Spring Reign - Ninkasi Brewing Company

sam_bliss

Washington

3.86/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Pours a dark blonde color with a little white head on top. Smells super citrusy, yet full malts come through in the nose as well. The typical white grapefruit and evergreen hop tastes that we associate with Ninkasi are not restrained in this brew. Some roasted flavors combined with caramel and pale malts to provide a much stronger grain presence and bigger body than most blondes. This one is an American blonde that is not wimpy. One shade blonder than SNPA, with a hint of classic Ninkasi.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2013 03:32:22 | More by sam_bliss

Seanibus

California

4.1/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

I have never warmed much to Ninkasi beers, but I have to admit this is one really outstanding ale. It is crisp and clean with a satisfying lemony bitterness and a tangy hop finish that reminds me of a great kellerbier or pilsner more than a blonde ale.

Pours a sunny yellow-orange with a fluffy white head. Aroma is toasty with a lemon edge. The flavor is bright and bitter, with a mouthfilling roundness that grabs the tongue all the way back in the mouth, with some fruit - peach, lemon, apricot - and a rich, throat-filling bitterness on the way down, leaving a bitter tang and a carbonation prickle on the tongue.

Amazingly refreshing and complex for what it is supposed to be.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 01:58:49 | More by Seanibus

DefenCorps

Oregon

3.68/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

For a spring beer, this is a surprisingly dark color. Closer to orange amber than yellow, this beer is capped with a dense, off-white head with excellent retention and lacing. The nose is disappointing. Toasted malt, biscuit and chalky Cascade hops (grapefruit pith, moderate grapefruit zest) as well as a little bit of pine and a touch of other citrus notes.

The palate opens moderately bitter and surprisingly astringent. It drinks closer to an APA than a blonde ale, with the bitterness being fresh, pungent and with a blend of a German herbal/minty/spicy hop flavors and a secondary American citrus character. The malt character is less noticeable here, with a blend of biscuit and toast. Mildly sweet and moderately oily on the finish, this beer is medium-light in body and slightly over-carbonated. The finish has a lingering bitterness that's quite pleasing, with an herbal/minty character. Alcohol is well-hidden, but in all honesty, there's no reason this beer couldn't be brewed at 4.5% - just look at Victory's Summer Love, which combines German hops and a blonde ale remarkably well. Solid.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 03:55:36 | More by DefenCorps

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.68/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Poured into a Dogfish Head pint glass. Pours a medium golden amber with a half finger white head with good retention and lacing. Aroma of lightly toasted and biscuit malt, faint hops, reminiscent of a light pilsner. Flavor of mild bready and biscuit malt, sligthly nutty, finishing with dry bittering hops with light herabl notes. Medium bodied. Flavors are appropriate for a light Spring ale; but nothing really stands out and could use slightly more hop flavor to balance the bitterness in the finish. A nice dinner beer with pleasant maltiness.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2013 01:03:27 | More by LiquidAmber

lsummers

California

3.94/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Pours a cloudy copper orange with a one finger eggshell white head that is very sticky.

Smells of a fresh hoppy pilsner or pale ale. Cut grass, touch of pine and blossom. Some sweet malt characters.

Taste is buiscuty nutty caramel sweetness mixed with that fresh cut grassy hop note. I want to say citrusy hops at the same time as floral. I get a mix of both. Bitternotes coexist with it's sweet malty character. One detracting thing might be a slight off note on the aftertaste, very minimal though.

Mouthfeel is sticky and mild carbonation. Lightly chewy.

Overall, this is a perfect spring beer. I would definitely try this beer again. Such a great blend of bitter floral citric hops and sweet caramel malt notes. The only thing keeping it back are some astringent characters towards the aftertaste. I'm overlooking this since I'm really enjoying the beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 23:30:13 | More by lsummers

TheSixthRing

California

3.84/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Appearance - Pours a clear, golden orange color with an off-white, finger width head. Fair retention, leaving behind a broken layer of microbubbles on the surface. Lacing is spotty with good stick.

Smell - Floral aroma; touches on bready, toasty malts.

Taste - Moderate amount of lightly toasted biscuit upfront, played off nicely by a relatively strong grassy and slightly citric hop presence that rides out into the finish. Touches on honey. Simple, but assertive. Leaves a mild, lingering lemon/orange pith bitterness on the tongue.

