Total Domination IPA - Ninkasi Brewing Company

Lep

Alaska

4.21/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured from bottle. Head was average if not less. Not overly fizzy as described by the bros. Poured very cold, probably 36F, which may have contributed.

Scent was mild, not what I expected for a dominating ipa. Again cold may have limite smell.

First taste. Definitely heavier than a mainstream beer but was mildly sweet followed by solidly hop bitter. My uneducated palette savored the hoppy bitter that seized the majority of my gustatory experience.

Further explorations yielded more of the same; an unequivocal hop bouquet but lacking in any real depth or complexity despite the claim of exceptional balance on the label.

All in all, a liquor store bottled stalwart that might fall at the taps of draught crafts if available. However, in Alaska, I will buy this beer again....

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2013 04:23:39 | More by Lep

lsummers

California

3.56/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Pours a bright orange amber, slightly cloudy with a 1 finger dissipating head.

Smells Pine, woody, slightly herbal grapefruit with some honey and toffee. Pretty nice smelling actually but there is a very slight medicinal note.

Tastes of pine and orange,lemon,grapefruit right away. Slight herbal and rye bread. Burnt note on the back end. I can't get over a medicinal note on the aftertaste that is dragging the beer down.

Mouthfeel is fairly sticky. Light enough to keep it drinkable.

Overall, This is a fair ipa. Nothing I would seek out again unless I could try it again on tap. If your a fan of Ninkasi, I would try it. It could be my least favorite of their beers.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 05:28:22 | More by lsummers

joemcgrath27

Alberta (Canada)

3.21/5  rDev -13%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

A - crystal clear golden copper, thumb of white head retained at half a finger with whispy lacing
S - some citrus and grass, fairly grainy, and a hint of an alcohol tickle
T - there are grassy and piney hop flavours there but there are not DIPA big, fairly big grainy hop presence, a minerally quality, along with some adjunct, generally average for the style
M - light but a touch on the watery side, some bitter and dryness, but thin through the finish
O - this had some promise upon first glace but it just doesn't make the cut, especially when it come to Pacific Northwest DIPA's, would opt for another option next time

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 01:26:08 | More by joemcgrath27

facundoCNB

New Jersey

3.69/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

clean amber pour with 2 fingers of white head giving off nice amounts of lacing. lots of carbonation bubbles shooting rapidly down the center. smells of pineapple, cereal, orange peel. the flavor is very citrusy sweet with enough earthy bitterness to even out the palate hop-wise, lots of bready backbone, with a soapy after-taste. medium body with moderate carbonation. a little watery.

i'd been wanting to try this one out for a while since it's supposedly one of the better ninkasi ales? i wasn't all that impressed to be honest, but i also was not let down. it's a decent ipa, but i was expecting more of a hop bomb from the west coast.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 02:33:45 | More by facundoCNB

sam_bliss

Washington

3.88/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

22ouncer into a pint glass

Looks very carbonated. The head is foamy, thick, and persistent, capping a deep orange bubbly glass of brew. Smells of citrus and freshly mowed lawn. The aroma has a tiny bit of adjunct in it. The taste open up with some buttery toffee, and some bready malts fill out the mid-mouth, but hops totally dominate this IPA. Vodka, pineapple, and bubble gum, which I normally don't like much, are also present. A puckering white grapefruit finish leaves some wetness but no stickiness. The mouthfeel is not super full but very carbonated.

This IPA is very refreshing and citrusy. I like it.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 05:12:03 | More by sam_bliss

constantine_272

Oregon

3.54/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

A: Dark golden straw color. Light foam. Excellent frothy foam that leaves sticky rings.

S: Lemon zest. Maybe a hint of grapefruit. Good, but not much else there.

T: Same story with the smell. Lemon and grapefruit notes, but not much else. Tiny hints of malt on the hop forward finish.

M: Smooth and not too heavy at first, but it seems to build as it goes down. A bit of a lingering finish, but mostly clean.

O: I've had a number of these, but it's not usually my go to. I like a floral citrus ipa which this hits, but for some reason I just feel stuffed after a pint of this. It never leaves me wanting more.

Serving type: on-tap

02-27-2013 02:08:16 | More by constantine_272

Daktyls

Massachusetts

3.36/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a hazy golden amber color with a half finger head that recedes to a patch of fine lacing that is thicker ins some areas than others. Present in the beer is a column of sediment that seems to be slowly travelling downward.

