Radiant Summer Ale - Ninkasi Brewing Company

IronDjinn

Alberta (Canada)

3.35/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Picked this up in Ponderay, ID. Came in a 22 oz. brown bomber. Pours out a hazed amber hue, short tight foamy off-white head that dissipates quickly.

Bright citrusy hops on the nose, with some rich bready malt balancing it out.

Rich bready malt up front in the flavour, augmented with citrusy, piney, herbal hops throughout, the latter of which lingers on into the aftertaste like the floor of a pine forest. For an APA this stuff has some balls to it.

Medium-bodied mouthfeel, somewhat watery texture, with some heft from the carbonation at least.

While I enjoyed this for the most part, by the time I finished the bottle I had hit a ho-hum opinion of it. It has a decent hop kick, and the malt manages to hold some presence, however it seems to fall short of its true potential. Good for a hop fix nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2012 07:28:24 | More by IronDjinn

UCLABrewN84

California

3.53/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a hazy dark honey orange with a foamy orange-tan head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Foamy rings of lace line the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt and some herbal hop aromas. Taste is much the same with an alcohol kick and a medium amount of hop bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer that is drinkable but nothing all that memorable.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2012 02:20:28 | More by UCLABrewN84

Philousa

California

2.45/5  rDev -30.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Clear orange copper with a half finger white head that settles to a thin layer and good retention with slight lacing. Aroma starts with lots of toasted almond with orange citrus and some coppery metal. Not much hop aroma to talk about but some definite bitterness. This thing starts a little bitter with some orange rind. It's definitely roasty, which throws me off. Because of the SRM, I'd think it would be more toasty and less abrasive. The bitterness is present throughout and it tastes like burnt toast on the back of the tongue. The feel is balanced and finish is dry.

This could be good, but the roastiness is too strong. I definitely wouldn't want this on a hot summer day, but it's a little interesting in its own right.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2012 18:33:47 | More by Philousa

ngeunit1

California

4/5  rDev +13%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours an almost clear amber-orange color with a finger of frothy white head. The head fades down at a normal pace leaving behind some lacing.

S - Aroma is a mix of citrus, floral, and grassy hops with caramel and biscuit malts.

T - Starts out with a mix of citrus and grapefruit hops with some mild bitterness and some sweet caramel malts. Through the middle, some grassy and floral hops come through with some more bitterness and some biscuit malt. The finish is a mix of sweet caramel and bready malts with some grassy and citrus hops and some bitterness.

M - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Feels smooth with a dry and lightly bitter finish.

D - Very drinkable. Good hop profile with a good overall malt and hop balance.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2012 06:00:23 | More by ngeunit1

colts9016

Idaho

3.38/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a pint glass at 43 degrees.

Appearance: A one finger head that is has fair retention. The color of the head is bright white that is foamy and creamy, with some lacing on the glass. The color of the beer is orange red with amber hues. The clarity of the beer is hazy with some carbonation bubbles. Lacing on the glass exist from the head, a promising sign.

Nose: A medium hop aroma that is spicy, floral, pine, and grapefruit. The malt is toasty with hints of caramel and grain. A subtle sweetness, bready and yeasty.

Taste: The hops is spicy and high perfume, and floral. The malt is bready, toasty, and biscuit. Other notes in the beer is orange and a subtle sweetness.

The mouth feel is astringent, carbonated, dry, and crisp.

Overall: The body of the beer is medium and the finish is long. Where to start on the this beer. I know that Ninkasi like to have some serious hops in their beers but to me this is an over kill for an APA. The malt back bone in the beer is thin and lacking. The hops are abrasive and harsh. To me, the balance is lacking this beer; however, this beer has potential to being great. I feel that if the malt was more present giving it a bigger body then the harshness in the hops would mellow out a touch. It would make it a great APA.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2012 00:53:15 | More by colts9016

Murrhey

Montana

2.75/5  rDev -22.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

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

A- Two finger white head. Thick, sticky lacing. Light copper color with high clarity.

S- Grassy, some clear hop smells, ultimately pretty light smell.

T- Light hops, semi-bitter malts without a real strong malt body.

M- Lighter but a creamy finish. Very dry though.

O- Alright. Below average but drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2012 06:01:49 | More by Murrhey

elNopalero

Texas

3.85/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Saw this on tap and went for it immediately. Good choice.

This poured a toasted straw/amber color with big bubbly white foam. There isn’t much of a discernible aroma to this, at least not something that comes out and makes itself apparent beyond a light, piney grassy aroma. What I do find is all flavor—the first thing I noticed was the thick piney bittering, followed by a resiny, almost tacky finish. It’s borderline hoppy red ale, which is to say its hoppy but has a definite malt profile shared with Ninkasi’s lineup. Effervescence keeps this zippy. Some caramel maltiness comes through as it warms. If I was poetic I’d say something like: ‘it reminds me of caramelized sugar on a slice of French toast.’ As it is, there’s a lot going on here. Some grassy notes, a touch of toasted biscuit and hints of sodium bicarbonate lingering around on the finish all round it out.

Enjoyable. I’d like to try this one on cask.

