Narragansett Summer Ale | Narragansett Brewing Co.
Brewed by:
Narragansett Brewing Co.
Rhode Island, United States
narragansettbeer.com
Style: American Blonde Ale
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 4.20%
Availability: Summer
Notes / Commercial Description:
Narragansett Summer is a light session ale made with two row pale malt and citra hops. The citra hops are a very popular, newer variety that deliver aromas of citrus and passion fruit without overpowering the taste buds. The beer is blonde in color and the mild kiss of the hops complement the pale malt perfectly, making it extremely drinkable.
24 IBU
Added by BeerAdvocate on 04-15-2011
Ratings: 449 | Reviews: 124
2.5/5 rDev -34.2%
acurtis, May 26, 2013
3.88/5 rDev +2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
A: The beer is clear yellow in color and has a very light amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a finger high white head that faded away, leaving some bubbles on the surface and a thin collar around the edge of the glass.
S: There are light aromas of grapefruit and passionfruit in the nose.
T: The taste is similar to the smell but flavors of citra hops are a little bit stronger. The slightest hint of bitterness is perceptible.
M: It feels a bit more than light-bodied and very smooth on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer is very easy to drink and is a perfect beer for the summer. It has a bit of citrusy flavors similar to a West Coast IPA but these are very subdued.
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look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
A: The beer is clear yellow in color and has a very light amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a finger high white head that faded away, leaving some bubbles on the surface and a thin collar around the edge of the glass.
S: There are light aromas of grapefruit and passionfruit in the nose.
T: The taste is similar to the smell but flavors of citra hops are a little bit stronger. The slightest hint of bitterness is perceptible.
M: It feels a bit more than light-bodied and very smooth on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer is very easy to drink and is a perfect beer for the summer. It has a bit of citrusy flavors similar to a West Coast IPA but these are very subdued.
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3.32/5 rDev -12.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25
3.5/5 rDev -7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.58/5 rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Picked up a sixer of tallboy cans at Decicco's. Poured into a pint glass.
Pou yields a bright, clear brew that is golden in color with a thin white head and some very light lacing. Some spots, though not all that much. The nose carries a bit of light grain, though not much of any accompanying sweetness. No real hop presence in the nose or flavor, though a bit of bitterness comes through in the finish. Really plain overall. However, something about the chemistry that I do enjoy. No hops and the malt really brings neither malt flavor nor sweetness. Well made with no real flaws in execution. Kind of bland, but satisfying.
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look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Picked up a sixer of tallboy cans at Decicco's. Poured into a pint glass.
Pou yields a bright, clear brew that is golden in color with a thin white head and some very light lacing. Some spots, though not all that much. The nose carries a bit of light grain, though not much of any accompanying sweetness. No real hop presence in the nose or flavor, though a bit of bitterness comes through in the finish. Really plain overall. However, something about the chemistry that I do enjoy. No hops and the malt really brings neither malt flavor nor sweetness. Well made with no real flaws in execution. Kind of bland, but satisfying.
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3.46/5 rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Poured into an imperial pint glass a clear light golden with a 1/2 finger white head atop.Aromas were real light a bit of floral hops and toasted grain,really light to be honest.grainy with mild sweetness on the palate,a light smattering of leafy hops,a decent toasted ceral grain note in the finish.It's not bad...maybe rated to high but it's good for what it is,a summertime quaffer.
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look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Poured into an imperial pint glass a clear light golden with a 1/2 finger white head atop.Aromas were real light a bit of floral hops and toasted grain,really light to be honest.grainy with mild sweetness on the palate,a light smattering of leafy hops,a decent toasted ceral grain note in the finish.It's not bad...maybe rated to high but it's good for what it is,a summertime quaffer.
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3.6/5 rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Tall boy cans...
Pours a light fizzy head that disappears quickly over crystal clear golden straw colored beer.
Nose is light straw and golden malts, nice grassy aromatic hops, light and crisp, but very light.
Taste is a bit surprising as I didn't expect much, straw again, light malts, bit toasty, very light mild grassy hops, super clean and crisp, but very light on the taste overall, very watery as well, dry finish. Nice summer beer.
