Belgian Style Golden Ale
Summit Brewing Company
- From:
- Summit Brewing Company
- Minnesota, United States
- Style:
- Belgian Pale Strong Ale
- ABV:
- 8.6%
- Score:
- 85
- Avg:
- 3.74 | pDev: 11.23%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 38
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Jan 21, 2014
- Added:
- Jul 20, 2010
- Wants:
- 1
- Gots:
- 3
SCORE
85
Very Good
85
Very Good
No description / notes.
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Reviewed by Beerisheaven from Pennsylvania
3.5/5 rDev -6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.5/5 rDev -6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Cracked a bottle of this tonight with some firecracker shrimp. Was looking for something to pair up with a nice spicy dish.
Not sure where I got this but thanks to whoever sent it my way. Received as an extra in a trade long since completed.
On balance nothing memorable here. Pours a grassy yellow/hay color with a white puffy head that quickly pulls back. I did not get much in the way of lacing, more bubbles that settle down pretty quickly. Taste and smell had some malt and a bit of yeast. Had just one, but I have a slight headache developing from it.
All in all nothing special here. One and done for me.
Aug 13, 2011Not sure where I got this but thanks to whoever sent it my way. Received as an extra in a trade long since completed.
On balance nothing memorable here. Pours a grassy yellow/hay color with a white puffy head that quickly pulls back. I did not get much in the way of lacing, more bubbles that settle down pretty quickly. Taste and smell had some malt and a bit of yeast. Had just one, but I have a slight headache developing from it.
All in all nothing special here. One and done for me.
Reviewed by alexgash from Connecticut
4.3/5 rDev +15%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
4.3/5 rDev +15%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
12 oz. bottle.
Mostly clear yellow golden body. Slim finger of cottony white, wispy head. Some lacing. Strong aromas of honey, malt, candied fruits, tropical fruits, and peppery hops.
Lightly toasted bready malts up front. A flash of fruit rind that quickly gives way to rummy, tropical fruit sweetness. Some candy sweetness as well. Vegetal, herbal, peppery hop bitterness closes in toward the finish. Dries out a little bit. Lingering honey and fruit sweetness. Medium-full body with a slightly syrupy feel. Delicious and very drinkable. A fine American made Belgian-style ale, and a nice offering from Summit.
Jul 09, 2011Mostly clear yellow golden body. Slim finger of cottony white, wispy head. Some lacing. Strong aromas of honey, malt, candied fruits, tropical fruits, and peppery hops.
Lightly toasted bready malts up front. A flash of fruit rind that quickly gives way to rummy, tropical fruit sweetness. Some candy sweetness as well. Vegetal, herbal, peppery hop bitterness closes in toward the finish. Dries out a little bit. Lingering honey and fruit sweetness. Medium-full body with a slightly syrupy feel. Delicious and very drinkable. A fine American made Belgian-style ale, and a nice offering from Summit.
Reviewed by muttyd from Alabama
3.72/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
3.72/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Received two of these as an extra from pepinguy. Thanks again!
Batch 6. Pours a clear golden yellow with a thin white fizzy head that fades into a faint ring. Aroma is fruity, yeasty, slightly peppery. Grainy malts in the nose as well. Flavor demonstrates a big biscuity malt sweetness, peppery/spicy yeast, faint floral hops. Dry finish with a very slight alcohol burn. Prickly on the tongue with a medium/light body. Very clean and crisp. Well put together Belgian golden ale.
Apr 18, 2011Batch 6. Pours a clear golden yellow with a thin white fizzy head that fades into a faint ring. Aroma is fruity, yeasty, slightly peppery. Grainy malts in the nose as well. Flavor demonstrates a big biscuity malt sweetness, peppery/spicy yeast, faint floral hops. Dry finish with a very slight alcohol burn. Prickly on the tongue with a medium/light body. Very clean and crisp. Well put together Belgian golden ale.
Reviewed by BuckeyeNation from Iowa
3.68/5 rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.68/5 rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Sunny honey with a swirling cloud of yeast being buffeted by multiple streams of energetic carbonation. The pearl colored crown is a thin disk of cream that lasts long enough and leaves enough lace to deserve the good score.
The nose features golden grains, golden fruit and less spice than anticipated. A bona fide Belgian strain was used, but it doesn't smell like a very estery sort. Here's hoping that doesn't have negative implications on the taste buds.
Belgian Style Golden Ale is not a humdinger of a Belgian-style golden ale, but it's a damn fine effort for the boys from St. Paul. It's a bit rough around the edges, even with about 8 months of aging. Then again, that gives it a sort of rustic charm that is appealing to big beer lovers like me.
It would be grossly unfair to compare this Unchained Series offering to malt liquor, but it does have a sweet grain-like quality that is usually covered up by fruit and spice in the best versions of the style. Again, more fruit and spice yeast esters would be great.
