Summit Winter Ale
This unique seasonal beer offers the warmth of an old English pub to help ward off the chill of a winter’s night. It has its origins in British neighborhood pubs where villagers would gather to shake off the damp cold of the bitter English winter.
They’d share a pint or two of winter warmer ale by the fire, catch up on local gossip, and stay inside, where it was warm.
We’ve brewed our version in the tradition of those winter ales, with a robust, full-bodied flavor and a tangy hint of spices.
They’d share a pint or two of winter warmer ale by the fire, catch up on local gossip, and stay inside, where it was warm.
We’ve brewed our version in the tradition of those winter ales, with a robust, full-bodied flavor and a tangy hint of spices.
3.4
379 reviews
St. Paul, United States
Community reviews
On tap at the ship 1 / 31 12. Dark brown, tan head nice lacing. Rosti but more multi. Flavor is roasty cocoa and clean finish. I really like this. They got this right.
это пиво очень вкусно. я бы, конечно, рекомендую его всем. пожалуйста, обратитесь его. очень хорошо!
Bottle at home. Pours a brownish amber with one finger of off white head. Aroma is malty and caramel. Flavor follows. Very very slight note of any spices, if at all. Nice beer overall.
Like a baby English Bwine. Great. Enjoyable. Un toasty. Un roasty. Just a malt bomb with nice dark fruit flavors. Good. Enjoy
From bottle. Pours a dark brown hue with a beige head. Decent lacing that slowly secedes. Aromas of dull spice, caramel, nutty and light dark chocolate and a hint of root beer, and cherry. Taste of chestnut, toasty malt, light smokey , moderately sweet, toffee, coffee, licorice and cola. Mouthfeel is light to medium with light to medium carbonation. Finishes fairly dry with a light hop spice. Well balanced. Malty, nutty up front with some hop spice on the finish. First time I had this, hated it. 2nd time around it 'a actually a very enjoyable winter beer. Temp outside -10 degrees = perfect beer to be drinking
On tap. Pours a clear deep amber with a light brown head that dissipates slowly to the edges and laces. Aroma has lots of bread with a bit of sweetness and light spice. Flavor has bread, toffee and sweet grains with a bit of spice underlying.
Dark brown, 1/2 inch tan head with a "drippy" lacing. Moderate to light carbonation. Pleasant malt-fruit-tinged aroma. Thickish body and mouth feel. Take a drink and the hops bitterness hits first, followed by lightly roasted malt flavor. Then more bitterness comes through, but not overly so. This remains a nicely balanced ale front to back. Aftertaste is a mild lingering bitterness fading on the tongue.
Bottle. Pours clear rich chestnut, medium creamy tan head, dissipates slowly, good lacing. Aroma is malty and nutty, dark breads and a bit of smoke. Flavor is similar, medium sweet, light bitter, a bit smoky, nutty, pumpernickel, molasses, touch of orange zest. Medium body, low acidity and a bit creamy in the mouth. Solid beer.
Poured from a 12oz bottle.
Carmel notes and malty.
Had over Christmas with family. Wouldn’t need to have it again
A decent winter beer. Malty and sweet. Caramel notes throughout the body. A dry finish with a bit of alcohol coming through.
Tap - good size creamy head, very dark Amber color, pretty malty aroma and flavor, good earthy hop balance, smooth finish, good overall
Tried this one once and liked it quite a bit. I wish there was another! Might have to acquire some the next time I go shopping.
Living in Minnesota my whole life I have had many of these, however, it’s been years since I had my last one and couldn’t remember the taste. Great balance and drinkability. Light spice, nice ale, Summit is a fine brewery.
Caramel and sweet toffee aroma. Taste is similar, yet not heavy or boozy as some ESAs can be. Some spice. Lower ABV, easier sipping winter warmer here that still packs good flavor.
12oz bottle, thanks to Vince! Enjoy by 3/20/15. Clear red, sort of brown color. Pours with a good finger of khaki head. Good retention, and leaves nice ridges and spread of lace. Up front, first sip... Impressive chocolate and nutty aroma; some raisin. Nice toasty malt, some caramel malt, and mild spice. Pretty impressive so far, a lot better than expected. The surprisingly full body helps with that. A medium-plus body, with a full feel. Smooth, kind of soft, lighter carbonation. Moderate sweet taste, light to moderate bitter; good earthy hop balance. Impressive stuff, a lot better than expected. I guess I just love the UK way of doing a winter beer -- Hibernation is one of my favorites, and my local brewery MadTree recently impressed me with their scottish-style winter. I guess the darker and toastier malt and more mild spice work well for me, so long as there’s enough hop bitterness to balance things out. Which there usually is for these American examples. Just a sort of spicy edge to the taste is the only thing I don’t love.