Serving type: on-tap

08-12-2012 17:52:35 | More by elNopalero

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.18/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

This beer is...boring. Don't know what to say beyond that. Besides: it seems more like an amber to me as opposed to a pale ale. Odd kind of leafy tone that doesn't seem to fit. Hop spices don't mesh well either with things. Eh. I could've done without trying this one really.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2012 21:35:16 | More by RblWthACoz

Hoptometrist

Oregon

3.05/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Served on tap at the Whiteaker Block Party

A- Poured a dark amber color with a frothy off-white head that left lots of chunky lace. Lots of streaming carbonation

S- Very faint aroma, herbal notes and some sweet malts

T- Lots of herbal bitterness, sweet malts, light citrus like fruity notes, and a lot of breadiness

M- Light bodied, finishes watery, low carbonation

O- An average beer, drinkable, nothing unique, and nothing I would get again

Serving type: on-tap

08-05-2012 02:20:42 | More by Hoptometrist

zeledonia

Minnesota

2.98/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Tasted 25 June 2012, reviewed from notes.

Pours a bright clear medium orange amber. About 1 finger of yellowish off-white head. Decent retention and lacing.

Smell is bland, with bready and biscuity malts. Toasted. Not much sweetness or hop aroma at all.

Taste is, similarly, dominated by those bready toasted malts, with an herbal, mild bitter bend. But mostly it's faint and bland.

Mouthfeel is fine - medium-light body, carbonation's a little on the low side. Finish is, hmm, not memorable.

Not bad, but not my favorite beer. Bland, with bready malts and soggy herbal hops, like grass laid out in a pile until it gets musty.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2012 17:04:59 | More by zeledonia

N3rdM3t4l

Oregon

3.4/5  rDev -4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Brown bomber into standard pint. Served chilled.

A: not pale at all, amber colored. Half a fingee of white head receced into a sparse cap and ring around the glass. Pretty clear.

S: hoppy at firat and a tad sweet. I smell crystal malt. Not a lot on the nose, simple but refined.

T: much more complex than the nose. Opens with thst crystal malty sweetness, next it is rich malty goodness, then it finishes with the standard Ninkasi long boil hop bitter.

M: smooth with just a bit of chew. Feels nice.

O: good beer, the bitter can be a bit much, but all in all I like this.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2012 04:30:42 | More by N3rdM3t4l

brandonpaulweaver

3.48/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Smells like a faint brown sugar and orange citrus. Not overwhelming. Citrus flavor follows through to the taste and is counterbalanced by a rich carmel low end. Smooth creamy mouth feel. Both taste and mouthfeel give way to a sharp hoppy finish.
Nothing is super impressive here but nothing is terrible either.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2012 19:25:05 | More by brandonpaulweaver

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.33/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Review from 6/2011 notes. Poured into a Black Raven pint glass. Pours a clear orange amber. Nice one finger off-white head and good lacing. Nice looking. Light caramel malt and light fruit aroma. Sweet caramel malt start, grassy, citrus middle then transitions into an abrupt hop bite. Not well integrated. Nice medium body, individual components are nice, but not a good flavor progression.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2012 21:47:48 | More by LiquidAmber

Offa

California

3.18/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pale orange gold, big off-white head slowly shrinks to thin rocky top, nice foamy lace.

Aroma is nice toasty bread, hints of caramelized grapefruit & orange, peppery leaves, grass.

Taste is peppery-spicy-grassy bitterness with hint of citrus, juicy raisin up front, lightly juicy and zesty, and crisp. Then the bitterness lingers and dominates, mostly because the beer’s character seems light and lean. It has light juicy yeastiness. It is good, but not great, a little too bitter and thin.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 20:23:25 | More by Offa

timtwoface

British Columbia (Canada)

3.98/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Ninkasi has another wonderful selection here. I first had this one on tap at Henry's on 12th in Portland, OR, and have just recently purchased a bomber at a little liquor store in Pt. Roberts, WA, to bring back north across the border. The fact it's a "summer ale" and I'm having it on December 14...is that concerning?

Of course not. It's delicious. The description on the bottle describes it bluntly and perfectly - it's bitter, it's got some bite, it's got a decent amount of hops, it's got a sweet finish, and it's a beautiful (albeit cloudy) orangey-brown hue.

I could drink this year round, I don't know why it's only given a summer release (apparently). It's one delicious pale/amber ale with some definite oomph that I love and appreciate.

It's not my favourite of the Ninkasi line-up, but it's definitely a solid amber and I would definitely recommend this to anyone searching one out, no matter what time of the year it is.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2011 03:07:49 | More by timtwoface

CuriousMonk

Virginia

3.58/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to a buddy who provided me this beer from Oregon. Quite bitter and heavy on the palate. I have to agree with it's commerical description: Radiant Summer Ale is, "Crisp and flavorful, Radiant Summer Ale is a clean finishing summer offering in the Ninkasi tradition. The smooth malt character is balanced by a clean noble hop presence, the perfect compliment to a glorious summer day! 6% alc./vol. 40 ibus." It’s dry-hopped with Liberty hops. It’s more bitter rather than floral and has a crisp, clean finish.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2011 16:45:42 | More by CuriousMonk

canucklehead

British Columbia (Canada)

3.45/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A lot like Spring Reign in that it sacrifices complexity for drinkability. The hops are there but downplayed and the beer is pretty forgettable in retrospect. I like their beers but this is nothing special. I would have liked a little more hops on the mouthfeel and a longer finish kinda like Deschutes Twilight Ale but I still found it a drinkable beer for a hot day.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2011 01:25:27 | More by canucklehead

velosuds

Oregon

3.48/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a clear pint glass. No freshness date. Paid $1.65 for a single at local natural foods store.

