-
Stop lurking! Log in to search, post in our forums, review beers, see fewer ads, and more. — Todd, Founder of BeerAdvocate
Summer Ale
Summit Brewing Company
- From:
- Summit Brewing Company
- Minnesota, United States
- Style:
- Kölsch
- ABV:
- 4.9%
- Score:
- 82
- Avg:
- 3.62 | pDev: 11.33%
- Reviews:
- 64
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Nov 27, 2021
- Added:
- May 04, 2012
- Wants:
- 11
- Gots:
- 64
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by MickeyD:
Reviewed by MickeyD from Kansas
2.96/5 rDev -18.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
2.96/5 rDev -18.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
poured into a clean pint glass
Appearance: Very light, golden in color lots of carbonation, very small head with good lacing
Smell: Almost no smell, very faint hops with no discernible malt.
Taste: Very light, slight hop but barely noticeable
Mouth feel: Very thin but goes down smooth.
Overall: Slightly above average beer. Goes down really easy. Not much taste however. I assume that this is true to the style after reading the description. This is my first experience with this style.
Jun 27, 2013Appearance: Very light, golden in color lots of carbonation, very small head with good lacing
Smell: Almost no smell, very faint hops with no discernible malt.
Taste: Very light, slight hop but barely noticeable
Mouth feel: Very thin but goes down smooth.
Overall: Slightly above average beer. Goes down really easy. Not much taste however. I assume that this is true to the style after reading the description. This is my first experience with this style.
More User Ratings:
Rated by cratez from Canada (ON)
4/5 rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Rating from notes. Consumed September 10, 2012. "First rate, refreshing kolsch with a big lemony hop character. About as good as the style gets."
Jan 25, 2020Reviewed by defunksta from Wisconsin
3.47/5 rDev -4.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
3.47/5 rDev -4.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
Appearance: Pours a mostly clear, deep golden color with a strong, clingy white head. (3.75)
Aroma: Huge aromas of dank wet grass and herbs. There's got to be some skunk too. It's permeating. It's earthy, wet, and so dank. Not just grass, as it almost has some herbal onion to it. Not really any fruit. Maybe some apple. If there was any, it was washed away by the wet grass and skunk. (3.50)
Flavor: Flavor follows the nose with tons of wet grass, herbs, and skunk. Then comes some yeast and cracker malt profile. Strong honey and Munich sweetness that balances well with the yeast on the end. (3.50)
Feel: Heavier bodied, strong carbonation. Enough yeast to finish it off dry, but heavier and sweeter for the style. (3.50)
Overall: I really could not label this as a Kolsch. Maybe it's old and light-struck, but so much earthy, herbs & wet grass here. I would peg it as a Czech pilsner or even a heavier Heineken. Good flavors nonetheless, it just misses the mark for a Kolsch, if that's what it is supposed to be. I will try it again soon and re-review.... (Final Rating for a Kolsch: 3.47)...Much better for a pilsner though...
Edit: I tried this beer again. Much less skunk. The aroma is lemon citrus, corn, malt, and some grass. Flavor has great yeast, lemon citrus. Much more like a pale wheat with a slight grassy twist to it. Finishes dry, with a corn and pale malt backbone. A pretty good easy drinking summer beer.
Jul 21, 2019Aroma: Huge aromas of dank wet grass and herbs. There's got to be some skunk too. It's permeating. It's earthy, wet, and so dank. Not just grass, as it almost has some herbal onion to it. Not really any fruit. Maybe some apple. If there was any, it was washed away by the wet grass and skunk. (3.50)
Flavor: Flavor follows the nose with tons of wet grass, herbs, and skunk. Then comes some yeast and cracker malt profile. Strong honey and Munich sweetness that balances well with the yeast on the end. (3.50)
Feel: Heavier bodied, strong carbonation. Enough yeast to finish it off dry, but heavier and sweeter for the style. (3.50)
Overall: I really could not label this as a Kolsch. Maybe it's old and light-struck, but so much earthy, herbs & wet grass here. I would peg it as a Czech pilsner or even a heavier Heineken. Good flavors nonetheless, it just misses the mark for a Kolsch, if that's what it is supposed to be. I will try it again soon and re-review.... (Final Rating for a Kolsch: 3.47)...Much better for a pilsner though...
Edit: I tried this beer again. Much less skunk. The aroma is lemon citrus, corn, malt, and some grass. Flavor has great yeast, lemon citrus. Much more like a pale wheat with a slight grassy twist to it. Finishes dry, with a corn and pale malt backbone. A pretty good easy drinking summer beer.
Reviewed by SB2017 from Iowa
3.62/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.62/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Tasty twist on summer kolsch. Just hoppy enough for interest, just corny enough for a rich kolsch. It's a good beer but only really something I'd reach for on a hot day.
Jul 20, 2019Reviewed by rickyfinn from Minnesota
3.99/5 rDev +10.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.99/5 rDev +10.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Almost clear, golden with moderate to high carbonation. Beautiful frothy head with long retention. Unctuous mouth feel with very slight retained bitterness. Very smooth for an ale. Great session beer!
