Summit Amber

Formerly brewed at Summit Brewing Company
Style: Amber Ale
St. Paul, Minnesota USA

Serve in English pint, Shaker

Draft at Barley’s Alehouse #2. Amber color with small white head that diminished quickly. Small hopppy aroma. Light body. Medium hoppy flavor with small bitter finish. Average amber.

On Draft at MSP airport, 7/5/05. Reddish tinge and a sweet cookie-like nose. Flavor follows as anticipated ... sweet malt and a hint of caramel and a lightly bittered finish. Average.

Had this on tap at the Groveland Tap, a pretty swell Summit taproom. Amber color (duh) with a medium foamy head. Pretty soft aroma of grains. The taste is solid for an amber: fresh fields of barley, very mild hops, and a bit woody. It’s not a world class brew, but tasty enough and a good session.

The only amber quality is the name. There is a light hop aroma, and a medium body American pale ale taste of mildly bitter hops. A ok beer. I am disappointed they didn’t try something more interesting for their special beer. Last year’s oatmeal stout was much more interesting.

(Draft: 2005 Oregon Brewers Festival in Portland, OR) Well, I only have a few tokens left, so let’s try this place. Wait, St. Paul, Minnesota? What are they doing at the Oregon Brewers Festival? Smells grainy and I suppose slightly roasty. Hmm, tastes like a generic, dry amber beer with light bitterness. Average body and just not doing anything on the palate. Clear, amber color. Light tan head. Wow, just nothing of interest to report with this blasé beer. Not a good way to end this festival on, so off I go in search of a good beer.

Draft at MSP airport. Nice that they had something from these guys there. Particularly nice after being at a conference held at a dry casino. When I’m not a gambler. Ugh. Medium amber color, slight head. Faint hop aroma. Light biscuit malt flavors with a balancing hop bitterness. No real hop flavors were defined, however. Light bodied, but overall it was an inoffensive quencher.

BLBF. Amber pour (duh). Aroma is a musty malt and flavor continues on that note. Finishes a little watery.

On tap at the airport in Minneapolis. Deep amber color with a foamy light beige head that left nice lacing. Wet grain nose. Mild grain astringency with some caramel sweetness. The finish was a little tangy, like turned orange juice. Not bad with my food.