Ninkasi Brewing Spring Reign Seasonal Ale

More good weather means more Spring beer.  Ninkasi Brewing recently released their Spring seasonal, Ninkasi Spring Reign Seasonal Ale, and I'm sitting down to crack open my first bottle.

Ninkasi Spring Reign Seasonal Ale poured a golden honey color into the glass; well carbonated and capped with a big, soapy white head.  The nose was Ninkasi's trademark big citrus, pine, and fruity notes.

Ninkasi Spring Reign Seasonal Ale opened with a carbonated pine and lemon start, with surprising toasted wheat notes right out of the gate.  The body of the ale was really an extended transition from semi-sweet hop front to settling into a light, roasted core.  The ale ended on a nice, malty dry finish with some bitterness lingering.

Ninkasi Spring Reign comes off as the Ninkasi answer to a pale ale... hoppier than most pale ales but also digging in deeper with the dry, toasted malts than most attempt.  They clearly hit their stated goal of creating a drinkable session beer without abandoning the "big taste" ethos Ninkasi embodies.

Ninkasi Radiant Summer Ale

Ninkasi Radiant Summer Ale, Ninkasi Brewing’s seasonal offering, poured a light amber hue into the glass with a sticky white head.  The nose was led by lemon, hay, and pine hops.

Ninkasi Radiant Summer Ale opened sweet and sticky, with a fairly neutral sweet malt profile before the lemon and resinous pine from the hops came through.  The ale carried through earthy and vegetative notes, but the hops never really subsided and ended on a slightly off, bitter fade.

Ninkasi Radiant Summer Ale is a pretty good summer ale, light for Ninkasi (big and full-bodied for most breweries), and understandably enjoys popularity in Southern Oregon, but, with only a few small adjustments standing between a “good” ale and a “great” ale, I think Ninkasi could benefit greatly from a bit more balancing.

Ninkasi Brewing Sleigh'r Dark Double Alt Ale

More “candy for adults” from Eugene, Oregon’s Ninkasi Brewing Co, and the second-to-last hoarded away winter seasonal, Ninkasi Sleigh’r Dark Double Alt Ale.

Ninkasi Sleigh’r Dark Double Alt poured a crimson clover honey hue in the glass with a lumpy, done colored head and mild carbonation.  The nose was composed of pine and honey in equal measures.

 

Ninkasi Sleigh’r Dark Double Ale opened with a pine start and a subtle but distinct earthiness and a fuzzy stone-fruit mouth feel.  The body of the ale was sweet bread, and it ended on a coffee and bitter rind finish. 

Ninkasi Brewing doesn’t do subtle or understated… they make big, bold beers high in hops, ABV, and body.  Ninkasi Sleigh’r is no exception to this brewing philosophy, managing to walk the line of “highly drinkable” and “highly flavorful” without straying too far into either camp.

Ninkasi Brewing Nuptiale Cream Ale

Ninkasi Nuptiale Cream Ale, a new offering from Ninkasi Brewing currently only available in their summer seasonal 4-pack, poured a clear, iced tea color into the glass, topped with a foamy head fed by mild carbonation.  The standard "Ninkasi Pine Hops" aroma was loud and present in the nose, only slightly tamed by a sweet caramel malt note.


Ninkasi Brewing Nuptiale Cream Ale opened light and surprisingly tangy, almost like a cream soda with off flavors.  As the ale settled, the sour "off" flavor mellowed, allowing more of the vanilla and caramel to coat the mouth with a sticky, creamy viscosity.  A slight bitterness was detectable in the fade, although the strong hop aroma never really made it to the actual taste.


I try to avoid comparisons between styles, but I feel the need to in this case- Ninkasi Nuptiale Cream Ale comes off as a more refined and richer Anderson Valley Summer Solstice Cerveza Crema.  Both have a tang that seems out of place to me, but considering the ongoing success of the AV offering, I would imagine Ninkasi will please a lot of people (just not me) with their Nuptiale Cream Ale.

Ninkasi ReNewAle Mason's Irish-Style Red Ale

In keeping with all things Irish, I'm tipping back another Ninkasi brew... Ninkasi ReNewAle Mason's Irish-Style Red Ale, Ninkasi Brewing's New Year release, a new release between their winter and spring seasonals.  

Ninkasi ReNewAle Irish Red Ale poured a copper red into the glass, topped with a lumpy yellow head propped by minimum carbonation.  The nose was dominated by toasted wheat and stewed plums.  