S: As others have noted, a very yeasty smell is present along with a a slight amount of citrusy hops in the background. I can't really pick up on anything else.

T: Tastes just like the smell, some yeasty flavors are present along with some notes of citrusy, piney hops. Not a whole lot else that I can pick up on.

M: Light on the tongue, smooth, almost watery, easily drinkable.

O: Overall, a decent IPA, not overly bitter like most IPAs, yet nothing particularly special either.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 17:36:11 | More by Daktyls

brodericksloth

Oregon

3.75/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Good middle of the road IPA deep copper color

smooth, not overly hopped...good food beer; fish, chicken

very little and short lasting white head

citrusy; peppers with slight onion taste (don't knock it until you've tried it) not much else going on

overall a very easy to drink and appreciate beer

Serving type: on-tap

02-16-2013 22:26:17 | More by brodericksloth

AshleyKing

4.16/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This one is variable: some bottles really still have that floral hoppy sweet malt that makes all adults happy in our abode. But sometimes it can just be the bitter shell of a beer than has sat in transport and warehouses too long to be a good sample of what it was when fresh. This is a really great IPA that can vary from bottle to bottle. On tap, in Anchorage, it is really quite above average.

So what were the Bros drinkin'?

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2013 03:02:20 | More by AshleyKing

CHickman

New York

3.66/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours very hazy gold orange color with a very thick 2 finger foamy bright off white head that looked like a cloud with tons of bubbles in it and faded slowly, leaving foamy good lacing as it went down as well as rings. I was shocked the lace didn’t stick more based on how it looked as it was dissipating and the foamy layer that stayed on top.

Smells of pineapple, grapefruit and orange peel up front, followed by citrus hops, tangerine, biscuit, caramel, pine cone/piney hops, coriander, floral hops and herbs; pretty much all citrus in the nose, with some grains adding a little balance and piney notes kicking in.

Tastes like it smells, with pineapple, grapefruit, lemon, orange peel, citrus hops, tangerine, coriander, pine cone/piney hops, biscuit, caramel, floral hops, rose petals, Saltine cracker, spices like pepper, herbs, tea leaf, and it almost seems like dried weed was sprinkled in the mix; one of the most bitter beers that I’ve ever drank, but not obnoxiously bitter. It is grapefruit bitter, and has just enough malt backbone and balance to make this OK to drink. The spices are mild, but the citrus flavor is “total domination” to the point of almost being unbalanced in a too hoppy way.

Mouthfeel is creamy and smooth, with light carbonation, a medium body that’s almost chewy and very bitter finish that bites and seems like biting a grapefruit. As smooth as the physical feel was, the palate feel was almost like an assault by napalm hops taking out all sensory capabilities after each sip – it felt smooth as it slid down, but did not taste smooth which took away from the overall experience, especially compared to the Ninkasi Tricerahops Double IPA.

It was good, but there are so many other IPA’s that go down easier; Total Domination is a bold choice to name an IPA, and Ninkasi must have meant that the domination would be in the bitterness classification. Get the Tricerahops if you can as that was a lot better overall.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 04:58:00 | More by CHickman

jhutch31

California

2.89/5  rDev -21.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I heard a lot about this brewing company so I bought a four pack of their beers. Tried total domination. Poured in a pint glass out of a 22.

Appearance: beer poured a dark amber for an IPA. Some chill haze with a small white head that quickly dissipated leaving moderate lacing.

Smell: very floral/piney smell. I couldn't detect any citrus aroma that usually accompanies IPA's

Taste: very bitter with not much hop flavor. The malt backbone was strong with bready/biscuity notes. Piney and floral.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied mouthfeel.

Overall: I was a little disappointed with this beer. I think had it not been hyped so much than I wouldn't have been so let down. All and all, it's a decent beer, just not my type of IPA.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2013 03:33:42 | More by jhutch31

Fatehunter

Oregon

3.35/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Half finger of head. Copper colored body.
Strong smell of pine, nothing else. One trick here.
Medium bitter taste at first, moved to mild malt without the sweetness. Nice, simple and good.
Crisp texture, medium body and lower carbonation.
A solid IPA with a pine taste and smell.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 06:33:16 | More by Fatehunter

TheSixthRing

California

3.88/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance - Poured aggressively, this hazy, bright orange brew produced a white, half finger width head that dissipating fairly quickly. Gives a decent amount of lacing with good stick.

Smell - Aroma consists mainly of orange with a subtle bread note.

