Wednesday, April 10, 2019

Summit Slugfest Juicy IPA

Summit Slugfest Juicy IPA. 4.7 % ABV. Summit Brewing, St. Paul, MN.

Clear, with a slight, soft haze, pale orange appearance, slim white head.

In the nose: Fruity notes, first, grapefruit and orange, tangerine. Pinch of pine. Nicely hopped.

In the mouth: Juicy and just a little bit bitter. Here comes the citrus blast. Gets all juicy, then turns to dry. Lean bodied, easy drinking, clean finishing. The further down we get in the glass, the more I'm liking this one. Tasty stuff, to be sure.

I was told that some who'd tried it out it were disappointed by an unfiltered, juicy IPA that isn't "hazy." Well, these people don't really understand Summit. They've never chased after trends, and are loathe to tear down their core values. They're not releasing an orange juice-appearing haze bomb just to jump on a bandwagon. How's the beer taste, though, does it deliver in that department? Yes, yes, several times yes.

This is the hazy IPA I can get behind. Let's do unfiltered, but within reason, with some restraint. Don't haze bomb me, bro.

Some more words, not mine: "Unfiltered IPA. Hop punch. Low bitterness. Clean, smooth finish. Highly drinkable. Undeniably repeatable. 150 cals. 11 g carbs."

Summit Slugfest is an unfiltered IPA with an orange appearance, low in alcohol and bitterness but big in citrus hop flavors and aromas. Seeking to connect new Ameriacn IPA trends with our classical European approach to brewing, Slugfest offers aggressive and powerful citrus hop flavors and aromas of tangerine, melon and lemon, thanks to hop varieties Huell Melon, Azacca and Mandarina Bavaria. Malt notes of toast, English biscuits and breadcrust.

Other words that are mine: Why the name "Slugfest"? How does that relate to this beer? And what does it have to do with scuba divers punching sharks?

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