May 21, 2019Rated by Schlitz74 from Illinois
3.5/5 rDev -3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.5/5 rDev -3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
This is a slightly above average beer for the style. It pours a light orange color, with a finger of white fluffy head. It is worth a try.
Dec 01, 2017Reviewed by ipeters1017 from Wisconsin
3.75/5 rDev +3.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.75/5 rDev +3.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Pours a lovely clear gold color with two fingers of head. Smells primarily of floral hops and a slight sweet malt presence, very clean smelling. Tastes of floral hops, breadiness, and light grass and citrus. Extraordinarily refreshing with a slightly bitter finish. Mouthfeel is light and bubbly. This is an incredibly enjoyable summer/session beer.
Jul 06, 2017Reviewed by dhannes from Wisconsin
3.11/5 rDev -14.1%
look: 2.25 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
3.11/5 rDev -14.1%
look: 2.25 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Poured into a nonic pint.
Look--While the 3 finger head was appealing, the color was a murky greenish yellow...very unappealing.
Smell--Rather strong citrus aroma, more like orange than lemon, but still similar to lemon Pledge. Not maltiness in the aroma whatsoever.
Taste--More maltiness than hops here...not a strong flavor, but a rather enjoyable taste of bread, with a hint of lemon sweetness. Strange aftertaste occurs...unusual, but not unpleasant. Fairly reminiscent of good lager, but much more flavorful and enjoyable.
Feel--Minimal carbonation and a bit less body than I expected but spot on for a summer/session beer.
Overall--A bit lighter than I expected...I did not realize that this was supposed to be a kölsch, so I looked at the description and this offering went light on the hops and was not really that dry. I wouldn't go out of my way to buy this again, but I would try a glass of a draught version.
Jun 05, 2017Look--While the 3 finger head was appealing, the color was a murky greenish yellow...very unappealing.
Smell--Rather strong citrus aroma, more like orange than lemon, but still similar to lemon Pledge. Not maltiness in the aroma whatsoever.
Taste--More maltiness than hops here...not a strong flavor, but a rather enjoyable taste of bread, with a hint of lemon sweetness. Strange aftertaste occurs...unusual, but not unpleasant. Fairly reminiscent of good lager, but much more flavorful and enjoyable.
Feel--Minimal carbonation and a bit less body than I expected but spot on for a summer/session beer.
Overall--A bit lighter than I expected...I did not realize that this was supposed to be a kölsch, so I looked at the description and this offering went light on the hops and was not really that dry. I wouldn't go out of my way to buy this again, but I would try a glass of a draught version.
Reviewed by mynie from Maryland
4.08/5 rDev +12.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
4.08/5 rDev +12.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Ahh, an American Kolsch. Remember when these were sort of trendy?
This one, I'm happy to report, is done pretty darn well.
The pour is marvelously effervescent, with thick, champagne-like bubbles and a fluffy white head.
The aroma is dry, malty, and lightly vinous, with light nodes of hay. Very crisp and refreshing.
Tastes like the aroma led me to anticipate--dry and clean enough to be confused for a solid offering from Germany. Grass and hay up front, light grape flavors in the middle, and a dry finish.
May 31, 2017This one, I'm happy to report, is done pretty darn well.
The pour is marvelously effervescent, with thick, champagne-like bubbles and a fluffy white head.
The aroma is dry, malty, and lightly vinous, with light nodes of hay. Very crisp and refreshing.
Tastes like the aroma led me to anticipate--dry and clean enough to be confused for a solid offering from Germany. Grass and hay up front, light grape flavors in the middle, and a dry finish.
Reviewed by StonedTrippin from Colorado
3.58/5 rDev -1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.58/5 rDev -1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
this works just right for a summer ale i think, light and easy drinking but not boring and without all the tea and spice and citrus and all of that stuff everyone seems to think needs to go in summer seasonals. has it always been in a can? i feel like i dont recall it in this package before. light and bright beer, but with some decent body to it in that its not at all watery and from a mouthfeel standpoint, doesnt come across as dumbed down to be overly light, still quite beery if that makes sense. a nice pale european grain base kicks it off with the lightest grassy hop finish, a light german ale yeast note too, this tastes authentic to me, somewhat rustic for how well refined it is, and definitely works as a summer beer, im not sure there is a limit to how many of these i could drink in the right context. better cold than it is when it warms up a little bit, but thats true of a lot of lighter beers like this, and is not seen to me as a flaw. despite its simplicity, summit has made a nice beer here that fits the season well.
May 19, 2017
Summer Ale from Summit Brewing Company
Beer rating:
82 out of
100 with
321 ratings
We love reviews (150 characters or more)! Check out: How to Review a Beer. You don't need to get fancy. Drop some thoughts on the beer's attributes (look, smell, taste, feel) plus your overall impression. Something that backs up your rating and helps others. Thanks!