Free Beer. The 2 words all men or woman for that matter, love to hear. Not only did I score “Free Beer”, but I got free beer from Ninkasi! Not only is Ninkasi highly respected in the brewing industry for their craft ales, but they also have committed themselves to supporting homebrewers and local artists alike. This “Free Beer” I speak of came from my wife’s quarterly Art show held at her architecture office in Seattle. Ninkasi generously donated 3 varying 12 packs filled with 22 oz. bottles including Total Domination IPA, Spring Reign Seasonal, and Believer Double Red Ale.
THE BEER:
A little bit about Ninkasi Brewing Co…
“Ninkasi is named for the Sumerian Goddess of fermentation. The first recorded brewers were the Sumerians, who gave up their nomadic way of life to become agrarian to produce barley to make bread and beer. They were the first to write, have schools, laws and many other firsts including organized beer production. This fermented beer was able to nourish the settled people and provide potable water. It is our goal to educate the world that beer has played a significant role in the cultivation of civilization. We are proud to carry out this tradition for our community, producing the finest quality ales and lagers, and supporting community through events, education, and the social benefits of a delicious pint”
Bump City Brews thoughts…
Pour: Average head – frothy with a shade of light brown, almost toffee-like in color. The body was a dark metallic-like Red when held up to natural light. It had a medium haze to it with small particle, which would go unnoticed if you didn’t have 20/20 vision like I’ve been blessed with. Particles are not a bad thing by any means though, just keep that in mind. Excellent Lacing.
Aroma: Light sweet malty cherry aroma with a little bit of alcohol present in the background. The sweet caramel malt aroma builds in presence as it warms. Pleasant aroma that makes my mouth waterfall in anticipation of tasting. Very light floral aroma from the hops. Clean yeast character.
Taste: Medium-High bitterness at first sip, then shares some of the spotlight with a roasted maltiness. A caramel sweetness breaks through once you get past the bitterness from the hops and the roasted character making up the most dominant flavors in the body. Bitterness does tend to stick to the back of your palate after drinking.
Overall: I think the word “Red” in the name of the beer threw me off in what to expect. I thought I might get a rich malty beer with a gentle balance of hops. Instead I enjoyed a hoppy, less malty, FREE, 6.9% Ale. While the beer was well executed and I love my hops, today I was looking for a little more caramel malt background to compliment the additional hops that were added and that’s not what I got. Don’t get me wrong, I would still recommend this beer to my friends; it’s made for a hop-head.
Will I buy more of it?: Yep. If I had to, I would pay for it. It’s a quality ale with a nice big hop profile. Appreciate it for what it is.
About the Style, American Red & Double Red:
“American Red Ales are often categorized with Ambers – and occasionally, with Pales. True reds should be visually unmistakable when held up to light. Infused with a ruby glow that surrounds deep walnut, striking in ruby brilliance, bitten with burgundy or valiantly crimson!
The rich color discloses an expectation of the anticipated malt profile. A defined exuberance emanates from embedded tones of toast. Light fruit esters may be detectable, with heavenly chimes of sweet toffee and nougat. In Irish Reds, this sweeter malt remains defined, with a polite hop balance. In American Reds, however, this sweetness is balanced by an aggressively hopped character that can only be achieved with the addition of distinctive hop hybrids developed in the Northwestern United States.
As you progress from Reds to Imperial (or Double) Reds, the maltiness intensifies, as does the extreme hop-personality. Complexity increases with the higher alcohol content of the Imperial. This spotlights the hop profile all the more, taking you into groves of citrus trees or pine forests nettled with softened dirt floors. You may even feel the stinging bite of the hop monster and yield in a perpetual search for extreme hop pleasures.”
Vintage: ??
BEER FACTS:
Name: Believer Double Red
Style: American Double Red Ale
Brewery: Ninkasi Brewing Company
City: Eugene, OR
Country: USA
Container: 22 oz Bottle
Malts: Roasted, Caramel Malts
Hops: ??
ABV: 6.9%
IBUs: 60
Date: 3.17.10
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