sweet for a lager, and watery... Some hops in there, but there is no bitterness and no aftertaste. Very boring but still better than its competitor Steinlager Pure.

I might as well have had a glass of water. What’s the point?? Gained a point in flavour for having a hint of hops, which is more than I can say for Steinlager pure. I don’t see why anyone would bother with this.