Believer - Ninkasi Brewing Company

natemort13

California

3.58/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Dark ruby amber with a tan head that sticks around for a bit.

Nose is caramelly with some citrusy hops. Some toffee as well.

Taste brings out a lot of caramel malt with an overarching hoppiness. Somewhat coppery flair to the malt.

Mouthfeel is crisp carbonation and medium bodied.

Overall nice big slightly hoppy balanced red. nice complementing bitterness from the hops and smooth/sweetness from malt. Not a bad red but nothing too special.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2012 01:46:34 | More by natemort13

Hophead101

Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle label #8 courtesy of flexabull

A: 4.5 pours a beautiful looking burgundy color with a moderate sized off white/ tan head. the head seemed to last quite a while as it was still around after taking some notes. it left a nice collar and top film with more than abundant lacing.
S: 3.5 a very ho hum smell. sweet caramel malts, minimal hop presence.
T: 3.5 more hops in the taste. but mostly dominated by caramel malts, biscuit and some mild spiciness.
M: 4 medium body, plenty of carbonation. some lingering bitterness.
D: 4 not bad.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2012 15:01:50 | More by Hophead101

Drinkerofales

California

4.2/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours hazy copper, red in the sunlight. A nice light head leaves some lacing.

Smell is citrus hop, roasted malt and a hint of sweet.

Taste is similar to nose. The hops surround and fill the mouth, the malts are in the middle, with a hint of sweet finish.

Smooth with a light hop tang. Almost creamy for a medium light brew.

A great beer and price. Plenty of flavor going on, will definitely have some more.

DOA

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 01:03:12 | More by Drinkerofales

climax

Kansas

3.9/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Not tough to believe in this one after the pour. The mahogany body sits under a nice sticky finger of mocha head. Retention and lacing are very nice, good start.

It smells the part of a bold west coast Amber Ale. The citrus tones from the Centennial hops accent the massive malt bill. Sweet caramel and buttery biscuit smells indicate whats to come.

The beer becomes much more balanced as the Summit hops amp up the bitterness. The toasty biscuity malt profile is still massive, yet held more in check. The balance is very good.

The acidic characteristics pucker the cheeks a bit. Sharp carbonation resonates through the dry pithy finish. This is the most impressing beer so far from Ninkasi; it's bold, balanced, and drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2012 02:13:48 | More by climax

Murrhey

Montana

3.83/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a bomber into a pint glass. Reviewed live.

A- Half a finger creamy khaki head. Reddish brown coloration, very cloudy. Lacing is quite nice

S- Floral hops and fruity. Smells quite nice, but too subtle for me.

T- Burnt sugar, raisins, bittering hops, metallic linger. Can taste slight booziness notes. Interesting and very flavorful.

M- Very full bodied and dry. Carbonation is just right.

O- I had middling expectations for this beer and was surprised with a nice, tasty brew.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2012 08:10:00 | More by Murrhey

Scotchboy

Idaho

3.68/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap @ Brewers Haven, Boise ID. Served in a shaker.

A: Pours a very dark amber color...off white head leaves some lace behind. Clear and carbonated.

S: Caramel & toffee amber malts, bitter pine hops, notes of herbal hops. Pretty balanced.

T & MF: Creamy body, flash of toffee sweetness, bitter pine, herbal & grassy...touch of grapefruit as well, with faint woody and toasted grain notes. Creamy medium body...finish is dry. Malt presence is sweet but not cloying or overly so.

O: An enjoyable bigger red; though the booze isn't noticeable it feels a little larger than 6.9% abv. Very drinkable and enjoyable though. Wouldn't have minded more hops.

Serving type: on-tap

01-30-2012 14:48:41 | More by Scotchboy

DarthKostrizer

California

3.18/5  rDev -17%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Look: Dark mahogany red in color with a 1/4 inch off white head and ok retention with great circular lacing

Smell: Some piney hops and caramel malt

Taste: The beer is very malt forward and the hops actually get lost in the back ground. Subtle notes of caramel pine and a earthy spice

Mouthfeel: Medium body and medium carbonation and a bit dry

Overall: For a red ale I found it to be lacking a bit, I would have loved more hops on the palate instead of so much malt. This is definitely not my favorite red ale but it is not bad either

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2012 05:16:36 | More by DarthKostrizer

mithrascruor

California

3.18/5  rDev -17%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

22 oz. bottle poured into a mug.