Thin white head and a surprisingly dark pour. Smells toasty and a little bit of root beer. Some coffee and licorice notes. Pretty foamy in the mouth.
12 ounce bottle purchased at Total Wine Pembroke Pines, FL for $8.99/6-pack. Very good.
Bottle:
Deep, rubied-brown with a creamy tan head.
Caramel, chocolate, rich nut aroma.
Molasses, blackberry jam, caramel/chocolate malt flavor.
A bit of spice and cola.
A very nice, mild bodied strong ale.
Transfer from BA review on 12-6-12-
Served on tap in a 10 oz chalice glass
Appearance – Served a dark brown beer with a off white head of one and a half fingers. The head had a decent level of retention, fading over time to give a decent level of lacing on the sides of the glass.
Smell – The aroma of the brew is heaviest of caramel malt. Notes of chocolate and dark fruits are also mixed within giving it an overall rather sweet smell. With this is a light roasted nut aroma which rounds out the smell rather nicely.
Taste – The taste begins with a roasted malt and chocolate flavor upfront. Some toffee sweetness then enters the taste mixed with a nutty flavor. As the taste advances further the chocolate seems to get even stronger with a tiny bit of coffee, herbal hop and spice join the taste. In the end a roasted and sweet flavor are left to linger on the tongue.
Mouthfeel – The body of the beer is on the light to medium side with a rather moderate carbonation. The lighter body makes for an easier drinking style, but with all the roasted and dark flavors of the brew it may have been a bit better with some chewiness and/or creaminess.
Overall – A nice blend of chocolate, sweet, roast, and spice flavors. While in some ways it drank more like a porter then a winter warmer it is a good easy drinking brew.
Pours dark brown with a light tan head mostly lasting. Very creamy and full bodied on the palate. The taste is malty, of dark roasted malts, with some molasses and caramel overtones. A bit of hops and spice on the finish. A fine sipping ale on a winter’s eve. Pairs well with nuts or pretzels.
Bottle at home from backlog notes. Pours a reddish brown color with a medium sized creamy beige head. The aroma and flavor have some roasted malt, caramel, some earthy bitterness, a mild nutty character, some fruitiness to the flavor actually better than I thought it would be.
Bottle, pours a dark reddish brown with a khaki head, sweet taste of roasted nuts, chocolate, malt, and some caramel, has nice winter spicing, nice winter beer
The appearance is a clear reddish brown with a large beige head, and the aroma blends toasted and caramel malts, earthy hops, and clove. The taste blends a mild umami, a slight sweetness, and a touch of sourness; the palate fuses a medium body, malty finish, slick texture, and a soft carbonation.
Somewhat bland english ale. Mild English malt aroma. Dark caramel color with a white head. Average weight palate. Carbonation was fine. Flavors were subtle and understated. Malty with some sweetness and maybe a little spice. Somewhat below average as this brewery has better offerings.
A lighter winter ale for sure. Color is dark but not black. Very malt forward, with a nice sweetness, but not too much. A bit of hoppiness, too. An imperial version would be welcome.
Draft pour....pours dark brown...nice head....some lacing....tastes of roasted biscuits caramel hint of coffee....great beer.
This is a great lil winter ale especially for the price, sweet malts slightly bitter pine/spruce flavor comes through nicely will finish my six pack fast!
Inspired by the frigid temperatures (clocking in at a balmy 1 degree Fahrenheit) and because I hadn’t had a Summit brew in quite awhile, I gave this a shot. Overall a pleasant beer , deep brown with an rich malty character, the beer finishes cleanly with a hint of spruce, caramel with carbonation lingering on the tongue. No complaints.
Poured dark brown with a two finger off white head. Nice aroma, roasty and bready. There was a hint of underlying spice as well. Taste was nice. Not a tremendous body to it, but enough, the nose followed through to the taste. A nice change of pace winter beer.
Bottle to half-pint glass (shared with the Mrs.). Best by 04/07/14. Looks good; an almost completely opaque very dark brownish black with light beige head that steadily dissipates into lacing. Smells mildly sweet and malty with notes of winter spices. Tastes like it smells with a solid mouthfeel. Enjoyable.