Vanilla Oatis Vanilla Oatmeal Stout
Ninkasi Brewing Company
Eugene, Oregan, USA
Independent
Flavoured Oatmeal Stout 7.2% ABV Brown Glass Bottle 650 ml
$4.75 (Canadian) At BC Liquor Stores
Twitter: @NinkasiBrewing
Spring cleaning time here at Pint Jockey Headquarters. This beer has been languishing in the "Fridge of Fame" for a couple of months with a few other gems I had almost forgotten about. But this week I hope to clear some of the backlog as there are a whole slew of new beers hitting shelves for the summer and I am eager to wrap my tastebuds around them. I had earlier done the partner to this beer here the Ninkasi Believer Double Red Ale, which is excellent I urge you to read about it, and I was saving this one for a special occasion; then it slipped my mind. So finally I present to you the second beer from Eugene, Oregon.
Onto the tasting.
Dark chocolate brown almost black with a deep tan head that is quite large but made up of small to medium sized bubbles. Nose is very earthy with cedar vegetation, moss, pencil shavings and a hint of oaky vanilla. First sip is a swirling complex celebration of the darker malts. Body is slightly sweet and very smooth due to the oatmeal. Smoke and oak is more evident on the first taste, Vanilla plays second fiddle but is definately heard in the crowd. finish is Vanilla caramel and a pinch of citrus. Aeration gives us a hint of the 7.2 percent alcohol, and a creamy lemon finish.
Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional
Cost: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Colour: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Beer Style: 5/6 PASS
Re-Order: 5/6 PASS
Experience: 5/6 PASS
Final Thoughts:
Truly a wonderful beer from Ninkasi. I only wish more were alvailable for purchase in Ontario. The complexity is key. I actually found myself comparing this beer to a good red wine. If you are able please run out and try this beer.
Cheers
CJT
Follow me on Twitter: @pintjockey
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
Follow me on Twitter: @pintjockey
Like me on Facebook: Pint Jockey Online
Dark chocolate brown almost black with a deep tan head that is quite large but made up of small to medium sized bubbles. Nose is very earthy with cedar vegetation, moss, pencil shavings and a hint of oaky vanilla. First sip is a swirling complex celebration of the darker malts. Body is slightly sweet and very smooth due to the oatmeal. Smoke and oak is more evident on the first taste, Vanilla plays second fiddle but is definately heard in the crowd. finish is Vanilla caramel and a pinch of citrus. Aeration gives us a hint of the 7.2 percent alcohol, and a creamy lemon finish.
