All posts by Jeremy Noble

My name is Jeremy. I’m a homebrewer, beer lover, whisk(e)y neophyte, and general nerd with more thirst than sense. You can follow my other writings at http://www.onelastdrop.com/
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Summit 30th Anniversary Double IPA

Here's to 30 more years
Here’s to 30 more years

In the ever growing beer community of Minnesota, there are a few names that have been around for a while.  Summit has been referred to as the “Old man” of MN craft breweries.  This year marks their 30th anniversary, and they are releasing a series of beers throughout the year to celebrate.  The first release is a double IPA.

A lovely pint
A lovely pint

The double IPA is an aggressively hopped, but still drinkable pale beer, with all the usual suspects… tropical, fruity hops, bracing bitterness, and a clean malt backbone.  It clocks in at 8.5% ABV, but is still quite drinkable.  An English ale yeast plays nicely with the fruitiness of the hops.  The shelves of your local liquor store are probably bursting with IPAs, but I can tell you that this one is worth working into your rotation.  Adding a bunch of hops to a beer is easy, but balancing the flavors that different American and New Zealand hops bring to the beer is really difficult.  Head brewer Damian McConn has managed to blend a lot of hop flavor in a really balanced way.

Tulip, or Spiegelau IPA glass? Buy the four pack, and try both.
Tulip, or Spiegelau IPA glass? Buy the four pack, and try both.

As for the rest of the year, there’s a lot to look forward to.  Three more beers are on their way in the 30th anniversary series (a Keller Pils, a West London Ale, and a Barleywine), in addition to the continuing Unchained series, and a Team Brew series being served at the Summit beer hall.  I get the feeling that all the breweries popping up are really pushing Summit to innovate and create new beers.  They didn’t survive 30 years by resting on their laurels, after all.  Over the years, they’ve created 46 different beers.  This double IPA is available in four packs of tallboys and on draft now, for a limited time.

By the numbers:

  • Malts: Pale, Concerto Pale, Wheat
  • Hops: Mosaic, Bravo, Citra, Equinox, and Orbit
  • Yeast: English Ale
  • IBUs: 101
  • ABV: 8.5%

From the brewer

Video from Damian McConn

Tasting events

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Summit Brewing Unchained #21: Us and Them

Both threads of Unchained 21
Both threads of Unchained 21

The latest Summit Unchained release is on its way to stores near you.  This time, in the 21st of the series, Summit’s brewer Gabe Smoley has produced Us and Them, a “Two Thread Brewing Experience.”  Based on the popular Sága IPA, this release is made of two beers; an American IPA and a session IPA.

Gabe has started with the grain bill of Sága and created two distinct beers.  Using a technique known as “Parti-gyle,” the same grain bill was used to produce a stronger, first “thread,” and a second, sessionable “thread.”  Then, using the same hops in different ways, the two threads were brewed in a way that really provides a unique experience, and a unique take on Sága, a familiar local beer.

It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Sága, so I was excited to dig into the first thread.

The first thread, the American IPA
The first thread, the American IPA

The American IPA portion of this beer is the bolder of the two.  It’s a bit darker in color, with a bigger malt presence.  Biscuit and caramel back up the beer.  The carbonation is slightly more pronounced than the second thread.  Hops are definitely reminiscent of what you get in Sága.  There are some Citra and Amarillo present, but the biggest hop presence is the Rakau hop.  This is a New Zealand hop that tastes a bit like dried apricot.  While this is the stronger of the two threads, it’s not a huge beer by any means.  At 7.2% ABV, this feels very much like Sága turned up just a touch.

Next, the session IPA.

Thread 2
Thread 2, the Session IPA

Thread 2 pours just a bit lighter.  The malt profile is similar but definitely favors biscuity flavors over any caramel.  While the same hops are used here, they are used differently.  Citra is much more prominent in this thread, with it’s oily, melon fruitiness.  This is the Session IPA, so drinks a little lighter, at 4% ABV. The Citra stands out quite a bit, though, so this doesn’t drink quite as easily as your standard session beer.  When drinking this side by side against the first thread, it’s really interesting that you can taste the same things in either beer, but just balanced differently enough to really stand out.

The two beers really are different expressions of a familiar beer.  It’s kind of a salute to beer nerds that Gabe has shown how much difference can be made with small changes to a beer.  I’m a regular drinker of Sága, and drinking these two beers really opened my eyes to what goes into my go to IPA.  Look for six and twelve packs of Unchained #21 hitting stores soon, packaged with both threads.

