Total Domination IPA - Ninkasi Brewing Company

harrymel

Washington

1.5/5  rDev -59.3%
look: 3 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5

Bottled: unk

A: copper with near excellent clarity. under a finger of white foam falls to a thick sheet of the same leaving near cobweb lace.
S: Smells of old, english malts. Pretty sure this is old, but based on the fact that no bottle date is present, I will assume this is how they intended it should be. This is a poor presentation.
T: Tastes of bittered malts and some crystal tones. Nothing else really.
M: thin to medium bodied with hi carb. A semi dry finish.
O: This beer is shit. Maybe it's a bad bottle, or an old bottle, hard to say provided this information is not important enough to include on the label.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2011 08:21:26 | More by harrymel

Arbitrator

California

1.83/5  rDev -50.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1 | overall: 1.5

Re-review off a bottle purchased at BevMo Mountain View. No bottling date. I'm assuming this is fresh.

[First review: 3.0 / 4.0 / 4.0 / 3.5 / 3.0 (B+)]

A: Pours a hazy copper / orange / gold with a small off-white head that quickly recedes into a film on the glass. The film remains throughout the drink, generously refreshed with active carbonation. No lace.

S: This doesn't have that pungent fruit aroma I remember. Grapefruit, maybe some pineapple, but it's malty and biscuity.

T: Grapefruit, a touch of pineapple, pine. And yet, it's weak and watery in flavor, more malty than hop-forward, and altogether unsatisfying.

M: Weak, watery flavor. I had this right after a Lagunitas IPA, and I was troubled by how disappointingly thin-bodied this beer was in comparison. It just doesn't measure up.

D: This was terrible; I can't figure out if Ninkasi changed their recipe or if this is an old bottle, but it doesn't have any of the characteristics I remember.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2010 06:20:27 | More by Arbitrator

Murrhey

Montana

2.05/5  rDev -44.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Poured from a bomber into a pint glass. Reviewed live.

A- Finger white head. Red-Orange color. Nice looking.

S- Hoppy and wheat smells. Not complex.

T- Bitter all the way down. Bittering hops crush any semblance of a balanced beer.

M- Medium bodied and heavily carbonated. Punch in the mouth.

O- Way too hoppy. It crushes my taste buds.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2012 05:24:42 | More by Murrhey

adsomers

California

2.1/5  rDev -43.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

My region just started getting Ninkasi so I was pleased to try this very reasonably priced IPA (3.99 for a bomber). I rarely see freshness issues at Whole Foods but who knows. I'll sample this on draft next time I see it just to be *sure* I've reviewed a fresh product. With that said....

A - Clear light copper color. Nice head

S - Lacking any substantial hop aroma. Grainy, a little skunky

T - Mostly bland beery taste, excessively bitter. Not getting any of the west coast hop-forward flavors.

M - Just bone dry and bitter.

D - One could drink this, but it wasn't worth it to me, so I poured it out.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2012 18:05:43 | More by adsomers

OaktownFunk

California

2.15/5  rDev -41.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

22oz. bottle poured into imperial pint glass

A - Brilliantly clear Amber poured with fluffy white head, good lacing and head retention.

S - Biscuity, toffee like aroma. Where o' where have the hops gone? Getting almost zero hop aroma. There is also a very slight skunky/musky smell in there.

T - I get a lot of bittering hop characteristic, but no flavor hop evident. VERY malt forward for an IPA. It is not overly sweet, but definitely leaning to the sweet side of things.

M - Medium bodied beer with good carbonation level. Flavor lingers on the palette.

O - Not my favorite IPA to say the least and very surprising considering the reputation of the brewery. I am hoping that my bottle was just old or not handled properly (thanks BevMo!) and the hops had dropped out. I would be willing to give it another chance if I could get my hands on a fresh sample.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2010 15:45:20 | More by OaktownFunk

ne0m00re

Ohio

2.23/5  rDev -39.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Live review of a 22 oz bottle.
A: Cloudy amber, it poured with a big fluffy, sticky white head with lacing. If it wasn't cloudy, this would have been a 5.
S: Straw and bananas (like too high of fermentation temperature), slightly grassy and green hops, rye and pumpernickel bread. The hops aren't very strong considering this is an IPA. This kind of smells like they were going for a Belgian IPA and couldn't control the yeast.
T: Straw and pumpernnickel bread, some banana, vodka alcohol and an awkward bitterness on the finish that is not resinous but more herbal. Imagine a Belgian pale ale with an awkward increased bitterness.
M: Thinner than I'd like, with a low carbonation feel that doesn't suit the beer.
O: I wouldn't recommend this, or buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2011 02:03:21 | More by ne0m00re