Taste - Lots of citrus in this brew. Underlying bread character from start to finish, while highlighted by a sweet orange flavor that builds and shines brightly by mid-taste. Tails off near the finish, ending sweet with a mild orange pith bitterness.

Mouthfeel - Medium body with fair carbonation. Smooth and quaffable.

Overall - A simple, but flavorful brew. In a West Coast IPA world where grapefruit and pine hops dominate, this one takes a Midwest IPA approach with sweeter citrus flavors. Reminds me a bit of Bell's Two Hearted, though with not nearly the kind of complex malt backbone as the latter. This is a beer I'd definitely consider buying again, especially considering the price point.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2012 06:37:38 | More by TheSixthRing

BucannonXC5

California

3.7/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22-oz. bottle into a pint glass on Nov. 28, 2012 (purchased the variety 4-pack for $15.99 at BevMo (with card) in La Mesa, Calif. (San Diego) on Nov. 27, 2012. Honey pale with two fingers of khaki white head with good retention. Foamy and spitty on the sides, normal on the top.

Smelled light cascade hops. Also some wet pine and some caramel, but all faint at best. Hard to get a whiff of anything.

Taste was completely different, considering there was practically no smell. Got sharp bitter citrus hops, mainly a sharp taste of tangerine, grapefruit and some orange. Altogether it tasted pretty good. Different, but good.

Medium-to-light body. Creamy texture. Average carbonation. Long bitter finish.

This beer really grew on me as it went down. Nice and citrusy.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2012 04:21:10 | More by BucannonXC5

draheim

Washington

3.58/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap in a pint glass @ Delfino's, U Village, Seattle. Pours a coppery color w/ a nice solid head that leaves good lacing.

Aroma is a little muted, wonder how fresh this is. Some floral resinous hops.

Taste is strongly bitter with NW floral hops. Classic Pacific NW IPA territory here. Pale malt keeps it all together but hops are the main attraction.

Mouthfeel is medium-bodied, goes down smooth.

Overall a decent American IPA but nothing extraordinary.

Serving type: on-tap

11-02-2012 04:59:52 | More by draheim

Immortale25

Florida

3.64/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thank you SatlyMalty for my first Ninkasi ever! Poured into a Dogfish signature snifter. No readable freshness date.

A- Pours a medium amber color with a 1/2 inch head that retains a bit before settling at a thick ring around the edge of the glass and big bubbles on the surface. Lacing tries to hang on but falls down the glass quickly leaving a thin line behind.

S- Strange hop aroma that seems a bit stinky but I don't know if it's due to spoilage or if that's just the way it's supposed to smell since there's a sharpness that you don't normally get with light struck or oxidized beer. Notes of wet grass and alcohol fume.

T- Much smoother on the palate. Tangy hop bite at first that smooths out in the middle with some light malt flavor before finishing with a tight, almost metallic bitterness. Very quaffable.

M- As mentioned before, very tight with a bite that makes the palate recoil a little, but not unpleasantly so. Medium carbonation and a lightish body.

O- This happens to me sometimes where I like the taste but not the aroma or vice versa. In this case, the former is true. The aroma literally creates a skunky scent, to me. The flavor is good and the mouthfeel is fine, I'm just not a fan of the strange fragrance that emanates from the bouquet.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2012 01:20:23 | More by Immortale25

dvmin98

North Carolina

3.03/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bought this through Letspour to fill out a 12 pack for free shipping.

Color is a hazy orange. There is about a 1 cm head that lingers for about a minute.

Smell has mild citrus. Don't get a big sense of hops on the nose.

Taste is very mild for an IPA. Very little bitterness lingers, and what does is short lived. Not sure if I got an old bottle, because from the other reviews, my bottle is not even close.

The mouthfeel is easy on the tongue. Not a lot there.

Overall this is an average IPA. There are way more IPAs that I would buy over this one. I'm ok to have just bought one to finish out a shipment.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2012 01:54:40 | More by dvmin98

stlunatic15

California

3.28/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A - Dark golden color, a few flakes floating around. White head, nice lacing. Nothing special.

S - A bit of orange, citrus, and pine. Standard aroma for a west coast IPA.

T - The pine pulls through a lot more than the citrus. Lot of hop flavor, definitely bitter.

M - Pretty carbonated, medium thickness, and goes down smooth for the most part but with a touch of booze at the end. Also very dry - after taking a sip, I feel like taking another just a few seconds after.

