Saga - Summit Brewing Company

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.95/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a slightly hazy golden apricot in color with moderate to significant amounts of visible carbonation and some orange and golden yellow highlights. The beer has a two finger tall dense foamy light beige head that very slowly reduces to several small to medium sized medium thick patches, a thin film covering the remainder of the surface of the beer, and a thick ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate to significant amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate aromas of tropical/pineapple/mango and citrus/tangerine hops over light aromas of caramel malts. There are also some very subtle tones that remind of skunky perspiration.

T: Upfront there is a light amount of pale and caramel malts but that is quickly overtaken by the flavors of the hops - light to moderate citrus/tangerine with slightly stronger tropical/pineapple/mango. Light amounts of sweetness that are followed by light bitterness in the finish which fade quickly.

M: Medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Crisp upfront. Light amounts of dryness in the finish.

O: This is very easy drinking American IPA and certainly a beer that I could easily put a few back. There is a slightly funky smell/taste of skunky perspiration that is not my favorite but definitely worth drinking, The alcohol is well hidden and the hops are nicely present.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2013 23:34:23 | More by dbrauneis

stewart124

Ohio

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

Bottle at the Knights of Columbus off of Blue Rock Rd....$1. I could not believe it when the girl actually charged me only $1 and I was hoping that this wasn't past it's prime.

Light copper with some orange hues. Decent head retention.

Light floral notes and some citrus to light pine in the nose.

Taste was fairly bitter with pine and white grapefruit pushing the limits. More balanced than some IPAs but still a hop forward beer. Light bready notes with just a hint of caramel sweetness. Not a cloying sweetness and very drinkable.

This was quite a treat to say the least. Very easy drinking. Finishes dry with a pine character on the tongue. Sessionable for an IPA.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 01:49:58 | More by stewart124

superspak

Michigan

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

12 ounce bottle into pint glass, best before 3/18/2013. Slight gusher upon opening. Pours hazy golden orange color with a 2 finger dense white head with incredible retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Nice soapy lacing clings down the glass. Aromas of big grapefruit, orange zest, mango, pineapple, tangerine, floral, grass, caramel, bread, and slight pine. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of hop notes; with a nice amount of malt balance. Taste of grapefruit, orange zest, tangerine, pineapple, floral, grass, pine, bread, caramel, and light piney spiciness. Moderate amount of citrus bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of citrus, pineapple, floral, pine, grass, bread, caramel, and piney spiciness on the finish for a good bit. Damn nice balance and complexity of hop notes; with a solid malt backbone; with zero cloying flavors present after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a creamy and sticky mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with hardly any warming present after the finish. Overall this is an excellent IPA. Great balance and complexity of hop notes; and very easy to drink. A very enjoyable offering.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 04:57:09 | More by superspak

Justin_Neff

Ohio

3.63/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

12 oz. bottle poured into a southern tier pumking tulip glass.

A: Aggressively pours a moderately translucent golden-orange color. 1 finger head that didn't fade too quickly. Good amount of lacing on the glass.

S: Some malts and good amount of hops. Bitter grapefruit. Good, but nothing too special from the nose.

T: Light. A good amount of hops without a ton of bitterness. Not much malt character in the taste. Definitely some grapefruit and orange citrus notes.

M: Light-Moderate body. Crisp. Good level of carbonation. Session-able.

O: Not bad. A good IPA that you could throw back 3 or 4 without batting an eye. Could have bit more hop character, but not too bitter, not too malty, not too sweet. Good balance.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 01:05:29 | More by Justin_Neff

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

3.76/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

12oz bottle. Crystal clear gold with a nice covering of slightly off-white head. Robust retention with a good bit of sticky lace left back. The aroma smells herbal, citric (grapefruit), zesty (lemon) and piney in the nose. Very light tropical notes mix some soft maltiness across the back. This had about a little of everything. Taste is fresh grapefruit and zesty bitterness (although a little raw on the finish) that is tempered by tropical (lots of orange) and herbal character and a sweet graininess from the malts. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with a soft crisp creaminess in the mouth with some underlying slickness. No alcohol and very easy drinking. This was decent, with a moderately bright feel to the hop flavors and an overall good balance. You could do worse out there than a sixer of this for a hop fix.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2013 19:52:50 | More by Kegatron

stakem

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

12oz bottle into a standard pint. Thanks go to Kegatron for hooking me up with a bottle of this brew. It appears a clear copper orange color with a big frothy topping slightly more than 2 fingers. It is yellowish tan composed of rather large bubbles. It maintains solid retention with a cratered surface and as it fades it leaves a webby pattern of lace sticking all over the glass.

