Narragansett Autocrat Coffee Milk Stout

Val picked this beer out during one of our trips to New York. It hung out in the fridge for a long time before I got to taste it. Let’s see how it was.

ABV: 5.3%

Style: Milk/Sweet Stout

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “The History Lesson: This beer is a unique collaboration between two iconic Rhode Island companies. A custom blend of Narragansett’s bittersweet milk Stout with dark, delicious Autocrat Coffee makes for a delightful beer that is more Rhode Island than Roger Williams himself. Since the 1890’s, Narragansett Beer and Autocrat Coffee have been home-grown Rhode Island favorites.”

Random: The brewery recommends pairing this with chocolate desserts and with meats.

The beer poured with a huge, five-finger, dark brown head. It was thick and took forever to go away. The body was dark brown, almost black. There was no carbonation visible due to the color. The nose was filled with burnt malt and old smoke. The coffee was there as well, but was also incredibly burnt. The taste was only slightly better than the nose. It had notes of nuttiness and toasted almonds. It quickly went into burnt malt and old wood smoke. It also had burnt coffee as well. There was a slight sweetness with chocolate. The body was thick with not enough carbonation. The finish was lengthy and filled with smoke and burnt coffee. A can of this was $3, which came to $.19 per ounce. I thought this beer was completely out of balance and I wouldn’t have this one again.

Untappd Rating: 2.5/5.0

Narragansett Presents Allie’s Donuts Double Chocolate Porter

Since this beer has such a long description, I’ll keep my intro short. Val picked this out and I didn’t know what to expect since I haven’t ready much about it. And we like doughnuts, hopefully it tastes like doughnuts.

ABV: 5.5%

Style: American Porter

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “Frederick Alvin Briggs, JR. opened Allie’s Donuts in the summer of 1968. For over 40 years, his family has worked passionately to maintain the legacy that ‘Allie’ built in the early mornings back in the 1960’s & 70’s. With neighborliness and determination, Allie’s has succeeded in keeping the shop as ‘Old Fashioned’ as the donuts, each and every day. Nothing beats an Allie’s Donut in the morning, or any other time, which is why many Rhode Islanders consider a trip to Allie’s a family tradition. Narragansett Beer has been Made on Honor since 1890, and we’re proud to collaborate with local folks who embody that spirit of craftsmanship… especially if there’s a chance for free donuts. So here’s to grabbing a dozen for the next family trip, and here’s to the rich deliciousness of Allie’s Double Chocolate Porter! Roll out the Barrel: We have teamed up with another one of our favorite Rhode Island treasures, Allie’s Donuts to create the new Allie’s Double Chocolate Porter. 5.5% Alcohol by Volume and 15 IBUs, the new Allie’s Double Chocolate Porter is available on draft and in sixteen ounce tall boy cans throughout the fall and early winter. Quality Supreme: The Allie’s Double Chocolate Porter is a malty blend of our classic Porter combined with cocoa nibs, chocolate malt, and a hint of vanilla. A smooth, dark brew that is flavorful and filled with delicate complexities, but is never overpowering. Taste & Enjoy: Drawing its rich chocolate base from cocoa nibs, deep and roasty body from chocolate malt, and subtle its finish from just a hint of vanilla, the Allie’s Double Chocolate Porter is reminiscent of Allie’s famous old-fashioned double chocolate donuts.”

Random: It’s been awhile since I’ve had a good doughnut.

This beer poured with a half a finger of tan head. It dissipated quickly and left no lacing on the glass. It left a hint of a crown on top of the dark brown body. There wasn’t any visible carbonation because of the color. The nose was strong with burnt chocolate, espresso and burnt hazelnuts. There was also a hazelnut syrup aspect to it. The taste was intensely bitter and was like drinking burnt coffee grounds. There was also some cheap cola flavor. The nutty aspect came through after my palate adjusted to the bitterness. The hazelnut liquor flavor was at the end of the sip. The body was thin with moderate carbonation. It had a quick finish with the same burnt coffee, which I just couldn’t get over. A pounder can of this was $1.50 ($.09 per ounce). All of the more subtle flavors were rolled over by how strong that burnt coffee ground flavor was. I wouldn’t have this again.

Untappd Rating: 3.0/5.0

Narragansett Del’s Shandy

One of the things that annoys me when reviewing beers is when I unknowingly write up an entire review for a beer that I’ve had a few years ago. This hasn’t happened in awhile until tonight. The brewery changed the label on the beer, so I didn’t realize until I almost posted the same review that I had already reviewed. So, instead I’m posting a review on a beer that Val let me sample tonight.

ABV: 4%

Style: Fruit/Vegetable Beer

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “Narragansett Del’s Shandy is a collaboration between two iconic Rhode Island brands. The Shandy is available in six packs of 16-ounce cans and on draft throughout the summer. The beer contains 5.0% ABV and 14 IBUs (International Bitterness Units). The Narragansett Del’s Shandy is the perfect thirst-quenching balance of our gold medal Lager with Del’s lemon concentrate…brewed under the supervision of award-winning Brewmaster Sean Larkin. ‘Gansett’s Lager is the highest rated domestic Lager according to Beer Advocate, while Del’s Lemonade has been Rhode Island’s favorite summer treat for over six decades.”

