Beer # 98 Ninkasi Believer Double Red Ale

Believer Double Red Ale

Ninkasi Brewing Company

Eugene Oregon, United States of America

Independent
High Alcohol Red Ale 6.9 % ABV Brown Glass Bottle 750 ml. (Labelled 1 Pint 6 fl oz)
$4.75 British Columbia Liquor Store

Twitter: @NinkasiBrewing

Taking a trip out to the Pacific Northwest today to a brewery that has just come across my radar. Ninkasi Brewing company has at it's origins, a story not unlike many other great craft breweries; a meeting of two determined and like-minded individuals who share a passion and a vision. Born in June of 2006 in the back of an old German restaurant Ninkasi Brewery has undergone rapid expansion in it's 7 year lifespan. The founders hoped to instill a sense of community and culture in their brewing company. A throwback to the times when beer was a valued part of everyday life, and help to build the written lauguge and shape the education system. Keeping this in mind, Nikos Ridge and Jamie Floyd chose to name their brewery after Ninkasi, the Summerian Goddess of fermentation hoping this would inspire the "...belief in an elevated human experience through the social enjoyment and sharing of beer."

Anyway... off to Eugene and today's beer...

Chestnut brown in colour with hints of auburn. Light tan head with small bubbles that is fairly long lasting. Distinct herbal hoppy head with background notes of toasty malt. Exceptionally grainy and bready on the first taste. The full flavour of the malt shines through. Good strong hit of sweetness indicative of a solid red ale. Hops reappear on the finish stronger and slightly more bitter to cleanse the palate and set you up for the next sip. Fairly complex, there is a lot going on in this beer... but it manages to pull it off. There are notes of grapefruit, citrus, buckwheat honey, turbinado sugar, grilled pineapple, woodiness, and earthiness all competing for tongue space.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 

Cost: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL

Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Re-Order:  6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Experience:  6/6 EXCEPTIONAL

Final Thoughts:

Wow. Just a great beer. Complex, easy drinking, sweet, bitter... well balanced all around. I will be returning to Eugene, very soon. Just as soon as I can get my hands on more Ninkasi Beers.

Thanks Ninkasi... I'm definitely a believer
Cheers

CJT


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