Summit Brewing – Gabe’s “Baltic Pale Ale” вершина Coming 2/14

For the next two weekends, we will be serving a very unique beer via firkin in the Summit Beer Hall. It’s called вершина (pronounced "V-air-she-na"), a Russian word meaning “Summit.” Brewer Gabe Smoley brewed the beer on our Pilot System and cask-conditioned it exclusively with Kazbek whole hops.

We’ll let Gabe tell you the details:

Where did your inspiration for the beer come from – malt, hops, etc.?

GS: "As I occasionally scour the world for new and unique ingredients I came across the Kazbek hop.  I liked that its lineage is from Czech Saaz and a WILD Russian hop. There is a certain mystique there. Damian was able to get a hold of some contacts in Europe and I was able to get a brewer’s cut brick of whole Kazbek hops.  I’ve brewed with both Gambrinus and Patagonia malts before and love them both.  Gambrinus is a really clean malt and the Patagonia crystal malts have a really nice caramel sweetness that I think are unique from any other crystal malt I’ve used before."

What are your tasting notes on the beer?

GS: "Flavor profile can be described as green and earthy with spruce-tip character and a little heat. The Kazbek hop was described by one European hop purveyor as tasting like “wilderness!” The beer is nearly 60 IBUs and 7% ABV. There are no “classic” style parameters but feels like the beer could be called a Baltic Pale Ale."

<Gabe throws down mic, walks off stage>

Sounds awesome to us! This beer will be served at the Summit Beer Hall on Friday, February 14^th for Valentine’s Day and Saturday, February 22^nd for our Summit Polar Beers’ Polar Plunge team fundraiser. Come taste the wilderness!