Summit Saga IPA

excited, to try this friday, jealous of you getting to try it today.

 

I was at the Muddy Pig tonight and saw a guy with a 6pack of it! I asked him where he got it and he told me he works at the brewery. He gave me a free bottle. I almost cried. Can't wait to drink it.

 

Can't wait to try this on Friday

 

Anyone know what hops they use, IBUs, etc?

 

Hops: Centennial, Amarillo, Citra and New Zeland Rakau
IBU: 80
ABV: 6.4%
Malts: Harrington and Caramel

Fresh, this is one hoppy beer!

 

Sounds right up my alley--cannot wait to try! Is this going to be distributed to Western WI? (Eau Claire)

 

We may have a difficult time keeping up with demand for this beer at first. We are limiting Saga to only 50 bars/restaurants for the first month of release. We are bottling as much as we can. However, the bottom line is, this product takes us longer to make than our EPA. It is difficult to gauge demand for this product. We may have to adjust our production schedules in order to meet this demand. We have a very responsible plan to grow with this product. It will come to WI. I can't tell you how much WI will receive at first.

 

That pretty much sounds perfect!

 

Please, get this beer on the shelves now!

 

I picked up 2 6 packs yesterday, it is deeelish! This is gonna be my local summer beer for sure. Now just put it in 12 packs.

 

Per John, 12 pks in August! I agree, great beer. On my second six already.

 

I'm impressed that Summit managed to make a unique beer in such a popular style. The hop character is very different from others I've had, less citrusy and more piney. It also seems a little less sweet than some American IPAs. I like it very much and willl be buying more.

Between this and Summer Ale I think Summit will be getting a lot of my beer buying dollars for the next few months.

 

This is a great beer! Kudos to them for a job well done.

 

Thomas Liquors on Grand in Saint Paul is doing a Summit tasting today. I cannot make it, but the tastings there are always top-notch. If you can make it, I strongly encourage your attendance!

 

Drinking this now. It's good but pretty standard fare IMO. I likely won't be buying much of this though the price point is nicer than the beer.

 

A good, solid IPA. Not my favorite IPA on the shelves, but the price sure makes it look very attractive. Drinking the Summer Ale now. I really like this beer and perfect on a hot day.

 

Hell ya, 6 packs arrived in the Roch! They are cooling in the fridge as we speak

 

Haven't seen the Summer by me yet. How does it compare to the Unchained Kolsch?

 

Can't remember the Unchained Kolsch that well, since it was before my time on BA and I never took any notes on it, but I do remember trying it at the brewery and buying a sixer of it and not being too impressed. I do believe this one is better though. Very crisp and refreshing!

 

The Summer Ale is slightly sweeter and not as spicy hoppy. I would take the Unchained over this, but this is still good.

 

If I were to compare the two from faded memory, I'd say the new Summer Ale seems hoppier and dryer than the Unchained Kolsch. I'm not sure I'd even call the new Summer Ale a Kolsch anyway. Although, it certainly has some Kolsch like characteristics.

 

Yes, we are going on faded thoughts. I just remember Unchained Kolsch as being fabulously dry, while Summer is slightly sweeter. The hop bitterness is about the same, just a different hop bill. More peppery, spicy hop used in the Unchained.

 

The price point seems about right for the beer. I think this is a great IPA (personal opinion), and I think it is right in line with any other IPA in the market at that price. Actually reminds me of the Widmer X-114 Rotator IPA, which I was a huge fan of for $12/twelve pack.

Are people really expecting a top notch IPA, at that price? I think it is the best example out there in it's class, but we all have our opinions.

 

I had Saga on tap the other night and really liked it. I'm surprised by the criticisms here.

 

I have a firkin of Saga dry-hopped with Citra hop going to Old Chicago in Minnetonka tomorrow night. This is the first cask of this beer we have done. Stop in and check it out!

 

Awesome, I drive past there every night on the way home from work. I'll check it out.

 

Just to be clear, when I say top notch I am talking about beers like Blind Pig or Duet (Alpine). Or, locally Steel Toe Size 7 which is the best IPA in our market (Furious is NOT an f-ing IPA!!!) if you ask me.

 

What time is "night" , I might be in the area around 3.

 

Yum more Citra! May have to swing out after work tomorrow, tapping it at a specific time?

 

I believe it is a good IPA, as I said prior. I will not compare it to either Blind Pig or Duet since those IPA's are not in my market- either is Size 7. I only purchase about a 6/12pk of commercial a month so I usually try new things or old favorites and generally money is not an issue with those purchases. When I say I won't be buying much of it, that is true since I don't purchase much of anything commerically. My comment was not a knock on the beer- it is just very standard in my opinion, if that is what they were aiming for, then great. I'm a big fan of Summit (think Soverign Gold, IRA, Kolsch, Oatmeal Stout)- always have been, we've just been beat over the head with IPA's that nothing short of spectacular seems get notice. Now the Summer Ale- that is a great beer and I have already purchased 3-6 pks of that and shared amongst friends.

 

I'm tapping the firkin at 6pm.

 

I would rate this as one of the top IPA's I have had at any price, although I do tend to like a brew more when it makes my pallate and my wallet happy.

 

Not really a reply to your comment, but I am seeing a few people who seem to have expected "more", to which I say...really?!??

 

Sort of off-topic, but I remember a similar excitement when Horizon Red came out. I still drink it occasionally, but it seems to me the hype has died down. Am I correct? Is this beer doing well?

 

What hype?

 

The hype that went away three minutes into the life of Horizon as soon as everyone found out Summit wasn't making a Furious clone.

Pin drop, what???

 

"Hype" might not be the most accurate choice of words to use, but there sure was a lot of talk and commentary about Summit's release of Horizon Red a few years back. My Google-Fu is weak right now, but somebody with better search methodology (and bigger ears) might chime in with respect to the contemporary sales of Horizon Red; last I heard it was still Summit's #2 top-selling year round offering behind Summit Extra Pale Ale.

Edit: Did anyone save a bottle of the Anniversary and have a chance to do a side-by-side with Sága? I reckon that the hops will have faded quite a bit in the case of the Anniversary, but it'd be interesting : )

 

I agree that there was a fair amount of media coverage at the time, and I recall a thread here at BA (the "old site") which I also seem to recall as having a good number of replies and noteworthy comments.

Of course, news coverage (local media, and regional press and specialty-business magazines) can be seen as hype to some extent, but I'd wager that there are just as many of us who see "hype" as something generated in other quarters, whether that be the company (brewery) of origin or the Craft Beer hobbyists themselves.

Summit certainly sent out press releases and wanted as much attention as possible for their new brand, so in that sense they were guilty of hyping themselves -- not that there's anything unusual about that, I think?

After three years, it most certainly has .