Maiden The Shade - Ninkasi Brewing Company

Hoptometrist

Oregon

4.15/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on tap into a shaker glass at the brewpub

A- Poured a super clear golden orange color with tons of streaming carbonation, frothy head that left chunky lace

S- Nice aroma of tropical fruit and floral notes, nice but not strong or complex

T- Big astringent pineapple, peach, and tropical fruit notes. Pretty big grapefruit and floral notes

M- Very high carbonation, medium body, semi-dry finish, pretty refreshing

O- A really nice IPA with moderate to high bitterness and tons of juicy fruit flavors

Serving type: on-tap

09-27-2012 03:32:22 | More by Hoptometrist

RJLarse

Washington

4.1/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at the Swamp in Spokane. Served in a pint glass.

Pours a pale gold color, clear, with a thin white head.

Smell is strong and sweet pine aroma.

Taste is also pine and sour citrus flavor with dry bitter aftertaste.

Mouthfeel is light crisp and clean. Just the way a summer IPA should be.

Overall a nice drinkable IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

08-26-2012 17:03:17 | More by RJLarse

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

3.13/5  rDev -22.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

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

Pours a clear copper, topped with a thin layer of bright-white head. This retains with mostly some thinnish looking edging which leave back some light spotty lacing. The aroma smells grassy on the edges, with a lot of ripe earthy fruit and sweet malt underneath.

The taste is sweet grains and fruitiness, with a grassy citric bitterness. This is overall giving of a bit of a ripe herbal feel with a moderate dryness to the finish. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, with a prickly and sharp creaminess to the carbonation that expands the flavors out in the mouth. This has a pretty decent feel in the mouth and the crispness here helps keep this drinkable.

Uh, this was an IPA? I had no idea when I ordered it and although it was forward with citrus flavors, the bitterness here was much more akin to a Pale Ale or even an American Blonde Ale. I mean this was pleasant enough and actually drank well for almost 7% but as an IPA, I wouldn’t say that this quite cut it. I would have been much more disappointed in this while I was drinking it if I had known what it was supposed to be.

Serving type: on-tap

09-22-2011 14:09:33 | More by Kegatron

dgilks

Australia

4.38/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Clear golden colour with a small white head. Fair head retention.

Crisp tropical fruit aroma. Mild malt. Some citrus. Good.

Crisp, tropical fruit with some passionfruit and grapefruit. light but slightly sweet malt. Really nice IPA.

Medium light malt with moderate carbonation. Good.

A perfect, summer IPA. Great fruity flavour and nice balance. Awesome.

Serving type: on-tap

08-15-2011 11:22:44 | More by dgilks

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

3.85/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On-tap at Monk's Kettle, in San Francisco.

Maiden The Shade, somewhat ironically, has a sunny complexion. Its blistering golden colour and light haze are fairly standard fare for the style and its head, which appears to be on its last legs and struggles to tack on any lace at all, isn't exactly exemplary either.

The smell is impressively citric and bitter, but doesn't set off any fireworks with regards to excitement. Beyond the default grapefruit and orange peel, fruitiness fails to jump out of the glass, in part because of such a strong bready malt presence. A little posse of alcohol esters seemed to have soaked in as well, even before the beer had a chance to warm up.

The taste is fairly boilerplate, which, fortunately, being from the Pacific Northwest is enough to earn you a considerable score. The hops lead off with a peach-y fruitiness that quickly gives way to bigger notes of under-ripe melon and bitter orange peel, with an alcohol-doused pale maltiness ushering in in the clean-up spot. Nice, but again nothing out of the ordinary.

Too many kettle hops for my liking. I'm all for bitterness, don't get me wrong, but just as jazz music playing in the washrooms doesn't make a restaurant any fancier, adding a bunch of bittering hops doesn't automatically make an IPA bigger and more characterful. It just makes it more bitter, and if there's not enough flavour to make it worthwhile, why bother?

I was disappointed by Maiden The Shade because I found it to be too much like Ninkasi's other IPAs (Tricerahops and Total Domination). Truth be told it's a fairly pedestrian offering and, on the whole, simply not that impressive. In fact, I prefer the other two. Also, I'm not sure I understand the need to have all three of those beers in the regular lineup; I'd concentrate on making any one of them better and going with just that for now.

