Experimental Hop IPA
Summit Brewing Company

Let the record show that this beer isn't horrible in its own right. It just has nothing, and therefore Summit's experimental hop IPA falls into the same traps as other nondescript and weak IPAs, by overloading flavorless and watery beer with ceaseless variations of hops in order to brand themselves as unique. In order for beer to be done well, the base needs to be quality. One should always taste the beer intermingling with the hops until these flavors become harmonious. This beer's hop action fails in that it fights the beer at every turn. When I got a taste of the beer behind all of this "experimental" nonsense, I was disappointed to find that it was essentially no better than if someone drowned an unwashed hop farmer in a vat of Natural Light. It smells like dirty socks. It tastes like nothing other than hops. I feel as if I'm going insane as I continuously read these positive reviews of IPAs on this website that, in spite of their failures, have gained acclaim by piggybacking on an absurd trend. What a disappointing experience. Don't drink this beer. Don't be a sheep.

 

Can. Off white head.

Golden orange color. Piney and some hop resin stickiness. Bready malts. Some mango and fruity sweetness. Medium bodied. Odd carbonation/feel. It's alright.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

L-Tan/orange color..hazy..

S-Not particularly vibrant but interesting with black tea, herbal, grassy and floral notes up front.

T-Pretty malty with a caramel bread like flavor..hops add a sharp pine bitterness but not a ton of flavor..

F-Medium bodied...very dry and bitter on the finish but more of a malt flavor overrides hop flavor in this one. On tap I didn't pick up this much bitterness but out of the can it definitely is dry.

O-Not a huge fan. Not bad but I would not purchase it in a sixer. Just doesn't come together well. Nice experiment though with some new hops and malts. Always appreciate breweries that try those things even if it doesn't always work for me.

 

 

 

Clear amber color with a dense head and plenty of lacing left down the glass. Aroma of grass with some herbal qualities, mint, stone fruit such as peach. I understand this uses a malt that has not been used before in the USA. Nothing really unusual about it but it does give a solid foundation to build from. A little bit of sweetness but does not taste artificial like a lot of caramel malts. I am getting peach, pine, herbs, and grass from the hops. No dankness or funkiness. Not a lot of bitterness and I wonder if this is a low alpha hop variety. Does not seem to use a different yeast strain than the other Summit IPAs present and past. It does have that Summit taste. Solid body and carbonation. Well done as I have come to expect from this brewery. Overall I really enjoyed this IPA. Interesting flavors that are not common in IPAs and not the usual citrus or dank bombs or milkshakes that we get today.

 

IPA aroma - pine and citrus, quite strong. Clear golden with a creamy off-white tall head with large bubbles from a not-so-gentle pour. The head recedes slowly and leaves good-looking lacing down the side. Smooth initial taste, transitioning quickly to bitter pine, citrus, and tropical fruit. Some citrus comes through in the flavor, with a good malt base underneath the hops adding flavor. 1st can seemed to be under-carbonated, giving it a less-than-desirable flat mouth feel. 2nd can was much better. Odd. It has a nice, clean and bitter finish. The flavor has a lot of stuff happening, some is hard to pin down. I assume that is from the "experimental" hops. Not your usual IPA. Interesting.

This beer pour a rich amber with a large head. The aroma features notes of mango, papaya, and pineapple, with cinnamon, caramel, and a forest aroma as well. The flavor starts with the sweet tropical flavors of mango and papaya, then morphs to pine, grapefruit pith, grass, and woodsy qualities, with hints on the finish of mint and cinnamon. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with mild foaming carbonation. Overall this is a decent beer, but I am not sure the flavors mesh - it has a lot going on, but comes across as rather busy.