Super bitter and full of grapefruit and orange zest aroma, Summit is a high-alpha hop-lovers kind of hop: bitter, aggressive and busting with citrus flavor. Summit hops were originally created by the Dwarf Hop Association in 2003 and are a combination of a variety of hops that were cross pollinated to create an extremely useful bittering hop that can be stored for 6 months with only a 15% decrease in alpha acids. Its strength is to be expected — with lineage in the intense Zeus hop, Summit continues the family tradition of bold flavors. In small quantities, Summit hops can add depth and complexity to a beer with pungent, spicy citrus flavors bordering on the savory. In large quantities, it can be easily identified as a distinct onion or garlic-like flavor. It sounds strange, but don’t knock it ’til you try it … in our beer flight today: Craft Beer Crosscut 3.26.17: A Flight of Summit.
Maritime Pacific Islander Pale Dry Hopped
6.5% ABV, 32 IBU
Founded in 1990 by George and Jane Hancock, Maritime Pacific Brewing Co. is Ballard-Proper’s oldest brewery. Sticking with the nautical theme you’d expect from the neighborhood, you’ll find lots of tasty beer options such as Islander Pale Ale. Summit hops help the Islander with its citrusy, grapefruit notes, mild grassiness, mild floral and piney scents. Taste is a blast of grapefruity hop character whose bitterness evolves to define this beer, a bold bitterness following a crisp, floral, resinous, citrusy sweetness. In the dry hop version Hancock adds an extra bag of whole leaf Cascade hops to each keg.
Hale’s Supergoose
7% ABV, 67 IBU
Not shocking Washington state’s oldest operating craft brewery makes a traditional Northwest IPA. Hale’s Ales’ Supergoose soars with Cascade, Summit and Amarillo hops with a super malt backbone that adds muscle to this brew and balances out the plethora of hops. Lots of peachy, grapefruity hops on the nose erupting from a foaming, amber pour. Sharp hoppy overtones of citrusy, tropical sweetness and pine pronounce into a firm bitterness with a balanced, crisp finish.
Black Raven Wisdom Seeker
8.9% ABV, 85 IBU
Folklore and mythology present the raven as an omniscient creature with special powers and abilities. Black Raven’s Wisdom Seeker Double IPA gets its special powers from an enormous amount of hops — Summit, Nugget, Chinook, Centennial, Simcoe, Amarillo and Citra — and malted barley for moderate to heavily bitter with a nice malt backbone. Brewed in the West Coast Double IPA style, this bold brew has tons of orange citrus with some grapefruit and resin on the nose. We get more pine and resin with some citrus fruit, a little onion and light herbal notes.
Wander Shoe Toss Rye IPA
6.8% ABV, 100 IBU
Duck! Wander Brewing’s Shoe Toss Rye IPA hits with 100 IBUs. More than 50 pounds of hops go into each batch of this golden orange colored rye IPA creating a big citrus, pepper fit. When we sniff the Shoe we get dark berry fruits, rye bread, spicy and pepper. The addition of rye adds complexity to the flavor including a crisp spiciness on the palate. Hops include Washington grown Citra, Centennial, Summit and a healthy late kettle addition and dry hop of whole cone Ahtanum.
Ninkasi Megalodon
10% ABV, 100 IBU
Megalodon was the largest shark that ever lived, a dominant marine predator for 15 million years before vanishing 2 million years ago. Ninkasi’s Megalodon might not be the largest Double IPA that ever lived, but it definitely has a devastating hop bite. Basically, Ninkasi’s lab scientist grabbed their Total Domination IPA with its Summit, Amarillo and Crystal hop profile and dry-hopped it to life. Biscuity malt makes the first move, quickly followed in step with lemon and grapefruit flavors. The citrus and bitter continue for another million years.
