Ninkasi ReNewAle 2012

This is the new ReNewAle. Last years was an Irish Red, and this year is Porter. This beer features 2-row, Chocolate, Carapils, Carahell, Carafa III, Crisp 77, with Flaked and Roasted Barley. The hops include German Northern Brewer, Horizon, and Sterling.

Stats:
American Porter. 5.9% ABV. 38 IBUs. Oregon. Available January-March

Dark brown to dark ruby in color. Has a decent off-white head.

The nose is a bit grainy and sweet smelling. There is a bit of chocolate. It actually smells a lot like Guinness.

Mouthfeel is not bad. Medium body, higher level of carbonation.

Sweet grainy flavor meets an anise and chocolate component. It’s actually got a hint of tang and has a considerable hop backend and a grainy finish.

It’s a decent beer, but it’s awfully light, and the hops do pop, giving it medium bitterness. 84 points

Beer Club 01/13/12 Stouts

This month’s beer club was all about stouts. Nothing in particular, just a random assortment. We had our biggest beer club yet. There were about 13 or 14 people. As I suspected, this was a bit too large of a group. It was more of a party than a tasting, but those are fun too.

We started with the Deschutes Obsidian. It’s a classic, in my opinion, and I think it was still one of the better stouts of the night. Full flavored, but the most sessionable of the bunch.

Next up was the Pike XXXXX stout. I’ve really liked this beer in the past, but was amazingly shallow after the Obsidian. This was a very forgettable beer during the tasting.

We had a couple oatmeal stouts after that. The first being the American Caboose. This was the first time I got to try this beer, and it was another great offering from the Sasquatch in Edmonds. This one had a little more roast quality than the previous beers.

Ninkasi Oatis is one of my favorite stouts and the tasting didn’t change my opinion. It actually showed a huge vanilla component, and had a little bit of sweetness. I think this was one of the favorites of the night.

Another local brew, the Skagit River Trumpeter from Mt. Vernon was next. This one did not show well. It tasted very sweet, with a very heavy caramel component. Most found this beer to be overbearingly sweet and lacked the roast.

Then the Yeti attacked. I was pretty excited that the soy sauce component was recognized immediately. It’s a very common flavor profile on high ABV stouts, and this one showed it big time. Still a great beer, and was probably one of the best made beers. Very complex and delicious.

Port Brewing’s Old Viscosity is an oak aged stout. I’ve always liked this one and the oak compliments it nicely.

The Cappuccino Stout from Lagunitas was a shock to the palate. The coffee actually came across as a very green, almost salad like flavor. I got green peppers, while cilantro and lettuce was also mentioned. This wasn’t very well liked, and it really is a beer that should be enjoyed on it’s own.

We ended on a delicious note. The Mokah is very delicious, but well-balanced. The high ABV is very well hidden. This might be my favorite of the Blackwater Series.

Ninkasi Maiden the Shade

Man, it’s taken me forever to find this beer. I’ve been wanting to try it for at least a year, if not longer. I’ve heard that this beer was supposed to smell as close to pot as possible. The hops in this thing are pretty ridiculous. You’ve got Summit, Centennial, Simcoe, Columbus, Crystal, Palisade, and Amarillo hops. That’s 7 hop varieties balanced with 2-row pale and Vienna malts with some flaked barley.

Stats:
American India Pale Ale. 6.8% ABV. 72 IBUs. Oregon. Limited Release.

Burnt orange color with a whole lot of sediment.

Delicious nose of tangerines, cigar tobacco, grape jelly, and a slight herbal note.

Mouthfeel is very nice. Pretty medium to full body with a definite bite of carbonation.

The hops are a bit heavier than they seem on the nose. Coconut comes through with a bit of pine resin.

Interesting beer. The hop flavors alone make it worth a buy. 88 points.

Ninkasi Total Domination IPA

This is a re-review of this beer. It’s been awhile since I’ve had it, and wanted to see how it is. This IPA features 2-row Pale, Munich, and Carahell malt with Summit, Amarillo, and Crystal hops.

Stats:
American India Pale Ale. 6.7% ABV. 65 IBUs. Oregon.

Orangey in color with great lacing.

The nose features piney hops and citrus and I do seem to get a hint of diacetyl which concerns me, otherwise it’s a fairly tame nose.

Mouthfeel is excellent with a nice medium body and fine carbonation.

Hops and citrus mixed with some vanilla and honey. It’s got pine, but isn’t like putting a tree in your mouth and has some nice orange flavors. The bitterness isn’t for the faint of heart, but that being said it’s actually pretty well balanced. The diacetyl I got earlier does seem to make a miniscule appearance, but nothing to scoff at.

This is just a nice IPA and if you like the style, you need to check out this PNW example. 88 points.

Ninkasi Renewale 2011

Each Renewale is a different beer for every year. This year it’s an Irish red ale. I’ve been a big fan of Ninkasi in the past, but some of their seasonal beers have been a little less than desirable. I hope this one is a winner.

Stats:
Irish Red Ale. 5.2% ABV. 40 IBUs. Oregon.

Not really all that red, more caramel brown in color. Great head.

Nice hoppy nose. There’s some citrus and pine from the hops and an under-laying malt profile. Nothing amazing, but solid.