Mouth, what mouth, I can barely detect that it is even there, and light carbonation.
Overall not bad, better than I expected, nice flavors, hints of grassy mild hops, but a bit watery and way too light.
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look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Tall boy cans...
Pours a light fizzy head that disappears quickly over crystal clear golden straw colored beer.
Nose is light straw and golden malts, nice grassy aromatic hops, light and crisp, but very light.
Taste is a bit surprising as I didn't expect much, straw again, light malts, bit toasty, very light mild grassy hops, super clean and crisp, but very light on the taste overall, very watery as well, dry finish. Nice summer beer.
Mouth, what mouth, I can barely detect that it is even there, and light carbonation.
Overall not bad, better than I expected, nice flavors, hints of grassy mild hops, but a bit watery and way too light.
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3.82/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Narragansett Summer Ale
16 oz. can, no freshness dating
Narragansett delivers a refreshing but flavorful summer ale. It's clear with a golden body beneath a short head of bright white foam. The aroma displays a bit of sweetish grainy malt along with a touch of citrus. The flavor bears that out, with the addition of some grassiness, and a lime-like note to the citrus. It's surprisingly medium bodied, malty, and firmly bitter. At just 4.2% abv you could have a few of these on a hot afternoon. Nicely done.
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look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Narragansett Summer Ale
16 oz. can, no freshness dating
Narragansett delivers a refreshing but flavorful summer ale. It's clear with a golden body beneath a short head of bright white foam. The aroma displays a bit of sweetish grainy malt along with a touch of citrus. The flavor bears that out, with the addition of some grassiness, and a lime-like note to the citrus. It's surprisingly medium bodied, malty, and firmly bitter. At just 4.2% abv you could have a few of these on a hot afternoon. Nicely done.
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4.35/5 rDev +14.5%
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.
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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.
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3.91/5 rDev +2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A: Pours a crystal clear medium yellow in color with a light amount of visible carbonation. The beer has a two finger tall dense white head that reduces slightly but has good head retention - leaving a solid half finger of head covering the entire surface of the beer with a much thicker ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate to significant lacing is observed.
S: A light to moderate aroma for this beer, there is a light grapefruit/citrus hop presence along with some pale malts.
T: This beer is quite hop forward with a light amount of grapefruit and citrus hops - slight bitterness but not overly aggressive. That is quickly followed by a pale malt body that gives it a little bit of sweetness. The beer has a clean finish with a light hint of lemon.
M: On the lighter side of medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation.
O: This beer is very refreshing, enjoyable, and easy to drink. I would love to have another one of these, it was surprisingly good (not that I should be too surprised as I have liked each of the beers I have had from them). The hop-forward flavor with the grapefruit hops was quite enjoyable.
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look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A: Pours a crystal clear medium yellow in color with a light amount of visible carbonation. The beer has a two finger tall dense white head that reduces slightly but has good head retention - leaving a solid half finger of head covering the entire surface of the beer with a much thicker ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate to significant lacing is observed.
S: A light to moderate aroma for this beer, there is a light grapefruit/citrus hop presence along with some pale malts.
T: This beer is quite hop forward with a light amount of grapefruit and citrus hops - slight bitterness but not overly aggressive. That is quickly followed by a pale malt body that gives it a little bit of sweetness. The beer has a clean finish with a light hint of lemon.
M: On the lighter side of medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation.
O: This beer is very refreshing, enjoyable, and easy to drink. I would love to have another one of these, it was surprisingly good (not that I should be too surprised as I have liked each of the beers I have had from them). The hop-forward flavor with the grapefruit hops was quite enjoyable.
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3.33/5 rDev -12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
I got this one from Iimmush, cheers Tim!
Pours an effervescent hay color with 2 fingers of ivory head. Above average head retention & very good lacing
S: Perfumy & grassy hop notes
T: Follows the nose, plus sweet grainy cereal notes. More sweet graininess as this warms along with lemons. Finishes grassy with sweet grainy notes
MF: Light bodied with soft carbonation, pretty good balance
An alright blonde ale, just not enough flavor to get too amped up about
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look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
I got this one from Iimmush, cheers Tim!
