Narragansett Summer Ale - Narragansett Brewing Co.

turfy

Texas

4.15/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Okay, what's a guy from Texas doing drinking Narragansett Summer Ale? Well, it's burning up down here and I had read on the forums that this brew was highly regarded as a summer /lawnmower beer. TheManiacalOne was kind enough to hook me up with a 6'er in a trade. Thanks Mark!

A- Poured a deep gold with an impressive 3 finger head. Nice, fluffy white head. This baby hung around to the end, too. And nice lacing. Off to a great start!

S - Not much aroma, but that's to be expected from this style, right? My initial thought upon smelling was 'clean'. Kind of a crisp, grain aroma with a trace of lemon.

T - What a perfect balance for a summer beer! Mild malts followed with a bright, bitter hop finish. Not any of that sweet or 'corn' taste you get with some others of this style. Very clean and crisp.

M - Not light but not too much on the medium side....say, light medium? Again, just right. The level of carbonation matches up great.

O- If this was available in my area, it would be my go-to beer throughout the hot weather season. What an impressive beer that absolutely nails what it set out to do!

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2011 00:19:07 | More by turfy

phantomwyse

Massachusetts

3.48/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours out a very filtered lemon-honey body with an impressive two-finger cappuccino-like head. Mesmerizing lacing.

S: Clean and crisp with hints of wheat, wet grass, cereal grain and then at the end there is a distinct hop aroma, lightly fruity with traces of apple and pear and some just-there pine.

T: Starts off with some fruits up front, again with the apples and the pear. In the middle a slightly pungent sour flavor works its way in, in a vaguely unpleasant way. This is immediately washed away by a rush of dry wheat that segues into a slightly hoppy finish. The aftertaste is grainy and reminiscent regular ‘Gansett and other mass produced brews, see PBR etc…

M: Medium to light bodied that’s crisp in the middle and finishes silky.

O: Surprisingly not bad. Old school fifties aura meets modern attempt to appeal to broader, more discerning audiences with mixed results. This is a good beer to get thoughtless with, grab a few, hit the roof deck with friends and just chill with some music. It tries to work in some more complexity than its flagship predecessor, but stumbles as much as it strides, as the light fruitiness and the hops progress, but the discrepancy between that and the sour middle, mediocre aftertaste weigh this beer down.

Serving type: can

06-17-2011 20:06:40 | More by phantomwyse

tigg924

Massachusetts

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

Appearance: 2 inch head with a rocky top, gold in color, clear, high carbonation

Smell: faint pine and grass

Taste: sweet grass, caramel, and pine hops at the end.

Mouthfeel: high carbonation, sweet start then the hops kick in to make it slightly bitter, light bodied

Overall: Best thing I have had from 'Gansett and what I would describe as a perfect lawnmower beer. Enough strength and beer taste to quench the thrist and keep on going. Complex enough to make me want the full six.

Serving type: can

06-15-2011 14:32:18 | More by tigg924

BigH75

Massachusetts

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

A- a little more color than a pale lager, but lighter yellow than most summer ales. appealling frothy head

S- not alot of smell

T- pleasently more malty and bitter than I expected. still not an overwhelmingly flavorful beer

M- light to medium feel exactly what I wanted from a very good "lawmower beer

O- you may never find a better hot summer day session beer value

Side Note - along with my inexpensive 6-pack of tall-boy cans, I got a free neck tie. It is polyester blue with anchors and the traditional Naragansett "Hi Neighbor" Can't imagine actually wearing it, but found it quite amusing

Serving type: can

06-15-2011 11:59:33 | More by BigH75

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

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

The CANQuest (TM) motors on following yet another brief hiatus to align the bottle and on-tap numbers. I dislike getting away from my beloved and oh-so-recyclable CANs, but people begin to worry about me when the numbers are too strongly skewed in favor of CANs. I'll be okay, believe me!

From the CAN: The graphic of the dude on a surfboard riding the waves in front of a pier overlooked by an impressive brick castle-like structure is priceless. "Hi-Neighbor! When we set out to make a "Gansett brew just for summertime, we knew we wanted something extremely drinkable. A beer that would be perfect for a day at the beach or a backyard barbecue. Our Summer Ale is just that, a superbly balanced pale ale that's brewed just right for drinking. The Narragansett Towers still stand today, recalling fond memories of the old Pier Casino, a popular summer destination back when 'Gansett first started brewing in the 1890s. So when you're looking for a great session beer this summer, look no further than the Towers and 'Gansett Summer Ale."

