Sleigh'r Dark Doüble Alt Ale | Ninkasi Brewing Company
Brewed by:
Ninkasi Brewing Company
Oregon, United States
ninkasibrewing.com
Style: German Altbier
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 7.20%
Availability: Winter
Notes / Commercial Description:
Called 'Dark Double Alt' on the label.
Seize the season with Sleigh'r. Layers of deeply toasted malt are balanced by just enough hop bitterness to make it deceivingly drinkable. Paired with a dry finish, Sleigh’r is anything but your typical winter brew.
An Alt ferments with Ale yeast at colder lagering temperatures. This effect gives Alts a more refined, crisp lager-like flavor than traditional ales. The Alt has been “Ninkasified” raising the ABV and IBUs. Sleigh'r has a deep, toasted malt flavor that finishes dry and balanced.
50 IBU
HISTOGRAM
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Ratings: 611 | Reviews: 181
Reviews by gpogo:
3.13/5 rDev -16.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A- Dark brown, clear, with a cream colored head. Head dissipated and left a thick lacing. Decent carbonation keeping a foamy cap.
A- Clean malt aroma with a light fruitiness. Slight toasted nutty malt aroma. Seems a bit unbalanced, light on the maltiness.
T- Initial bitterness. Toasted barley taste, almost a burnt malt flavor. Finishes clean with a faint astringent taste.
M- Smooth medium body with moderate-high carbonation.
D- Not bad, but I wouldn't seek it out.
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look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A- Dark brown, clear, with a cream colored head. Head dissipated and left a thick lacing. Decent carbonation keeping a foamy cap.
A- Clean malt aroma with a light fruitiness. Slight toasted nutty malt aroma. Seems a bit unbalanced, light on the maltiness.
T- Initial bitterness. Toasted barley taste, almost a burnt malt flavor. Finishes clean with a faint astringent taste.
M- Smooth medium body with moderate-high carbonation.
D- Not bad, but I wouldn't seek it out.
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More User Reviews:
3.81/5 rDev +1.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
22 oz. bottle -- Poured into a stange glass -
Interestingly, this year's version (2016) does not say "alt" on the label. Instead, it says "winter ale". But, in my opinion, it fits broadly into the altbier category (maybe a tad roastier/drier (more hoppy) in the finish.
Pours medium chestnut brown. A creamy lasting tan head leaves lacing.
The smell is malty - nutty/toffee (hint of roasted caramel) with roasted dried booze-soaked dark fruit.
The taste is malt-forward - sweet with a roasty touch. A subtle touch of hops give the finish an herbal/leafy dryness to balance the sweetness and the mild roast. Minty booze makes the abv seem a bit higher than it is. An odd aftertaste comes in late (almost medicinal in a minty way).
It is creamy and on the full side of medium-bodied (It straddles between medium and full bodied but leans slightly towards the former.)
An interesting malt-forward (but moderately balanced) winter brew. Sweet and slightly roasty with some dryness in the finish. As stated above, alcohol stands out.
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look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
22 oz. bottle -- Poured into a stange glass -
Interestingly, this year's version (2016) does not say "alt" on the label. Instead, it says "winter ale". But, in my opinion, it fits broadly into the altbier category (maybe a tad roastier/drier (more hoppy) in the finish.
Pours medium chestnut brown. A creamy lasting tan head leaves lacing.
The smell is malty - nutty/toffee (hint of roasted caramel) with roasted dried booze-soaked dark fruit.
The taste is malt-forward - sweet with a roasty touch. A subtle touch of hops give the finish an herbal/leafy dryness to balance the sweetness and the mild roast. Minty booze makes the abv seem a bit higher than it is. An odd aftertaste comes in late (almost medicinal in a minty way).
It is creamy and on the full side of medium-bodied (It straddles between medium and full bodied but leans slightly towards the former.)
An interesting malt-forward (but moderately balanced) winter brew. Sweet and slightly roasty with some dryness in the finish. As stated above, alcohol stands out.
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3.78/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Sampled a pint at Beer Revolution in Calgary. Arrived a dark mahogany brown with a light topcoat of creamy off-white froth.
Compelling aroma that is surprising smoky, fruity, and aromatic. This is an odd beer, stylistically (from a conceptual standpoint) and in practice. Do not read "odd" as unpleasant. I am struck by an initial back bacon smokiness, followed quickly by some salt water taffy and astringent grape skins, raisins, milk chocolate, tart crabapples, dry walnut meat, and a decent boozy note. It should be a train wreck yet somehow this brew manages to meld these disparate elements into something that works. I certainly get some classic alt characteristics, fleshed out by equal parts winter warmer and rauchbier. Medium bodied and similarly mid-range in terms of carbonation. Finishes with a surprising dose of piney hops.
