Believer | Ninkasi Brewing Company
Brewed by:
Ninkasi Brewing Company
Oregon, United States
ninkasibrewing.com
Style: American Amber / Red Ale
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 6.90%
Availability: Year-round
Notes / Commercial Description:
An Imperial American Red Ale.
Ninkasi website:
"6.9 % alc./vol. 60ibus. Always available in 22 oz bottles, and on draft."
Added by Cascadia on 06-23-2007
View: Beers | Place Reviews | Events
Ratings: 526 | Reviews: 195
Reviews by kdoc8:
More User Reviews:
3.75/5 rDev -1.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
4.5/5 rDev +18.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Bomber from a seasonal four pack. Very rewarding purchase given I might not have tried this beer if it wasn't included as one of the four. Another fine beer from Ninkasi. Pours dark red. Nice head retention.
Very hoppy for a red ale. Great citrus aftertaste kept me going back for more. Pleasant and very drinkable.
Not an IPA but trying to masquerade as one.
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look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Bomber from a seasonal four pack. Very rewarding purchase given I might not have tried this beer if it wasn't included as one of the four. Another fine beer from Ninkasi. Pours dark red. Nice head retention.
Very hoppy for a red ale. Great citrus aftertaste kept me going back for more. Pleasant and very drinkable.
Not an IPA but trying to masquerade as one.
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2.62/5 rDev -31.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5
12 oz bottle. Pours ruby amber with a medium creamy light tan head that retains well and laces the glass.
The aroma is cola malt with some nutty cardboard leather.
The flavor is sweet nutty cola and caramel malt with a bit of a bitter alcohol finish. The mouthfeel is medium to full bodied with smooth carbonation.
Overall, it's not well balanced with overly sweet cola malt and an overly bitter finish that just doesn't all go together.
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look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5
12 oz bottle. Pours ruby amber with a medium creamy light tan head that retains well and laces the glass.
The aroma is cola malt with some nutty cardboard leather.
The flavor is sweet nutty cola and caramel malt with a bit of a bitter alcohol finish. The mouthfeel is medium to full bodied with smooth carbonation.
Overall, it's not well balanced with overly sweet cola malt and an overly bitter finish that just doesn't all go together.
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4.25/5 rDev +11.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Pours brilliant reddish brown under a 1” persistent white to cream colored foam collar that clings to the side of the glass. Rich and malty nose, creamy, malty, tastey palate with a decent hop balance. A little above medium body and a little below medium carbonation.
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look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Pours brilliant reddish brown under a 1” persistent white to cream colored foam collar that clings to the side of the glass. Rich and malty nose, creamy, malty, tastey palate with a decent hop balance. A little above medium body and a little below medium carbonation.
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2.53/5 rDev -33.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2
Well, the bottle states this brew has a "rich dark malt complexity" among other things. I'd certainly have to agree after tasting it. Unfortunately, I don't care for that rich dark malt complexity at all in this red ale. For my tastes, that dark, bitter, harsh, roasted character doesn't work for me at all here. I like my red ales "red", but without an overpowering harsh chocolate/roasted character. I did like the hop character which is mingled in with the other flavors. I also liked the color and clarity of this brew. There could have been more head, but that's not a big deal. Overall, this brew just didn't work for me. Oh well, that's why they make lots of different brews, right? Everybody has different likes and dislikes.
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look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2
Well, the bottle states this brew has a "rich dark malt complexity" among other things. I'd certainly have to agree after tasting it. Unfortunately, I don't care for that rich dark malt complexity at all in this red ale. For my tastes, that dark, bitter, harsh, roasted character doesn't work for me at all here. I like my red ales "red", but without an overpowering harsh chocolate/roasted character. I did like the hop character which is mingled in with the other flavors. I also liked the color and clarity of this brew. There could have been more head, but that's not a big deal. Overall, this brew just didn't work for me. Oh well, that's why they make lots of different brews, right? Everybody has different likes and dislikes.
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4.2/5 rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours dark red amber with a hazel-colored foam. A thin lacing remains for a while in the glass.
Earthy hops and nutty aromas with caramel and roasted marshmallow accents. A little bit of alcohol bite on the nose but it adds character and lets you know what to expect.
Earthy wood and subtly roasted malt flavors with a fig-like character and pronounced bitterness at the end. The flavors linger and fade out nicely a minute or so later.
I really like this sort of a red ale, dark and brooding - yet fresh and balanced.
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look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours dark red amber with a hazel-colored foam. A thin lacing remains for a while in the glass.
Earthy hops and nutty aromas with caramel and roasted marshmallow accents. A little bit of alcohol bite on the nose but it adds character and lets you know what to expect.
Earthy wood and subtly roasted malt flavors with a fig-like character and pronounced bitterness at the end. The flavors linger and fade out nicely a minute or so later.
I really like this sort of a red ale, dark and brooding - yet fresh and balanced.
522 characters
3.9/5 rDev +2.6%
22 oz shared bottle.
Nice clear red-amber color.
Rather ordinary aroma but a very rich flavor with enough hop balance to leave a mildly bitter finish.
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22 oz shared bottle.
Nice clear red-amber color.
Rather ordinary aroma but a very rich flavor with enough hop balance to leave a mildly bitter finish.
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3.82/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Easy drinking double red (never had such a thing). Color is a cloudy, dark amber. Robust hop aroma. Very flavorful but not overwhelming. Pairable but could stand on its own as well.
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look: 2.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Easy drinking double red (never had such a thing). Color is a cloudy, dark amber. Robust hop aroma. Very flavorful but not overwhelming. Pairable but could stand on its own as well.
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Believer from Ninkasi Brewing Company
3.8
out of 5
based on 526 ratings.
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5
You can get this almost anywhere in Eugene. I absolutely love this beer, though I am often alone in my hops-loving group of beer advocates. I find it to be very drinkable and a nice mild beer that's not overwhelming...not too much of a commitment to drink. It's great in all seasons. Just an all around great beer. It pours out with a nice brownish-white head and a dark amber/caramel color. There isn't much of a smell to it. I really enjoy the taste. There are some good blends of malt that completely cover that nearly 7% of alcohol floating around in there. Definitely some good caramel malts going on. It's very refreshing and all around a good beer.
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