Ginja Ninja Ginger Beer | Granville Island Brewery
Brewed by:
Granville Island Brewery
British Columbia, Canada | website
Style: Herbed / Spiced Beer
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 5.50%
Availability: Limited (brewed once)
Notes / Commercial Description:
No notes at this time.
Added by leaddog on 05-12-2013
This beer is retired; no longer brewed.
View: Beers | Place Reviews | Events
Reviews: 7 | Ratings: 44
2.31/5 rDev -30.4%
look: 2.25 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2.25
I like ginger. I like ginger a lot. But it's pretty much wasted here because there's nothing to complement it in this brew.
Pours a short head that immediately disappears leaving behindg a very ordinary looking clear apricot coloured liquid. Boring. Nose is clearly gingerous, but with not much else. Quite dry on the palate, bordering on dusty or metallic. Not much else happening in the glass. Taste is also one dimensional, just harsh ginger. Not really appetizing. Ginger works best when it's paired up with something else and those flavours work together. Nothing else here I'm afraid.
Meh. Part of a mixed six from Granville/Creemore. Just glad I didn't stick myself with a full six of this stuff. Done and gone.
★ 720 characters
look: 2.25 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2.25
I like ginger. I like ginger a lot. But it's pretty much wasted here because there's nothing to complement it in this brew.
Pours a short head that immediately disappears leaving behindg a very ordinary looking clear apricot coloured liquid. Boring. Nose is clearly gingerous, but with not much else. Quite dry on the palate, bordering on dusty or metallic. Not much else happening in the glass. Taste is also one dimensional, just harsh ginger. Not really appetizing. Ginger works best when it's paired up with something else and those flavours work together. Nothing else here I'm afraid.
Meh. Part of a mixed six from Granville/Creemore. Just glad I didn't stick myself with a full six of this stuff. Done and gone.
★ 720 characters
3.3/5 rDev -0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
341 mL bottle from a Granville Island/Creemore Springs mixed sampler picked up at the LCBO; bottled in April of this year. Ingredients: Beer, Ginger. Hmm. I guess I didn't really expect much else to be in there. Served well-chilled.
Pours a turbid orange-amber colour, topped with one finger of short-lived, pearl-white head. Within a minute's time, only a thin film and collar remain behind, with some scant lacing. The aroma is sweet and spicy; candied ginger root definitely comes to mind, in addition to some doughy malt sweetness, brown sugar and light orange citrus notes.
A decent ginger ale, although the aforementioned spice remains comfortably in the background for the duration of the sip. Bready malts and gingerbread flavour come through initially, with some light orange and hoppy earthiness rounding things out at the tail end. Mildly spicy aftertaste, with some diluted ginger heat that fades rapidly. Medium-bodied, with relatively light carbonation and a smooth mouthfeel that doesn't work particularly well in this instance. I prefer my ginger beers to have a peppier, more assertive bite from the carb.
Final Grade: 3.30, a B-. Granville Island's Ginja Ninja is an agreeable spiced ale well-suited for the patio season, but it's not something I'm likely to return to any time soon. This one is far less ginger-focused than most of the other ginger beers I've tried, which may or may not be a plus for you. Personally? I think it would benefit from a stronger ginger bite, but in the end there's nothing wrong here. Give it a shot if you're a fan of the style, but don't expect anything more than a passable session brew.
★ 1,645 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
341 mL bottle from a Granville Island/Creemore Springs mixed sampler picked up at the LCBO; bottled in April of this year. Ingredients: Beer, Ginger. Hmm. I guess I didn't really expect much else to be in there. Served well-chilled.
Pours a turbid orange-amber colour, topped with one finger of short-lived, pearl-white head. Within a minute's time, only a thin film and collar remain behind, with some scant lacing. The aroma is sweet and spicy; candied ginger root definitely comes to mind, in addition to some doughy malt sweetness, brown sugar and light orange citrus notes.
A decent ginger ale, although the aforementioned spice remains comfortably in the background for the duration of the sip. Bready malts and gingerbread flavour come through initially, with some light orange and hoppy earthiness rounding things out at the tail end. Mildly spicy aftertaste, with some diluted ginger heat that fades rapidly. Medium-bodied, with relatively light carbonation and a smooth mouthfeel that doesn't work particularly well in this instance. I prefer my ginger beers to have a peppier, more assertive bite from the carb.
Final Grade: 3.30, a B-. Granville Island's Ginja Ninja is an agreeable spiced ale well-suited for the patio season, but it's not something I'm likely to return to any time soon. This one is far less ginger-focused than most of the other ginger beers I've tried, which may or may not be a plus for you. Personally? I think it would benefit from a stronger ginger bite, but in the end there's nothing wrong here. Give it a shot if you're a fan of the style, but don't expect anything more than a passable session brew.
★ 1,645 characters
3.54/5 rDev +6.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
On tap at Beer Revolution.
Appearance- Pours a clear gold with a 1/4 finger width of bubbly white head.
Smell- Ginger, citrus, grains.
Taste- Starts with a pleasant zing from the ginger then goes to the citrus and grains. I was hoping the ginger would stay throughout.
Mouthfeel- Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall- An agreeable enough Ginger Beer by Granville Island. The ginger is a little restricted and could use a little more of it to give it some more "oomph". Other than that, a good attempt at a hard style to brew.
★ 543 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
On tap at Beer Revolution.
Appearance- Pours a clear gold with a 1/4 finger width of bubbly white head.
Smell- Ginger, citrus, grains.
Taste- Starts with a pleasant zing from the ginger then goes to the citrus and grains. I was hoping the ginger would stay throughout.