By the numbers:

Thread 1

  • Malts: 2-row pale, Caramel
  • Hops: Horizon, Centennial, Amarillo, Citra, Rakau (Rakau dry-hop)
  • ABV: 7.2%
  • IBU: 90

Thread 2

  • Malts: 2-row pale, Caramel
  • Hops: Horizon, Centennial, Amarillo, Citra, Rakau (Citra dry-hop)
  • ABV: 4%
  • IBU: 55

Sága (for comparison)

  • Malts: 2-row pale, Caramel
  • Hops: Centennial, Amarillo, Citra, Rakau (Amarillo, Citra, Rakau dry-hop)
  • ABV: 6.2%
  • IBU: 80

Links:

From the brewery

Upcoming tasting events

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Summit Union 5: Old Blaggard Barleywine

crown

Summit has just released their latest Union Series beer, Old Blaggard English style barleywine.  Head brewer Damian McConn has headed this one up, creating the fifth Union brew in the series.  This series aims to pair classic styles with new techniques and ingredients.  This is the first barleywine that Summit has ever brewed, and they’ve made an homage of the traditional Burton-on-Trent style with new British malt and hops.

pckg

This beer is packaged as a four pack for near enough as makes no difernece to ten dollars.  I feel that needs to be said again.  Ten dollars for 48 ounces of barleywine.  As much as Summit’s always provided a great value for local craft beer, this is a big deal.  So how is this beer?

pour

It’s an experience.  Do yourself a favor, and follow the serving notes Summit provides.  Chill to 55 degrees, and put it in a glass.  Let it sit, and sip slowly.  The invert sugar lends a toffee, brown sugar background to some of the dried fig, stone fruit, and marmalade notes.  My first pour of this was too chilled, and it really opened up as I spent an hour sipping on it.  This is ready to drink off the shelf, but I’m choosing to cellar some (okay, a lot) of this to see how it ages.

This is a limited release, and I suspect it won’t be around long.  I’m stocking a lot into my cellar, and expect I’m not alone.  Again, this is possibly the most reasonably priced barleywine I’ve seen recently, so don’t dawdle.

By the numbers:

  • Style: English Barleywine
  • Original Gravity: 24 degrees Plato
  • ABV: 10.10%
  • IBUs: 50
  • Malts: Odyssey Pale and Torrified Wheat
  • Hops: Endeavour

Links:

From the brewery

Video interview with Damian McConn

 

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Tin Whiskers Tiny Circuit Coffee Stout

Local brewery Tin Whiskers has just released a Coffee Stout.  This caffeinated version of their Short Circuit sweet stout is a collaboration with local Coffee roaster Tiny Footprint Coffee.
Tiny Circuit Coffee Stout
The beer this is based on, Short Circuit Stout, has been a flagship for this brewery from the beginning.  It’s a nitro poured sweet stout brewed with lactose.  For this collaboration, head brewer Derek Brown and founder Jeff Moriarty cold press an Ethiopian dark roast (Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Negelle Gorbitu) and add it to the bright tank, resulting in a sweet, creamy, roasty stout.

Tin Whiskers Coffee Stout
Cascading nitro action

A note about Tiny Footprint:  They are actually the first carbon-negative coffee.  For each pound of coffee they sell, they donate proceeds to replant a forest in Ecuador.  These carbon offsets result in a carbon-negative product.  The coffee is pretty good, too.

The robot approves

You can find this on tap at Tin Whiskers Downtown St. Paul now, and in other craft beer bars soon.

By the numbers:

  • Style: Sweet Stout
  • Original Gravity: 1.065
  • Final Gravity: 1.022
  • ABV: 5.8%
  • IBUs: 55

Links:

Release announcement from Tin Whiskers

Coffee information from Tiny Footprint

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Summit Unchained #20: Sticke Alt

Summit has recently announce the next in their Unchained series. For the twentieth in the series, brewer Mike Lundell has decided to brew us a Düsseldorf style Alt.

Summit Sticke Alt label
Summit likes to show appropriate glassware on their label

An Alt is a fun style. It’s a traditional German beer that’s brewed with an ale yeast strain, rather than a lager strain. After fermentation, Alts are conditioned cold, which gives a clean, lager-like flavor profile to the beer, making this style a unique hybrid. Lundell has gone one further and made this a Sticke Alt. Traditionally, twice a year, German brewers in the Westphalia region would make a special version of their Alt, and hold it aside for their best customers. What it means for the beer drinker is a beer that’s a bit stronger, and a bit hoppier.

I was lucky enough to drink this beer, and I think it’s a fantastic representation of the style.

You can see the color here. Deep red and lovely.
You can see the color here. Deep red and lovely.

Talk about nailing the timing on this. With all the Oktoberfests on the market during the fall, this is a fine alternative that’s brawny enough to drink into the beginning of Winter. It comes off as a little roasty, but overall very clean and smooth. It puts me right into the mood for the Fall season. Look for this beer on your local store shelves starting the second week of October.

By the numbers:

  • ABV: 6.3%
  • IBUs: 55
  • Malts:  Pilsner, Vienna, Light Munich, Dark Munich, Caramel, and Black
  • Hops: Hallertau, Mittelfruh
  • Yeast: German Ale

Summit’s info on Unchained #20

Upcoming release events for this beer