Pours an effervescent hay color with 2 fingers of ivory head. Above average head retention & very good lacing
S: Perfumy & grassy hop notes
T: Follows the nose, plus sweet grainy cereal notes. More sweet graininess as this warms along with lemons. Finishes grassy with sweet grainy notes
MF: Light bodied with soft carbonation, pretty good balance
An alright blonde ale, just not enough flavor to get too amped up about
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4.18/5 rDev +10%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Impressive starting head. Leaves extensive lace, both as a ring and as a spider web. Crystal clear with a deep golden color.
Like a malty pilsner--it is balanced with a soft hop presence.
Malt flavor with a touch of grain that wasn't present in the aroma. There's a flowery hop punch in the swallow. A very smooth beer with enough crispness to keep the body spritzy. An excellent Blonde.
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look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Impressive starting head. Leaves extensive lace, both as a ring and as a spider web. Crystal clear with a deep golden color.
Like a malty pilsner--it is balanced with a soft hop presence.
Malt flavor with a touch of grain that wasn't present in the aroma. There's a flowery hop punch in the swallow. A very smooth beer with enough crispness to keep the body spritzy. An excellent Blonde.
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3.51/5 rDev -7.6%
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.
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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.
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4.33/5 rDev +13.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Rich amber in color, light with a nice head of white on top. Lots of carbonation coming up toward the surface throughout the session, reinforcing an already strong look. Light hops get stronger as it warms up. Nice bit of grain mixing in as well now, nice depth to it I have to admit. Crisp, clean taste and feel here. Really again very well done I have to say. Light finish which was quite dry and I have to admit this was very, very session able. You never can tell what is going to happen when you try a new pale ale, but this was surprisingly very good.
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look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Rich amber in color, light with a nice head of white on top. Lots of carbonation coming up toward the surface throughout the session, reinforcing an already strong look. Light hops get stronger as it warms up. Nice bit of grain mixing in as well now, nice depth to it I have to admit. Crisp, clean taste and feel here. Really again very well done I have to say. Light finish which was quite dry and I have to admit this was very, very session able. You never can tell what is going to happen when you try a new pale ale, but this was surprisingly very good.
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3.85/5 rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Thanks to jslot38 for giving me a can of this to review. Poured from a 16 oz. can into my Duvel Green tulip.
a - Pours a somewhat hazy bright yellow color with one finger of fluffy white head and moderate carbonation evident.
s - Smells of light citrus hops, light lemon, bready malts, wheat, floral notes. Light but pretty nice overall.
t - Tastes of citrus hops, wheat, grains, bready malts, earthy and floral notes. Tiny bit less citrus then the nose but nice.
m - Light body and moderate to high carbonation. Super easy to drink; a tiny bit less carbonation and it would be amazing.
o - Overall I thought this was a really good light blonde ale. There is some nice citrus hops to it and a lot of wheat and bready malts. Not super flavorful, but a really nice summer beer, and way better then most lighter beer options. Would have it again.
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look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Thanks to jslot38 for giving me a can of this to review. Poured from a 16 oz. can into my Duvel Green tulip.
a - Pours a somewhat hazy bright yellow color with one finger of fluffy white head and moderate carbonation evident.
s - Smells of light citrus hops, light lemon, bready malts, wheat, floral notes. Light but pretty nice overall.
t - Tastes of citrus hops, wheat, grains, bready malts, earthy and floral notes. Tiny bit less citrus then the nose but nice.
m - Light body and moderate to high carbonation. Super easy to drink; a tiny bit less carbonation and it would be amazing.
o - Overall I thought this was a really good light blonde ale. There is some nice citrus hops to it and a lot of wheat and bready malts. Not super flavorful, but a really nice summer beer, and way better then most lighter beer options. Would have it again.
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4.05/5 rDev +6.6%
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.
1,859 characters
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.
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Narragansett Summer Ale from Narragansett Brewing Co.
3.8
out of 5
based on 449 ratings.