Narragansett Imperial India Pale Ale

Narragansett Private Stock Imperial India Pale Ale (2012)
New Release (Brewed Once).
22 fl. oz. / $5.99 USD / 8.6% ABV

About: "Celebrate ‘Gansett’s storied 122 years in business with the limited-edition Imperial IPA. Released in a 22-ounce bomber bottle, the IPA is chock-full of references to Narragansett’s anniversary. The label is styled after an early Private Stock Ale label used by the company when they began brewing ales in the late 1890s, which underscores ‘Gansett’s heritage as one of the original craft brewers in New England.

Narragansett Imperial IPA was crafted with the best of American and German ingredients, to reflect the great history and legacy behind the brand. We used American 2-row pale malt as the base for this beer, and German Specialty malts to build the back bone and flavor profile of this beer. Summit hops were used for all the kettle hopping, and then we used a mix of Northern Brewers, Hallertau, Tettanager, and Sazz hops at a rate of 2 lb.’s per bbl for our dry hopping."

Thoughts: Cool label. This one has a picture of the actual bottle on the label which has a picture of the bottle within the bottle. Trippy.

Poured a rich golden orange color with a slow to build but suddenly bursting slightly off white yellowish head which turned to a pile of mush. Carbonation is running rampant. The beer is really clear.

This beer smells incredible! Tons of citrus, hop oil, zesty and really fresh hops abundantly spiraling upwards into my nostrils turning my brain into a kaleidoscope of hopped up awesomeness.

Taste is very earthy hop, with tons of zest and a lot less sweetness than I thought there would be. Of course, it's very high on the IBU's, so I expected that, but the scent let on a bit more sweetness. Not a problem though. It's got a minor scolding burn to it, like I said tons and tons of raw zest on this one. It's got a decent sweetness to it that comes in up front, but that bitterness just blasts it with a steel gauntlet to the grill. It's also a little dirty tasting, which isn't really a bad thing here. This beer is raw, harsh and rugged. Instant aftertaste is a bit oily. Insane bitterness on the back of the tongue, which is super floral and not at all grassy in any way. Hints of a metallic tinge buzz in and fade off quickly. After a while some vegetable oil and green beans come through, mixed with some pineapple and tropical fruit juice.

It's a heavy medium, but goes down smooth. Be prepared for the after burn though, and stay strong.

For those who give Gansett a hard time or talk trash, this would be a good beer to shove down their gullets. I've enjoyed every one of their beers I've tried. Though I've only reviewed their FEST so far which I absolutely loved! This beer is a very manly addition to their repertoire. By far the bitterest beer I've ever had. Be forewarned.

Narragansett FEST Lager

Narragansett FEST Lager (2011)

Autumn Seasonal (Limited Release)

Craft-Brewed and Bottled by Narragansett Beer Co., in Providence, RI. USA.

16 fl. oz. / $1.60 USD / 5.5% ABV

Info: "Winner of the silver medal in the 2010 World Beer Championship. Winner of the gold medal in the Oktoberfest category at the 15th annual Great International Beer and Cider Competition in Providence, RI 2011."

Look: FEST poured a light auburn orange with a small bubbly head that lasted a minute.

Scent: Smells like sweet malt, minor vanilla bean, with a wholesome citrus overtone to the whole brew.

Taste: Roasty. Toasty. Yeasty. Kinda sweet. Little bit spicy on the tongue after swallowed, and followed by a very slight bitterness. Sweet bubbling tingles around the tongue and when I lick my lips it's even sweeter. Damn good tasting... the bitterness is so very light, with that sweet coming through at just the perfect amount. This absolutely slaughters the competition taste wise. It's euphoric!

Feel: A heavy medium with an above average drinkability. Goes down pretty smooth.

Feelings: Probably the best $1.60 I ever spent in my life. This is one of those few beers that I just let sit in my mouth for long periods of time, and felt good. Much like I did with my second bottle of Pumking during the Halloween snowstorm / three-and-a-half day power outage. For this one I can't really imagine any room for improvement. It's near perfect, the best Oktoberfest I've ever had without a doubt. If it were stronger it most likely wouldn't taste the same, so that's the only downside to improvement that I can think of here. FEST is one of the best beers that I've had this year. I'd say that FEST is a FEAST... in itself.

 Update: The guys over at Narragansett gave thanks to my positive review on their twitter feed and blog. Much appreciated. Here's a screen cap: