Beer of the Weekend #458: Meridian Session Ale
(I planned to write this last night, and did a lot of pre-sampling legwork, but ended up going camping, instead.)
In recognition of Bike to Work Week, I am proud to announce that this BotW is the first to have been transported home by bicycle. Woo hoo!
I rode to John’s this afternoon intending to buy a sixer of Summit IPA. The beer cooler was packed with UI students stocking up for post-finals debauchery and rubbernecking parents in town for graduation or dorm move-out. Summit brews are usually kept near the middle of the beer cooler, so I was a little annoyed by the bottleneck. However, out of the corner of my eye I spotted Meridian Session Ale, brewed by the Summit Brewing Company of Saint Paul, Minnesota, and grabbed a sixer. I will try Summit IPA another time.
Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. The “ENJOY BY” date printed on the neck is “09/14/13.”
Appearance: Poured into a tulip glass (as recommended on the beer’s webpage). The label says the color is “hazy sunset gold” and I would agree. About two fingers of dense, white foam developed and settled slowly, leaving trails of foam along the glass.
Smell: Very spicy and a little funky. It reminds me of saison or Belgian white. Very peppery, and there are also hints of clove. It has an astringent, lemony zest and there are hints of banana, bubblegum, and apple. Floral hops provide a nice meadow-like grassiness. This beer seems to have a little of everything.
Taste: It mostly mirrors the smell, but I want to say the flavor is maltier — or at least the tail is — and the bubblegum and esters are mostly nonexistent. The pepper spice dominates and is backed by clove. Along with the spice, there is an overarching farmhouse funk and lemon tartness.
Drinkability: It is very flavorful and aromatic. However, it is not what I have in mind when I think of session ale. I respect the twist and ingenuity, though. I am not a fan of spicy funk, but I am eager to try the next edition of the series.
Fun facts about MSA:
-Style: The beer’s webpage says it was “[i]nspired by Belgian Enkel (single) style ales,” and BA classifies it as “Belgian Pale Ale.”
-Price: $9.99/sixer at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: The webpage says to “Serve at 44-48° F in a stemmed Tulip glass.”
-Alcohol content: 4.5 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: The beer’s webpage lists “Seafood, shellfish, pasta with cream sauce, citrus desserts.”
-IBU: 32.
-MSA is the first beer in Summit’s new Union Series. Here’s the scoop:
-On that note, here are some specifics about the ingredients in MSA:
-I have been drinking a lot of Summit lately. Summit brews solid stuff — plus they also print easily understandable best-by dates. I am working on a story about freshness dates and the packaging manager from Summit (who’s apparently from Iowa City) gladly answered questions by email. Other breweries I have requested interviews from have given me the silent treatment. There seems to be a reluctance to discuss bottling and best-by dates.
The Quiet Man’s grade: B.
In recognition of Bike to Work Week, I am proud to announce that this BotW is the first to have been transported home by bicycle. Woo hoo!
I rode to John’s this afternoon intending to buy a sixer of Summit IPA. The beer cooler was packed with UI students stocking up for post-finals debauchery and rubbernecking parents in town for graduation or dorm move-out. Summit brews are usually kept near the middle of the beer cooler, so I was a little annoyed by the bottleneck. However, out of the corner of my eye I spotted Meridian Session Ale, brewed by the Summit Brewing Company of Saint Paul, Minnesota, and grabbed a sixer. I will try Summit IPA another time.
Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. The “ENJOY BY” date printed on the neck is “09/14/13.”
Appearance: Poured into a tulip glass (as recommended on the beer’s webpage). The label says the color is “hazy sunset gold” and I would agree. About two fingers of dense, white foam developed and settled slowly, leaving trails of foam along the glass.
Smell: Very spicy and a little funky. It reminds me of saison or Belgian white. Very peppery, and there are also hints of clove. It has an astringent, lemony zest and there are hints of banana, bubblegum, and apple. Floral hops provide a nice meadow-like grassiness. This beer seems to have a little of everything.
Taste: It mostly mirrors the smell, but I want to say the flavor is maltier — or at least the tail is — and the bubblegum and esters are mostly nonexistent. The pepper spice dominates and is backed by clove. Along with the spice, there is an overarching farmhouse funk and lemon tartness.
Drinkability: It is very flavorful and aromatic. However, it is not what I have in mind when I think of session ale. I respect the twist and ingenuity, though. I am not a fan of spicy funk, but I am eager to try the next edition of the series.
Fun facts about MSA:
-Style: The beer’s webpage says it was “[i]nspired by Belgian Enkel (single) style ales,” and BA classifies it as “Belgian Pale Ale.”
-Price: $9.99/sixer at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: The webpage says to “Serve at 44-48° F in a stemmed Tulip glass.”
-Alcohol content: 4.5 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: The beer’s webpage lists “Seafood, shellfish, pasta with cream sauce, citrus desserts.”
-IBU: 32.
-MSA is the first beer in Summit’s new Union Series. Here’s the scoop:
The inspired union of new ingredients and time-honored brewing traditions. Brewing has always been about discovery. For the Summit Union Series, we scour the globe for new (and sometimes rare) hops and malts. Then we add equal parts craft and creativity to bring you a whole new brew. Released in small batches every so often.
-On that note, here are some specifics about the ingredients in MSA:
Brewed with a single malt, Concerto Pale, that’s a rising star in the UK and a new hop variety called Meridian that was actually discovered by accident in Oregon (more on that story below). Of course, we called it Meridian Session Ale for a reason. So don’t let the whole single-minded thing keep you from ordering another round.
-I have been drinking a lot of Summit lately. Summit brews solid stuff — plus they also print easily understandable best-by dates. I am working on a story about freshness dates and the packaging manager from Summit (who’s apparently from Iowa City) gladly answered questions by email. Other breweries I have requested interviews from have given me the silent treatment. There seems to be a reluctance to discuss bottling and best-by dates.
The Quiet Man’s grade: B.