Serving type: on-tap

07-26-2011 01:03:26 | More by biegaman

ralree

Maryland

5/5  rDev +23.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A: Gold, relatively clear, nice head, 1/4 finger, Great retention.

S: Honey, hops, apple, spice.

T: Very spicy, lots of malt, lots of hops, really nice fruity finish. Distinct from all other beers I've tried!

M: Clean, dry, very slight astringence, light body.

D: Perfect. Goes down extremely smoothly.

Enjoyed at the Oregon Brewer's Festival 2010

Serving type: on-tap

07-26-2010 06:39:05 | More by ralree

Murrhey

Montana

3.46/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 2.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bomber into a pint glass in high elevation Libby, Mont. Reviewed live. No best-by date.

A- Quarter-inch thick white head. Very little retention. Pale-orange color with high clarity. Not appealing.

S- Bitter floral and piney scents. Hop-oil is heavy and fragrant. Light malts.

T- Assault on the taste-buds. Hop-oil is heavy and thick. Floral, bitter hops are the main taste component of this beer. Don't hate it, but I'm not a hop-head.

M- Medium bodied and oily.

O- Unattractive, but nice aroma and harsh taste. Not bad, but not sure it deserves that 90.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2013 00:27:38 | More by Murrhey

phishsihq

Colorado

3.98/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A tasty limited release from the hard-to-find Ninkasi Brewing Company. Maiden the Shade pours a hazy peach color with a decent white head that leaves a good amount of lace. A slight breadiness quickly gives way to tropical fruits (mango, pineapple) and pine resin hop aromas. Flavors of grapefruit, tangerine, and mango, as well as a hint of grass dominate the pallet with just a touch of toasted bread providing the malt backbone. Medium-light in body, Maiden the Shade finishes crisp with a moderate level of carbonation. Great to finally get our pallet on a Ninkasi brew!

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 01:40:02 | More by phishsihq

AgentMunky

Alabama

4.18/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 22 ounce bottle into an Allagash cervoise glass.

A: A finger of off-white head churns and fades. Hazy-clear straw-gold. Vaguely matte.

S: Really strong hops. Absolutely lovely! Dryish malts, juicy grapefruit, crisp pine.

T/M: Tasty, crisp, and lightly dry. Hops are prevalent and dominant. Zesty citrus and a thin body. The aftertaste is dry and bitter. As it warms, hops grow slightly garlicky. Well-made.

O: Great IPA! Highly recommended and drinkable. Would have again.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2012 01:44:58 | More by AgentMunky

UCLABrewN84

California

3.65/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a murky orange with a foamy orange-white head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Small dots and streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is malt, citrus zest, and herbal hop aromas. Taste is of malt, citrus zest, and unsweetened grapefruit juice. There is an alcohol kick and a medium amount of hop bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer but it smells better than it tastes in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2012 01:44:30 | More by UCLABrewN84

ngeunit1

California

4/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

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

S - Aroma is a mix of grapefruit, floral, and pine hops with some sweet caramel and biscuit malts.

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

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

D - Very drinkable. Good overall balance with a nice hop profile and bitterness throughout.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2012 05:01:23 | More by ngeunit1

wethorseblanket

California

4/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a hazy pale orange with a one finger frothy white head which fades slowly to the rim leaving nice rings.

N: Citrus (orange, grapefruit), floral, some pine and tropicals too. Faint malty note.

T: Lots of aggressive hops with resin and oils. Floral with citrus and some pine. Mild malt backing.

M: Medium body and carbonation. Dry and slightly astringent bitterness on the finish.

O: Decent easy drinking summer IPA.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 02:06:51 | More by wethorseblanket

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is a meaty and hearty IPA. Not so much that it's just a massive hop bomb for the sake of it, but it's a good mix of malts and hops. Makes it pleasant to drink; so much so that I just keep on sipping and have to push myself to write something about it quickly, before it is too late.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2012 05:45:18 | More by RblWthACoz

lighthabit

Oregon

3.68/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served from bomber into a glass on 8/29/12

A: Dark goldish color, mostly clear. Surprisingly little head at first pour, dies down to a thin layer on the surface. Lacing is decent, but I'd like to see more. Carbonation seems to die down a bit early.

