Saga - Summit Brewing Company

Flatlands

Missouri

4.38/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Kudos to Summit! I really like this beer! As an added bonus, it's priced right! Tasty and surprising come to mind when drinking this one.

A-Not as hazy as some IPA's but a nice light orange color. Good lacing!
S-You know your are going to get some hop kick, oh, you know! Some grassy, citrus. Some sweetness.
T-This is what I like about this beer, pow here's the hops but it does not overpower this brew. You get that great hops taste but then it follows by some pine and citrus with just enough bitter.
M-I like the feel here, good bit and not too heavy...you know, midwestern balance.

O-Go try it! Summit really nailed it on this one. My favorite from them.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 17:43:12 | More by Flatlands

rlee1390

Indiana

4.1/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Received as an extra in a trade

A-Clear orange, some carbonation, one finger head with some lacing.

S-Good deal of hops, earthy/grass notes, some citrus with good balance.

T-Nice well rounded, nothing overpowering. Typical grass and citrus notes that end with a mild and pleasant bitterness.

M-Medium bodied, nice carbonation some hop resins as well.

O-Great balance, easy drinking a solid IPA, a nice surprise as an extra.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2012 20:13:58 | More by rlee1390

wiscokid920

Wisconsin

4.05/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into pint glass

A- Clear amber and very bubbly. One finger white fluffy head with great retention and lacing.

S- Lot of grapefruit and citrusy hops. Some subtle malty sweetness..

T- Grapefruit, pineapple, and piney hops. Has some very nice complexity with lots of hop flavor and sweetness. Delicious!

M- Light bodied and moderately carbonated. A nice refreshing brew.

O- One of my favorites by Summit. An excellent IPA. Great hop flavor balanced with malt sweetness.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2012 23:41:58 | More by wiscokid920

Durtdiggler

Illinois

4.3/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from 12oz bottle into snifter style glass. A golden, very clear looking beer that starts with a nice head and settles with alot of lacing all over the glass. Love a golden clear IPA.

Earthy floral overtones with citrus lemon rind and some pine. No malt interference, very complex combo of hops. Some of my favorite aroma hops in here. Never tire of just putting my nose in this glass.

Malt taste takes a back seat to the hops profile. Alot of 2 row, limited caramel malts eliminates the sweet sticky flavor so I can enjoy the hops. Dry clean finish lets the hops settle to the tongue and linger. The Southern hemisphere style hops provides some exotic fruit taste that seems to balance the bitterness somewhat. If you're a west coast hop head, somewhat different feel.

If you like more of a hop profile beer without a sweet specialty malt, you will enjoy this beer. The ABV is reasonable amount given the IBU profile. Don't have to drink a double to get my hop on.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 23:07:21 | More by Durtdiggler

secondtooth

Indiana

4.03/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Lovely clean amber complexion, and amazing, beautiful, detailed lace. Bravo!

Aroma is enticing and bold citrus hops. Very, very nice.

Taste is sharp, with bittering hops up front, with definite tones of citrus and herbal notes. Very tasty.

A delicious IPA, and one I'd love to return to. Nice work.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 15:04:05 | More by secondtooth

BeerLover99

New Jersey

4.13/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: shiny golden/bubbly body, finger white head, stunning lacing

S: grapefruit, peach/mango, fresh pine, solid grain

T: grapefruit, mild lemon peel, pine, grain, long subtle resin bitter finish

M: med/light body, oily/hint of bubbly mouth

O: Summit is a solid brewery, last few years some
of the beers have been quite nice. This is one of them.
WELL DONE, SUMMIT! I would love to buy more.

VERY GOOD, SEEK IT OUT!

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2012 20:45:35 | More by BeerLover99

NuclearDolphin

Minnesota

4.23/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a Pint Glass

Appearance - Slightly hazy but most clear Amber color and very bubbly. Head is around 2 fingers in width with some good sticky lacing along the sides.

Smell - Citrus Hops, Grapefruit, Pineapple, Malts, and Yeast. Reminds me just a bit of Griffin's Bow Barleywine, which I should note was pretty good.

Taste - Piney Hops, Grapefruit, Pineapple, and Yeasts. Fairly earthy taste with an almost oak-like flavor. Aftertaste is a resin flavor, which stays on the back of your tongue for a couple of minutes.

Mouthfeel - Light Bodied and mildly carbonated, pretty easy to drink and quite refreshing.

