Summit Winter Ale

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

Serve in English pint, Trappist glass

Pours a dark brown/ruby with a small white head. Some toasty malt coffee and toffee are the most pronounced. There was something I didn’t care for in the back of the pallete, but overall there were some nice things with this one.

Very good craft form ol Summit! Quite sweet and coffee like taste, and I agree that it doesnt have the hop kick like some, but i have been drinking a lot of Surlys latley, and those are hop crazy! I would compare this the the Surly Bender though, quite similar and tasty!

Bottle from the Blue Max. Most of their beers hava a much larger hop blast and this was a major let down. Virtually no flavor at all. I did get a bit of toffee and a bit of what could have been dark fruit. A bummer for sure.

UPDATED: NOV 22, 2006 20th Anniversary (2006) bottle. This beer has a strong, sweet, floral aroma that is quite pleasing. It pours a lovely dark brown, with a classic beige/tan head. The flavor is bitter and coffee-like, with just the right touch of sweetness. There is a good but not particularly strong aftertaste. It is clean and crisp going down the throat, more like a lager than an ale. This beer improves upon multiple tastings. It isn’t utterly spectacular, but it is another very nice production by a reliable Minnesota brewery. Re-rated after tasting on tap. Flavor dropped from 8 to 7.

Bottle: Tan head that my girlfriend described as looking like lake foam. Dark amber color. Very malty aroma. The taste could have stood more complexity, heavy on the raisin and malt flavors with some citus mixed in. Liked the level of hops at the end. Finish was long and wonderful, and the body on this beer full, and for me these factors helped compensate for a somewhat uneventful taste.

Pours dark dark brown with a thin head. Aroma of roasted malt with citrusy hops in the background. Nice mouth feel, flavor seems subdued.

Sampled from a 12 oz brown bottle this beer poured a mahogany color with a large tan head. The aroma is strong molasses and nutmeg. The flavor is roasty malts, molasses, hints of dry chocolate and nutmeg. The finish is long and mildly bitter. Tasty.

12 oz bottle pours a brownish black with a small head. Good carmel malt doughy and toasted but citrusy aroma. Bready flavors are dominant, medium bodied, carmel and toffee contrasted with a citrussy hops and spices. Surpisingly tasty.