S: Not much, really, but what's there is pleasant. I'm catching something there that I can't quite identify . . . but it's ok, not off-putting.

T: Clean, light, very drinkable, a bit sweeter than I'd expected for an IPA. Pleasant from start to finish. Hops aren't really as strong as I'd like, but definitely a great summer evening drink. As it warms in the glass the flavor remains pleasing, and the hops seem to come out just a bit more (yay!).

M: Smooth, I like the mouth feel, just a bit sticky.

O: Nice overall brew, might have to get another one. For about $5 for a bomber at the Made-in-Oregon store in Salem, I was happy (yeah, I wasn't planning on getting a brew there, but the girls were shopping, lol). That 6.8 ABV seems a bit conservative.

Note: Bravo to Ninkasi for bring these nods to old bands around once in a while. I enjoyed their Sleigher winter brew, and am happy to see this come around, too.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2012 04:55:21 | More by lighthabit

largadeer

California

3.3/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pretty standard pale peach-colored IPA. Head retention is solid.

Smell: Not a ton here, but it's decent enough. Resinous and minty, with some stonefruit, a bit of bready malt, and a touch of butter and mineral.

Palate: Very herbal. Pine, faint citrus, faint buttery slickness. Plenty of early hop addition bite; could use more (any?) dry hopping to balance things out. Slight chalkiness on the back end. Pretty pleasant medium-light body; the heft is about right, but the hint of diacetyl prevents it from feeling as crisp as I'd like.

Overall: Better than Ninkasi's mediocre Total Domination, but still not overly exciting. I appreciate the Maiden tribute, though.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2012 01:56:49 | More by largadeer

kemoarps

Washington

3.08/5  rDev -23.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

No haze here at all, this is a clear straw coloured IPA, with a bubbly white head that dissipates slowly.

Weak nose, but primarily a mild hop mixture. The pine stands out most to me, with a little citrus as well. Little bit of a malt behind it, but not much.

Taste is balanced decently, primarily hoppy, with those citrusy hops being most prominent. Little light malt supports and compliments.

Decent carbonation, drinkable enough, but doesn't really stand out to me. Would consider drinking again if someone offered it, but not one I'm probably going to pick up for myself when there are many better options out there.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2012 21:28:35 | More by kemoarps

Mebuzzard

Colorado

4.45/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This a great beer for the summer, and every season thereafter. Pours a very good looking orange/gold/yellow with fluffy and sticky white head. Yum

Nose has that hop character; pine, citrus and grass. Also contains some spices, like white pepper and coriander, albeit a hint of the latter.

Flavor follows the nose. Citrus and pine dance well together with grass and flower cutting in here and there, but not intruding. Spices occupy the sidelines but do get noticed. Bitterness is dry and the middle of tongue gets the most of it.
Carbonation may be a bit much as it takes away too much at the end. But that just means I need more...

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2012 22:59:09 | More by Mebuzzard

LiquidAmber

Washington

4.3/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Review from 8/2010 notes. Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours a nice orange amber with a moderate white head with decent retention and lacing. Nice fresh hop and citrus aroma. Strong, flavorful hops and mild citrus. Citrus hop finish. A top class IPA. Well done.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2012 17:52:56 | More by LiquidAmber

N3rdM3t4l

Oregon

4.2/5  rDev +4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bomber from summer 4 pack purchased 7/15/12 poured into standard pint.

A: clear honey colred with a finger width offwhite head that fell to a very nice cap.

S: slightly sweet with a bit of citrus hops. Honey on the nose quite a bit actually.

T: big hops, kind of grassy and a little bitter even up front. Sweet like on the nose. Reminds me of their barleywine Critical Hit a lot but is lighter. It is quite tasty. The malt isn't outshined by the hops, they dance around eachother deliciously.

M: heavy side of medium, also like Critical Hit. Smooth with a little carbonation.