Do I like 'Gansett beers? I wore my famous rebus tie last Tuesday (07 June 2011) to their PHL Beer Week event that featured 2 for 1 on these CANs, plus $1.00 oysters. That's livin'! I even kept one of the wooden nickels as a souvenir. Shhh.

The Crack & Glug produced two dense fingers of rocky, bone-white head with decent retention. Color was a deep golden-yellow with NE-quality clarity and an abundance of visible CO2 bubbles. Nose had an interesting lemony citrus scent. Mouthfeel was very full thanks to all of the carbonation. There was a light pine hoppiness along with the lemon citrusiness noted on the nose. Finish was quite dry and refreshing and I realized that I should have been outside on this warm afternoon to drink it, rather than inside at the keyboard. This definitely rates a place in the cooler.

Serving type: can

06-14-2011 20:47:27 | More by woodychandler

Hibernator

Massachusetts

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

Narragansett Summer Ale
16 oz can
Served in a 20 oz tulip glass
Jet ink #1171 1229 on the bottom of the can

Pours a golden yellow with a frothy white head.

Whiffs of grainy malts and some light fruit with some hops in the background. An inviting nose.

Flavors of cereal grains, caramel malts with a mini hop snap on the finish. Some light fruit flavors like apple or pear too with a hint of lemon zest. I really like the soft mouthfeel of this beer and high drinkability level.

Serving type: can

06-11-2011 03:39:51 | More by Hibernator

Brad007

Vermont

4.18/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Finally, another seasonal from Narragansett that I have not tried.

Pours a mild golden color with a one-finger head. Looks light-bodied but will it taste that way?

Sweet malt with little, if any hop character. It certainly fits the style criteria.

Wow. Grassy hops mingle with malt that's balanced (not sweet or dry). Tasty. Kinda pulls ya by the honker.

Carbonation is not so great though. It's too hard to gulp or chug, which means that you'll enjoy it more after mowing the lawn.

Why couldn't they market this as their "light" beer? Regardless, a decent example!

Serving type: can

06-10-2011 02:21:59 | More by Brad007

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

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

16oz can served in a large glass beer mug.

L - golden yellow with a big fluffy white head that hung around and left trails of lacing.

S - light citrus and floral aromas.

T - lighter tasting but not too light the finish is nicely done, dry and somewhat bitter.

F - light, crisp, refreshing and totally drinkable.

O - a good summer beer that I'll be drinking a lot of this summer.

Serving type: can

06-05-2011 20:00:22 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

tempest

Pennsylvania

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

Picked up a sixer of tallboys for $7. I was surprised to see such a tall, fluffy head on top of this, but it looks like a Belgian blonde.

The beer reminded me of craft brewery takes on the cream ale. It started off with a light, somewhat cream bread taste and then a spicy citrus hop finish. It's simple, but a tasty session option.

Serving type: can

06-05-2011 13:59:19 | More by tempest

puboflyons

New Hampshire

3.98/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sampled at the B/A Craft Brew Fest on June 3, 2011. The pour is a hazy golden-yellow with a bit of a fizzy white head. Up front on the nose there seems to be a sweetish malt character above anything else with a little hint of citrus zing. The body was a bit better than average in the medium range. The taste was quite sweet at the start but then evolved into a butternut, citrus circus and a slightly dryer finish. Pretty good summer.

Serving type: on-tap

06-04-2011 20:19:46 | More by puboflyons

SeussMD

Connecticut

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

I was very impressed by the Helles Bock and was eagerly waiting for the Summer Ale to appear. I scored a six-pack of talll boys (in a lovely shade of Rhode Island blue) at the Liquor Depot in Simsbury, CT.

Poured from 16 oz tall boy into an Imperal pint glass.

Appearance: Pours bright gold with 1 to 1 1/2-inch fluffy white head, not unlike the foam on the waves at the beach. Laces easily. Head recedes to about 1/4 to 1/8 inch.

Smell: Divine. Lemon, honey, wheat. Very inviting.

Taste: The hop presence is there from the start, but just bitter enough to let you know it's there ... lemon citrus hop flavors provide just enough bitterness to offset mild malty sweetness. Very refreshing finish ... the hops linger, somewhat mouthwatering but not overly dry. A delicious summer beer.

