Summit ESB - Summit Brewing Company

evanackerman

Minnesota

3.93/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Beer pours a very attractive copper with a two-finger head. Moderate lacing as beer is consumed.

Aroma is fruity bread, no alcohol present in the nose.

Taste is a somewhat floral hop bouquet with a pleasantly bitter finish, decent malt backbone.

mouthfeel is perhaps a bit thin but not bad at all

Drinkability is very high

Overall, a tasty brew that is a welcome part of my winter sampler, probably wouldn't seek out again but definitely a worthy session beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2009 01:51:04 | More by evanackerman

Kenai4

Minnesota

4.25/5  rDev +15.8%

04-26-2013 02:48:58 | More by Kenai4

plumcrazyfx

Minnesota

3.75/5  rDev +2.2%

03-21-2013 01:16:28 | More by plumcrazyfx

ejimhof

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -18.3%

03-09-2013 23:39:09 | More by ejimhof

pizza

Minnesota

4.5/5  rDev +22.6%

02-27-2013 00:42:48 | More by pizza

matjack85

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev +2.2%

02-07-2013 01:42:02 | More by matjack85

kobeer

Texas

3.25/5  rDev -11.4%

07-22-2012 19:30:19 | More by kobeer

ssjkyle

Nebraska

3.75/5  rDev +2.2%

07-14-2012 22:47:39 | More by ssjkyle

smogfood

Wisconsin

3.75/5  rDev +2.2%

06-11-2012 12:42:19 | More by smogfood

LXIXME

New Mexico

4.23/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A medium sized off white slowly settles into a decent lacing above a clear reddish amber colored beer.

A light sweet caramel malt aroma with some added spices sneaking in there.

The spices that weren't very noticeable in the aroma make a bigger presence in the taste with the light sweet caramel malts very much welcome.

A medium bodied beer with a warming bitter dry aftertaste.

A very worthy beer, I wish I could find these in west Texas or New Mexico

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2012 22:22:47 | More by LXIXME

Tyrawlings

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev -4.6%

02-12-2012 15:51:15 | More by Tyrawlings

zenwatts

Minnesota

3.5/5  rDev -4.6%

01-22-2012 17:15:06 | More by zenwatts

brandoman63

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -4.6%

11-19-2011 04:04:00 | More by brandoman63

Pegasus

Texas

3.58/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Deep reddish amber in color, very clear, with a modest, dense cream-colored head with good retention. Small streams of minute bubbles drift lazily to the surface. The lacing is thick and glass-coating.

Aroma: Earthy nutty aromas dominate the aroma, although there is a mild, pleasant herbal hop note.

Taste: Opens with tart and earthy malts, these carry the taste from opening to the close. Besides the earth notes, there are also nut and dark bread notes. As for the hops, they are there, but it is all about the malt, as it should be.

Mouth feel: Smooth and velvety, very nice.

Drinkability/notes: A nice, drinkable example, and one that is probably better-suited to the cooler months, not a day in Texas wwhere the overnight low was 78F.

Presentation: Packaged in a custom, short twelve-ounce glass bottle with a pop-off rown, served in a Pilsener glass.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2011 11:07:59 | More by Pegasus

donniecuffs

New Jersey

3.38/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured a cloudy amber into a pint glass, with very little head and no lace. Caramel, malty aroma with very little else. The taste was a very malty, chocolate ginger, with a modest chocolate finish. The feel was smooth and medium-bodied, with no carbonation. Sessionable, but needs more fruit flavor to balance out the malt.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2010 21:44:11 | More by donniecuffs

herman77

Minnesota

3.05/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: Deep orange and copper color, looks like a DIPA. Small light tan head. Good lacing. Clarity.

S: Carmel malt and slight sweet grains, nothing else really.

T: Semi-sweet malt up front and then the hops try to punch through, but they are pretty weak. This is no longer made, so I'm not sure how old it is, pretty old I'm sure. It does go a little bitter at the end like a english bitter.

M/D: Light to medium body. Mild carbonation. Drinkability is so-so. Not my favorite style, but it could be a lot worse.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2010 22:47:05 | More by herman77

tapman

Illinois

3.93/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Looks like an IPA; light orange/gold with amer hue, lighter thn other ESBs I have had. Head is off-white and a moderate head leaves adequate lacing.

Fruit from british ae yeast and floral hops. Raisin charater comes through,but is it from from the darker crystal malt, which I don't see in the color, or from the English yeast?

Little bit of sweet malt and a grap-flavored sweetnes that comes from a low-attenuating British malt Is this the London ESB ale strain? The super flocculent one? Anyways the malt comes through and the hops are mild yet meld well with the fruity yeast.

Pretty light and closer in feel to a bitter, I believe that I have had ESBs with this same drinkability so potentialy at the low end of the style. Dry.

Not too bad, actully. Fits the style well enough, just not mellow enough to b a GREAT example of the style A fine session brew if you like that crystal 120 raisin charater.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2010 05:30:09 | More by tapman

dstc

Florida

4/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a deep amber color with average light tan head. Head falls to just about nothing. Thinnest of lace.

Not too much to the aroma, some malts that seems sweet.

Taste is of malt. Sweetness of front with a slight citrus middle and a slight bitter finish.

Thin to medium bodied in the mouth with mild carbonation.

Fairly drinkable ESB. Just above average but I like this one.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2010 17:39:22 | More by dstc

coalcracker

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Slightly darker than medium color with head that stands for a while. Active carbonation for several minutes after the pour.