Overall - Living in Chicago for the summer made me miss Minnesota. Since I moved back I have been getting back into the groove of this and getting reacquainted with the beer scene here; Beers like this make me happy to be back in the Twin Cities. It's got a great flavor, easy drinkability and the price I paid for it is very reasonable!

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2012 03:51:57 | More by NuclearDolphin

SolipsismalCat

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a snifter.

A: Golden yellow with two-finger, white, foamy head that lasted several minutes. Great lacing.

S: Grassy hops and grapefruit.

T: Moderate sweetness and solid bitterness. Grassy citrus hops. Bread.

M: Medium bodied with lively carbonation. Crisp.

O: Refreshing IPA. No faults. Grassy and citrusy hops.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2012 04:40:37 | More by SolipsismalCat

jmarsh123

Indiana

4/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Scenic View into a cool Summit pint glass. Apparently we just started getting Summit stuff recently as I've never seen them around IN before.

Pours medium straw color with a generous white head. Good retention and lacing.

Grassy hops and light citrus dominate the nose. Lemon with a touch of grapefruit and a bit of the "soapy" floral aroma. Pretty pleasant if a bit too subtle.

Follows the nose pretty well. A little more resiny in the flavor, but notes of grass, lemon and grapefruit are all noted. Grassy pine on the finish with a little grainy texture. A bit of caramel/biscuit, but definitely leans more toward hops.

Pretty creamy body with appropriate carbonation.

Very solid beer although doesn't have any one factor that I would say stands out.

Serving type: on-tap

10-29-2012 17:33:42 | More by jmarsh123

Alieniloquium

Florida

3.58/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle poured into a De Struise chalice. Enjoy by 10/22/2012, so I'm a couple days late on this.

Appearance - Pours a hazy pale orange. Small white head that settles to a collar and about 2/3 coverage of the surface. No real lacing, but I did just wash this glass.

Smell - Soapy. And not because I washed the glass. It's not a huge hop aroma, but it's there. Soapy citrusy hops. Malt comes through just a bit.

Taste - Much hoppier here. Definite citrus hop, very tropical fruit. Still not a beat-you-over-the-head hop flavor, which I crave. It immediately fades to a very light malt base. Just before it gets watery, there's a grainy malt flavor that helps retain some flavor. Quite bitter in the back, relative to the other flavors.

Mouthfeel - Quite drinkable, if a little uninteresting after a while. Medium carbonation and light bodied.

Overall - It's a pretty good IPA. Nothing I'd really need to trade for. Two Hearted is probably the closest approximation, but it's got nothing on Two Hearted.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2012 23:56:57 | More by Alieniloquium

deadonhisfeet

Kentucky

3.9/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into a New Belgium snifter. Pours a hazy bright orange color with a finger of off-white head that dies down pretty quickly. The nose has some sweet notes of marmalade as well as some grapefruit.

The beer has a medium light body with a nice firm feel. Nice fruity and resiny, piney flavors meld and are supported by a good malty backbone. Not sweet, but not overly bitter either. Nice dry finish. Refreshing and appetizing. Overall, a very well-balanced IPA.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2012 22:58:07 | More by deadonhisfeet

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thank you Steasy66!

Appearance. Pours yellow gold with a little haze and a finger of white head.

Smell. Big grapefruit rinds, some light toasted malts, maybe a little tropical fruit.

Taste. Light toasted malts and plenty of orange and citrus rinds. A little mango and maybe a bit of pine needles. Very nice.

Mouthfeel. Medium body, medium+ carbonatine.

Overall. Nice west coast style IPA. I haven't heard of this one before, but I will remember it now. Thanks again, Steasy66!!

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 18:32:57 | More by Rutager

jimmah120

Minnesota

4.3/5  rDev +8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Look is very clear, orange-yellow. Rising bubbles and a sticky white head with good lace. Stinky, earth and pine smell. Bubbly medium feel, tangy citrus pine, a lot of light grain.

Solid IPA, but not really top-tier. Still, by far the best summit IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

10-16-2012 10:08:04 | More by jimmah120

Rizalini

Nevada

3.95/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz. bottle into my Deschutes tulip...

A - Pours a crystal clear golden color, with a 1 1/2 finger off-white head. Nice lacing left behind.

S - Nice citrucey hop aroma. Smells of apricot, pineapple and a touch of pine.

