Summit Brewing Company: Winter Sampler

Well Happy Holidays from all of us (just me) here at Matty Mac's Beverage Shack and welcome to a special holiday edition where I'll be giving my two cents on Summit Brewing Company's Winter Sampler Pack. I went to the store today with the plan of getting a Christmas sampler pack of beers to enjoy as I start to look toward Christmas vacation. The problem is, I've already had the Sam Adams, Leinenkugel, and Blue Moon Christmas offerings in the past, and there weren't many other offerings in the holiday variety. I scoured my local Binny's in search of a rare treat to showcase to all of my fans (just me), and hidden way in the back of the cooler, like new fallen snow on a winter's morn, was the Summit Winter Sampler. Now, and this is true, when I grabbed the box and fat-guy hustled to the cash register, I really didn't bother to look at what beers were actually offered in the pack. I'm used to creatively titled and original winter ales named after classic Charles Dickens characters or full of words like fireside, snow drift and elf wang, but upon looking at the four different beers offered in this collection, I was enraged by the gall this company had in calling this a winter collection. But since I already bought it and already dusted off my Santa hat, let's Bah Humbug our way through this collection of Christmas mediocrity.

Beer #1 - Extra Pale Ale

When it's the holiday season and the stockings are hung by the chimney with care. After all the wrapping of gift cards (because I'm not creative or caring) is complete, I like to sit back and relax by the fire with a cold bottle of Summit...Extra...Pale...Ale. Yep. Pretty sure I can get this on July 4th too. Nothing says Christmas like an orange bottle with a picture of hops on it. Sigh...not even a clever joke like: HOPing you have a Merry Christmas. This is worse than nothing. Ok enough whining, let's take a sip......It's fine. Tastes like a pale ale. Nice hoppy taste and an strong (in a good way) aftertaste. Something that would be great raking leaves in September or sitting around a bonfire in July. Nothing really unique about it at all.  Taste - 3.5/5   Holiday Festiveness - 0/5

Beer #2 - India Pale Ale

Do they celebrate Christmas in India? That would be the only tie-in with Christmas in our next sampling.
Now don't get me wrong, I love IPAs. I'm what's known as a hop-head. Someone who really likes hoppy beer. And maybe one day I'll review my favorite IPAs, but today, it's all about Christmas! And this bottle is...the same, except that it's blue. Really festive Summit. (taste) It doesn't really taste like an IPA; the extra pale ale was actually more hoppy, so they failed me on both accounts. I have nothing else to say about this one; I'm going to take a break and stand under the mistletoe at the old folks home until I get someone to notice my, um, candy cane. Taste - 2/5  Holiday Festiveness - 0/5

Beer #3 - Horizon Red Ale

It's red so Christmas? NO! Of course not. It's another beer you can get anytime you want. This one is brewed with "exceptional American hops," so it must be a holiday treat even the Grinch couldn't pass up. (taste) Well, I do like the taste. It's matly, hoppy and not too overpowering. And it's red, so I'm going to just say it's a Christmas beer. Ugh, who am I kidding, I hate you Summit, and you hate Christmas!  Taste - 4/5 Holiday Festiveness - 1/5

Beer #4 - Winter Ale

What? Doth mine eyes deceive me? WINTER ALE? So what makes in a winter ale? Does the bottle give me an interesting description of how this beer was brewed with reindeer souls in the north pole? Nope. It's the same stupid bottle, but this time it's brown. Christmas brown? Well it's the closest I'm going to get to a holiday treat with this collection, so let's give it a try. It tastes like Sam Adams. That's it. No nutmeg. No Candy Cane. No carolers wassailing while I drink. This has been a disaster. I have eight beers left, and I'm going to go stand on my porch and chuck them at homeless people while I eat snicker doodles. Taste - 2/5 Holiday Festiveness - 1.5/5

 From all of us at the beverage shack (still just me), Merry Christmas and happy holidays to you and yours!

Blue Moon: Brewmaster's Seasonal Sampler

Chock full of adjectives making me feel like I've purchased some truly premium spirits, and at almost twenty bucks a case, it better taste like a party in my mouth. I'm used to spending eight dollars on some PBR and settling for a mild hootenanny in my mouth, so this stuff better be worth the price of admission!

Five flavors that includes the traditional Blue Moon which I won't be wasting my time reviewing since it is not unique nor interesting – it's yeasty, orangey and gives you a headache if you drink more than two...what else can I tell you?

Beer 1 – Short Straw Farmhouse Red Ale

Description on Bottle -

“An intriguing interpretation of a Farmhouse Ale blended with a Flanders Red, with hints of white pepper and a tart finish.”  

+ + = ?

The Taste -

Upon first sip, all I really tasted was a tinny rust flavor common with a lot of red ales. I gave it a few more sips and still found  the after-taste to be the most prominent feature. I didn't hate it, but I certainly didn't taste any Ned Flanders/Sweet Tart awesomeness. It's a decent beer for what it is, and would probably taste good sitting around a campfire with a hot dog or bailing hay on a farm I guess.

Overall – 2.5/5

Beer 2 – (Limited Release) Blackberry Tart Ale

Description on Bottle –

“This deep-amber colored ale is crafted with a bounty of blackberries for a hint of tartness balances with a smooth malt finish.” There's a joke somewhere there involving a bounty hunter and malt liquor, but I just don't have it right now.

The Taste -

The first sip left me wondering – where the hell are the blackberries? Blue Moon is known as being a pretty refreshing and fruity beer, so I figured an ale advertising its tartness and “bounty” of blackberries would have a crisp, fruity taste. I tried a few more sips, and while there is a subtle berry flavor, it's almost too subtle. It honestly tastes like nothing. Nothing but a shitty beer.

Overall – 0.5/5 (It only gets the 0.5 for the hilarious bounty hunter joke I have yet to make, but I'm sure it will be a knee slapper).

Beer 3 – Rounder: Belgian-Style Ale

Description on Bottle –

“Our Brewmaster's expression of a Belgian-style Pale Ale, crafted with a twist of hibiscus and orange peel for a rounder taste.” Tastes like Matt Damon's leftover oranges? What the hell's a Rounder beer? I'm sitting at my computer right now but...too lazy to look it up. I'm just going to assume it's based on this movie. 

The Taste -

Before going into the first sip, I will admit that I am not fond of Belgian beers for the most part, but I do really like Pale Ales, so this one is going to be a crap shoot. (Takes a guzzle). You know what, this is pretty good. Unlike that blackberry pile of lies, I can actually taste the orange and hibiscus and it's a really refreshing summer brew. I think I finally found a winner in this Blue Moon Pack.

Overall – 4/5 Like regular Blue Moon, it's tasty, but I can't see myself having more than two in an evening.

Beer 4 – Blue Moon: Agave Nectar Ale

Description on Bottle –

“This blonde wheat ale is crafted with agave nectar for a subtle sweetness and a balanced taste.” Man, you Blue Moon folks love using the word subtle. I've actually seen this particular beer in stores before, but have never tried it. The only thing I know about agave is that it's a main ingredient in tequila, so how can you go wrong?

The Taste -

After the first sip, I kept hoping to taste...something. I was thinking maybe a little citrus or sweetness, but just like the blackberry beer, it just tastes like nothing. If you put this beer and a regular old Miller Light in front of me, I don't know how easily I could tell the difference (that's probably an exaggeration, but you get my drift). This is one of their more popular beers so maybe I'm just crazy, but it just doesn't do anything for me.

Overall – 2/5 It's a good tasting beer, but nothing special.

So that's the Brewmaster's Summer Seasonal Collection. It wasn't the worst beers I've ever had (South Paw beer still holds that honor), but it's really nothing special and not worth almost twenty bucks for a bunch of just OK beers.

See ya next time!