Ninkasi ReNewAle Irish Red Ale had a crisp hop front without a lot of hop flavor.  The body was light but toasty malts and very bread-heavy.  The ale ended dry and earthy.

I don't know... this ale didn't really do it for me.  It lacks that special something other Ninkasi ales have, and as such manages to deliver a perfectly drinkable, but underachieved, experience.

Ninkasi Brewing Tricerahops Double IPA

More goodness from Ninkasi Brewing... this time in the shape of the bold Ninkasi Tricerahops Double IPA.

Ninkasi Tricerahops Double IPA poured a mostly clear golden honey color into the glass, topped with a creamy white head.  The nose was dominated by stone fruits like peach and apricot with notes of caramelized sugar.

Ninkasi Tricerahops Double IPA hit my palette with a sweet start of stewed apples, oats, and brown sugar; sweet but still dry enough to not be cloying.  A rind bitterness sat in the background and became more dominant as the sweetness faded.  As sweet as it was, Tricerahops ended on a pretty dry note and stayed refreshing through the entire 22oz. bottle.

Similar to Ninkasi Total Domination IPA, Tricerahops is a big, bold beer that hides it's ABV well.  Also like Total Domination, for such a big version of the style it is a little bit lacking in nuance.  There really aren't stages to it, what you taste in the first sip is what you'll taste in the fade.  All of Ninkasi's beer has a "candy for adults" aesthetic; highly enjoyable, heavy but easy to drink, flavor bombs that deliver a fun drinking experience.

Ninkasi Maiden the Shade Specialty Ale

Ninkasi Maiden the Shade Specialty Ale, a summer seasonal offering from Ninkasi Brewing, poured a fluffy, off-white head over a honey hued body with significant pale particles circulating throughout despite a lack of visible carbonation.  The nose had orange citrus, light spiciness, and a vanilla sweetness.

Ninkasi Maiden the Shade Specialty Ale opened with mild orange citrus with subtle hints of caramel, which is slowly cut by a pleasant grassy, pepper bitterness.  The sweetness stayed in the background but supported the ale through its crisp finish, with slightly escalated bitterness entering in the fade.

Ninkasi Maiden the Shade Specialty Ale offers everything I expect in a summer varietal from Ninkasi; big, hop-forward flavor, a refreshing but full-bodied malt profile, and an unapologetic lack of clarity in the wort.  Buy one, sit in the shade, open, and enjoy. 

Ninkasi Brewing Oatis Oatmeal Stout

After the light beer yesterday, I decided to hit the polar opposite end of the beer spectrum and crack open a bottle of Ninkasi Brewing Company's Oatis Oatmeal Stout.  Ninkasi is another one of those great Oregon microbreweries that popped up out of nowhere and quickly established itself as one of the top beer makers around.  If you ever find yourself near Eugene, make sure to check out the Ninkasi Brewery and tasting room.  The fireplace outside is amazing and the outdoor seating is casual but chic.

Only available on tap or in 22oz. bottles, Oatis poured into the the glass (pardon the accidental North Coast plug on the glass) frothy and espresso black, with a milkshake thick, coffee colored head. The nose was strong coffee, black licorice, with a very subtle undertone of lawn clippings.  There was no transparency to this Stout!

For all it's heaviness and body displayed in the pouring, it was a surprise that the first notes when drank were lemon rind (likely from well balanced hopping).  Within a second, the hops receded to the back of my mouth and the beer's thickness (think a root beer float after the ice cream melts) and mildly-sweet mocha flavor came through and coated my mouth.  Oatis had a loooong finish.

Not a huge stout fan (I typically prefer porters when drinking a dark beer, as many stouts have the flavor of burnt. day old coffee), I have to say Ninkasi brought the best qualities of a stout to the table with such class it's hard to find something to not like about Oatis.  That said, this is a heavy beer, and after pulling back 22oz. I was full.  The perfect end cap to a cold night, to be sure!

ABV 7.2
IBU 50
OG 1.072
TG N/A

I've already had a couple of people ask about what I have for the upcoming weeks... here's a preview of things to come.  As always, donations are accepted ;-)

Ninkasi Imperiale High Gravity Stout

'Twas the night before Christmas, and Ninkasi Imperiale High Gravity Stout, a new release from Ninkasi Brewing, poured an impenetrable black into the glass and was capped with a huge, persistent head of cherry and cocoa.  The nose carried notes of dark berries, cherries, chocolate, heavy barley, and an undertone of alcohol.