O - Meh. Definitely not bad, but none of its characteristics really stood out to convince me otherwise. A little too dry & bland for my taste, but I've definitely had worse.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2012 04:08:48 | More by stlunatic15

UCLABrewN84

California

3.6/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a murky orange with a foamy bone colored head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Foamy streaks and small dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, citrus fruit, and citrus zest. Taste is much the same with a slight alcohol kick and a mild hop bitterness with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer that is drinkable but not very exciting.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2012 04:28:29 | More by UCLABrewN84

elNopalero

Texas

3.93/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This pours a honeyed orange-gold color with gobs of bright white foam.
There is a light orange-hop note on the aroma, and the flavor has some orange-citrus and pine notes. A light bittering and a lean finish, this one becomes more interesting and beguiling yet approachable as it warms with more citrus-grapefruit pine notes emerging.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2012 07:47:49 | More by elNopalero

Florida9

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Ninkasi total domination IPA

A: mostly clear yellowy copper in color though there are some fine particled floaties in the mix. Forms a moderate white head. Decent retention. Moderate lacing.

S: a light bit of sweetness with citrus, orange, and orang blossom.

T: light pale malts, with just a touch of caramel. A little sweet. Orange, citrus, and pine to a lesser extent.

M: medium bodied. Mild to moderate bitterness. Medium bodied.

O: cant complain, a good, everyday IPA

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2012 02:21:30 | More by Florida9

dmatsui

3.55/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

2 finger off white khaki head, good retention and lots of soapy lacing. The brew is a classic burnt orange IPA gold.

CItrus, grapefruity, piny notes with some astringency. Booze is present. A hint of something sour. Brown sugary, bready malt base.

More character in the taste than the nose. Nice juicy, bitter hops with a very oily mouthfeel. There is a particular tartness in this brew that's hard to desrcribe, maybe from the hop variety. Notes of lemon pith. Malt bill is understated, and the hops come through. Lots of interesting flavors at the back of the palate, very long and dry finish.

It's a tart, sharp and bright IPA, very well worth a buy.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2012 00:51:53 | More by dmatsui

ngeunit1

California

4.23/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a slightly hazy golden-orange with a finger of frothy off-white head. The head fades down at a normal pace leaving behind some nice lacing.

S - Aroma is a mix of grapefruit, pineapple, tropical, citrus, and pine hops with some sweet caramel and biscuit malts.

T - Starts out with grapefruit, pineapple, orange, and citrus hops with some bitterness and some sweet caramel malts. Through the middle, some light pine hops come through with some more bitterness and some biscuit malts. The finish is a mix of grapefruit, pine, and grassy hops with some bitterness and some sweet biscuit malts.

M - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Feels smooth with a dry and bitter finish.

D - Very drinkable. Nice hop profile with good bitterness and a good malt and hop balance.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2012 23:07:38 | More by ngeunit1

thegodfather1076

Ohio

3.58/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Presentation: Simple, very appealing label. Nothing fancy. Nice color scheme and love the Ninkasi Seal concept.

Appearance: Poured out of 22oz bomber into a 16oz English Pint. Pours out a slightly hazy golden amber color with an airy 2 finger off white foam head that slowly dissipates into a thin frothy coating. Head retention is 3min 17sec. A great deal of carbonation rising from the bottom of the glass. Lacing is great.

Smell/Aroma: Smells very citrusy. Huge orange and grapefruit aromas can be detected. Slight bread-like malt aroma is also detectable.

Flavor/Taste: Taste is very bitter. Citrus taste and floral hop bitterness come through on the front end. Pine bitterness tasted throughout. Bread-like malt taste is slight and overpowered by the bitterness. Different flavor profile than most west coast IPAs.

MouthFeel: Medium bodied with almost the perfect amount of carbonation.

Drinkability: Smooth and very drinkable.

Overall/Comments: A unique taste for a west coast IPA. Great combination of flavor and drinkability for a really solid brew. I enjoyed this beer. Classified as an American IPA at 6.7% ABV.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2012 06:38:07 | More by thegodfather1076

Beaver13

Colorado

3.2/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle. Pours hazy copper orange with a big fluffy white head that retains well and laces the glass.

The aroma is sweet grainy caramel malt and grassy fruity cascade hops.

The flavor is sweet bready malts with a huge grassy bitterness in the finish with some metallic fruit notes. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with low carbonation.

Overall, reminds me of a way over the top SNPA. The bitterness had some off notes and was a bit unpleasant (almost charred) in the aftertaste.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2012 00:38:19 | More by Beaver13