Summit Winter Ale

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

Serve in English pint, Snifter

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UPDATED: MAR 4, 2004 Not spectacular, but defiinitely okay. Still a seasonal favorite I keep coming back to. It's not exactly a winter ale, in my book--not like Blvd's nutcracker, for example. More like a porter, or even a dark alt. Nice hoppy aroma and taste. Just a tad watery in the mouth, but then that's my experience with most domestics, even the best ones. Nice roasted flavors. A lingering bitterness. Clinging circles of lace. Overall, a nice brew for these dark and cold evenings. I've found it tastes best around 60 degrees F; more flavorful at a slightly warmer temp than where I normally drink beer (around 50-55F). Although there are other winter and dark domestic beers I might prefer over this, I still think this is worth picking up at the right price.

Aroma: Kind of smells like cleaning supplies or rubbing alcohol with a bit of carmel and chocolate malts mixed in. Appearance: Dark brown, reddish with a small head. Flavor: Kind of watery, dry, and burnt tasting with slight chocolate and coffee flavors. Palate: Smooth with a bit of a harsh aftertaste, slightly carbonated like soda. Overall: Not very good wouldn't buy it again.

served on tap a bit too cold... very dark, medium palate. slight dark malt odor.... boring. boring as hell.

Tasted before Rogue Santa's Private Reserve, and it lost that battle. It is nice, but different than most other winter ales... resembling an average stout or porter actually. Smokey hop flavor with a more wood-like aroma. Goes sweet over the tongue, has some maple and vanilla, and is quite abrasive and dry. Bland finish... almost fishy in the burps... stouty is what I wrote down... maybe should be a smoked porter.

Nice roasty aroma with a slight spiciness. Root beer color with a thin head and some rings of lace. Tastes of roasted malt and some spicy hops. Finishes slightly sweet. Hop flavor profile similar to Redhook ESB, but works well with the roasted malt flavor. Thinner mouthfeel and lighter body than it appeared it would have at the pour. Overall, very drinkable with no off flavors or aftertastes. Alcohol is hidden well(until you finish the sixer and try to function).

A perennial favorite I return to year after year, when the snow drapes the land, and I feel the need for some fortified relief against the chill. Color, a clear russet brown, with attractive, creamy foam atop. Aroma, spicy, fruity, nutty, very inviting. Lands nicely on the tongue, and lightly, too, with a thinner body than I remember from past years samples, while still, say, medium. Dark fruitiness persists in flavor, with roastiness, spices, nuts, sweet caramely character. Malt is abundant, hops play it cool, and overall, a bit sweeter than I'd care it to be. Nice finish. Not lacking in flavor, but a bit of a let-down, if my memory can be trusted to judge this against past year's batches. I'll still be tossing these back this winter, but not with the volume of my past consumption. Please, give it a try, by all means.

very good beer, has a hint of spices and candy apple flavor in it. sat very good on the palate with a hint of bitterness. a very good winter warmer

Oooh, what a nice aroma! Toasty, roasty, warming! Very inviting!Color is deep brown and carbonation is moderate with a thick tan head that clings to the sides of the glass. Smooth malt taste profile. Hops are well balanced. This is a rich, but highly drinkable winter beer! This is probably Summit's finest Winter Ale in several years!

Deep, dark and rich. Alcohol shows a bit more as it warms (but is welcome). Exactly what I would expect from a Christmas beer. Big and soft and smooth. A rather sleepy feel to it, really. Nothing really stanidng out or demanding attention. Easy-going and flavorful.

(Bottle) Pours a dark amber/brown with a thin tan head. Descent tasting winter ale.