Sleigh'r Dark Doüble Alt Ale - Ninkasi Brewing Company

HuskyinPDX

Washington

4.03/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Taken from notes on 2.18.11.

22oz bottle poured into a pint glass.

A - Brownish amber with red edges. Off-white head that lingers. Good lacing.

S - Mostly boozy here.

T - Nutty, Spicey, and slightly like ginger bread.

D - Drinks extremely easy and smooth.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2011 22:33:45 | More by HuskyinPDX

psychoholicagogo

Oregon

4/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a dark amber with mildly off white head. Retention is medium. Malt forward flavor profile with hints of dark fruit and bread plus mild tobacco notes. Bitterness is medium, lingering well into a dry finish. The hop character is very subdued in both aroma and flavor, but is apparent though balanced throughout. A good drinker, but not session material at 7.2%

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2009 08:24:57 | More by psychoholicagogo

jdense

Oregon

4/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz. bottle from John's Marketplace PDX poured into Chimay chalice 12/30/09.

Dark brown body, a bit of chill haze, substantial off white head, slow dissipation, an impressive looking beer. The nose is quite malty, a bit more sweet than bready, not much hop presence to speak of. The taste is the same as nose, with a slight smokiness, and some caramel malts, pretty well balanced. The finish is a bit bitter, was wondering when the hops would appear, pretty viscuous. Mouthfeel features significant carbonation. Drinkable yes (though a bit boozy for the style,more of a sipper than a quaffer), memorable no. To be honest, the second best Christmas beer from Eugene I've had this year, after Oakshire's Ill Tempered Gnome.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2010 22:49:10 | More by jdense

CHILLINDYLAN

Washington

4/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Dark browned amber. A finger of thick tanned head that leaves small webby organic laces.

Roasty and dark, nutty, sweet caramel, smoke, pine, and dark cherries.

Toasty caramel, earthy and smokey, a little nutty. Spicy and herbal pine. Nice bite of bitterness. warming.

Sticky, dry, and smooth. a little chewy. well carbonated.

Great tasty warmer that goes down very well. Good balance with a nice hop rush.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2010 23:16:03 | More by CHILLINDYLAN

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

4/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Tuttle for breaking this out the night before Hopfest! Went into it thinking, ah, I dunno, not my style/thing, but figured, hey, good friend, opening beers, love Ninkasi, made it easy to go along.

Poured out a rich dark brown and red, but with ample clarity given its deep color. Very interesting aroma, maybe just because of the Christmas theme, I was getting caramel nuttiness, cinammon, taragon, tobacco, pepper, spice/clove. Really deep.

Taste, so much easier than I thought it would be. And more sweetness, but never becoming a 'sweet' beer, ample malt bill and other ingredients seemed to tame this bad boy. Nothing about hops to talk about. About the dryest finish of a beer of this style/vibe I've come around, not heavy, creamy at times, not super challenging, just lots to pick up on. Unique. When the wave of smooth and creamy hits you, you start wondering if there is some flaked oats used in this. Whatever they did, it was enjoyable.

Of course, it looks like a winter seasonal, we drank it in September, so i dunno if this aged and mellowed or whatnot, because that split bomber is my only insight, so I guess at the very least I can say this beer does just fine aged up to 9 months.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2010 04:24:42 | More by Beerandraiderfan

Flightoficarus

Washington

4/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Finally getting around to trying this one!

A - Pours a deep, dark brown (almost black), with a two-finger off-white head. Head retention and lacing is on the creamy/thick side.

S - Alot going on here! Caramel, molasses, cocoa, nuttiness, a hint of fruits (orange, cherry), and subtle hops.

T - Superbly balanced. Taste is of roasted, cocoa/coffee like malts with some nutty and smoked/peat like tones (like a scotch ale), and finishes with a bouquet of subtle, floral hops. Right around the middle ground between malty and hoppy.

M - Medium bodied and light carbonation, with a semi-bready texture to it.

D - Pretty drinkable for 7.2%, but I still wouldn't session it.

Overall - A nice little gem in the winter ale/altbier categories, and with a rad name to boot! If you're looking for a solid, balanced beer that's on the darker side without being quite as bitter/roasted tasting as a porter or stout, you'll enjoy this one.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2010 08:25:48 | More by Flightoficarus

DamDweller

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Ninkasi Sleighr Ale, 2010

Pour a dark dark brown color with a small cream colored head. Smells like nutty chocolate with a hint of mint. The taste is strong on chocolate and hops. It seems more like a porter than an altbier. The nutty smell isn't really there on the tongue as would be expected from an altbier while it also has strong carbonation. The mouthfeel is great. It drinks very clean and crisp. The sweet chocolate lingers on the tongue well.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2010 01:32:43 | More by DamDweller

BDTyre

British Columbia (Canada)

4/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nice dark altbier. Looks almost like a porter, but a little more brown in the body.

Malty, almost smoky in the nose. Slightly sweet. Nice, roasted taste with a bit of smokiness and coffee to it. Faint hints of chocolate and caramel. Very light and enjoyable.

Light in the mouth, but fitting for the style. A nice dark take on the alt style.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2010 06:13:14 | More by BDTyre

barleywinefiend

Washington

4/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A:Poured a deep, dark brown with a small dirty white head

S: Caramelized sugar, toasted malt and a fruitcake

T: Some cocoa, caramel, toffee, hints at coffee, some cherries.

M: Well carbonated, nice feel, slight booze feel but pretty mellow isnce this a 2009 vintage.

O: Pretty drinkable for 7.2 ABV

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2011 15:33:22 | More by barleywinefiend

jpbebeau

Washington

4/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into tulip; I don't have a slender cylinder.

A: Pours a very dark reddish-brown, with only the faintest bit of translucency to accentuate the color. A finger's worth of head quickly dissipates, leaving several soap-like bubbles clinging to the edge. Faint carbonation ever so slightly disturbs the surface at the center. As the volume of liquid decreases, more light is let through and an attractive orange hue reveals itself. Perhaps if I'd had a Stange I could've enjoyed the color through the whole glass.

S: Sweet malts, dark fruit—raisins. Mild, though.

T: Malts give way to sweet dark fruits, and the finish clings to my upper palate: hoppy, here. As the beer warms, the hops calm and I pick up a flavor of orange peel to accompany the color.

M: Refreshing amount of carbonation and not too heavy or thick; all pleasant surprises.

O: Really enjoyable after warming a bit; it'll be nice to work through the six-pack during these dark evenings.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2011 05:18:44 | More by jpbebeau

brewcrew76

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to flexabull for this one.

A - Deep brown with ruby hues when held to the light. Not much of a head but a few wisps of lace remain.

S - Malty, toasted bread, nutty with some light chocolate and fruit.

T - Very malty and while the hops aren't noticeable they keep it from being too sweet. Rich caramel and toffee, almost a burnt toast flavor, nutty, chocolate with some light fruit.

M - All that malt flavor feels a little heavy at first but it drinks on the light side. Medium carbonation with a slightly chalky finish.

D - Nice alt for how big this beer is. I was afraid it might be a bit sweet but it is nicely balanced.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2011 01:08:04 | More by brewcrew76

ngeunit1

California

4/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a dark red-black with a finger of frothy slightly off-white head. The head fades down fairly quickly leaving behind some light lace.

S - Aroma is a mix of dark, lightly roasted malts, dark fruits, chocolate, with some spices and some lemon and noble hops.

T - Starts off with a mix of dark fruits, dark malts, some molasses, and a touch of spice. Through the middle, some roasted character and chocolate comes through with some noble hop flavor. The finish is a mix of roasted dark malts, dark fruit, chocolate, some spices, and some alt yeast esters.

M - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Feels smooth and a touch syrupy with a sweet and roasty finish.

D - Very drinkable. Nicely balanced Double Altbier. Nice malty backbone with some dark fruit, chocolate, and yeast character to balance.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2012 04:32:04 | More by ngeunit1

Hoptometrist

Oregon

4/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served on tap into a shaker glass at Laughing Planet

A- Poured a dark mahogany color with a nice frothy off-white head that left glass coating lace

S- Big rich caramel and toffee notes, some cinnamon and vanilla, light cocoa notes

T- Rich caramel and toffee notes, some cherry flavors, breadiness, and light orange peel notes.

M- Smooth, medium body, low carbonation, finished semi-dry

O- Very malt forward and not really any hop presence, which is rare for a Ninkasi beer (even their oatmeal stout is pretty bitter hop bomb).

Serving type: on-tap

12-07-2012 04:37:08 | More by Hoptometrist

SDtastentune

California

3.98/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Darker ruby amber, good clarity through a light. No head and small cling lace around rim.

S - Malty bread style with some slight spices of nutmeg or Cinnamon, with some sweet stuff back in there somewhere. Took some effort to smell though with a good swoosh of the glass.

T - More of a tasty malty beer, mixed with some raisin, brown sugar, a bit woodsiness from the hops... maybe Chinook? A little nutty, a lil spicy but not much at all. Pretty balanced flavor though, not overly anything but definitely rich. A little bit of smoked wood?

M - Medium to lower carb, not dry and not too resinous but has a big aftertaste of wood or earthy spice?

O - Overall this was an interesting beer, almost reminds me of some Chinook hopped beers, but I could be wrong. Good if you like malty beers and some aftertaste, not too hoppy. Not sure of this thing though, it kinda confuses me.... But good beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2011 02:08:07 | More by SDtastentune

elNopalero

Texas

3.98/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is a ruddy amber, a little like a darker, cloudy apple cider.

The cinder comparison is apt, as hints of it come across the flavor profile. (I’m thinking of Michigan cider, warmed with cinnamon, not hard cider.) There’s hints of cinnamon and cloves, as well as a hop profile that reminds me of pine sap and squeezed grapefruit.

It’s a unique one, and it’s tasty—not your typical holiday ale!

Serving type: on-tap

12-18-2011 06:15:05 | More by elNopalero

MaltsOfGlory

Oregon

3.98/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

As far as I can remember, this is one of my favorite Ninkasi beers, but I haven't had it in a while, and the brewery has expanded a lot over the last couple of years. A interesting (and aggressive) pour yields a one and a half finger head into my standard pint glass. The head is about half creamy and fluffy looking and half somewhat soapy and bubbly, but that is probably due to the aggressive pour. The head is an extremely light brown, maybe even more off-white than light brown, that's how light it is. The lacing looks like it will be great, but we will have to see for sure as I get down the glass. The head retention was pretty good, it hung around for quite some time. Now, after about 5 minutes, I still have some bubbles on top of the body. The body is very dark, but for sure not black. It has some black in it, but also brown and ruby. Visibility is zero. I can't really see the carbonation due to the color. Overall it's a nice body, slightly unique for a winter beer - having red in it and all, but then again I'm not familiar with the style. Either way it's still a good look. We will see how the lacing goes, but this is a good looking beer so far. On the nose I get just a wonderful malt smell. Very full, rich, deep malt aroma. Roasty and chocolatey too. Perhaps a touch of coffee on the nose as well. Not a whole lot in the way of hops, and frankly not a whole lot other than the great malt smell. It's a solid 4, but a few other aromas could go a long way. With that being said, it still smells great. Yeah, this is a nice beer, pretty close to what I remember too. You get that nice, chocolatey malt flavor up front. Frankly it's not as dominating as I was expecting, which is a little disappointing, but it's not the end of the world. It's also extremely sweet, malty sweet. I like the sweetness, but it may be a hair too much. Not much going on in the way of hops at all. A little bit of spices perhaps, there seems to be something other than delicious malts going on here. Kind of like a cinnamon vibe. I doubt it's cinnamon that's in here, but something in that realm. This beer is more than just your average winter beer, but just by a little bit. I don't think it has enough to be a 4.5. It's a solid 4, but let it be known that it's a little more than just a nice malty beer. The mouthfeel isn't bad. It's slightly thinnger than I would like, but it's not bad. It for sure has some thickness to it, just not quite as thick as I want in a hearty winter beer. The carbonation is for sure low, but that works in a winter beer. It may be a hair lower than it should be, but overall it's good for the style. It has a slightly creamy feel to the mouth as well. Even though I really like the mouthfeel, it does have some areas it needs to improve on. It's really right in between a 3.5 and a 4. The lack of carbonation and body makes me want to give this beer a 3.5 for feel. However, the carbonation and body are both very close to being spot on, and I really like the slight creaminess, and really the overall feel, enough to give it a 4. For being 7.2% ABV, this beer is DAMN drinkable! I would have never guessed this beer was 7.2% if the bottle didn't say it. It really drinks like a 5.5% or a 6% beer, great drinkability. Overall it's a solid beer. Not the most amazing beer ever, but for sure one I will have again. There really isn't anything wrong with the flavor at all, it just doesn't have enough pizzazz to be more than a good beer. So, overall, it's a good beer.

The flavor really started to get sweet. The malts still played a big role, but I would say that the sweetness may have become more dominant.

The appearance turned out to be...eh, not bad. The lacing was there, but it wasn't that pretty. It was somewhat patchy and EXTREMELY soapy and bubbly. It didn't look like your average lacing at all, rather - worse than average. I'm not quite sure how to grade this because the head was nice. The body wasn't really amazing, but better than average I supposed, for sure unique regardless. The lacing wasn't bad, just...not my cup of tea. I'm going to give it a 3.5 for appearance. I could give it a 4 but...I wouldn't say I've cut this beer any breaks, but there have been a few grades that I gave a 4 to instead of a 3.5 already.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2012 09:32:55 | More by MaltsOfGlory

sam_bliss

Washington

3.98/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22 oz. bomber

A- I think this is a very pretty beer. Super dark but translucent red. Looked almost black but the red comes through when held up to the light. A thick off-white head dissipated rather slowly.

S- As the head dissipated, sweet malts come through with a bit of sprucey hop freshness.

T- Caramel, chocolate, and other sweet malts, with just a bit of smokiness. Surprisingly well balanced for such a malty beer. Fruity in a good way.

M- Pretty thick on the palate. Low carbonation and just a bit of stickiness. Just the right amount of warmth for a Christmas beer.

O- I love it. Tastes hoppier than I would expect from a dark double atlbier (though I've never had an ale described exactly like that before this), but less bitter than the IBU rating had me bracing for - this hoppiness works brilliantly for such a sweet beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 08:25:38 | More by sam_bliss

TheSixthRing

California

3.98/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance - Pours a dark reddish brown with an off-white, finger width head. Good retention. Leaves a nice, sticky lacing on the glass.

Smell - Sweet aroma, consisting of caramel, toffee, fig, and slight toasted malts.

Taste - More hoppy on the tongue than in the nose. Toasted bread, with lesser notes of caramel and toffee. Fruity esters, hitting on fig, then a nice citrus hop comes through mid-taste and takes the reigns for the finish.

Mouthfeel - Medium body with a bit of stickiness. Fair carbonation. Finishes dry.

Overall - This is a solid winter seasonal, though I'm a bit perplexed at labeling this a "double alt" when I've had standard alts with just as much flavor and ABV. Still, I'm enjoying the brew, and may be a future purchase.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 03:06:49 | More by TheSixthRing

magictacosinus

California

3.98/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Winter brew fun continues here! Poured into a pint glass from a 12oz bottle.

Color is reddish-brown, complete with a nicely placed 2 finger head when poured semi-aggressively. Carbonation seems to glide in droves to the top of the glass. Not much lacing overall, and the head dies down rather quickly. It is a seasonal looking beer for sure, but it's definitely an odd combo overall in presentation.

The aroma consists of strong malted aromas combined with dark fruits (often resembling blackberries), honey, brown sugar (and LOTS of it), as well as a hoppy backdrop that is reminiscent of English bitters but still contains the West Coast zest. The doubled malt recipe is pretty obvious even here, but it definitely has a more malty flavor than bready. I realize this beer is also heavily spiced, but I can't find very many spices here except for maybe peppers and medicinal herbs of sorts. It's far better cold, but definitely not too bad even when it warms up!

As expected, the extreme maltiness of this beer seems to only come around as it warms up gradually. I do like the initial hoppy flavor that attacks the palate, as it reminds me of an extremely dry, orange peel concoction. The finish becomes exponentially malty as it is affected by temperature, but on the other hand, the yeasty aromas I liked seem to disappear as well. The caramelized honey flavors jump at you pretty strongly, and this goes well with its syrupy body. There's no overpowering spices to speak of here, and for a winter release, this is surprisingly drinkable and works better than most spice-infused winter releases I've had so far.

This may be too malty for me (and not yeasty enough, which is what I enjoy most in "dubbel" styled beers), but it isn't bad at all, especially when consumed chilled. Warmed up is a different story altogether, but I'll probably have another for the holidays. Worth a try, as it's quite experimental in some ways.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2012 05:21:31 | More by magictacosinus

GeezLynn

Minnesota

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

22oz bottle poured out into a big stein. Straight from Portland sent by homeboy GD via Jeff and Phyllis.

A: Dark chocolate brown with an eggshell white head that settles into a thick film.

S; Very malty as expected - pumpernickel or spiced raisin cake. Some earthy European hops are also slightly noticeable.

T: This is substantially more bitter than most alts I've had previously. Along with the sharp hops, there's chocolate and smoked malts, coffee, and some alcohol spice. Has some slight fruit characters, especially raisin, but they take a back seat to the hops and are most apparent in the finish.

M: Light to medium body, slightly sticky with full carbonation.

A little bitter, but overall, a well made beer that's easy to appreciate. Would love to have another bottle of this stuff.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2011 04:42:33 | More by GeezLynn

djbreezy

Washington

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

appearance - dark but slightly transparent, medium head

smell - malts and dark fruit

taste - malt, sugar, fruit hints (date, fig type thing going on)

mouthfeel - medium body due to high carbonation but light mouthfeel

overall - tasty malty beverage from ninkasi, not their best, not their worst

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2012 16:42:14 | More by djbreezy

LiquidAmber

Washington

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

Review from 11/2010 notes. Poured into a Nostradamus flute glass. Pours a dark brown with red highlights; light head and lacing. Aroma of fruit, bread and malt. Medium body. Malty flavor with a peppery bite in the middle. Roasty and dark malt, light fruit, a bit of nut, some cocoa, mild hops. Dry spicy finish. A nice revisitable seasonal ale. This really grew on me as I finished the glass.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2012 03:42:53 | More by LiquidAmber

pwoody11

Delaware

3.9/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Hasn't been many reviews lately and the label states first time ever bottled, so i can only assume I've been sitting on this bottle for about 9 months. I can't remember when or how I got this, but it has definitely been stored properly.

Poured a dark brown with an amber tint, a little light comes through but nearly zero. 1/2 finger head that sits a little creamy leaving behind decent lacing.

Initial nose sheds a cookie like smell. I cant pinpoint what kind. Choc Chip or Oatmeal is what I'm leaning towards. Chocolate Chip Oatmeal? Some burnt dark fruit is on hand as well. Coffee is present as well.

Mouthfeel is smooth with a medium carbonation. I likey.

Taste is similar to the nose. First thing that comes to mind is part ale, part stout. Malts are easily detectable and are in the forefront, but the hops are not left out and are nicely represented.

Solid brew. I wasn't expecting to enjoy this as much as I am.

Worth checking out.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2010 23:45:37 | More by pwoody11

velosuds

Oregon

3.9/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 22 oz. bomber into a clear pint glass. No freshness dating evident. Purchased for $3.79 at local regional grocer.

A-Pours a dark amber hue with a one and a half finger, light tan head. Modest retention with good lacing.

S-Caramel malt aroma with dark fruits, and some piney and citric hops. Pleasant.

T-Toasted caramel and chocolate malts with fruitcake type fruit and spice flavors.

M-Very smooth and balanced.

D-This is a very drinkable winter seasonal since it has a lot of flavor but is not filling. 7.2% ABV is masked very well. Competitively priced bomber at $3.79 to $3.99 but would be better if available in sixers of 12 oz. bottles.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2010 01:55:39 | More by velosuds

philbertk

Washington

3.9/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Ninkasi Brewing Company--SLEIGH'R Dark Double Alt Ale--Special Release! First Year in Bottles!--2009 Release--22 oz. Bottle. 7.20% ABV--50 IBU's. (4.15 / 5.0) Alt--Imperial--Starts clear bright dark ruby bronze red color with thin lace off white head. Sediment. Roasted floral hop front. Crisp zesty crusty mild sweet roasted malty spicy toasty dry thin toffee coffee nut hint body. Mild bitter hop clean rich end. Mild fruit hints. Complex. Sampled 1/9/2010. $5.75 Each.

Ninkasi Brewing Company--SLEIGH'R Dark Double Alt Ale--Seasonal Release!--2010. 7.20% ABV. 50 IBU's. (4.0 / 5.0) Alt--Imperial? Lacy lasting big dense tight tan head. Deep dark ruby brown color. No sediment. Light roasted cocoa hint pine hop front. Creamy mild sweet smooth toasty roasty rich mild chocolate spicy big brown ale mildly resinous & chalky body. Mild satisfying smooth end. Sampled 22 oz. bottle purchased for $4.00 10/12/2010 @ Seattle, Fremont PCC on 10/29/2010

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2010 19:29:37 | More by philbertk