Appearance: Pours a dark, hazy reddish-brown color. Tan head turns to a film and leaves a bit of lacing.

Smell: Nice caramel malt aroma, with some hop undertones.

Taste: Dark, roasted malts - a bit of caramel, but not particularly sweet. Strong bitterness in the finish and aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: Full-bodied with moderate carbonation. Generally smooth.

Drinkability: A bit tough to drink - alcohol seems to kick in fast, but the taste is a bit difficult, combined with the full-bodied feel.

Not a big fan here. Something seems "off", even if I can't put my finger on it.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2011 00:46:29 | More by mithrascruor

brewcrew76

Wisconsin

3.8/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to flexabull for this one.

A - Deep amber with a thin off white head.

S - Caramel, toasted bread, candied citrus hops.

T - Rich malts, sweet caramel, candied citrus hops with a light touch of pine. Little bit of roast as it warms.

M - Medium body and creamy.

D - A little malty but still good.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2011 00:05:21 | More by brewcrew76

Durge

Connecticut

4.1/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A dark root beer color with a decent light oatmeal colored head and very nice lacing. The aroma says malt and caramel rootbeer pine. Very enjoyable. The taste includes is a wild blend of coffee, licorice, root beer and malt with a pleasant herbal hop touch. This has a woodsy quality with medicinal overtones. It’s medium bodied with decent carbonation for a refreshing feel. This is a slightly different but right proper red ale. Nice stuff!

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2011 03:42:43 | More by Durge

dgilks

Australia

3.98/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Clear dark copper/red colour with a creamy light tan head with moderate head retention.

Deep resinous hop character with citrus notes. Very malty with a nice burnt toffee note. A touch of orange.

Big toffee malts with plenty of bitter grapefruit and some pine. Pithy. Nice.

Medium body with moderate carbonation. Good.

A solid red ale with lots of hop flavour and a pleasant malt character. Good.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2011 04:22:46 | More by dgilks

mactrail

California

3.1/5  rDev -19.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Looks nice with the fine-grained foam and darkish amber color. Quite carbonated in the mouth. Peculiar woody flavor that slides into something like old oxidized wine. The hops start out OK but overwhelm the other flavors. General effect is an Old Ale with a hop attack. Lots of malt is the nice touch, but the elderly fruit flavor gets very old.

Another brand that apparently only BevMo carries, which is another reason to avoid BevMo.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2011 03:59:58 | More by mactrail

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap @ the Ninkasi Brewing Company (Eugene, OR) on 9/2/11. Served in a pint glass.

Pours a crystal clear ruby in the glass, with a thin layer of bright-white head. This maintains some foamy edges, leaving back a cascade of spotty lacing that sticks a bit to the sides of the glass. The aroma smells leafy and touch dank, which sits on top of a big tangy punch of sweet caramel malt and green citrus with some roasty feeling edges to it. Alcohol is coming out here in the nose a bit, giving this maybe a bit too much of a warm stickiness in the nostrils.

The taste has a firm grapefruit bitterness up front, balanced by a LOT of sticky caramel sweetness before heading into more of a roasted feeling backend. Hops finish this fairly strong though, with green citrus, pine, and dry spice hanging tough. The mouthfeel is fuller bodied, with a solid crispness that spreads out. There is a touch of underlying heft to the feel but the alcohol overall feels pretty right on for the flavors, giving this a warming presence but not coming off as too big.

This was a pretty solid Double Red Ale here, with a fairly well balanced profile (although the malts did threaten to overrun things at bit at certain points) and just the right amount of alcohol being present so as not to turn this into an overly sticky and boozy mess. I enjoyed this and will probably seek this out in the bottle at some point to try again.

Serving type: on-tap

09-21-2011 19:33:19 | More by Kegatron

chicano4craft

Colorado

3.95/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a clear,dark amber with a fingers worth of creamy off white head. Very nice and inviting looking beer. Good lacing.

Nose is sweet with toffee and caramel. Hops are present in the background with a touch of earthy grass.

First thing I notice with the taste are the hops. They play a bigger role than expected. This isn't a bitter beer or hop bomb. The hops seem to balance the rich malt flavors. Lots of toffee, caramel and a little fruit. Finish is dry and sticky. Nice balance

Mouthfeel is decent. It starts off creamy but quickly dries out.

