Unchained #26 Westie 7th
Summit Brewing Company

Summit Unchained #26 Westie 7th, 7.5% ABV, 25 IBU. Pours deep brown with a slight tan head. Nose is malt, dark fruit, and sugar. Taste follows, caramel, quite sweet but not cloying, almost no bitterness. Excellent mouthfeel. Overall very excellent to near outstanding. I might consider picking up a pack.

 

 

Pours a purple-mahogany-brown color with a thin ring of grey head.

Aromas of slight sweaty dark fruits, old shoe sole, some special B...that's about it. Slight metal. Faint aromatic profile.

Flavors of caramel and semi-dark malts, with some Special B. Has a nice phenolic yeast character, playing nicely with caramel, plum, and faint dark chocolate notes. Lingering caramel, special B, and metal on the finish. I don't notice any rum.

Feel is highly carbonated, with a slightly puckering, chalky feel on the finish.

Overall, a tasty but not mind-blowing Belgian Dark Ale. Would much rather have something from Unibroue but this one isn't terrible by any stretch. Definitely try it if you see it on the shelf.

Poured 12oz can into snifter. Very dark brown with a 2 finger khaki head. A cap remains for the session and some light lacing cling to the glass. Very malty with sweet candied sugar with yeast and bananas foster. Some sweet molasses and spiced figs, raisins and dark fruit. Taste is dark fruits, figs, raisins, along with sweet malts and some candied sugar and bananas foster. Feel is medium light with decent carbonation. Summit did a nice job brewing this beer.

Pours a decent dark brown, rather like a Dubbel, with very little head or lacing. Not ugly but...

Dark fruit and grain are prominent on the nose, with hints of yeast and booze in the background.

The flavor is nicely balanced between astringent graininess and yeast and sweet dark fruit--fig and raisin. Some warming booze for sure. Again, the flavor, like the nose, says "dubbel."

The mouthfeel is excellent. Despite a medium-full body, there is plenty of lift from excellent carbonation.

I've not tried a Summit anything in quite awhile. This is a tasty brew. Recommend.

 

 

12 oz. can that I stuck in the fridge near my Westy 12 hoping some of the goodness would rub off. Or that it’s just good. Or that I develop a 90MPH fastball late in life.

The pour is so dark it appears brown until held up to a modern light source, which reveals a deep, glowing red (or maybe that’s the LED behind it). The nose is rich, fruity Belgian yeasts with more dark fruit layered beneath it. Nice.

Westie 7th is roughly as interesting as a Say Yes to the Dress marathon. The richness of the nose transforms into light, indeterminate dark fruit. Touch of plum, caramel, both tasting like those cheap Torani syrups. Mid-palate brings a sticky, sickeningly sweet maltiness & a touch of spices that can’t stand up. Thin, borderline watery, which doesn’t help the taste, but certainly aids in my ability to down this in vast mouthfuls.

Summit makes some really good beer, but this simply isn’t one of them. Too sweet & too thin by half. Very average beer.

 

L-Mahogany colored with a nice frothy white head.

S-Nice rich dark fruit laden maltiness with raisins, plums and some black cherries......spicy phenols as well...

T-Love the dark fruit maltiness of this...very similar impressions as on the aroma with just a hint of caramel here which was not evident on the taste....light black pepper phenoly spicy dimension as well....

F-Medium bodied...smooth drinking...malty sweet but not cloying.

O-This is a heck of beer. One of the best made US dubbels and not far off some of the top Belgians. In fact, I'd like to try some of them side by side in a blind taster with this to see how they measure up. This is dangerously drinkable. I could easily session this beer which probably is not best idea. Well done.

 

 

Aroma of dark fruit, figs, and a hint of alcohol. 1 inch tan head, fades at a moderate pace to a thin cap with a thicker ring. Deep, dark red with light carbonation bubbles visible if you shine a back-light. Thick and creamy feel. Very mild taste. Caramel, dark fruit, a touch of dried fruit flavors. Even though I picked up some alcohol in the aroma, it is not present at all in the taste. The taste is smooth at the beginning, slightly sweet, with a bit of an edge, a tartness, in the finish, but no bitterness at all. Very, very tasty. A wonderful sipping beer. I'll buy more of this as long as it remains available. I am really sorry to see the Unchained Series depart from distribution.

12oz can, sample from the brewery.

An American brewer and brewery that understands what it takes to brewery a Belgian Style beer. Not only did they temper the yeast strain used but the addition of candi sugar shines through. Big dark fruit character, mild cotton candy phenolic flavor, and lots of toasted graininess. Slightly boozy, mild but warming. Well balanced with a sweetness that some American brewers leave behind in their Belgian stlye brews. Hope to see more beers like this from Summit.

 

 

 

Overall I'm kinda' disappointed in this. It's solid. Prominent raisin in the aroma and flavor, with some spice in the mix for the taste. Solid malt. Seems a little thin a little small. Classic style would have more carbonation but I'm fine with it being flatter. Something doesn't pop with this. Drink nicely. Hints of fruit. Just kinda' boring, I guess.

A-A finger of beige head atop a clear cola colored brew. Where's the yeast? You filtering that out Summit?
S-Smells like a Belgian dubbel, but not overly aromatic. The telltale notes of raisiny, dried cherry esters and a bit of yeasty notes and clove. A rich-sweet malt character.
T-Sweet malt flavor. Raisin, clove notes. Touch of bitterness in the finish.
M-Light bodied, medium to high carbonation. Some alcohol warmth.
O-A clear step below most Belgian dubbels and the best US one from Ommegang. Would benefit from more body. However, for $10ish for a 6er, its a very serviceable option.