Narragansett Summer Ale - Narragansett Brewing Co.

Chaney

District of Columbia

4.1/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Special thanks to Huhzubendah for popping on of these open at his house.

This is currently the #2 ranked American Blonde Ale.

A: Golden, clear, and with great retention. The frothy, nitro-esque head stuck around in at least a small way throughout the session.

S: Sour dough bread quality in spades and with a very yeasty quality in general.

T: Sweet, crisp, and with a hint of honey for added sweet flavor. Smooth as silk and perfect for the summer heat.

M: Prickly, but not overly carbonated. The lacing was mild and certainly was a lot less than I expected.

O: It really can't get much better for this style. Recommended!

Serving type: can

07-28-2011 23:08:04 | More by Chaney

DrJay

Massachusetts

4.08/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Crystal clear and yellow/gold in colour with a lingering white cap of fine foam. Solid sheets of bubbles coated the top of the glass. Cereal and grainy aroma along with zesty citrus and a hint of pine. Moderate bitterness provided balance for bready malt sweetness. More citrusy hops, cereal grains, slightly metallic and bitter in the finish. Rich, creamy texture, light to medium bodied with moderate carbonation, fairly dry. I really enjoyed this. A solid summer ale.

Serving type: can

07-26-2011 23:38:06 | More by DrJay

portia99

Massachusetts

3.68/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

16oz can poured into a Dogfish Head signature glass.

A - Pours a super clear, rich golden color with a thick finger plus of foamy, soapy white head with good retention and leaving behind thick lacing all over the glass.

S - Extremely grainy on the nose with a fruity and metallic hoppy bitterness that cuts through. Sugary sweet malt rounds and smooths a bit.

T - Sweet malt up front on the first sip backed up by a mid level hop bitterness, a bit of earthy and metallic hop? flavors. Finishes quite dry, smooth and intensely bready/biscuity. Maybe a bit of lemony citrus mixed in there too, but I'm not sure that it isn't that I just wanna taste that in there.

M - A bit on the thin side, tending towards watery. Carbonation gives a feel that is soft and smooth from its lower intensity level. Goes down like water.

O - Hmm, what to say about this. I'm pleasantly surprised and disappointed all at the same time. I had heard from a number of trusted BA's how good this beer is and finally got around to trying it. Well, it is way better than I expected it to be when I first saw this on the shelves earlier this summer, but I had heard what a nice hop profile this has...and I just don't get it. Maybe this has been on the shelves (or actually fridge) of the beer store for a while and the hops have faded some, but it just wasn't as expected. However, this is definitely a better than passable summer thirst quencher. A day of working in the yard, a round of golf, a day on the deck or at the pool - this will work fine. A bargain for $9/6er of 16oz cans, but not enough to it to make it into my regular summer rotation.

Serving type: can

07-26-2011 23:09:00 | More by portia99

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.58/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Tall boy cans...

Pours a light fizzy head that disappears quickly over crystal clear golden straw colored beer.

Nose is light straw and golden malts, nice grassy aromatic hops, light and crisp, but very light.

Taste is a bit surprising as I didn't expect much, straw again, light malts, bit toasty, very light mild grassy hops, super clean and crisp, but very light on the taste overall, very watery as well, dry finish. Nice summer beer.

Mouth, what mouth, I can barely detect that it is even there, and light carbonation.

Overall not bad, better than I expected, nice flavors, hints of grassy mild hops, but a bit watery and way too light.

Serving type: can

07-24-2011 16:36:04 | More by jlindros

jayhawk73

Maryland

4.5/5  rDev +18.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks Matt!

A- Pours a light yellow w/ a white one finger head. Good carbonation and lacing. Somewhat cloudy, but you can still easily see through it.

S- Slight lemon, grass, malt, and earthiness. Fantastic, and very refreshing nose.

T- All smells in the taste as well. Very smooth and refreshing. I didn't realize how great this beer was going to be- especially for the style. I could drink 4 or 5 of these just because the taste is so great.

M- Surprising substantial feel to this beer, but still fairly thin and refreshing.

O- For the style, it doesn't get any better. Highly recommended!

Serving type: can

07-19-2011 23:46:40 | More by jayhawk73

matty

Pennsylvania

2.65/5  rDev -30.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Light gold colored beer with a slowly fading head.Aroma is very light frutiness.Taste is dominated by hops and pine needles.Another disgusting over hopped beer that makes it taste like Pine-sol.I would not recommend and will be very lucky to get through this crap.

Serving type: can

07-19-2011 12:53:26 | More by matty

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4.35/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Can from drabmuh. Thanks Matt!

