Narragansett Summer Ale - Narragansett Brewing Co.

racer2k

Massachusetts

3.88/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this in the original packaging 16oz. can

A: Clean pale golden color with a frothy white head. A nice clean looking beer.

S: Forward hop aroma with hints of citrus and cracker malts on board. Very nice smell to this beer.

T: Light floral hops and malty sweetness are present along with a hint of grassy tones and some spice. Very nice crisp hoppy finish to this beer. Fantastic balance!

M: Light body beer with moderate carbonation and excellent drinkability to this offering. This beer has "Session" written all over it.

O: Very nice summer beer that is refreshing, balanced and quite tasty. The only challenge with this beer is that I have not had an opportunity to get any more as demand is strong.

Serving type: can

07-29-2011 19:38:31 | More by racer2k

LeahM

New York

3.5/5  rDev -8.1%

05-20-2013 18:59:24 | More by LeahM

jl28r1

Texas

3.25/5  rDev -14.7%

05-18-2013 16:24:13 | More by jl28r1

GFD400

New York

4/5  rDev +5%

05-18-2013 02:45:15 | More by GFD400

Davepoolesque

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -8.1%

05-17-2013 13:32:00 | More by Davepoolesque

magictacosinus

California

3.53/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Thanks angrybabboon! Poured into a stange glass from a 12oz can.

Thanks to the glass, at least, this pours a golden yellow color complete with tons of carbonation as well as a good 2.5 fingers of foamy, thinning head. The carbonation lasts for a while, rising up towards the top with a cascade of bubbles. The head eventually dwindles down to nothing, but it takes a while. Some lacing surprisingly sticks around, too. Looks pretty much like a classic blonde or pale lager, and eye candy for what it is.

The initial aroma consists of crisp, golden grains, as well as a slightly "skunky" yet fruity flavor, as well as distance yet noticeable grassy, earthy hops. Glad they used Citra in this - I can tell its doing its best to add character to the overall flavor profile. There's a slight citrus flavor, maybe of lemon, but otherwise there's far more going on with the grassy flavor and skunky backdrop. Smells light and mellow, although the Citra hops really made all the difference here.

The flavor consists of an initial grainy, crisp and light flavor, which soon follows with a subdued bitterness that is slightly grassy and refreshing. The hops linger around for some time, and make the beer more flavorful than it would have otherwise been. Then malts are quite light as well, but still flavorful if in a simple, pleasant manner, which makes this ideal for warm weather drinking. Given the mellow flavor but with enough substance as well as a semi-thick feel with the extra carbonation, this is easily quaffable as well, and definitely nothing to complain about other than its intended simplicity.

What a solid, refreshing take on all of the generic "summer ales" that come around. This has the flavor and character of a good lager, and yet the thickness of an ale that gives me the best of two worlds. It's not complex by any means, but maybe I wouldn't want to have a super complex beer every day of the week, and by no means when I'm out and about on a picnic or beach someplace. This is nearly a British session beer, and I could consume many in a row. Three of their beers in, I'm yet to find a brewery as Narragansett that does offerings this simple and equally enjoyable as they do.

Serving type: can

05-16-2013 03:53:14 | More by magictacosinus

jayhunter357

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -8.1%

05-15-2013 01:58:48 | More by jayhunter357

JAHMUR

Connecticut

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%

05-15-2013 00:37:29 | More by JAHMUR

Thedrizzle

Florida

2.5/5  rDev -34.4%

05-10-2013 01:15:34 | More by Thedrizzle

mcgill526

Rhode Island

4/5  rDev +5%

04-23-2013 21:34:57 | More by mcgill526

Kelp

New Hampshire

3.5/5  rDev -8.1%

04-23-2013 06:05:09 | More by Kelp

SunDevilBeer

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +5%

04-20-2013 17:42:40 | More by SunDevilBeer

mattparsons

New Hampshire

3.5/5  rDev -8.1%

04-20-2013 02:38:59 | More by mattparsons

fmccormi

New York

3.56/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Straight pour from a 16oz can to my nice Tired Hands stempiece; canning date of April 4, 2013 printed in black ink on the underside of the can in a Julian variant (“0943 16:09”). So, just under two weeks old on the date of consumption.

Appearance (3.75): Sure looks like a summer ale. The body is a beautiful, crystal-clear honey-gold, and the head rises to one big, fat finger of crisp, bone-white foam that dies down before too long, with modest retention at best. Modest lacing: a few splotches and suds here and there—though as time wears on, it unexpectedly leaves a pretty solid sheet on one side of the glass. It’s cute, not pretty or gorgeous or sexy. Just cute, in the right light.

Smell (3.5): Very nice balance between wet, crackery pilsner-ish kinda malt body and some interesting, floral hop tones. Lightly citrusy, with . . . a mild cat pee aroma? Yep. Am I imagining this? Lightly toasted grains make a nice complement to this interesting hop aroma.

Taste (3.5): Very light and crisp, with a smooth, toasted grain character (like dry, toasted white bread, à la Elwood Blues) and a somewhat modest hop snap on the back end—despite being relatively light, it’s resinous and dank. Just soft. Wish it were a little more pronounced. There’s some modest citrus pith bitterness mixed in, too, which when combined with the toasted grain and resin make for an herbal, decidedly dry finish. It improves modestly as it warms, turning the confluence of pale malt body and resinous hop bitterness into something resembling a (watered-down) sweet orange flavor.

Mouthfeel (4.0): Actually, under par for the course. Nice prickles here and there, and then a soft, filling foam action on the way down marks the carbonation. The body is crisp, rather light, and dry but not very—still wet enough to feel almost quenching, rather than parching. This is crushable.

Overall (3.5): It is what it is. It’s not perfect, it’s not exceptional, but it’s plenty easy to drink and pleasant in all the ways that count. Exceptional in any way? No. Great in any way? No. Very good in any way? Maybe if it’s hot out and you didn’t expect to see this kind of beer around. It’s just fine, and that’s fine by me. Glad I got a sixer, because this is an easy going beer.

Serving type: can

04-18-2013 02:58:42 | More by fmccormi

beertardis

Rhode Island

3.5/5  rDev -8.1%

04-10-2013 00:31:28 | More by beertardis

briguy9842

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +5%

04-09-2013 15:12:37 | More by briguy9842

Celtics76

Rhode Island

4/5  rDev +5%

04-02-2013 14:54:49 | More by Celtics76

mckowned

Connecticut

3/5  rDev -21.3%

03-08-2013 01:55:13 | More by mckowned

DaKur

Rhode Island

4/5  rDev +5%

02-14-2013 23:21:13 | More by DaKur

BColton1

Rhode Island

4/5  rDev +5%

02-08-2013 16:37:43 | More by BColton1

mrovelli

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -8.1%

01-26-2013 03:22:57 | More by mrovelli

phishbone23

New York

2/5  rDev -47.5%

01-23-2013 14:36:49 | More by phishbone23

benoit917

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +18.1%

01-13-2013 03:15:27 | More by benoit917

Buttermilk

Illinois

3/5  rDev -21.3%

01-11-2013 16:13:23 | More by Buttermilk

bellb

Connecticut

2.75/5  rDev -27.8%

01-10-2013 00:56:39 | More by bellb