Smell: More of a malty, caramel aroma here with a touch of hops. No great amount of aroma.

Taste: Quick bite of hops followed by a smooth caramel quality in the malts. Also can notice a little raisin. Balance leans toward the hops, but not by much. Slight metallic character towards the end of the taste. Clean aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: Mildly thin. Finish is smooth and not too dry.

Drinkability: Easy drinking ESB with a little more hop character than others I've had.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2010 03:30:41 | More by coalcracker

Mistofminn

Minnesota

3.4/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

In the process of trying 90/- Scottish Ale, I figured I'd finish out all the Summit brews that I haven't reviewed.

Pours a red amber with a soft carbonation. About a half finger of off-white head is produced on the pour, with decent retention and leaves some nice lacing.

The nose is big on the malts, big lightly toasted malt aromas up front. A nice biscuity breadyness to it as well, and a nice fruity hop addition.

Taste is like the nose, with a more pronounced hop character. I get citrus fruits that blend nicely with the biscuity sweetness of the malts and the lightly toasted character from the nose. A fairly complex ESB.

Light in body with a low carbonation. Drinkability is ok, nothing special going on here.

This is a pretty hopped up ESB, which I'm more used to being a malty beer. I understand that "bitter" is in the name but most, if not all, ESB's I've had so far have been extremely malt based, with the hops being only the side show. This is definitely a cross between a malty ESB and a hoppy red/amber ale.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2010 07:59:45 | More by Mistofminn

joedon

Minnesota

4.53/5  rDev +23.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Very nice effort by Summitt. Dark-gold-amber with a thin tan head. Malty aroma with just a hint of hops.

Excellent taste. Caramel malt and raisiny sugar notes. Good hop bitterness and flavor. Very nice.

Mouthfeel is right on. Very chewy, sticks to your palate. Nice hoppy aftertaste. Outstanding drinkabilty and good for a session, too.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2009 02:23:34 | More by joedon

Rayek

Colorado

3.55/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured into a nonic.

A: Red amber with mild carbonation and a significant chill haze. A soapy cream head isn't particularly large, but retains well and leaves good lace.

S: Toasted sweet bread, plus a bit of lemon and grapefruit.

T: Sweetness out front is provided by toffee and plum. Perhaps even a touch vinous. Bitterness is mild and has a grapefruit citrus bend to it that seems a bit out of place in this style. Finishes with a lingering bittersweet toffee flavor.

M: The body is quite light. Carbonation feels on the low side.

D: This is a nice drinkable beer. But it seems more like an American Red than a true ESB to me.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2009 04:26:16 | More by Rayek

Wutz

North Dakota

3.95/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Reviewed 10-29-09 with analysis straight from the glass-to-taste-to-brain-to-typing fingers.

This copper, grainy, caramelly-sweet, not too terribly bitter beer with stylistically appropriate hop aroma and flavor is a good one. I could wrap it up there, really. I'll dig deeper, though.

Not a whole lot of head nor head retention (I was drinking from a used-then-well-rinsed glass). I also have a habit of shaking all of the carbonation out of my beers so, as a byproduct of that, there wasn't any lacing.

The smell was mostly sweetness with some minerals and grains. The taste followed suit with a bit of added roastiness, biscuit, and caramel. Hops hit quickly with a bit of spice and finish with a lingering bitterness.

Aside from having a little too much prickly carbonation the mouthfeel and drinkability are good. I finished it before I was done with the review (and I really wish I had another in my fridge) - that should tell you about the drinkability on this one.

This is probably my favorite American ESB I've had. I, living in this somewhat desert of beer availability, haven't had a large number of ESBs (so I can't be trusted as an authority on American ESBs) but I know I can trust/rely on Summit to provide me with solid, traditional versions of beer styles. Their new "Unchained" kolsch is good, their English IPA is good, their porter is good, their EPA (Summit's flagship) is good, and this beer can be added to that list of good-to-great beers that are good examples of the styles they represent. I think I've had everything Summit offers and I don't think I've had a beer that was less that well-made and tasty. Seek Summit stuff out if you like solid examples of classic styles and find the Summit ESB if you want a tasty and drinkable ESB.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2009 04:16:36 | More by Wutz

ThickestHead

Wisconsin

4.1/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a chilled pint glass.
Healthy looking copper-accented chestnut body with a decent head that fades fairly quickly leaving minor lacing and little islands of suds that remain on the surface.
Smells malty and of roasted grain.
Upon quaffing, the caramel and chocolate malts hit you up front and then the earthy, leafy hops kick in and leave one with a lingering mildly-bitter dryness.
To me it seems to be medium bodied with a grainy bite to it.
Overall this is one of my favorites from Summit, it will always have a space available in my refridgerator.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2009 00:36:17 | More by ThickestHead

MrHungryMonkey

Texas

3.75/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nose is chocolaty and nut malty with some bright fruit notes. Smells good.

Pours a dark honey brown, good clarity, mild head. Looks pretty good.

Dark, smooth malt with touches of caramel and a full body. A rather malty ESB. Some tart fruity tones offer opposition. A little spicy coolness. Finishes slightly nutty, slightly roasted/burnt. Tastes pretty good. Feels good. Good drinkability.

An unusually malty ESB with plenty of body.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2009 02:21:08 | More by MrHungryMonkey