The beer is completely transparent and yellow in color, with a finger of white head that displays lasting retention and leaves ample lacing on the glass (not a run-on sentence, though it feels that way). Steady effervescence emanates from the depths of the pint glass. After fifteen minutes, no let up. Impressive.

The aroma is great, especially considering the beer is so low in alcohol. Light fruits and the smell of summer. Mmm...

The flavor is delicious. I could throw back several of these in a session. Perfectly balanced and teeming with flavor, this is certainly a top notch example of the style. I definitely want more of this. Recommended.

Serving type: can

07-18-2011 21:47:33 | More by Huhzubendah

mjrod2142

Massachusetts

2.6/5  rDev -31.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

16oz. can poured into a standard pint glass

A non-aggressive pour produced a one finger-sized head of impressive creaminess. Good lacings were left behind as it dissipated. The color is bright and clean and very similar to their Lager.

I really had to jam my nose into the glass to pick up any aroma. What I eventually got was a sharp hoppiness with almost a sweet vinegar-y bite. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. As I let it settle, more citrus hoppiness revealed itself.

The taste was a letdown, in my opinion. My first thing was "uninspired American Pale Ale." The sharp note in the aroma does not translate into the taste. I can taste the hops, but they seem conflicted, almost bored...as if they're looking to find a cooler backyard BBQ to hang out at than yours. The bland finish and forgettable aftertaste left me wanting something else for the round.

With so many better summer seasonals available, I wouldn't recommend, but be sure to try for yourself.

Serving type: can

07-18-2011 00:39:36 | More by mjrod2142

drabmuh

Maryland

3.48/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

At the time of this review, this is the #1 American Blonde Ale on beeradvocate.com. YES!!! Another #1!!! Poured from a 16 ounce tall boy into a stange.

Beer is yellow and completely clear with a two finger head of small white bubbles that leaves some lacing on the glass. Carbonation moderate, looks good.

Aroma? HELLO!!! Aroma? I guess he went out to get a pack of smokes.

Beer is medium to light in body, moderately carbonated on the palate and good throughout. The finish isn't dry or bitter, just a nice finish with no aftertaste. The lead off is a little sweet, mild malt, intermediate levels of yeast character on the middle and a clean finish. I'd have it again, unoffensive, sort of a perfect circle sort of beer.

Serving type: can

07-16-2011 14:24:32 | More by drabmuh

plaid75

New York

3.68/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a medium straw hue with a four finger rocky white head. There was good retention and lacing.

The smell featured a husky grainy malt with a light lemon zest.

The taste featured light grainy malts with lemon and a grassy hop.

The mouthfeel was typical of the style.

Overall a tasty summer refresher. Simple and quaffable.

Serving type: can

07-12-2011 15:20:23 | More by plaid75

kecarl7

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +15%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Tallboy poured into an imperial pint glass.

Pours beautifully. An inviting golden color topped off by an impressive white head.

The smell of Summer Ale is equally enticing. A great combination of hops and malt. Nothing overpowering, just a great combination of subtle scents.

The appearance and smell are great, but it's the taste and mouth feel that make this an exceptional beer. The subtle, citrus scents detected in the nose are amplified in the taste. A nice citrus blast with a dash of grassy notes and sweet malts. The mouth feel is totally unexpected from such a low ABV beer.

Over the past few months I've been able to drink a lot of fantastic beers from all over the country, but this one might be the MVP of the Summer. It's perfectly priced, extremely refreshing, highly drinkable, and it appeals to both craft and non-craft drinkers.

Serving type: can

07-12-2011 11:34:40 | More by kecarl7

FrankLloydMike

Massachusetts

3.95/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a tall, fluffy but airy, white head that seems like it'll never quit and leaves a sticky lacing when it finally does. The color is a medium golden, very transparent, not quite straw-color. A little fuller and darker and it might look like a light, filtered pale ale, but aside from the head, it resembles more of a traditional lawnmower beer.

S: The first whiff is a bit sweet and malty, quickly revealing grassy citrus notes. All in all, the smell is, but a bit weak.

T: The hops are assertive, but hardly aggressive--a nice, playful citrus bite throughout the sip. In the middle and sticking toward the end is a malt sweetness--almost a mango or strawberry sweetness--that is anything but cloying. The real treat is in the excellent balance perfect for a summer blonde ale: the refreshing hop bitterness, but with enough of the sweet maltiness to stave off any dryness.

M: This is light-bodied without being weak or watery, and is extremely refreshing--a perfect beach or barbecue companion.

