Lager
Ninkasi Brewing Company

Light and refreshing, very drinkable

"NINKASI BEER / NORTHWEST LAGER".......ABV 5%......$14 for a six pack of pint cans
Much lighter in taste than what I imagined it would be. It has some very subtle flavors that make this beer a "crafty beer". There are possibly floral, herbal or citrus zest additions...? Could be the choice of hops and yeast that makes this one unique..?
Who knows. ..[if you love light lagers just drink it and enjoy it]

L: Jumps out of the can, huge foamy head, pale body.
S: Light and sweet. Cracker, spice, a slight bitterness, floral notes.
T: Follows the nose. Notes of bright floral hops upfront, though not overly bitter; then becoming sweeter with honey, a hint of melon, and cracker malt through the finish.
F: Dangerously smooth, finish is moderately crisp.
O: Maybe I’ve been leaning into dark winter beers too much as of late, but damn if this isn’t hitting a spot. Nice balance, crisp enough, too easy to pound.

 

brand new one from ninkasi, or perhaps rather newly branded, its been awhile since i had their pils, but this seems to be almost identical to that, way more a german pils than an american lager no matter what they call it, i wonder if the rate of sale wasnt there or something so they just changed the name and kept the recipe, anyone know? seems weird to have this coexist with the pils, is that going away? anyway, its very good, i love the european pils malt to it, crazy fresh, light, and crackery in here, nicely extracted, almost tastes and feels like a decoction mash. the hops are noble and liberally deployed, but the beer remains super drinkable, not overdone in any way, balanced but so incredibly crisp. perhaps a little less striking to me now than when i first tasted the pils, which in a lot of ways set the standard for american brewers, at least in the northwest, such an underappreciated and excellent beer, but this sure seems close. could just come down to freshness or format or something being the difference in my memory, but the malt is near identical. fast finish, nice and dry, and what makes it not really an american lager for me is the flavorful old world lager yeast, bready and persistent through this, classic and familiar. dry and bubbly and snappy, refreshing and delicious, very well made, someone give me the details on this, is it the same as the pils? same abv. they should tell the consumer if it is...