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.