As I stated earlier, a unique hybrid. Nice to see a holiday-themed brew doing something besides adding spices. This beer may not truly understand what it actually is, beyond fairly delicious.
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look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Sampled a pint at Beer Revolution in Calgary. Arrived a dark mahogany brown with a light topcoat of creamy off-white froth.
Compelling aroma that is surprising smoky, fruity, and aromatic. This is an odd beer, stylistically (from a conceptual standpoint) and in practice. Do not read "odd" as unpleasant. I am struck by an initial back bacon smokiness, followed quickly by some salt water taffy and astringent grape skins, raisins, milk chocolate, tart crabapples, dry walnut meat, and a decent boozy note. It should be a train wreck yet somehow this brew manages to meld these disparate elements into something that works. I certainly get some classic alt characteristics, fleshed out by equal parts winter warmer and rauchbier. Medium bodied and similarly mid-range in terms of carbonation. Finishes with a surprising dose of piney hops.
As I stated earlier, a unique hybrid. Nice to see a holiday-themed brew doing something besides adding spices. This beer may not truly understand what it actually is, beyond fairly delicious.
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4/5 rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Ninkasi Sleighr Ale, 2010
Pour a dark dark brown color with a small cream colored head. Smells like nutty chocolate with a hint of mint. The taste is strong on chocolate and hops. It seems more like a porter than an altbier. The nutty smell isn't really there on the tongue as would be expected from an altbier while it also has strong carbonation. The mouthfeel is great. It drinks very clean and crisp. The sweet chocolate lingers on the tongue well.
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look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Ninkasi Sleighr Ale, 2010
Pour a dark dark brown color with a small cream colored head. Smells like nutty chocolate with a hint of mint. The taste is strong on chocolate and hops. It seems more like a porter than an altbier. The nutty smell isn't really there on the tongue as would be expected from an altbier while it also has strong carbonation. The mouthfeel is great. It drinks very clean and crisp. The sweet chocolate lingers on the tongue well.
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4.44/5 rDev +18.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Perfect Christmas beer: thick, black, hint of sweetness but not too sweet.
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look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Perfect Christmas beer: thick, black, hint of sweetness but not too sweet.
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3.63/5 rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Thanks to blutt59 for sharing this bottle.
The beer pours reddish brown with a white head. The aroma is caramel malt with brown sugar. The flavor is caramel malt, toffee, dark fruits and grassy hops. Thin mouthfeel and medium carbonation. A little disappointing overall, but a beer worth trying.
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look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Thanks to blutt59 for sharing this bottle.
The beer pours reddish brown with a white head. The aroma is caramel malt with brown sugar. The flavor is caramel malt, toffee, dark fruits and grassy hops. Thin mouthfeel and medium carbonation. A little disappointing overall, but a beer worth trying.
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3.32/5 rDev -11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
On tap poured into a tulip.
Pours a very dark mahogany brown with a one finger light brown head with some light delicate lacing.
Taste is quite malty as to be expected with the style, there's a nice earthy and slightly sharp flavor that rounds it is out well, it doesn't seem syrupy or overly sweet but it's making my lips sticky...
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look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
On tap poured into a tulip.
Pours a very dark mahogany brown with a one finger light brown head with some light delicate lacing.
Taste is quite malty as to be expected with the style, there's a nice earthy and slightly sharp flavor that rounds it is out well, it doesn't seem syrupy or overly sweet but it's making my lips sticky...
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3.75/5 rDev -0.3%
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
3.56/5 rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
4.3/5 rDev +14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Pours dark with a thick and creamy hazel-colored foam. Coffee, roasted marshmallows, caramel and a whiff of fresh hops escape the rim and hit my nose. Well balanced and fresh smelling which is nice and surprising.
The smooth nose continues on the palate where each component of roasted malts, hops and alcohol blend harmoniously, creating a very enjoyable beer; especially if you happen to sit in front of a fireplace during a cold winter night. It is delicate, yet robust in its composition, successfully creating an alt beer which has gone to the Dark Side.
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look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Pours dark with a thick and creamy hazel-colored foam. Coffee, roasted marshmallows, caramel and a whiff of fresh hops escape the rim and hit my nose. Well balanced and fresh smelling which is nice and surprising.
The smooth nose continues on the palate where each component of roasted malts, hops and alcohol blend harmoniously, creating a very enjoyable beer; especially if you happen to sit in front of a fireplace during a cold winter night. It is delicate, yet robust in its composition, successfully creating an alt beer which has gone to the Dark Side.
561 characters
4.35/5 rDev +15.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
4/5 rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Thanks to Tuttle for breaking this out the night before Hopfest! Went into it thinking, ah, I dunno, not my style/thing, but figured, hey, good friend, opening beers, love Ninkasi, made it easy to go along.