A-Pours a clear, bright, copper-orange hue with about a one and a half finger, off-white head with average retention and some lacing.

S-Biscuit-like malt and subtle floral hops. Not robust enough.

T-Taste follows the smell in that it is not nearly hoppy enough. Pale, bready malts and caramel dominate the taste with hops only contributing to the bitterness but adding little to the flavor. Unfortunate

M-Smooth and crisp. Quite refreshing.

O-A decent beer, but nothing to get excited about. Ninkasi has been hit or miss for me. Glad I was able try without buying a bomber or a 6-pack.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2011 01:55:38 | More by velosuds

mactrail

California

2.53/5  rDev -28.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Way bitter and plain amber beer. Color is ice and has a decent head. Seems pleasantly beery at first mouthful with enough carbonation. Some hint of orange flavor and a touch of sweet malt. Hops contribute a plain, non-aromatic harshness. Flat taste that is beery enough but dissipates into an endless bitterness. Light body. I don't taste anything to redeem this stuff, but it may appeal to someone on a serious hop trip. From a 22 oz bottle bought in San Francisco.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2011 06:26:46 | More by mactrail

EspressoGuy

British Columbia (Canada)

3.05/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A- golden-orange. Head disapates quickly. Medium carbonation.

S- very little. No noticeable hops or malt.

T- simple. clean. some lingering bitterness in the finish.

M- medium-light body.

O - nothing special. Wish there was more of something. With such a plain beer unfortunately some heat from the alcohol is noticeable in the finish.

Would not buy this again.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2011 01:36:54 | More by EspressoGuy

Scotchboy

Idaho

3.65/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle poured into a Sam Adams Perfect Pint.

A: Once the chill haze fades, your're left with a fairly clear beer with a golden orange color and a rocky eggshell colored head. There is some definite sediment in the bottom of my glass; not sure what that's from.

S: You're nose is met with a good amount of piney hop bitterness, as well as a significant toasted caramel malt presence. There is some lemon zest in the nose as well, along with some earthy, herbal characters.

T: Again, good amounts of pine and even some astringent hop characters, with a rich toasted malt backbone. Maybe some lemon, hints of ginger, and other spices as well.

MF: Crisp, with a light feel and dry finish that takes some time to show up on the back end.

O: An enjoyable Pale ale with some nice woody, earthy undertones and a decent malt backbone.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2011 03:05:59 | More by Scotchboy

industrialswill

Washington

4/5  rDev +13%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked up a 4 pack of bombers for about $14 at Fred Meyer.
This is one easy drinkin' beer. For those who are "hop curious", this one has an underlying touch of bitterness....but it's definitely a malty ale.
For the IPA drinkers, I'm sure many would down grade not just this beer but the whole style in general for not having the extra oomph that they've become accustomed to.
I totally enjoyed it. I must admit to liking IPAs more..but this is still an excellent beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2011 05:03:11 | More by industrialswill

Hojaminbag

Colorado

3.5/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Radiant Summer ale has a golden-orange colored body and a small cap of off-white foam. Lacing and retention are spotty at best.

The aroma is bready and sweet from the malt, with the promise of bitterness and some earthy hops.

Bits of fruit flavors from the hops mix with earthy hop flavors, both of which are off-set by the malt profile, which brings bread, toasted malts, sweetness and a touch of caramel.

The body is a hair under medium in heft, average carbonation.

This is an APA that will remind you of many other APAs. Good but not great.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2011 23:58:52 | More by Hojaminbag

gpogo

California

2.45/5  rDev -30.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

A- Fluffy sticky white head. Golden straw orange body. Slightly hazy, but you can definitely see through the body.

A- Toasty biscuity malt with very light hop aroma. Kindof boring or mute for a APA.

T- Initial bitter flavor with a muted malt flavor taking over. Leaves a slightly sweet nutty malt flavor. Not too impressive, bland. Nice peppery kick though.

M- Smooth medium body. Moderate to high carbonation which lends itself well to the peppery kick.

D- I honestly wasn't very impressed. The flavor and aroma was mute or bland. It had a good appearance and the peppery kick was nice. Perhaps the malt bill could be improved or maybe the malt used was old?

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2011 04:53:05 | More by gpogo

Bfarr

Washington

3.65/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Clear orange amber with thin tan foamy head. Floral lager aroma. Floral biscuit malt with light peppery end and very light hop and sweet finish. Very slick easy feel but with a tacky finish.

Really easy beer going down with good flavor, nicely light hops and sweetness making a good outdoor beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2011 01:57:58 | More by Bfarr