Czech Saaz and Styrian Goldings are still contributing a healthy amount of grassy-herbal flavor, especially in the second half of each mouthful. In addition, it tastes and feels like most of the original 30 IBUs are still alive and kicking. It's mighty tempting to pull the trigger on 4.0 for flavor.
The mouthfeel is solid. It's lightly lush, never flags for an instant, and has zesty bubbles that are never in danger of crossing the line into annoyingly buzzy. A tongue tingler for sure.
Summit Belgian Style Golden Ale doesn't quite rival the standards from Belgian, but it's an enjoyable ale that gives its all in each and every mouthful. A little tweaking and this could be something special. Hey Summit, you are going to brew this one again, right? Thanks to feloniousmonk for the bottle.
Mar 25, 2011The nose features golden grains, golden fruit and less spice than anticipated. A bona fide Belgian strain was used, but it doesn't smell like a very estery sort. Here's hoping that doesn't have negative implications on the taste buds.
Belgian Style Golden Ale is not a humdinger of a Belgian-style golden ale, but it's a damn fine effort for the boys from St. Paul. It's a bit rough around the edges, even with about 8 months of aging. Then again, that gives it a sort of rustic charm that is appealing to big beer lovers like me.
It would be grossly unfair to compare this Unchained Series offering to malt liquor, but it does have a sweet grain-like quality that is usually covered up by fruit and spice in the best versions of the style. Again, more fruit and spice yeast esters would be great.
Czech Saaz and Styrian Goldings are still contributing a healthy amount of grassy-herbal flavor, especially in the second half of each mouthful. In addition, it tastes and feels like most of the original 30 IBUs are still alive and kicking. It's mighty tempting to pull the trigger on 4.0 for flavor.
The mouthfeel is solid. It's lightly lush, never flags for an instant, and has zesty bubbles that are never in danger of crossing the line into annoyingly buzzy. A tongue tingler for sure.
Summit Belgian Style Golden Ale doesn't quite rival the standards from Belgian, but it's an enjoyable ale that gives its all in each and every mouthful. A little tweaking and this could be something special. Hey Summit, you are going to brew this one again, right? Thanks to feloniousmonk for the bottle.
Reviewed by Jayli from Massachusetts
3.91/5 rDev +4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.91/5 rDev +4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Acquired from Sinatra716 via Shoe Me What You're Made of BIF so a big THANK YOU goes out to him!
Poured in to my Brooklyn snifter
A: This beer pours a cloudy maze color with a one finger of bone white foamy head. Head recedes somewhat quickly leaving spotted wisps of lacing.
S: Nose is banana, prominent clove, and a nice pale and grainy malt presence.
T: Taste starts with a very grainy mingled with citrus flavoring. The middle is filled out with yeast, perhaps a minor touch of yeast. The finish has a mild clove, banana, and apple flavoring.
M: Medium body medium carbonation, nice oily, slick field to the body of this beer.
O: Goes down very easy, rather tasty, not too filling, well hidden kick, nice representation of style. WOW - I wasn't expecting the quality from this beer. This isn't a bowl you over belgian - but this is a solid go to belgian pale that I would revisit in a heartbeat.
Mar 25, 2011Poured in to my Brooklyn snifter
A: This beer pours a cloudy maze color with a one finger of bone white foamy head. Head recedes somewhat quickly leaving spotted wisps of lacing.
S: Nose is banana, prominent clove, and a nice pale and grainy malt presence.
T: Taste starts with a very grainy mingled with citrus flavoring. The middle is filled out with yeast, perhaps a minor touch of yeast. The finish has a mild clove, banana, and apple flavoring.
M: Medium body medium carbonation, nice oily, slick field to the body of this beer.
O: Goes down very easy, rather tasty, not too filling, well hidden kick, nice representation of style. WOW - I wasn't expecting the quality from this beer. This isn't a bowl you over belgian - but this is a solid go to belgian pale that I would revisit in a heartbeat.
Reviewed by BeerAdvocate from Finland
4/5 rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Review from BeerAdvocate Magazine Issue #43 (Aug 2010):
This beer is pale golden with an impeccable clarity and well-placed lacing. Pears, passion fruit and papaya are in the nose, along with faint buttery and peppery notes. It has a tight body and dry malt character that runs biscuity and grassy. There are some medicinal phenols and tropical fruits in the middle. Peppery alcohol and a bit of twang show up before the beer goes dry. Its yeastiness and biscuity graininess actually move a touch toward bready in the end. This beer is clean enough, with all the right attributes touched upon. It easily rivals many of its Belgian counterparts.
Jan 11, 2011This beer is pale golden with an impeccable clarity and well-placed lacing. Pears, passion fruit and papaya are in the nose, along with faint buttery and peppery notes. It has a tight body and dry malt character that runs biscuity and grassy. There are some medicinal phenols and tropical fruits in the middle. Peppery alcohol and a bit of twang show up before the beer goes dry. Its yeastiness and biscuity graininess actually move a touch toward bready in the end. This beer is clean enough, with all the right attributes touched upon. It easily rivals many of its Belgian counterparts.
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