Summit Saga India Pale Ale

Let's tell the tale of Saga India Pale Ale. Actually, I'll let Summit owner  Mark Stutrud tell it here.

As for me, I can tell you that Summit's India Pale Ale was the first beer I ever fell in love with, and out of love with. I never liked any beer until I tried hoppy ones, as I'm sure I've said before, and with my first taste of their IPA, I was smitten.   (This was probably in 1993. I discovered Summit EPA in 1992, the same year they first released IPA. It took me until the next year to try it out, if I recall correctly.) The color, "bouquet", and the flavor unlike any beer I'd had before. Until I had a lot more beers. The more IPAs I tried from all over the country, especially the West Coast varieties, or imitations of them, the less appeal Summit IPA had for me. English-style IPAs in general have fallen out of fashion, and the beer world in general has been hooked on the bitter grapefruity, citric spank of American hops. Summit IPA is now something I'll take in a pinch, or buy if it's on sale and no other IPA is, but it's not something I'll go looking for.

And along comes their 25th anniversary ale, which I reviewed here. The cries came out among the beer geek crowd to make this one year-round, and lo, and behold, the prayers have been answered. We're told there were tweaks that make this distinct from Silver Anniversary, but I haven't figured out what those are, yet. Nonetheless, the general consensus is that this is a definite hit. I'd be happy to have it on tap now, but I have to wait for the next batch, there just wasn't enough to go around with the first run.

So, I picked up a 6-pack for myself, sat down with a bottle, and these were the notes:


Summit Saga India Pale Ale.

Clear, pale peach/apricot appearance; slightly off-white head. long-lasting, lace leaving. Lovely stuff, looking good in the glass.

Fresh and lively aromatics, giving off fruity esters like pineapple, mango, tangerine. A well-tempered citric hop explosion, with tropical fruit joining the mix. Exquisite.

Taste: Mmmm! Hops hit the palate right from the start and a mild, fruity bitterness takes over, but doesn't overtake. Fades back and hangs out in the corner, until the next sip. Put the glass to the lips again, and a burst of bitterness grips the tongue once more, a mild astringency is evident, but never too much so.

Summit is a brewery of balance. Perhaps someday that create something really out there, but I can't see them brewing anything outside the limits of drinkability, or that tips the scales too far beyond the norm. Just not going to happen. With Saga IPA, they've embraced the West Coast IPA style, which has become incredibly popular all over the country, and kept it smooth and very easy drinking. Certainly a sessioner, one the hop freaks will take to their bitter bosoms, and probably gulp down by the case-ful.

Finishes with bitterness lingering lightly, hop presence never too subdued, and never too intrusive. Just right.