The aroma is somewhat muted but what emits is hoppy with an herbal to rindy scent. There is a fresh leafy quality about this with mild suggestions of fruit and citrus. There is a very minor aspect of sulfur and cheese towards the back as the brew warms up. Despite the aroma being soft and subtle, it is all about the hops and little to no grain or alcohol to be noticed.

The flavor is bitter with a rindy aspect almost oily like the pulp/juice of oranges and grapefruit. A bit of herbal to grassy bitterness is noted with a bit of biscuit-like grain inclusion that provides enough backing to be noticed and balance out the brew but not let it distract from the hops being the main focus. A mild note of fruity alcohol is noted towards the backend.

This is a medium bodied brew with a modest amount of carbonation. It is an overall decent brew that is very easy drinking. At times, it comes off just a touch watery but that increases it's drink-ability for the most part. I think it could have used just a bit more brightness to the hop character in both the flavor and aroma and that would have set it off. As is though it is down the middle of the road, easy drinking ipa. Thanks for gifting me with this Heath, I appreciate the chance to try it!

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 20:32:16 | More by stakem

matjack85

Illinois

3.65/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

I picked this up as part of a build-your-own six pack for $9.99 at the Binnhy's store in Bloomingdale, IL. 12oz squatty brown bottles with no freshness date, but since this beer only came out in 2012, it can't be that old.

The beer poured a hazy gold color with a 1-finger white head that lasted a few minutes and left lots of lacing.

The beer had a mild tropical fruit smell to it due to the use of citra and amarillo hops, but it also had a rather unpleasant barnyard smell to it as well that doesn't suit this style.

The taste is very hop forward with lots of citrus flavor. Grapefruit, pineapple, and pine taste with fairly high bitterness at 80 IBU's. There's a slight caramel malt sweetness to it, but this is basically a hop lover's delight.

Light bodied with fairly high carbonation.

Good if you like fruity, bitter, hoppy IPA's.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 09:39:19 | More by matjack85

Moose90

Colorado

3.84/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Enjoy By – 04/14/13
12oz Bottle into 8oz Hotel cup, classy

A – Translucent light amber, orange hues. Pours with a solid head, and leaves good lacing.

S – Hop forward, bitter citrus, lemon and lime, grapefruit with a grassy hay like undertone.

T – Nice and balanced, the lemon and citrus comes through again here. A lingering grassy earthiness comes through as well.

M – Light to medium body. Crisp and refreshing, easy drinking IPA, solid.

O – Good surprise. Tried a beer I can't get at home and it's solid. Would buy again, but not going to go out of my way for. Solid representation of the style.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 02:31:37 | More by Moose90

Treebs

Illinois

3.3/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25

12 oz. bottle served in a New Belgium globe . Enjoy by 2/05/2013. Thanks Jeff(supercolter) for the extra.

A: Pours a clear amber color with a frothy white head forming on the pour. It recedes to a thick ring and thin film. Sticky sheets of lace are left down the glass.

S: Grassy with a light citrus backing. A sweet pale malt backing with a little lemon zest.

T: The hops are up front with a light bitterness and some dried grass, but it fades quickly to a mineral/hard water like quality in the middle. The malty sweetness creeps back up on the back end, but the mineral qualities kind of the malt body. It's saved every slow slightly by lingering bitterness.

M: Light bodied with a medium carbonation level. Bitterness with a slight mineral bite on the finish.

O: Decent enough. We're coming up on a month from the enjoy by date so not sure if that played any factors, but overall it was pretty average for me.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 02:25:37 | More by Treebs

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

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

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