D: This really floored me. I've never been a fan of Narragansett's flagship even by AAL standards, but this is a very flavorful, wonderful, refreshing summer beer. The weight of the blue tallboy in hand is a great addition to any summer afternoon.

Serving type: can

07-11-2011 01:10:39 | More by FrankLloydMike

victory4me

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a tulip.

Pours clear with a big fluffy beautiful 4 finger head that slowly dissipates and leaves a cloud of puffy bubbles as a pillow in my glass. Subtle aroma of sweet malts and citrusy hops that are on spot for the style.

Taste is surprisingly citrusy from a healthy dose of citra hops. Slight sweetness from the malt nicely complements the hops. Mouthfeel is wonderfully creamy and I cannot remember a beer this low in ABV that is so chewy.

Overall, I would call this my perfect summer session ale. Cheap. Tall-boy cans. Awesome look. Amazing mouthfeel. Low ABV. A taste that holds up extremely well. How could anyone complain?

Buy it, you won't find anything better for the price.

Serving type: can

07-10-2011 04:00:35 | More by victory4me

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Picked up a sixer of tallboy cans at Decicco's. Poured into a pint glass.

Pou yields a bright, clear brew that is golden in color with a thin white head and some very light lacing. Some spots, though not all that much. The nose carries a bit of light grain, though not much of any accompanying sweetness. No real hop presence in the nose or flavor, though a bit of bitterness comes through in the finish. Really plain overall. However, something about the chemistry that I do enjoy. No hops and the malt really brings neither malt flavor nor sweetness. Well made with no real flaws in execution. Kind of bland, but satisfying.

Serving type: can

07-09-2011 02:56:47 | More by Thorpe429

Gambrinus1184

Connecticut

4.05/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 16-ounce can into a Carling Black Label glass.

A: Clean, clear, pale golden color with a frothy, two-finger head of white carbonation. Quite bubbly & head retention matched the great clarity as well.

S: Zesty, spicy and slightly metallic hop notes surround the light, mild citrus esters of the cracker malts.

T: Sweet, spicy and floral malts hit the palate first witha light, brisk bitterness building to a mild, juicy malt center. Grassy, bitter hops surround the refreshing and slightly citrusy bitter finish.

M: Light bodied, crisp and highly refreshing. Carbonation keeps the flavors light and effervescent adding to the superb drinkability.

O: A really nice, flavorful, crisp and balanced pale blonde ale. Near perfect for summer and one of the best blondes I've had. The 4.2% ABV means you can session at your backyard BBQ or beach party all day long.

Serving type: can

07-04-2011 17:41:00 | More by Gambrinus1184

Jayli

Massachusetts

4.35/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Acquired from TheManiacalOne ... and I'd say thank you but everyone in this area is sold out and I'm jonesing for it!
From a 16 oz can poured in to a pint glass...
Consumed 6/28

A: This beer pours a clear light golden color, carbonation is very visible. A three finger of white foamy head sits on top receding at a moderate pace and leaves clumps of lacing that eventually lend to thick sticky lacing.

S: Nose is grainy, light fruits, and a bit of citrus hops.

T: Taste starts with nice and very light caramel malts mingled with a bit of mango flavoring. A light graininess comes through that holds through the middle before a very pleasant albeit light grapefruit citrus hop hits up the finish.

M: Lighter bodied, moderate carbonation with a somehwat slick feel at the forefront and a bone dry finish.

O; Goes down easily, extremely tasty, not filling, not much of a kick, and a great representation of style. Hellooo - if the local liquor stores can keep up with the demand, you SHALL be my summer beer.

Serving type: can

07-02-2011 05:01:03 | More by Jayli

cpolking

Iowa

4.5/5  rDev +18.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This beer pours a bright honey golden in color with an inch of thick, foamy white head that leaves medium lacing down the glass.

The aroma is fresh, bright, fruity, citrus zest and tropical fruit, but in a smooth, aromatic and honey-sweet way, not in a knock-you-over IPA way.

The taste is lightly honeyed fruit and citrus zest over a solid malt grain bed. The finish is round and smooth yet very dry and somewhat bitter. After the wave of bitterness, the sweet fruit lingers around again as well.

This beer far exceeded my expectations. This is a damn fine summer ale and a damn fine beer all around. The distribution of Narragansett is limited, but, if you can get your hands on this, try it now.

Serving type: can

07-01-2011 00:22:58 | More by cpolking

Wasatch

Utah

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

Thanks goes out to TheManiacalOne for this brew.