Random: This beer had a retro feel to the can which was pretty cool.

This brew poured with a half a finger of white head that dissipated quickly. It left slight lacing on the glass, along with a crown on top of the clear, straw yellow body. There was moderate carbonation visible. The nose was had notes of melted lemon Italian ice with some syrupy sweetness. The taste was really off-putting. It had melted lemon Italian ice, like the nose, but then it had some sour notes with wheat and soap. The body was on the thin side with moderate carbonation. It had a long finish with lemon dish soap. I didn’t like this one at all. For $1.99 a can, this luckily wasn’t expensive. I know that shandies are all the rage these days, but I couldn’t stand this one. I wouldn’t recommend this.

Untappd Rating: 2.5/5.0

Narragansett Fest

I definitely have a case of the Mondays. It’s especially worse when I have a really good weekend. But, at least I get to work from home Wednesday-Friday. I have to do some sort of online training. So, at least I don’t have to waste the gas for 3 days, and saying that I commute about 100 miles a day, this is a good thing. Tonight’s selection is from the beer run I made on the way home from Provincetown. You may remember that I’ve reviewed both the Narragansett Lager and Narragansett Summer Ale before and liked the Summer Ale, but the Lager didn’t do a lot for me. Let’s see how this one goes.

ABV: 5.5%

Style: Marzen/Oktoberfest

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “Gansett Fest is a great example of a traditional amber-brown German Oktoberfest style beer. It is perfectly balanced with four varieties of malts and two styles of hops. This is an extremely easy drinking autumn seasonal beer, but one you will want to savor as the rich malt profile complements the crisp, but not overpowering, hop flavor perfectly.”

Random: I need both the Eagles defense and Jeremy Maclin to do well tonight so I can win in fantasy.

This brew poured with a one finger, white head that dissipated quickly and left no lacing on the glass. The body was a clear chestnut color with a crazy amount of active carbonation. The nose was not all that fragrant. I got a bit of caramel malt with some nuttiness, but probably the most subtle of the style that I’ve had. The taste was not as subtle, which was a good thing. I got the caramel malt that was apparent in the nose with some bread and nuttiness. The finish lasts with a bit of the bread that was apparent in the taste. The body was medium thickness and the carbonation didn’t overwhelm. It’s not a bad representation of the style, just not the best I’ve ever had. But, I wouldn’t refuse a free one!

Untappd Rating: 3.0/5.0

Narragansett Summer Ale

I know, it seems like my stash from my trip to Massachusetts is never ending. Well, I think I’m a little over halfway through. This was a brew that I actually bought a six-pack of. I tore through the first five without a problem. I really enjoyed it while I was grilling or watching a baseball game. Since I’m watching the Yankees game, what better time to crack this one open.

ABV: 4.2%

Style: American Blonde Ale

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “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. The draft is brewed in small batches at Trinity Brew House in Providence and Cottrell Brewery in Pawcatuck, CT, and the tall boy cans are brewed at High Falls Brewery in Rochester, NY. Winner of the Silver Medal in the 2011 World Beer Championships!”

Random: So, Jaromir Jagr just agreed to a one year deal with the Flyers. Interesting…

The brew poured with a two finger pure white head that was fluffier than I thought it was going to be (the first 5, I drank out of the can). It dissipated slowly and left some lacing on the glass. The body was a clear, straw yellow with lots of active carbonation. On the nose, I got a hint of hops and a little bit of a floral scent. On the taste, I get a bit of hoppiness, mostly pine, on the outset. The body was a bit thicker than I remembered, but still goes well with the flavors. As it warms, it was also a little bit buttery. The carbonation was pretty active and it went really well with being a summer beer. This is definitely a beer in my wheelhouse. It was easy to drink with a quick finish and I could throw them back with no problem. I would definitely have this again.

Untappd Rating: 3.0/5.0

Narragansett Lager

The night of drinking wasn’t over yet. My sister and I ended up at a local bar a few miles down from the hotel. I figured that I had to try Narragansett while I was up there. I pretty much figured that it was like a local brew to compete with macros, so I wasn’t expecting anything crazy from them. But, I did want to try it.

ABV: 5.1%

Style: American Adjunct Lager

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “The Lager is old reliable. It was the first beer brewed by ‘The Original Six’ back in 1890, the bestselling beer in New England from the 1930s to the 1970s, and the official beer of the Boston Red Sox from 1944-1975.”

Random: While I was out antiquing, I did find a lot of old Narragansett stuff. Had it been in better condition, I would have considered purchasing it.

This brew poured a straw yellow color with a one finger head that dissipated quickly. It didn’t leave any lacing on the glass, but some carbonation was visible in the body. It basically looked like a normal macro brew. The nose had a very, very slight hint of grass and sweetness. At least it smells slightly better than a macro. The taste was very crisp with a little sweetness, but nothing remarkable. The body was very thin, which again, I expected and also presented with a crisp finish. Although this was a very simple beer, it went down really easily. This would be a better option than a macro, but not something that I would grab for if I had other options.

Untappd Rating: 2.0/5.0