Mouthfeel - Light in body with lively carbonation. Goes down nice and easy.

Overall - I don't know that this fits your classic description of an American Blonde; the flavor hits much closer to an American Pale to me. Regardless, it's another solid effort from Ninkasi, and a definite winner for a spring seasonal release.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2013 05:36:50 | More by TheSixthRing

CookstLiquor

British Columbia (Canada)

3.86/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a 650ml bottle. Pours a deep yellow with orange highlights. Nose has lots of lemony hops.Very fresh and clean smelling. Taste is similar with lemon hop notes right up front. There’s good strong bitterness and generic malty sweetness as well. Tastes a bit like an ale version of a maibock.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2013 23:14:30 | More by CookstLiquor

thegodfather1076

Ohio

3.9/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Presentation: Awesome label with the Ninkasi Seal Decorated in spring pastel flowers. Great color scheme!! Eye-catching!!

Appearance: Poured from a 22oz bomber into a 16oz English Pint. Pours out a clear golden amber color with an airy 2 finger white foam head. Head retention was 2min 43sec before settling into a very frothy foam cap. Excellent lacing!! Has bits of sediment floating around.

Smell/Aroma: Smells citrus and a grass-like aroma, slight hints of honey sweetness can be detected as well. A toasty malt aroma is hidden between the rest. Has a very clean and fresh smell.

Flavor/Taste: Tastes of grassy-earthy hops right away making for a bitter front-end. Toasty bread-like malt along with a slight honey sweetness dominate the mid-section of this beer. The bitterness resurfaces on the back-end, though much more floral in nature at this point. Interesting.

MouthFeel: On the light side of Medium-bodied and finishes a bit dry.

Drinkability: Moderately carbonated, crisp, and refreshing. Very drinkable!!

Overall/Comments: This was my first time having this and I came away thinking that this would be a very solid choice in late spring/early summer. Another solid beer from Ninkasi!! Classified as an American Blond Ale at 6% ABV. Spring Seasonal Release. Reviewed and Consumed 9/20/12.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2012 07:08:26 | More by thegodfather1076

Phelps

Arizona

3.9/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a large snifter-style glass.

Pumpkin-orange, hazed with tiny, visible particles. A hard pour delivers a dense, creamy head of off-white that sticks around for a long time and grips the glass in large-bubbled trails.

Smells like spring. Grass, floral notes, lots of honey and a touch of citrus. Good, bright balance of sweet malt and hops.

Subtle toasty malt quickly becomes sweeter and honeyed. Caramel and toasted biscuits emerge more as the brew warms. Grass, citrus pith and floral hops blend with orange before a crisp finish.

Fairly big body — about medium before some silky fizz lightens things up. Carbonation is mild and pinching. Finishes squeaky-clean.

A bright, well-balanced ale; tasty and nicely hopped for a blonde. Probably best in spring, but also thoroughly enjoyable in the summer, when I had it.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2012 00:35:14 | More by Phelps

Murrhey

Montana

2.5/5  rDev -30%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a bomber into a pint glass at high altitude Libby, MT. Reviewed live.

A- Two finger cream-colored head. Fairly long retention. Sticky lacing. Amber color with high clarity. Nice looking beer, not exactly the color I'd expect for a blonde though.

S- Light malts, wheat and skunkiness. Not the dull, expired sort of skunk smell, but a more acrid kind of funk. Pretty weak.

T- Golden malts and a bitter hop character I wasn't expecting. Not much else here.

M- Creamy and dry finish. Strange for the style.

O- Weird and ultimately below average rendition of the style. I'd recommend only if you like Ninkasi or hoppy blonde ales.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2012 01:38:12 | More by Murrhey

MDDMD

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A-a golden amber color with a small white head and minimal lacing

S-some bready malt, grassy, hints of citrus

T-bready malt and slight sweet caramel flavor with grassy herbal hop notes and decent bitter finish

F-light body with light carbonation, crisp

O-decent blonde ale with good flavor, would be a decent session beer

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2012 04:47:26 | More by MDDMD

thain709

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Shared by Deuane as we strung his hops.

A - Poured with a clear, caramel tinted gold body...carbonation bubbles were racing to the top...a two finger white head formed and slowly fell to a full cap...nice lacing was left

S - Grassy hops, bready and toasted malt, nothing too much going on here...clean and crisp

T - The grassy hops start things off and they come back at the end to add an earthy feel with a touch of bitterness...the malt bill is what shines in this beer...there is a touch of caramel to add some sweetness...the toasted aspect cleans the palate and the bready malt stands out in the middle

M - Light bodied...nice carbonation, clean, crisp

O - This one didn't have too much going on, but it was enjoyable as the temperature was getting warmer...simple, but it keeps you interested

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2012 18:40:33 | More by thain709

AaronHomoya

Indiana

3.83/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks again to Matthew Wilson for this one. This spring ale has been sitting around for a while now, and it may be bottle conditioned, as it gushed just a bit when finally opened.

It's got a nice appearance, with an amber color and a great slightly off-white head. Nice retention keeps a thin cap all the way through. A little cloudy, but I don't mind.

Interesting aroma. Honey malt, spicy, floral hops, and a sour, catty note too. I can see the "vomit" descriptor. I like it, though.

Flavor starts out sweet, honey malt again, grassy, grapefruit hops, a bit of bread in the finish but mostly bitter, spicy hopes. There's some sourness in the flavor again.

Medium-light body. Dry finish, but mouthwatering at the same time. Very nice.

Overall, it is a little unbalanced and doesn't seem to match the style it claims, but I really like it nonetheless. Would love to try it again fresh.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2011 18:54:59 | More by AaronHomoya

Fatehunter

Oregon

3.63/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Out of a bottle into a pint glass. Golden pour to light amber once in the glass. A nice half finger of head formed and held.
Wow, honeysuckle, lime and grapefruit in the background. An excellent fragrance.
Lots going on in this drink. Soft texture and honey at first, moving to lots of carbonation and a hop kick and ending with a touch of honey again. The first drink was surprising, but after a couple it is nice. It tends towards an IPA with the amount of hops coming through.
It is probably on the edge of its style but that only makes me like it a little more. A little confused with the abrupt changes from honey to hops and back again... but definitely worth a sixer.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2011 01:45:40 | More by Fatehunter

notsoprobeer

Oregon

3.55/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Deep golden color with a white head that dissipated slowly leaving lacing on the glass. Aroma of toasted and biscuit-like malts with some faint floral hops. Flavor very similar to aroma, but I didn't detect the hops at the beginning of the taste. It's light to medium bodied and has a a crisp effervescent mouth feel. It tastes and drinks like a pilsner lager. It finishes dry with an earthy hop bitterness. Overall, Spring Reign is more malty than hoppy.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2011 06:34:43 | More by notsoprobeer

woosterbill

Connecticut

3.55/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bomber into a Duvel tulip. Thanks, Drew, for sharing!

A: Slightly hazy, pale orange body capped by an inch of chunky, creamy ecru head. Terrific retention and lacing. Gorgeous.

S: Simple, light, and hop-forward: citrus, grassiness, and some clean bready malt. Plain and pleasant.

T: Follows the nose. Bready malt on top of some brightly citrusy hops. Moderately bitter, fruity finish. Nice, but a little forgettable.

M: Fairly light, moderately carbonated. Ok.

O: I could see this one being a fantastic vehicle for late-boil hops when super-fresh, but after a couple months in the fridge it was just pretty good. I'd rather have a Narragansett Summer, to be honest.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2011 15:14:57 | More by woosterbill

smanghi

Washington

3.6/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Purchased at Full Throttle Bottles in Georgetown (Seattle). 22 oz. pours a nice amber color and is fairly clear. Good frothy head out of the bomber with lacing. Malty finish with come caramel notes. Nice fresh, spicy finish and spring-like hence the name.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2011 03:42:04 | More by smanghi

hreb

Washington

2.85/5  rDev -20.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Cold 22 oz bomber poured into imperial pint glass. Beer pours a solid orange with a thick orange-white head. Aroma is familiar and beery, like a lager or perhaps a red ale.

Once past the creamy head, the flavor is significantly more hoppy, closer to the IPA-hop dimension as suggested by the label. Crisp and dry, but a bitter, perhaps even metallic aftertaste lingers. Unfortunately all the malt is up front leaving nothing to balance out the rest.

The label claims this is drinkable a session beer, but given the ABV and IBUs, I can't agree.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2011 04:58:56 | More by hreb

JISurfer

South Carolina

3.03/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This was a little hoppier than other Blonde ales I've had. That wasn't really a bad thing though. I thought it was more of a pale ale than anything else, as I didn't detect much malts in the taste. It had a fruity/hoppy smell, with a little malt in the end. It's not a beer that explodes in my mouth, but it is nice for the hot summer days.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2011 21:47:22 | More by JISurfer

canucklehead

British Columbia (Canada)

3.03/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours light and blonde and drinks like a forgettable ale. the hops show up but don't really make a statement and the beer seems over carbonated. I know this is a entry level type beer but I expected more from these guys especially for a seasonal in a bomber.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2011 03:14:28 | More by canucklehead

watchnerd

California

4.43/5  rDev +24.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a nice orangey amber. Head quickly dissipates to a thing ring, but leaves some lacing.

The smell is where you start to notice that this brew is better than average for craft: citrus & hemp aromas.

Taste is nicely balanced, not in your face at all, almost like a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale that has been dialed back a bit, less dry,and had a few fruit notes added in the finish.

Mouthfeel is modestly carbonated, just enough to keep things lively, but not overpoweringly bubbly.

All in all a very nice 21st take on an old school West Coast ale. Ninkasi should consider making it year round.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2011 01:56:55 | More by watchnerd

billab914

Virginia

3.55/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle into my Southern Tier tulip glass. It poured golden amber in color with a full, frothy, white head filling the top inch of the glass. Pretty decent head retention with some great lacing as I drank it. Excellent looking beer for the style.

The aroma shows a lot of grainy, toasted malts to it. I get some grassy, citrus notes to the hops as well, but the malts seem to be the stronger of the flavors.

The taste shows more of the hops to it. I get a little bit of a resiny, bitter flavor up front, while more of the grassy, herbal, citrus flavors come out in the finish. The toasted, grainy malts are also there throughout the flavor, and lend it some sweetness in the finish.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied for the style and carbonation is moderate. Overall it was a pretty easy drinking and flavorful beer. It wasn't anything outstanding, but was pretty decent. The flavors were pretty well balanced in the taste as well. Decent beer overall.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2011 23:17:48 | More by billab914

Haybeerman

Colorado

3.58/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Hazy gold/orange color. Poured a thin, wispy white head. Laced in thin, broken rings.

S: Sweet pale malts and wet grain. Citrus and orange hops aroma.

T: Bready pale malts up front. Herbal hop notes in the middle; slightly resiny. Nice bitter in the finish to balance with some lingering herbal hops. Fresh, crisp and fairly clean.

M: Light body. Moderate carbonation; I think a bit more would be better. Starts sweet and finishes dry and bitter.

O: Mild, but flavorable. Nice balance.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2011 15:18:51 | More by Haybeerman

HuskyinPDX

Washington

3.83/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Taken from notes on 4.17.11

22oz bottle poured into a pint glass.

A - Pours a cloudy orange with a fizzy white head. Very lively.

S - Malty, sweet, and floral.

T - Tastes like a bold lager - Malty but crisp and floral.

D - Drinks light, slight bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2011 08:20:23 | More by HuskyinPDX

gpogo

California

2.5/5  rDev -30%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

A- Large off white head with a sticky lacing. Clear orange body with lots of carbonation.

A- A faint skunk aroma(just hoping I didn't get a bad bottle). Slight phenolic and sourness.

T- Interesting. Seemed sort of sour at first followed by an almost astringent taste that reminded me of vomit aftertaste. Upon a second sip I realize these are the nutty toasted malt notes, but it just doesn't work for me. Phenolic hop notes as well. As it warmed, the sips tasted better, though it still didn't seem to be a well put together flavor.

M- Medium-light body with high carbonation.

D- I've been very impressed with most of Ninkasi's brews. I'd give this beer another shot and just hope I got a bad bottle.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2011 18:37:44 | More by gpogo