Ninkasi Imperiale High Gravity Stout opened bright and creamy, with sweet vanilla and milk chocolate setting the stage for a rising cherry sweetness.  The stout dried as the roasted notes and a soft alcohol burn finished off the experience, with an underlying bitterness that made an appearance in the fade.


Ninkasi Imperiale High Gravity Stout drinks like a thick, rich milkshake... full of flavor and not especially aggressive (especially considering the ample ABV).  While the heaviness makes it an unlikely candidate for summer or casual enjoyment, the candy and fruit sweetness of the stout make it an excellent drink to celebrate kicking back in front of the fire and kicking off the holiday weekend.

Ninkasi ReNewAle 2012 Porter

Ninkasi ReNewAle 2012 Porter, Ninkasi's late Winter/early Spring seasonal release, poured pitch black into the glass, with a sticky, light brown head that lingered for a few minutes before dying down.  Aromas of roasted grains led the nose over subtle hints of coffee and unsweetened baker's chocolate.  


Ninkasi ReNewAle 2012 Porter opened with a sweet, milk chocolate and caramel start.  Caramel and vanilla became even more pronounced as the porter mellowed, and there was just a touch of bitterness detectable in the background of the ale.  


It's Ninkasi... ReNewAle 2012 Porter is something of a sugar bomb and is significantly less dry than the typical porter you will find in a store.  It is nice to see such a rich and full bodied porter come in at a reasonable alcohol level, but I'm not in the market for such an ale.

Ninkasi Brewing Co. Total Domination IPA

Day three of the hop-celebration led me to one of my tried-and-true IPAs... another outstanding offering from Ninkasi Brewing Co.  After an evening of birthday celebrations, I chose to hold off on the big guns and dive into a 22oz bottle of Ninkasi Brewing Co.'s Total Domination IPA.

Total Domination IPA poured a yellow auburn (I swore I saw shades of green) with what I've noticed is the typical sudsy foam of an IPA and continued light bubbling.  The nose was unadulterated hops, heavy on the pine with lemon essences playing a not-too-distant second. 

The first sip showed what this IPA was all about... big hops flavor.  An aggressive front assault of the pine and lemon previewed in the nose quickly overwhelmed (dare I say... dominated) my taste buds.  There really wasn't a malt backing of any substance to carry the beer forward, and it ended on a sustained, bitter note that lingered and thickened in my mouth. 

I love this IPA... probably because of it's somewhat two dimensional characteristics.  This is an IPA for people who like their coffee black, their hard alcohol neat, and their cigars bold.  It is certainly drinkable enough to be a session beer, and is by no means inapproachable for the casual beer drinker, but it's charm lies in it's uncompromising Pacific Northwest approach to the IPA.

Stone/Ninkasi/Alchemist More Brown Than Black IPA

Stone Collaboration More Brown Than Black IPA, a collaboration headed by Stone Brewing and including Ninkasi Brewing of Eugene, OR and The Alchemist of Waterbury, VT, poured a color that fit the name, more brown than black, but still dark, capped with a short lived beige head and chunky grey sediment from the bottom of the bottle.  The nose was pure hops... no malt to find, just orange, pineapple, and melon.


Stone Collaboration More Brown Than Black IPA opened with a sweet and bitter pine and orange start.  The orange flavor sweetened as a distinct pineapple core came through in the middle of the ale.  A strong bitterness was present throughout the tasting, and there were no detectable dark or roasted notes to find as the ale trailed off.


There is nothing subdued about the bitterness of Stone Collaboration More Brown Than Black IPA, and there isn't really anything dark in the taste.  It is cool to see these breweries using new hop styles and crafting a CDA so much lighter (in flavor) than any I have tried.  This is a great ale.

21st Amendment Allies Win The War! Ale Brewed with Dates

21st Amendment Allies Win The War! Ale, a curiously named English strong ale aged over dates from Bay Area 21st Amendment Brewing (likely getting its name from the collaboration between 21st Amendment and Ninkasi),  poured the dark color of iced tea, with a lumpy yellow head a light, lazy carbonation.  The nose carried through dark sugar and sweet breads over a soft, but evocative, date base.


21st Amendment Allies Win The War! Ale opened with a crisp but sweet start, with brown sugar and molasses dominating the malt while a spritely lemony lightness added a crispness to keep the ale from getting cloying.  Surprisingly, despite the depth displayed at the front of the ale, Allies ended on a watery and vaguely bitter note.


21st Amendment Allies Win The War! Ale, as a concept, trumps 21st Amendment Allies Win the War! Ale as a drinking experience.  The ale is too lacking in body and oddly absent in the fade to have such a bold, dark, sugary start.