Narragansett Summer Ale - Narragansett Brewing Co.

Jwale73

Rhode Island

4.1/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

16oz. can served in my Sam Smith tulip nonic. Pours a translucent straw gold with a pillowy, 1.5 inch bright white head. Head eventually settles into a 1/8th inch cap with delicate strands of lacing encircling the shoulders. Nose is light and pleasant - wheat, citrus, apricot and a kiss of floral hops. Taste consistent with nose with the floral hops character present in the nose revealing itself at the finish. Really quite flavorful for such a low abv beer. Mouthfeel is light in body with a refreshing, palate cleansing carbonation and a semi-dry finish. This is a fantastic session beer and the 16oz. tallboys make it perfect for summer. I see this as becoming a staple in my fridge over the coming months.

Serving type: can

05-15-2011 18:03:22 | More by Jwale73

rudzud

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Finally got some of this at Julio's after waiting a couple days. WELL worth the wait as Narragansett continues to impress with their seasonal offerings. Poured into my Duvel tulip.

A - A crystal clear golden straw colour with a big, fluffy two finger head that fades at an average rate only to leave behind some nice sticky side lacing. Considering the ABV I'm quite pleased with it.

S - Only thing that was somewhat underwhelming for me. Pale malts and some very light citrus notes. Really wanted a little more citrus/hops on the nose.

T - The taste though, this is good. Very light tasting, as it should be with some nice bread notes as well as a good lemon zest flavour as well. Slightly sweet, slightly tangy, and nice and clean.

M - Nice carbonation here. Very crisp and refreshing with a slightly dry finish.

O - Overall, this is a damn good beer from Narragansett and quite possibly my favorite seasonal of theirs. For the price ($7.99/5 tall boys) you cant even come close to value. Hands down my new summer session beer.

Serving type: can

05-14-2011 20:25:49 | More by rudzud

ThirstyBird

Germany

4.08/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into an imperial pint glass luckily as the three finger cream colored head was barely contained. The head falls slowly to a half inch blanket. Decent lacing. The brew is golden yellow in color. The nose is some hop tartness, fruit, citrus, a little grain and slight malt sweetness. The taste is very clean and crisp. A nice blend of mild hops and light sweetness. Finishes quite dry with a slight bitterness. The body is light with active carbonation..a touch course. Overall a good summer drinker and a great value to boot!

Serving type: can

05-13-2011 21:26:19 | More by ThirstyBird

ryan1788a5

Massachusetts

3.43/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

16oz tallboy can poured into a pint glass.

A: Clear golden color with a two inch white head. One can get that cascading bubbles effect with a more aggressive pour. Modest retention, light rings of lacing.

S: Lots of pale malts. Doughy bread and some grain. Grassy hops, citrus zest, and a light spicy smell. A tad floral and perfumey as well. There's some subtle complexity in the hop profile here. Good.

T: Starts out bready and grainy. A lemony citrus zest cuts in shortly. Doughy bread tastes re-establish themselves and ensure balance. Interesting hop tastes come out just before the finish. Distinctively American, citric and fruity. Must be the citra. A very dry beer throughout. Finishes grainy with more of those interesting hop notes. On the whole, the taste is rather understated and does not deliver. Pity, the nose was so promising.

M: Very light, thin and watery. Seltzer-like carbonation adds bite. Meh.

O: I really wanted to like this beer, but in the end it's really just a bit above average.

Notes: Too dry for my taste, and the mouthfeel lacks substance. Good nose, but it's downhill from there. Not bad for a lawnmower/beer pong beer, but if I want a nice tasty APA, I'll look elsewhere.

Question: Why is this classified as a Blonde ale on this site when the folks at Narragansett clearly labeled it a Pale Ale? It certainly tastes more like a blonde ale, but if they're going to call it a Pale Ale, I'm going to rate it as such.

Serving type: can

05-13-2011 21:18:17 | More by ryan1788a5

indiapaleale

Massachusetts

4.38/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pour - glass is filled with a yellowish, straw color with some golden highlights. Nice large, foamy, white head on top. Looks clean and clear with nice carbonation.

Aroma - hints of hay, lemon, pale malt, wet grass and Rice Krispies.

Taste - light and refreshing. The first two words that come to mind, seriously. Very crisp, it dances on the tongue. Its a bit citrusy, a bit malty sweet but neither is in anyway dominating. Delicate in flavor and balance. At only 24 IBUs the hoppiness is pretty subdued with no real bitterness to speak of. It has a biscuity, malty flavor that provides a bit of tanginess. Very clean taste with a slightly dry finish.

Overall - this is a very well put together blonde ale. At only 4.2% alcohol this is an excellent candidate for the beach or an afternoon BBQ. Plenty of flavor to keep you interested but nothing heavy or overpowering. Again, this is light and refreshing which is perfect for the season. A great summer ale from the folks at Narragansett.