Good mouthfeel, medium bodied, just where it should be at.

Lovely citrus and fruit on the front end that transitions to some pine and lemon. I get this almost wood component and it finishes with some cracker and has some hop bitterness, but good balance.

Another solid beer from Ninkasi. Pick this up. 88 points.

Ninkasi Radiant Summer Ale

This is Ninkasi’s Summer ale. Ninkasi has become one of my favorite breweries. If you havn’t checked them out yet, you need to. This has some lighter malts with Millenium, Gelena, Northern Brewer, and Liberty hops.

Stats:
American Pale Ale. 6.0% ABV. 40 IBUs. Eugene, Oregon.

Amber in color with great head and lacing. There is a ton of suspended sediment in it as well.

The nose is on the hoppy side with citrus coming through, and a hint of spice. There is also a clear biscuit malt aroma.

Light to medium bodied mouthfeel with higher carbonation. Perfect for a Summer beer.

I’m getting some citrusy hops here, but more orange-y than bitter, grapefruity. That malty, biscuit flavor is very definite. A lot of citrus and biscuit flavors on this beer. A bit of bitterness on the back, which might bother some people.

Not the best of Ninkasi, but a decent Summer brew. Slightly off-balanced and bitter, but that’s alright. 83 points.

Ninkasi Tricerahops

As said previously, Ninkasi doesn’t say much about what’s actually in their beer. I do have to admit that I am a big fan of them, and this is one of the first beers that I’ve tried of theirs

Stats:
Imperial India Pale Ale. 8.8% ABV. 100+ IBUs. Oregon.

Light golden color with just a little bit of head on there. And this is just loaded with sediment, stuff floating all over the place.

Super hoppy on the nose, as you would expect. A ton of grapefruit on this one, actually pretty citrusy, east-coast styled. There is a floral component and a hint of sweetness. Nice nose.

Medium bodied with actually pretty low carbonation.

Lots of grapefruit and citrus up front, also get some blueberries. Floral notes and peppermint on the back. Good bitterness, not off-balanced or over-bearing. No alcohol presence.

This is everything a good Imperial IPA should be, so check it out! 91 points.

Ninkasi Spring Reign

Again, can’t say much about this beer because Ninkasi doesn’t give any stats, but it’s listed as an American blonde ale on BA and pale ale on RB, and I think the RB description is more accurate. It’s a Spring release, so get it now if you want to try it.

Stats:
American Pale Ale. 6.0% ABV. 38 IBUs. Oregon. Spring Seasonal.

Light amber in color with fantastic lacing.

Pretty decent nose with hops and malts pulling through. It’s slightly bready with orange and lemon and even a little lime. A little vanilla as well in the nose with a bit of earthy, funk.

Light to medium bodied with good carbonation. Easy drinker.

There are quite of a bit of bready malts mixed in with a diacetyl component, that I’m not digging. There is some of that citrus and vanilla, with a touch of earth and asparagus. The back end is surprisingly bitter for the IBUs, making it a little off-balanced with a grapefruit bitterness play.

This is definitely the most disappointing beer that I’ve had from Ninkasi, but it’s not the worst thing ever, either. It would be alright on hot days, but there are better choices out there. 84 points.

Ninkasi Believer

Ninkasi is pretty lax with the info they give about their beers, but this is an unfiltered double red ale. There aren’t too many red’s on the market, so I was intrigued by this one.

Stats:
Red Ale. 6.9% ABV. Oregon.

Reddish in color. With a great head and great lacing. It’s also got a ton of sediment in it.

Pretty malty nose, with some hop presence. I get a lot of biscuit with caramel and cranberry. The hops are present as well with some pineyness.

Good mouthfeel, pretty thick, but still quite drinkable.

I get caramel, chocolate, cranberries, and biscuit flavors, with a serious hop presence, as well, adding a little pine and citrus. A little bit of bitterness on the back end, but not over the top. In fact this is pretty damn balanced. And it’s just got a hint of sweetness.

This beer is fantastic. If I were to brew a beer for normal, everyday enjoyment, this would probably be what I’d brew. Balanced, but hoppy and malty, together with great flavors coming through. It’s an interesting style, but it’s awesome. 93 points.

Ninkasi Oatis

Can’t tell you much about this beer, other than it’s a stout. It’s a seasonal release, but it appears that it’s on tap year-round at the brewery.

Stats:
Oatmeal Stout. 7.2% ABV. 45 IBUs. Oregon.

Black in color with a tan head.

Lots of coffee, lots of chocolate, lots of roasted-ness on the nose. I get a nice hint of bacon, which I adore. There is a slight vegetal component, but also has some fruit. There is a really nice chocolate covered strawberry thing going on.

Medium to full bodied mouthfeel, the way it should be.

Coffee, then chocolate, and then some fruit. The coffee immediately hits the palate with that dark roast flavor, and the chocolate follows. It seems to lighten just a tad on the mid-palate with strawberries. A lot of roasted flavors on the back with a slight hop bitterness. Very well balanced.

This is probably one of the better stouts I’ve had. Excellent balance with good flavors, without being a culty, boozy stout. 92 points.