Overall...a real nice beer for the style. Deeper flavors than most ambers. More hops than most reds. Glad I was able to score a bottle.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2011 20:58:52 | More by chicano4craft

DrJay

Massachusetts

3.95/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Clear, deep red colour with clumpy beige foam, lots of lacing, decent head retention. Malty aroma, grain husk and toffee, earthy and spicy hops in the background, some biscuit and bread. Bitterness was moderate, picking up in the finish as the sweetness started to fade. More biscuity and caramel malt, slight citrus fruitiness, toffee and bread. Medium bodied with velvety carbonation, great texture with slight alcohol warmth and flavour. Overall, pretty enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2011 22:51:17 | More by DrJay

SDtastentune

California

3.9/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Darker amber clear getting towards a light brown. Small head that dissipated quickly into a haze cloud over. Small lacing.

S - Bready, malty red, small hop background and malt forward kinda musty.

T - Musty malty and kinda hoppy but not like an ipa, lower ibu but higher malty'ness and deeper red. Some caramel mixed with some fruits. Thick taste but definitely not thick at all??

M - Good/ok... kinda fizzy but not over carb'ed. larger aftertaste.

O - Overall... Good Red ale, maybe needs more alcohol to give it some bite. But not bad at all for a red, maybe some more piny hops would be good, but hey this is not a red ipa... Super malty and doubled up red taste.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2011 23:39:37 | More by SDtastentune

Gueuzedude

Arizona

4.03/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sampled June 2011
A solid pour into my New Belgium Globe glass produces an almost two-finger thick, lightly tan colored head; the head is fairly creamy textured and dense and leaves a fair amount of lacing on the sides of my glass. The beer is a dark, concentrated, almost burnt amber color that shows a bright, lightly hazed, deep red color and a ton of carbonation bubbles when held up to the light. The aroma, a mix of rich malt and the hops, reminds me of a deep berry fruitiness that is backed by a deep caramelized citrus zest character. There is a touch peppery character and a soft pine note that is in the aroma, but these play a definite supporting role in the aroma. The malt definitely plays a big role here in the nose, though the hops are the dominant note, and it contributes an almost buttery caramelized malt character as well as a slightly nutty, deeply caramelized, fruity maltiness and a toasted grain character that plays a slightly secondary role. The caramelized notes are definitely the dominant malt aromatic in this beer and it really accentuates and deepens the fruitiness from the hops, which is why the nose has such a berry like focus instead of the more typical citrus focus that defines many an American hop.

Definitely a touch over-carbonated, but there is enough of a creamy quality to the body that this really doesn’t detract much. The beer has a sweetness to it that is not overwhelming, but accentuates a fruit character that leans towards caramelized tangelo, concentrated ruby red grapefruit, some touches of lychee as well as a ripe berry character that almost has a jam like quality to it. There is a balanced bitterness to this beer (it definitely isn’t overly aggressive), in the finish it becomes a bit more aggressive and even combines with a touch of malt astringency that hints at darker malts. While the body definitely has a chewiness to it, it remains pretty drinkable and light enough to be quaffable. The malt contributes a hint of nuttiness as well as a rich toasted caramel malt character and perhaps a hint of sweet tea. There is a certain spiciness to the hop character, likely accentuated by the malt, that reminds me just a bit of cinnamon somehow (I’ve gotten the same note in Winter Yulesmith).

This is quite tasty, I wasn’t expecting too much as I was thinking the maltiness might get in the way of the hop character; this is not the case and the hops and malt are both quite ample and play well together. This is definitely a beer I am enjoying quite a bit.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2011 14:01:38 | More by Gueuzedude

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

4.13/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Believer has a colour that is more brick than blood red, but its clotted complexion gives it a look that might appeal to creatures of the night. It has a deep crimson tint that makes things too shadowy to see through, although holding it into the light reveals a clear, ruby-like glow. The dunes of foam awash against the glass have a sandy tone to them.

Most beers with this quantity of bold character can be a bit overwhelming, but this rich red ale is something my nose can't get enough of. I'm enamored with it - there's such a tremendous presence of both malt and hops, the latter toasty but decadently sweet with black cherry fruitiness and the former drenched in resinous pine and birch syrups.