Pours a nice clean/clear golden yellow color, nice carbonation, nice one-finger foamy white head, with some nice sticky lacing left behind. The nose is malty, slight hop note, with a touch of caramel. The taste is sweet, malty, slightly hoppy. Medium Body. A nice brew, excellent thirst quencher on a hot day.

Serving type: can

06-30-2011 23:49:29 | More by Wasatch

GJ40

North Carolina

3.95/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Sampled from a 16oz can.

A - Golden and crystal clear with a small white head that dissipates quickly. A slow but steady stream of rising bubbles. Some lacing.

S - Fruity hops, apple.

T - Fruitier and sweeter than you'd expect from a Narragansett. Nice citrusy flavors in the finish but little bitterness. Very smooth.

M - A light feel. Fairly thin. A moderate carbonation but yet it contributes to the lightness.

O - A very refreshing beer that delivers as advertized. It's everything you'd want on a hot summer day. It goes down easy but there's just enough flavor to satisfy the palate.

It's great to see the Narragansett name out there again!

Serving type: can

06-30-2011 09:15:19 | More by GJ40

zoolzoo

Connecticut

4.3/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This is by far my favorite summer time beer this year.

Narragansett Summer drinks like a super crisp lager, but with some subtle citrus zing derivative of the hop profile and ale yeast.

The malt bill is bready enough but really tight, sweetness is present but in check. Finish is squeaky clean, save some slight lingering bitterness and almost a kiss of lemon.

Low ABV, clean and enjoyable flavors, really an excellent beer for the summer season (or any season). Nice can too...

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2011 01:37:39 | More by zoolzoo

coachdonovan

Rhode Island

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

Pours a pale yellow with a towering head that fades after about 90 seconds, but we have some good lacing here. I'm happy to see that the style listing for this beer was changed from Pale Wheat Ale, as this beer is crystal clear. Steady stream of tiny bubbles rising up from the bottom of my mug.

Aroma and taste have plenty of zing from citric hops, along the lines of a mellowed-out Czech lager. The flavor is grassy and clean without being watered-down. A little bit of lemon zest, but the finish is exceedingly dry and again clean.

I'm glad to see 'Gansett changed it up from the overly bready SA Summer and Oberon. This is a perfect gateway selection for those who are scared of non-yellow beer. I've been enjoying it for about a month, and it certainly holds up to a thorough inspection.

Serving type: can

06-29-2011 22:15:28 | More by coachdonovan

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.35/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Rich amber in color, light with a nice head of white on top. Lots of carbonation coming up toward the surface throughout the session, reinforcing an already strong look. Light hops get stronger as it warms up. Nice bit of grain mixing in as well now, nice depth to it I have to admit. Crisp, clean taste and feel here. Really again very well done I have to say. Light finish which was quite dry and I have to admit this was very, very session able. You never can tell what is going to happen when you try a new pale ale, but this was surprisingly very good.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2011 02:41:18 | More by mikesgroove

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A big shout out to woodychandler for the hook up. Poured from a 16 oz. can. Has a golden color with a 1 inch head. Smell is of hops, some grains. Taste is a good hop/malt balance, some citrus flavor. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall is a refreshing and enjoyable beer.

Serving type: can

06-23-2011 22:24:12 | More by tone77

Kinsman

New Hampshire

3.7/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Crystal clear golden body with a nice fluffy and sticky white head about 2 fingers thick to start.

Aroma is slightly sweet with some biscuity and cereal grain notes. Slightly grassy hop presence but overall the aroma is fairly light.

Biscuity and bready malt profile with just a hint of malty sweetness and grain husk. Hops hint at a bit of lemon zest and grass but really are in the background.

Mouthfeel is crisp and refreshing and at only 4.2%, this is pretty light. Overall, I'm really enjoying this and I think the brewers hit the nail on the head with a light refreshing summer beer that has more flavor than your typical summer beer.

Serving type: can

06-22-2011 22:10:26 | More by Kinsman

Bendurgin

Maine

3.65/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Tallboy poured into a pint glass. This one pours a clear golden straw color with a finger of creamy white head. Great retention and a little bit of sticky lace.

Candied orange in the aroma and a little bit of bitter grassy hops to finish this out. A little bit of toasty grains and a kiss of lemon in the aroma. Very toasty flavors here mostly noticable on the pallet. A little bit of lemon finishes this one off.

A little bit heavier than I would preffer for the style and the carbonation is very soft. Not a bad light summer beer here. Narragansett again makes a pretty kickin' seasonal.

Serving type: can

06-22-2011 16:06:17 | More by Bendurgin