Mouthfeel- Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall- An agreeable enough Ginger Beer by Granville Island. The ginger is a little restricted and could use a little more of it to give it some more "oomph". Other than that, a good attempt at a hard style to brew.
★ 543 characters
3.59/5 rDev +8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
341ml bottle poured into pint glass 17/6/13
A clear golden copper with a few tiny particles and lots of tiny bubbles but only a short lived finger of foam that leaves some polka dot lace
S ginger dusted apples pie crust with a little honey, straight forward but so are ginger beers
T more ginger then the nose and becomes even more one dimensional, gingers a little spicy but it still works well enough
M leaning towards medium, enough bubbles to please and the spicy kick lingers on the finish
O decent beer but nothing to get excited about, I'm just wondering when this ginger fad will fade out, I suppose it took lime a couple years to drop off the cliff
Maybe with some sushi but I doubt I'd bother again, not that's flawed or anything like that but its a ginger beer and they just don't do it for me
★ 812 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
341ml bottle poured into pint glass 17/6/13
A clear golden copper with a few tiny particles and lots of tiny bubbles but only a short lived finger of foam that leaves some polka dot lace
S ginger dusted apples pie crust with a little honey, straight forward but so are ginger beers
T more ginger then the nose and becomes even more one dimensional, gingers a little spicy but it still works well enough
M leaning towards medium, enough bubbles to please and the spicy kick lingers on the finish
O decent beer but nothing to get excited about, I'm just wondering when this ginger fad will fade out, I suppose it took lime a couple years to drop off the cliff
Maybe with some sushi but I doubt I'd bother again, not that's flawed or anything like that but its a ginger beer and they just don't do it for me
★ 812 characters
3.74/5 rDev +12.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
341ml bottle. This seems to be a different offering from their previous seasonal ginger ale release, different ABV, and with wheat in the mash bill. The name does just seem to roll off the tongue now, doesn't it?
This beer pours a clear, glassy medium golden amber colour, with one skinny finger of bubbly, quite thinly foamy dirty white head, which leaves a few microdots of speckled lace around the glass as it quickly dissolves.
It smells of powdered ginger - equal parts spice and musty earth - a cookie dough breadiness, an indistinct juicy citrus fruitiness, and some further tame leafy, earthy hoppiness. The taste is more muted spicy ginger, the pithy earthiness pushing back hard, with some orange and mushy apple fruitiness doing well to rescue this in the early stages, before a gingerbread-like biscuity caramel malt comes through on the back end.
The bubbles are present and fairly engaging, but just to the edge of initial pleasantries, the body medium-light in weight, and mostly smooth, in a weirdly bland sort of manner. It finishes off-dry, the sushi-side ginger and sour citrus combining with the grainy caramel malt to provide a gentle sweetness.
An agreeable enough ginger beer, one where the titular spice/root is not entirely left to its own devices, but rather, is part of more complex offering, producing something akin to a lightly weakened summer version of a winter spiced ale.
★ 1,409 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
341ml bottle. This seems to be a different offering from their previous seasonal ginger ale release, different ABV, and with wheat in the mash bill. The name does just seem to roll off the tongue now, doesn't it?
This beer pours a clear, glassy medium golden amber colour, with one skinny finger of bubbly, quite thinly foamy dirty white head, which leaves a few microdots of speckled lace around the glass as it quickly dissolves.
It smells of powdered ginger - equal parts spice and musty earth - a cookie dough breadiness, an indistinct juicy citrus fruitiness, and some further tame leafy, earthy hoppiness. The taste is more muted spicy ginger, the pithy earthiness pushing back hard, with some orange and mushy apple fruitiness doing well to rescue this in the early stages, before a gingerbread-like biscuity caramel malt comes through on the back end.
The bubbles are present and fairly engaging, but just to the edge of initial pleasantries, the body medium-light in weight, and mostly smooth, in a weirdly bland sort of manner. It finishes off-dry, the sushi-side ginger and sour citrus combining with the grainy caramel malt to provide a gentle sweetness.
An agreeable enough ginger beer, one where the titular spice/root is not entirely left to its own devices, but rather, is part of more complex offering, producing something akin to a lightly weakened summer version of a winter spiced ale.
★ 1,409 characters
3.84/5 rDev +15.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Medium amber colour with one inch of fine off-white head. Little lacing and no retention. Continuous light streams of carbonation. Some yeast sendiment.
Strong raw ginger aroma. Tangy with some mustiness.
Lots of flavours. Dominated by the ginger. Slightly tart. Sweet malty bread. Grassy hop bitterness rides along with the ginger tang. Long aftertaste.
Medium feel with nice carbonation.
My first ginger beer. It was refreshing. I will seek other ginger beers. Better than other Granville Island offerings that I have had.
★ 528 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Medium amber colour with one inch of fine off-white head. Little lacing and no retention. Continuous light streams of carbonation. Some yeast sendiment.
Strong raw ginger aroma. Tangy with some mustiness.
Lots of flavours. Dominated by the ginger. Slightly tart. Sweet malty bread. Grassy hop bitterness rides along with the ginger tang. Long aftertaste.
Medium feel with nice carbonation.
My first ginger beer. It was refreshing. I will seek other ginger beers. Better than other Granville Island offerings that I have had.
★ 528 characters
Ginja Ninja Ginger Beer from Granville Island Brewery
3.32
out of 5
based on 44 ratings.
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.75 | overall: 1.25
I was kinda expecting it to taste like non-alcoholic ginger beer. Nope. Just tastes like ginger gone bad. It's really too bad that it comes in six-packs.
★ 153 characters