Oxygen introduced by swirling opened a cosmos of rich, layered flavours that, fortunately, could also be appreciated on the palate. The toasty, toffee-ish malts are thick as molasses in February (and actually have a fair bit of molasses sweetness too) with plenty of meaty, mushroom-y flavour. The finish is sprinkled with candied citrus zest and pine serum.

What I really appreciate about this beer is that it not only has a ton of hop flavour, but it has a variety of hop flavour that pairs well with the malts. The spruce-y, pine-y notes, rather than be restricted by toffee-ish malts, are actually fanned by them, contrasting with the heavily toasted bread crust notes to seem overtly minty, with a lime taste in the finish.

To successfully pull off a "double" red ale requires two parts: assertive hops and rich maltiness; failure to ensure both elements results in an unexecuted recipe so far as I'm concerned. But when each of those two parts are present - and as bold and flavorful as they are here - then it can be one of the most satiating and satisfying styles there is.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2011 22:58:57 | More by biegaman

dirtylou

Washington

3.58/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22oz bomber, paired with a pork tenderloin and wild mushroom tart. on-sale at the ballard market for $3.49

from notes

appearance: served in a cubs shaker pint, dark amber body, light tan head

smell: nutty, caramel and toffee, piney hops, citrus

taste: doesnt really reach the level of the advertised "double" but its a nice red ale with adequate hopping but not stinging bitterness - pine is the most resonating flavor, with toffee notes, bready, caramel, apple, citrus rind. seems like most of ninkasi's offerings are good, but not great. the price point is nice though

mouthfeel: medium, slightly sticky

overall: pretty good - not really a repeat purchase though

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2011 00:22:34 | More by dirtylou

MDDMD

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22b oz bottle

A-deep red amber color with a thick head slow to dissipate

S-malty caramel with some piney bitter overtones

T-slightly sweet malty caramel flavor with nice balance of hoppy flavor mixed in

M-medium bodied with moderate carbonation, smooth

O-a nice amber ale, enjoyed this with a nice meal, but would be equally good on it's own.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2011 13:59:23 | More by MDDMD

doughanson78

Washington

3.55/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

22oz. Bottle poured into a snifter.

A: Dark red/amber. Clear. Slightly off white 2 finger head. Good lacing. Good head retention.

S: A lot maltier than I thought it would be. Caramel and roasted malts. Kind of bready. Light piney hops balance things out. Very slight floral/soapy scent.

T: Sweet caramel, toffee up front. Roasted malts through the middle. Little bit of piney hops to lighten the sweetness of the malts.

M: Medium to full bodied. Creamy. Light carbonation.

O: A very decent beer. Nice and sweet but balanced nicely with hops.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2011 01:26:33 | More by doughanson78

canucklehead

British Columbia (Canada)

4.38/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

After being underwhelmed by Spring Reign I am glad to be rewarded by a great double Red Ale. Poured dark reddish brown with a huge head. The beer is malt forward but with lots of hops. Thick mouthfeel which is right for the style. You never feel that you are drinking an IPA but rather a big malty cousin that still has the hops. Big long finish with little sweetness. Good stuff

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2011 18:30:17 | More by canucklehead

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

First had: on tap at Empire Ale House, Mt. Vernon, WA

Poured into a pint glass, a nice clear reddish-brown, with a small but dense white head. Toasted bread and dark sugars in the aroma. Toasted malts and bread in the taste, caramel, nuts, followed by a hop bitterness and a touch of apple and orange zest. A touch of alcohol. Medium bodied and quite drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

05-22-2011 04:37:40 | More by Rifugium

vande

Illinois

4.35/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22 ozer poured into a nice Goose Island pint...

A ~ a thick looking brownish red with a slight dirty tannish lace hugging the glassware

S ~ coppery malts w/ hops right away

T ~ To be honest, somewhat reminds me of lagunitas "chronic" - Censored.. another beer I like! Malty, hoppy, rich... Very good!

M ~ bit creamy textured...light-to medium feel.

0 ~ a tasty beer found in this bottle!

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2011 03:25:00 | More by vande

Fatehunter

Oregon

3.93/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a wide flute glass. Deep red color with a great inch of thick white head.

Smells of rich malt, lots of it and only that.

Initially watery, then malty with a hop kick at the end.

Smooth and a little creamy. Low carbonation and medium bodied. A good mix.

Great drinking beer. Nice malty smell and taste plus it is actually red.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2011 03:32:17 | More by Fatehunter