T/M - More of a bittering quality than a hoppy, floral characteristic. Nice malt backbone that's not too over powering. On the finish, there is a nice resinous hoppiness that's left on my tongue. Medium light mouthfeel, good carbonation.

O - A solid IPA by any standard. Glad I picked this one up when I had the chance.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2012 06:03:03 | More by Rizalini

Mora2000

Texas

4/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours a golden color with a white head. The aroma is full of resin notes as well as some biscuit malt and a hint of orange citrus. The flavor is very similar. I get some dry, resin notes and a hint of biscuit malt. The beer is very "sticky" and there is a medium amount of bitterness. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation. A very nice IPA.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2012 04:25:58 | More by Mora2000

beagle75

Iowa

3/5  rDev -24.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a tulip pint glass.

A: Clear, light amber color with one finger of persistent apricot-tinted foam head. Heavy lacing remains on the glass, nearly continuous about one-third of the way down, and a few metered streams of bubbles rise in the column.

S: Clean overall, starring hops that are herbaceous and piney but with lesser floral qualities as well. A trace of austere pilsner grain is the only clearly non-hops quality detectable.

T: Begins dry, with moderate-intensity hop aromatics showing mostly floral and spicy herbaceous qualities. Pale malt is detectable but fairly neutral, like uncooked dough. Acidity is mild into the middle where herbaceous qualities become a bit medicinal but grain becomes more bready in a cooked way. The finish yields bold, heavy-handed bitterness whose astringency lingers on the palate.

M: Thin to medium viscosity, wet on the palate showing late astringency that matches the taste, with moderate carbonation.

D/O: This appears to be an attempt by Summit to put a modern IPA on shelves, and it doesn't fall far from the 25th anniversary beer tree. Dry-hopping is modest at best, appearing to be largely of Cascade hops but with an allowance for Amarillo to stop by and drop off a pellet or two. At it's price point it isn't bad, although the lingering bitterness holds it back.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2012 23:48:49 | More by beagle75

siradmiralnelson

Iowa

4.1/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from 12oz bottle into Globe glass.

A. Pours a 2 finger head. Great retention. Moderate lacing. Colr is a cloudy dark orange.

S. Nice floral hop aroma. Get a pretty nice crosse between piney hop aroma and a little grapefruit. Overall pretty powerful hop aroma. Could smell the hops as I was pouring the beer. Beneath the hops get some caramel malt, not overly sweet smelling. Get a little trace of honey. Hop aroma gets a little more tropical as Saga warms up.

T. Nice hop presence up front. Good amount of bitterness on the back of the tongue. Lingering bitterness. Get that same cross of piney hops with some grapefruitiness. Nice balance. Pretty damn good IPA.

M. Medium bodied. Medium carbonation. Lingering bitterness.

O. This is one of the better Summit beers I have had. Its also a pretty solid IPA. Good beer to be able to have access to. Saga proves the point that you can never have too many IPAs.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2012 23:32:37 | More by siradmiralnelson

knepper

Wisconsin

3.95/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Look: Deep gold to orange with a fluffly, white, whispy head that quikly fades and clings to the sides of the glass.

Smell: Fragrant tropical fruit with a bit of cedar. Fresh crushed malt.

Taste: The spicy, floral, bitterness rushes in first. Its followed by sweet, fleshy mango and a bit of lemon. Tart fruit rind and puckering citric acid finish it off. A great beer that evolves as it warms. Its definitely balanced towards dry and bitter but there is enough hop flavor and mouthfeel from the malt to make this a great attribute.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2012 01:03:01 | More by knepper

BarrytheBear

Wisconsin

3.7/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle into a tulip. A quick perusal yields no bottle dating. Shocking.

Mildly dehydrated urine yellow beneath some clumpy white flotillas. Some long boogery lace gropes the edges.

Some creaminess, pineapple, and Bisquik pancake on the nose. Rather tame and not particularly bright.

Light pine, moderate juicy bitterness, and a grassy finish. Hints of tropics on the nose are a bit vague though on the periphery. Lemony iced tea? Healthy malt profile may be to blame for swallowing some of the hops.

Mouthfeel is light and creamy with a tingling and juicy finish that leaves a tingling and lasting bitterness.

Overall I really enjoy seven dollar six packs. As such, this is an enjoyable beer. As an IPA to reach for on a regular basis, it lacks some of the juicy vibrancy that I look for.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2012 02:13:27 | More by BarrytheBear

hardy008

Minnesota

3.58/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear light amber color with a 3 finger foamy white head with good retention and lacing. Smells like grapefruit, pineapple, pine, floral hops, and biscuit malt.

