Summit Meridian Session Ale Review

Summit Brewing recently updated their label to give it more of a modern look, though their Summer Sampler and other beers still use the old label so I'm going to guess it's a more gradual process. To celebrate, they've launched their Union Series: Beers that will use new types of hops & yeast strains; They of course could also be combined with already existing ones. The first release in the Union Series is called Meridian Session Ale, a Belgian Ale with an ABV of 4.5%.

Meridian pours a hazy yellow color with a soapy head. Carbonation appears to be abundant in the glass and it finishes clean, leaving behind almost no lacing.

The nose mainly consists of lemon zest, peppers, yeast and pale malts. It has bit of a Pilsener and a slight Hefeweizen peppery aroma to it. The flavor is pretty much the same as the nose. It is surprisingly vibrant for what it is, but not what I would consider to be outstanding.

Body is fairly lightweight and the carbonation is mild but it feels very crisp upon drinking. Overall, it's an easy drinker.

Summit's aim was to make a sessionable, yet flavorful beer and they did a good job in succeeding in that mission. There's quite a bit of flavor packed into Meridian, impressive considering the lower end ABV. The only major drawback to Meridian is that it's fairly pricey for what it is, so it's a bit harder to recommend. Otherwise what you have here is a sessionable beer with a good flavor.

Summit Meridian Session Ale - 8/10