This is the best new beer I've had in a long time and solid proof that Narragansett's rebirth is on solid footing -- it's a hell of a lot more than "Hi neighbor!" nostalgia. Proof that you can make a refreshing "lawnmower" beer with plenty of character that brings the flavor but, at 4.2 ABV, doesn't knock you on your ass. I'lll be drinking a LOT of this...

Serving type: can

06-02-2011 23:32:24 | More by SeussMD

WanderingFool

Massachusetts

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

Narragansett Summer Ale pours a clear straw yellow with a creamy white head on top. The foam dissolves slowly to a thin sheet on the beer, leaving behind spots and lines of lace on the glass. From the bottom of the glass, a flurry of tiny bubbles quickly rise to the surface.

Light aroma with notes of lemon and toasted malt. Hint of honey mixed in.

Each sip of this light to medium bodied beer is creamy on the palate with a firm carbonated fizz. The flavor is sweet with a mild bitterness and descent floral hop balance. Grainy malt, lemon citrus, grass and a touch of honey. It finishes mildly bitter. Once gone the lemon notes linger on the palate.

This is a very easy drinking beer that has a well balanced flavor. Very refreshing and with 4.2% abv you can enjoy a few while camping or at a BBQ.

Serving type: can

05-30-2011 21:02:03 | More by WanderingFool

Another6Pack

Michigan

3.53/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Many thanks to indiapaleale for sharing this one with me.

Pour produces a huge head that occupied half of my 16oz tulip on the first pour. It took three pours before I got the entire can into the glass. Pale yellow body. Smell reminds me of a fresh lager with some grassy aromas and a hint of lemon.

Taste is tart, sour and acidic. Not bad, but not something I find especially appealing either. Mouthfeel is light, with a crisp and clean finish and any momentary unpleasantries are concluded quickly.

Overall one that I am glad to have tried, but don't need to have again. Of 'Gansett's four seasonals this one was my least favorite.

Serving type: can

05-29-2011 20:56:12 | More by Another6Pack

taez555

Massachusetts

3.93/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

This beer pours a clear yellow body with a white head.

Nose is light and malty smelling with some hops.

Taste is medium to light bodied with a very 6 row type malt grain body. Immediatly hits you with this very mildy cracker and adjunct malt body mixed with hops. Really very reminisant of an English mild or light IPA! The 4.2% abv is crazy since it really allows the light hoppines and light body to shine in a crazy lawnmower/IPA style of beer.

Wow, it seems like every summer ale is lemon this or wheat that, Narraganset does an English mild/IPA with a perfect balance of macro beer and session ale. This beer would be amazing on cask. Such a unique style, this might actually give the Gansett Bock a run for the money.

Serving type: can

05-28-2011 00:29:06 | More by taez555

abriggs1

Connecticut

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

A nice summer ale that's hoppier than I expected it to be. The hops come through beautifully in the smell and taste. The hops used are mild, but there's a good quantity of a mild hop variety. That's sort of a unique idea; mild hops in large quantities.

I've been a big fan of regular 'Gansett for a while, but until now I've not been impressed with their higher priced offerings. This six pack was quite a bit more expensive than the insanely cheap regular Gansett. But, a six pack of the summer ale is a better deal than other similar craft beers due to the 16 oz cans.

This is much better than most summer ales I've had. 'Gansett summer, for example, makes an embarrassment out of Sam Adams's summer offering. I'm so glad this brewery came back from the dead. They should brew a beer called "zombie Gansett."

Serving type: can

05-26-2011 00:19:30 | More by abriggs1

Duhast500

Massachusetts

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

Poured from a 1 pint can into Blue Hills pint glass.

The color is a light gold with two fingers of foamy white head and some thick lacing left on the glass.

The smell is a little grainy with some slight citrus aroma in the nose. There is some slight lemon and orange peel with a touch of bitterness.

The taste is a bit grainy again with some slight citrus flavor but seems to really have a bready flavor the stays throughout the taste and seems to dominate over anything else coming through.

The feel of this beer is pretty light. There is a slight push of bitterness but this beer just stays smooth and then is gone down before any real notice.

Serving type: can

05-23-2011 01:17:20 | More by Duhast500

mikey711

New Jersey

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

A: Pours a clean straw color with a fluffy white head that holds pretty well and leaves very good lace.

S: Nice citrus hop note with a hint of breadiness and a light bit of pine.

T: Very bready malt presence with a pine and a bit of lemon zest in the end.