O: I like this a lot, sad that it is a special release because it is tasty. But another beer named after a metal band from Ninkasi is bound to be great. Go out, find one of these, drink it.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2012 02:34:01 | More by N3rdM3t4l

theWrkncacnter

North Carolina

4.28/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle from Ninkasi 4 pack purchased at Market of Choice. Pours a very light straw color, almost cheap beer colored. Very clear; minimal head that fades into some lacing. Smell is very nice; light maltiness with a decent amount of citrus hops over the top. Taste is top notch; lots of hops with a very light summer-y maltiness. Almost a lighter IPA in flavor, kind of reminds me of english style IPAs like Meantime. Hops hang in the mouth for a while after sipping, not the greatest aftertaste IMO. A great beer, my only complaint is that it's a bit heavy for a summer beer and at 6.8% not something I'd want to session on a hot summer day. Definitely great for sipping on a beautiful summer afternoon in Eugene, which is what I'm doing!

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2012 22:44:05 | More by theWrkncacnter

shleepy

California

3.83/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served from bottle on 7/6/2011 (going through older notes).

A: Copper, fairly clear. Medium head with small bubbles. Quickly dissipated.

S: Peaches, oranges; pretty intense.

T: Delicious and fruity as heck. Mild bitter aftertaste. Dry but almost has some honey flavor, making it Belgian IPA-like, but not to an extent that I think they were trying to go for that style.

M: Smooth, very drinkable. Seems like it's fairly dry for an IPA.

O: Very enjoyable, and an interesting beer within a style that does not have enough real variance.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2012 23:38:09 | More by shleepy

OBeerMeGreatOne

California

4.05/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint. Pours out with a burnt orange color. Very nice inch of head that leaves a few nice islands and a bunch of creeping lace as it disappears.

Smells slightly skunked. Behind that, bready and slightly fruity malts. Grassy and slightly citric hops have a background presence. Hope the taste is a bit better.

The taste doesn't exhibit any skunky flavor, thank goodness. Very balanced. Pale malts and citrus mix at the start. There is a slight orange zest sweetness and some floral hops in the middle, with a nice, fresh cut grass finish. A touch heavy on the carbonation, but still smooth enough. Really great, long lasting aftertaste!

I'll grab a few more from a store that stores their beer in a more respectful fashion and update this if needed, but even with slight skunk smell, pretty damn good. I'm glad Ninkasi still gets to SF.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 05:09:21 | More by OBeerMeGreatOne

Fatehunter

Oregon

3.9/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a tulip glass. Hazing golden color, almost transparent, with minimal head.

Amazing smell. Complex. All sorts of citrus: lemon, grapefruit and orange. A muted honey. It is blended perfectly.

No doubt an IPA. Solid bitterness up front, melts away to a mild malt sweetness, quickly followed by lemon bitter.

Pretty crisp, still retains a soft texture though. Moderate carbonation.

The smell is the star of the show, good tasting but nothing special to look at.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 01:32:14 | More by Fatehunter

Offa

California

2.78/5  rDev -31.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Slightly cloudy gold, this has a big off-white head slowly shrinking to thin foamy top and some lace.

Aroma is fairly standard, but somewhat more complex than the norm, with grapefruit, pear, pineapple, hints of resin and yeasty dough.

Taste up front is juicy and resiny (as with the aroma) with nice sweet-bitter balance at first, but then it degrades into astringent bitterness that lingers and dominates to the exclusion of all else, ending up being one-dimensionally hoppy bitter with no noticeable malty or yeasty character to provide interest, depth, or balance. Thus, despite some good flavour and a clean, bright character, it is utterly one-dimensional, unbalanced, and thin of character.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2012 01:39:03 | More by Offa

drabmuh

Maryland

3.18/5  rDev -21.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Served in a tulip. Beer is amber and hazy with a nice white head of small bubbles, decent lacing, moderate to low carbonation, and good retention, looks good. Unfortunately for that this beer really only looks good.

Aroma is sweet, malty, almost no hops at all.

Beer continues to disappoint as the palate is bland with a grainy aftertaste that covers up any implied or perceived presence of hops that might have been there providing some bitterness. This is a huge let down. I've wanted this beer for a while. Maybe it is just old but there is no way to tell since there is no date on the bottle. Date your IPAs geniuses. What a fucking waste.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2012 02:33:02 | More by drabmuh