Would I buy more of it? - I would and I will. The price for a six-pack is hard to pass up and summer has just begun. The hottest days are ahead and this beer at 16 oz. a time is the way to go!

Serving type: can

05-13-2011 20:01:52 | More by indiapaleale

billybrew21

Connecticut

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

Served on tap at Two Brothers Pub in Salem, CT.

To be honest my first impression wasn't that great, but as time went on I did come to appreciate this one more. Poured into an 8 oz. tester glass, little head that dissipates quickly; nice light yellow/golden color. Smell is of citrus and those notes come through on the taste a bit. At first it tasted a little flat maybe, or lacking in any strong taste at all, but for a summer-y beer it's actually not too bad. The carbonation was certainly there. Nothing here blows me away though. Overall a crisp and refreshing beer that I could certainly drink a lot of, and isn't this the point of a summer brew?

Serving type: on-tap

05-13-2011 19:58:28 | More by billybrew21

benbking

Massachusetts

4.55/5  rDev +20.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 3 | overall: 5

So excited to pick this up today.
16 oz Tallboy.
A: I'm committing a BA sin and drinking this straight from the can. The Can is Blue, light blue. There's the Narragansett towers, with waves breaking the wrong way. You wouldn't know this unless you've been to Narragansett. I wouldn't let it subtract from your enjoyment.
S: slight citrus. it smells good!
T: Clean and Crisp.
M: I've always been unclear about how a beer "feels" in your mouth. Bah, we'll skip mouthfeel.
O: Overall a very nice Summer Ale. Pretty excited about it, plan to buy lots more over the summer.

Serving type: can

05-12-2011 21:44:27 | More by benbking

OldIronLungs

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Hi, Neighbor! This marks the second time this year I've sought out a new 'Gansett offering. Surprising, to say the least.

Poured into a 'Gansett pint glass a light honey gold with a finger of white head, some persistent carbonation climbs up the glass.

Nose is citrus, floral hops and a touch of sweet malt.

Prickly carbonation hits the tongue right off the bat, overall lightly bodied, but the sweet bready malts fall in balance with a lemon/grass hop presence. Very crisp and clean.

Finally. Finally a local brew better than Sam Summer! Quite a bit better, by my estimate. This beer is exceptionally refreshing and wouldn't lose character if it warms up on a hot day. Plus...I mean...tallboys!

Serving type: can

05-11-2011 22:15:39 | More by OldIronLungs

PicoPapa

Connecticut

4.15/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

16oz Tall Boy (of course). Pours a translucent golden color with a half inch of frothy head. Lots of lacing. Aroma is of grains, floral hops, a bit of lemon and some cut grass. Taste is a nice crisp bite of hops upfront. Some breadiness along with a slight hint of lemon. Most summer brews have an abusive amount of lemon flavor but this one has only a bit and it works well in this beer. Somewhat sweet at the end. This is an outstanding summer beer. Great balance of taste and drinkability. 'Gansett's newest offerings have yet to disappoint. Overall, I will be drinking my fair share of these beers over the summer.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2011 20:17:12 | More by PicoPapa

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

All of Gansett's seasonals have been pretty good so far. I am excited for this one considering I like the style, and the use of citra hops.

A-Pours a radiant gold that is completely transparent. A fluffy bleach white head forms and settles leaving consistent lacing. Single bubbles rise slowly from the bottom of the brew.

S-Bready malts are paired with a light but attractive citrus hop aroma. Lemon zest and a clean grassy scent as well.

T-The taste definitely warrants two sips back-to-back. The beer tastes very clean and crisp. The hops are mellow but are quite tasty. Smooth green grassy tastes. Light lemony citrus as well. Bread, and some spice mix into the taste as well.

M-Very light but not watery. Crisp, smooth, clean, etc. More carbonated than it looks.

O/D- In order for a summer beer to score relatively high on my scale it needs to be light-bodied without sacrificing flavor. It obviously needs to be drinkable as well. I believe that this beer is an excellent summer brew. Unique taste combined with light body. Doesn't hurt that it comes in tallboy cans as well. Might be their best seasonal in my opinion. I will be drinking these all summer.

Serving type: can

05-09-2011 21:30:05 | More by VelvetExtract

ShogoKawada

Rhode Island

4.15/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

16oz can into short's imperial pint glass.

A- Big fluffy head, very active, settles to 2cm. Bright golden body.

S- Light malt and lemony sweetness.

T- Mild grassy hops and some light, sweet notes. Bitterness creeps in at the finish. Little bit of lemon and spice.

M- High carbonation, lively, refreshing. Good flavors.

O- Overall I'm impressed- Very drinkable, and tasty to boot. Will be buying a lot of this this summer.. Better than most summer beers I've had.

636

Serving type: can

05-08-2011 18:29:24 | More by ShogoKawada