If Summit bottled 10 Cubed or brought back their Silver Anniversary Ale I'd drink both on the regular.
I believe Saga may actually be the best "value" 12 pack available in our market. But I don't think it's in the same class as many other readily available IPA's out there. However, I would not turn down one if offered, and will probably have some available at the next family event I'm hosting.
Im with you most of the way. I totally agree its the best value around. You can find it for $10.99 on sale commonly. As for its 'class', I think it completely depends on its age. When I get a fresh one, I think its just a hair below (like 4.25/5) the top level IPA's like furious ect. When its old, its somewhere between nothing special and downright bad (like 2-3 /5). I think a lot of the stock is old though. Summit needs to date their bottles more clearly. Go stone style and print it on the bottle. That is the best idea for an IPA ever. (fine, maybe not practical for a 12 pack beer, but how about just like odell or great divide with a clearly printed bottled on date) Im very picky about where I buy this beer from. I never buy it from a store with a pallet on the floor. Its consistently better from 'beer nerd' stores that care about freshness and smaller quantities. Probably why there is so much diversity of opinion on this beer. It can be great (fresh), it can be bad (old), not Summit's fault, but it would be good to crack down on notorious 'beer museums', by all brewers.
All of the Saga I've been drinking has a clear date printed right on the neck of the bottle (below/near the neck label). They even went the "Stone" route and say "Enjoy By 3/25/14" or whatever.
Huh, I must be thinking of something else then. I didnt think they dated theirs, but I stand corrected. And in that case I will pay more attention to that. Kudos summit.
Agreed 100%, but when fresh, it is personally one of my favorite, year round IPAs produced in the Midwest. Love the grapefruit quality of it. My Untappd checkins tell me it's my #1 consumed beer as well, so apparently I drink it a lot.
On the Loose was a decent song but the lead singer always looked a little too "Freddie Mercury" to me.......
Its been said before, but whatever the 'enjoy by' date is on the Summit, just subtract 5 months for the bottled on date. Bottled date is also julian dateed in tiny numbers on upper left of label.
I never had an old Saga. I thought the shit moved so fast it did not have a chance to age in the store. But I am sure there are a few museums out there you need to be careful even with this beer.
I was thinking the same thing, never had a bad one. Saga is easily the most consumed beer in our household.
For the $ Saga is the best pick for an IPA in town. Now if we could get Twelveys of Odell IPA then I might reconsider.