Beer of the Weekend #446: Sága IPA
Next week I will once again be in the beautiful city of San Francisco and hope to sample some of Northern California’s finest brews. Not only that, but I want to reacquaint myself with some California favorites. (Honestly, though, I am having a hard time thinking of any right now. Red Trolley Ale would be nice, but that is only available in SoCal.) My time may be limited, but we shall see.
The beer of the weekend is some of Minnesota’s finest: Sága IPA, brewed by the Summit Brewing Company of Saint Paul, Minnesota.
I can never decide if I want to abbreviate or completely spell “Saint.” I do like spelling it. (Which reminds me: I really need to work on that Quiet Man style guide.)
Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. The “ENJOY BY” date printed on the shoulder is “07/22/13.”
Appearance: Poured into a pint glass. The color is clear gold with a light orange tint. Two fingers of eggshell-colored head left a thick ring, spotted and bubbly lacing, and trails of foam on the glass.
Smell: Invigorating and enticing citrus. Grapefruit, orange, and a little lemon zest. Underneath are earthy hops and a base of pale malts, sweet caramel, toffee, and honey.
Taste: It mostly mirrors the smell. A nice balance between the citrus and earthy hops. Flavors of grapefruit, orange, and lemon are complemented by earthy hop bittering, which offers a nice bite. As with the aroma, there is a base of pale malts, sweet caramel, and honey.
Drinkability: Easy drinking IPA. It is nothing super intense, but it offers everything I want from an IPA.
Fun facts about SIPA:
-Style: American IPA.
-Price: $6.99/sixer at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: The beer’s webpage says, “Serve at 45° F, in a Nonick tumbler.”
-Alcohol content: 6.4 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: The webpage suggests, “Spicy cuisine, peppery, sharp, or pungent chesses, marinated meat, hearty seafood.”
-IBU: 80.
-According to the webpage, Sága is “[n]amed after the Norse goddess Sága, drinking companion of the God Odin.”
The Quiet Man’s grade: B+.
The beer of the weekend is some of Minnesota’s finest: Sága IPA, brewed by the Summit Brewing Company of Saint Paul, Minnesota.
I can never decide if I want to abbreviate or completely spell “Saint.” I do like spelling it. (Which reminds me: I really need to work on that Quiet Man style guide.)
Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. The “ENJOY BY” date printed on the shoulder is “07/22/13.”
Appearance: Poured into a pint glass. The color is clear gold with a light orange tint. Two fingers of eggshell-colored head left a thick ring, spotted and bubbly lacing, and trails of foam on the glass.
Smell: Invigorating and enticing citrus. Grapefruit, orange, and a little lemon zest. Underneath are earthy hops and a base of pale malts, sweet caramel, toffee, and honey.
Taste: It mostly mirrors the smell. A nice balance between the citrus and earthy hops. Flavors of grapefruit, orange, and lemon are complemented by earthy hop bittering, which offers a nice bite. As with the aroma, there is a base of pale malts, sweet caramel, and honey.
Drinkability: Easy drinking IPA. It is nothing super intense, but it offers everything I want from an IPA.
Fun facts about SIPA:
-Style: American IPA.
-Price: $6.99/sixer at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: The beer’s webpage says, “Serve at 45° F, in a Nonick tumbler.”
-Alcohol content: 6.4 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: The webpage suggests, “Spicy cuisine, peppery, sharp, or pungent chesses, marinated meat, hearty seafood.”
-IBU: 80.
-According to the webpage, Sága is “[n]amed after the Norse goddess Sága, drinking companion of the God Odin.”
The Quiet Man’s grade: B+.
