Summit Scandia Ale

A very light sipping beer. Slight orange flavor. Touches of cardamom and coriander make this a great sipping beer for summer or enjoyed with some fresh fish.

Pours a hazy straw gold, with a fluffy head of white suds on top of a steady stream of carbonation. Decent head retention, great lacing. This was count-the rings lacing (between 6 and 8 per pint) leaving lots of webby strands between them. I noticed the spicy aroma as soon as the beer was placed on the bar before me - lots of spicy character. I grabbed the coriander and the cardamom from my better half’s spice rack when I got home - and I’ll say it is heavier on the cardamom, though both are present. This was a flavorful beer, with a sweeter honeymalt flavor blending with a drier wheat malt flavor. Very tasty. Some floral hop bitterness showed up in the finish, accompanied by bitter orange and spicy coriander that lasted and lasted. The aftertaste was a blend of sweet orange pulp, bitter orange peel, and coriander. The body was somewhere between light and medium, gently but fully carbonated, soft and smooth, and very drinkable

From a bottle, this pours a cloudy orange-yellow. Fairly sizable white head that settles into a nice lacing throughout the glass-draining process. Aroma of orange peel & fizzy wheat. First taste is tart wheat, with a follow-up of orange peel, coriander and yes, cardamom. I didn’t think I’d much like the latter in beer but in this case, it’s just a hint of flavor--and it works very well. Slightly bitter, but clean finish. Smooth and moderately carbonated. Guess I’ve found a new favorite witbier.

"...a Scandanavian interpretation of a famous Belgian ale with spice notes of cardamom, coriander and orange." 20 IBUS, Pale, Wheat, European malts, and flaked oats, with Vanguard hops. On tap at Acadia Cafe in Minneapolis, one of only a dozen bars to tap it so far. Pours a thoroughly hazed straw yellow hue, with a solid, staying bone white head. Looks the part for a witbier, very attractive. Lovely nose, an utterly pretty, floral fragrance, ripe with citrus and spice. Zesty and arousing. Scandia climbs into the mouth with full force, washing flavor gently but assuredly along every avenue of the senses. Lemon zest, orange peel dominate, but matched well with strong coriander, with a sidekick of cardamom. The coriander was so big, it clung to my mouth long after I left the Cafe. Body is lean, but that’s true to style. Not skimpy in taste, however and that’s what will make Scandia a winner. This tastes every bit as good as any other witbier I’ve tried, especially stateside (and excepting St. Bernardus). The freshness of this brand new ale also adds to the keen drinkability and delightful character. This is a great summertime drinker from Summit, their first attempt at a Belgian style, and a nice, refreshing change. I don’t, however understand what makes this a "Scandanavian take" on a wit, other than the brewery owner’s nationality. For all intends and purposes, this tastes exactly like a witbier should, and I can’t imagine what sort of Nordic twist they took.

Straw in color and hazy. Medium white colored head. Aroma is herbs and slight lemon and orange. Flavor is strong wheat with heavy spice notes. Spicy finish. I loved this brew coupled with a spicy barbaque sandwich.