The taste is mostly bitter, without much sweetness. Tastes like grapefruit, citrus zest, pine, floral hops, and biscuit malt. I did not taste the pineapple which I detected in the aroma.

Medium bodied with below average carbonation, and a bitter aftertaste. Very smooth, and finishes somewhat dry. A good IPA from Summit, but not in the upper echelon.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2012 23:23:56 | More by hardy008

garymuchow

Minnesota

4.2/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Too bad drinkability isn't' listed as category any more as this one holds that in spades.
Great aroma with a really very nice fruit essence that is sweet and slightly tart and overall enjoyable. It fades very little throughout the drink.
Quite clear and a dense white head. Nice lacing.
Flavor is good - better than that- but it's the weakest aspect of this very fine beer. Good solid bittering without and hints of excess. Just a slight watery quality, but that's what helps it drink so well. Bold hop flavors that don't linger too long. Just enough malt foundation to support this hop heavy beer.
On light side of moderate with full and very soft carbonation. Soft feel overall and good smoothness.
I repeat a very nice drinker.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2012 01:56:32 | More by garymuchow

sonata2008

Minnesota

4.03/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Clear light gold with lots and lots of carbonation. About a 1/2 inch of cream colored foam. Only a small amount of lacing.

Smell: Definitely a hops presence. Floral and spice with maybe a bit of pine. Lovely!

Taste: The first part of the taste is a pleasant huge dose of hops. There's definitely some spice. A nice foundation of malt to support the hops. The taste experience is on the dry side, but nicely so.

Mouthfeel: Medium mouthfeel with a slight tingle. A dry finish.

Drinkability: Quite drinkable. I really like this beer. I hope Summit continues to produce it. It would go well with sharp cheese, maybe a cheddar or a blue with some fresh bread. Also would go well with spicy cuisine such as Indian or Thai.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2012 01:12:13 | More by sonata2008

Tucquan

Pennsylvania

4.23/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this on 2012-08-19 in Columbia, PA from a fresh bottle

A - Clear golden orange with a 2-finger head and good lacing.

S - Pine, hop floral, citrus. A little more aroma than on-tap, probably because it wasn't competing with the food smells in the restaurant.

T - Lemon, pine, hop buds, tea, tobacco, light malt. Very good, dry aftertaste with lingering lemon hop tea and grapefruit bitterness.

M - Light-medium body and medium carbonation. Initially smooth the resinous and a little prickly.

O - This is a very nice addition to the Summit line of beers. It's less expensive than Surly Furious but gets close to it in flavor; albeit with less malt presence. Hope this makes it to Pennsylvania distributors.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2012 19:43:42 | More by Tucquan

Tone

Missouri

4.13/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a clear, golden/copper color. 1/3 inch head of an off-white color. Good retention and good lacing. Smells of floral hops, sweet malt, slight hop oils, hint of citrus hops, hint of alcohol, and a hint of earthiness. Fits the style of an American IPA. Mouth feel is smooth and crisp, with an average carbonation level. Tastes of floral hops, hint of citrus hops, hint of hop oils, sweet malt, slight pale malt, and a hint of yeast. Overall, good appearance, blend, body, and feel.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2012 14:18:47 | More by Tone

steveh

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I'd opted not to try this beer when it was first introduced, thinking along the lines of *who needs another IPA?* But I had a Hop-Hankerin' today, and since it was the newest label on the shelf, thought why not?

Shorty brown, pry-off bottle with no dating. $7 a sixpack -- yes, $7.

A -- Clear, deep gold with a dense, long-lasting, light cream colored head.

S -- Piny, resiny -- rather juniper-like, hops -- though not over-the-top.

T -- Piny, resinous hops up front. Vaguest of biscuit malts and light citrus (more lemony to my palate than any sort of Cascade hop grapefruit) in the middle. Bitter, resinous hops in the finish and aftertaste.

M -- Surprisingly light-medium in body with a crisp, near-to dry mouthfeel.

O -- A hop-bomb of an American IPA. It's what you'd expect, right? More resinous than I usually like in my hoppy beers, but perfectly inline with style expectations.

Do we need another IPA on shelves? Maybe at $7 a sixpack we do!

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2012 21:13:14 | More by steveh