M: Very thin and a bit watery, but the finish was pretty clean

D: Drinkability is high and this is a great beer for just sitting on the beach. i found it to be more enjoyable straight from the can then when poured and I am glad that i have a case to tide me over for memorial day weekend

Serving type: can

05-22-2011 21:01:22 | More by mikey711

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

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

Poured from a 16oz can into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a bright gold color, with a large off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains citrus fruits, light caramelized malts and a good amount of hops.

T: The taste starts out with a grainy bready flavor from a hearty but not too heavy malt character. Then some citrus and caramel sweetness quickly follow. The hops presence is quite complementary and is a bit stronger than most beers in the style creating a very good balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Smooth and very crisp, light-to-medium body, medium carbonation, finish is clean.

O: Very tasty, goes down quite easily, not filling at all, mild kick, good representation of style, this is an excellent BBQ beer to pound down for a very long time.

Serving type: can

05-19-2011 02:51:09 | More by TheManiacalOne

angrybabboon

Rhode Island

4.15/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Consumed 5/18/11

Appearance: Bright golden color with above-average head retention for this kind of a beer - some unexpectedly nice lacing, too

Smell: Very light, sweet and grainy pale malts with a hint of lemon, citrus and borderline tropical-smelling hops - this aspect was unexpected

Taste: Decidedly mild, but it works surprisingly well - some grainy sweetness - not really any bitterness to speak of, other than a mild citrus bite - lemon is more obvious than in the smell - malts are very balanced with the flavor of the hops - a lot of flavors in a low ABV brew

Mouthfeel: Crisp and effervescent, perfectly carbonated, absurdly refreshing

Overall: Quite possibly the most inoffensive beer ever made

This is insanely drinkable. I have encountered some summer beers that are simply garbage; this is far from one of them. This is an easy-drinking and flavorful summer ale without being some kind of hard lemonade-beer disaster.

Update: 5/8/12

I bought a six pack this year as soon as it appeared on the shelves. In the past year, I have had some remarkably mediocre summer beers and American Blonde Ales. As a result, I am bumping this to a 4.5 overall. It's not a mind-blowing beer, but it is one of the best of this style.

Serving type: can

05-18-2011 07:21:28 | More by angrybabboon

celticfutblclub

Massachusetts

3.8/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

16 oz tallboy poured into a pint glass.

A - a straw yellow color with some light carbonation. a nice fluffy white head recedes slowly and laces quite well. the head was very nice but the body itself isn't that impressive.

S - grass, lemon, pepper and herbs. interesting aroma off this. not what i expected but quite nice.

T - malt hits up front with a mostly bread taste. grass and pepper again with a little bit of lemon. good hop bite at the end of it.

M - very lightly bodied which is perfect with an average amount of carbonation. definitely leads to some puckering at the end when the hop hits.

O - this is quite a nice summer brew and definitely worth picking up for the price. i thought it was going to be a bit better than it was but again not at all disappointed. it must be noted that its an extremely drinkable brew.

Serving type: can

05-17-2011 23:10:34 | More by celticfutblclub

Jason

Massachusetts

3.53/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

16oz Tallboy ... no freshness date.

Starts off with a massive head, bright yellow clarity shines in front of me. Mild cracker maltiness and faint spicy citric hop. Semi-light body, crisp and clean. Light maltiness, bready with a light biscuity or almost husky flavor. Middling bitterness for balance. Faint twang of lemon zest from the hops, clean dry finish.

Quaffable summer ale, a solid brew all around.

Serving type: can

05-17-2011 01:54:41 | More by Jason

Bitterbill

Wyoming

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

Purchased online from Grand Vin.

It pours a clear light gold with about an inch of foam and some pretty good lacing.

Light notes of lemon citrus and malt in the smell. The malt shows some nice sweetness with a touch of grain.

The taste...whoa, is a very well balanced; lemon citrus bitterness with sweet malt and light graininess. The hop character is very good but makes this brew special to me is what the malt brings to the table. and at 4.2%abv, I am *super* impressed!

Medium bodied with the carbonation on the light side of medium, I'm digging the mouth feel and if I had this around my neck of the woods regularly, I'd drink a heck of a lot of it. Wonderful brew!!

Serving type: can

05-16-2011 23:16:32 | More by Bitterbill

Jwale73

Rhode Island

4.1/5  rDev +7.6%
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 +11.5%
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 +7.1%
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