Saga India Pale Ale

Thanks to my brother Luke for getting me a bottle of this beer. He now works as a Sales Rep for Stern Beverage in western Illinois (Rock Island). Fortunately for me, he gets beer before it is released! Tasted Sunday evening after a fun weekend with friends who visited from the QC for the Hatter Day Festival.

Appearance: Golden copper color with a pristine clarity. Inside, the beer looks quite still. However, the head proved activity as the stature was well retained with a dense white foam and an entire lacing along the sides of the glass
Aroma: Pine based resin is the primary element of the scent, which is also very clean. A faint nose of yeast is present along side a brief graininess.
Taste: The flavor starts with a faint 2-row malt sweetness and quickly merges with a nice hop blast in the second half. Like I said earlier, this beer is very clean, as very little phenolic, estery flavors arise. The end is complimented with a perfumy tropical essence encapsulating the 'C' hop category of flavors. Notes of grapefruit and pineapple are present, but with a different orientation. Bitterness follows in a long aftertaste but with a wealth of character. Surly only for the hop savvy.
Mouthfeel: Very light and crisp with a refreshing bite from the bitterness in the finish and a spritzy carbonation that bites, but also foams up to a reasonable texture to be thoroughly appreciated. Dryness covers the mouth, thirsting for another sip.
Overall Impression: The best word for this beer is  - Clean - as it's light, easy to drink, very flavorful and not in the slightest overly sweet.  I could drink this often, very often. And if you see it on tap be sure it's your first...and maybe second pint. Great job Summit! This is up there with your Red Ale.