Poured out a rich dark brown and red, but with ample clarity given its deep color. Very interesting aroma, maybe just because of the Christmas theme, I was getting caramel nuttiness, cinammon, taragon, tobacco, pepper, spice/clove. Really deep.
Taste, so much easier than I thought it would be. And more sweetness, but never becoming a 'sweet' beer, ample malt bill and other ingredients seemed to tame this bad boy. Nothing about hops to talk about. About the dryest finish of a beer of this style/vibe I've come around, not heavy, creamy at times, not super challenging, just lots to pick up on. Unique. When the wave of smooth and creamy hits you, you start wondering if there is some flaked oats used in this. Whatever they did, it was enjoyable.
Of course, it looks like a winter seasonal, we drank it in September, so i dunno if this aged and mellowed or whatnot, because that split bomber is my only insight, so I guess at the very least I can say this beer does just fine aged up to 9 months.
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look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Thanks to Tuttle for breaking this out the night before Hopfest! Went into it thinking, ah, I dunno, not my style/thing, but figured, hey, good friend, opening beers, love Ninkasi, made it easy to go along.
Poured out a rich dark brown and red, but with ample clarity given its deep color. Very interesting aroma, maybe just because of the Christmas theme, I was getting caramel nuttiness, cinammon, taragon, tobacco, pepper, spice/clove. Really deep.
Taste, so much easier than I thought it would be. And more sweetness, but never becoming a 'sweet' beer, ample malt bill and other ingredients seemed to tame this bad boy. Nothing about hops to talk about. About the dryest finish of a beer of this style/vibe I've come around, not heavy, creamy at times, not super challenging, just lots to pick up on. Unique. When the wave of smooth and creamy hits you, you start wondering if there is some flaked oats used in this. Whatever they did, it was enjoyable.
Of course, it looks like a winter seasonal, we drank it in September, so i dunno if this aged and mellowed or whatnot, because that split bomber is my only insight, so I guess at the very least I can say this beer does just fine aged up to 9 months.
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4.01/5 rDev +6.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.11/5 rDev +9.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4/5 rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12oz bottle into tulip; I don't have a slender cylinder.
A: Pours a very dark reddish-brown, with only the faintest bit of translucency to accentuate the color. A finger's worth of head quickly dissipates, leaving several soap-like bubbles clinging to the edge. Faint carbonation ever so slightly disturbs the surface at the center. As the volume of liquid decreases, more light is let through and an attractive orange hue reveals itself. Perhaps if I'd had a Stange I could've enjoyed the color through the whole glass.
S: Sweet malts, dark fruit—raisins. Mild, though.
T: Malts give way to sweet dark fruits, and the finish clings to my upper palate: hoppy, here. As the beer warms, the hops calm and I pick up a flavor of orange peel to accompany the color.
M: Refreshing amount of carbonation and not too heavy or thick; all pleasant surprises.
O: Really enjoyable after warming a bit; it'll be nice to work through the six-pack during these dark evenings.
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look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12oz bottle into tulip; I don't have a slender cylinder.
A: Pours a very dark reddish-brown, with only the faintest bit of translucency to accentuate the color. A finger's worth of head quickly dissipates, leaving several soap-like bubbles clinging to the edge. Faint carbonation ever so slightly disturbs the surface at the center. As the volume of liquid decreases, more light is let through and an attractive orange hue reveals itself. Perhaps if I'd had a Stange I could've enjoyed the color through the whole glass.
S: Sweet malts, dark fruit—raisins. Mild, though.
T: Malts give way to sweet dark fruits, and the finish clings to my upper palate: hoppy, here. As the beer warms, the hops calm and I pick up a flavor of orange peel to accompany the color.
M: Refreshing amount of carbonation and not too heavy or thick; all pleasant surprises.
O: Really enjoyable after warming a bit; it'll be nice to work through the six-pack during these dark evenings.
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3.97/5 rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Fucking metal holiday artwork
copper color sparkling lacing around snifter
no smell really at all some maltyness
in the beginning sweet chocolate roasty taste with slight cherry hints and caramel malt hidden within and then a hoppy bitter finish
light syrupy mouth feel with light carbonation
defiantly a beer worthy of slayers name
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look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Fucking metal holiday artwork
copper color sparkling lacing around snifter
no smell really at all some maltyness
in the beginning sweet chocolate roasty taste with slight cherry hints and caramel malt hidden within and then a hoppy bitter finish
light syrupy mouth feel with light carbonation
defiantly a beer worthy of slayers name
341 characters
Sleigh'r Dark Doüble Alt Ale from Ninkasi Brewing Company
Beer rating:
3.76 out of
5 with
611 ratings
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