DrJay

Massachusetts

2.53/5  rDev -31.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

Hazy orange/yellow with a dense beige cap that left a lot of staky/clumpy lacing on the glass. The aroma was fairly nondescript, a little grain and a hint of lemony hops, some pale malt. The flavour was better, but still lackluster. Moderate bitterness, grainy malt sweetness, a little citrus. Nice texture though, medium bodied with very creamy carbonation. Total Domination is a bold name for an IPA, and one that this beer just didn't live up to. It requires a substantial increase in hop content to even get close to living up to its name.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2011 23:50:05 | More by DrJay

GClarkage

California

2.63/5  rDev -28.7%
look: 5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

08/11/07- Had at the Bistro IPA Fest.

Presentation- Via the tap into taster glasses.

Appearance- Lighter golden-orange colored pour. Very creamy looking head and excellent lace sheeting.

Smell- Light urine scent, otherwise fruity with grapefruit and lemonly scents. Odd off scent for sure.

Taste- Very bitter and hoppy. Tastes more like a one hop beer than 5 hops. Watery as well. Really no malt to be had here.

Mouthfeel- As stated above, fairly watery with a medium carbonation level. Bitter unappealing hop aftertaste.

Drinkability- The least favorite of all the beers I had at the fest. Doesn't have much flavor and is unbalanced. Looks good though.

Drinkability-

Serving type: on-tap

08-14-2007 15:50:57 | More by GClarkage

crowsoup

California

2.63/5  rDev -28.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

It pours with promise, a good head on its shoulders - I felt hope for a moment. I was under the impression that I might be able to lay back into the foam, rest on the lacing, point my nose to the ceiling and call it a day. I had the wrong impression. The carbonation faded in the blink of an eye and the nose knows nothing. A slight hint of stale, flat air and nothing more. The only saving grace here was the actual appearance of a good IPA, which only counts on camera, and since nobody was filming me drink it, that didn't really matter. Oh well, at least at 6.7% ABV I got a nice, end of the day buzz...so there's that.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2011 02:08:57 | More by crowsoup

BeerTwigs

New York

2.63/5  rDev -28.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Served from a bomber into an imperial pint glass. I had to go through two pours to get a real nose out of this beer. It has an apricot aroma followed by a sweetness. The pours hazy with an amber color, not very clear. The bottle claims to be "balanced perfection" but I would say otherwise. I hope its because I am on the east cost and it has lost its hop appeal. No real bitter aroma or taste. This beer is medium body with a malty taste. It ends but being a below average beer and I would expect a lot more for the description they give this beer. I wouldnt suggest it... from a bottle anyway

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2012 01:08:55 | More by BeerTwigs

billshmeinke

California

2.73/5  rDev -26%
look: 5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured into an imperial pint glass.

Finger and a half rocky head from a semi hard pour. Golden/amber color with a bit of hop haze. Retention is excellent, and nice lacing is left behind.

Smells mostly of barley. Pretty much just a dry barley fragrance, no sweetness, no hops really to speak of.

Taste is similar. Mostly just barley. Resin bitterness as well, but that's about it. Maybe a bit of pine as well.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied with carbonation on the higher end of medium. A really nice fluffy creaminess as well.

I wouldn't really want to drink anymore of this. It is barely an IPA. More like a bitter and strong pale ale. Pretty disappointing. Note to Ninkasi Brewing: STEP YOUR GAME UP!

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2010 22:04:43 | More by billshmeinke

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

2.83/5  rDev -23.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

On tap @ the Ninkasi Brewing Company (Eugene, OR) on 9/2/11. Served in a pint glass.

Pours a crystal clear copper, with a ½ finger of bright-white froth. This doesn’t lose a whole lot, retaining with about a ¼ finger or so and slathering the sides of the glass with some rich and sticky lacing. The aroma smells leafy and herbal in the nose, which is layered on top of an underlying mix of bitter citrus and sweet grains that combine to give off a ripe and earthy feeling twang in the nostrils.

Bitter citrus drives the taste with some force, also spreading some herbal textures out in the mouth. The finish is dry and lightly spicy. A sweet and toasty graininess brings the bulk of the sweetness to this but there is also a bit too much of a light darkness to the malts as well that throws this off a bit. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, with a initial sharpness on the tongue, yet this smoothes out a bit more into a creamy crispness as this stars to move around in the mouth. Alcohol is well hid for almost 8%, with this just having some fullness to the body but that’s about it.

I had this one in the bottle a couple of years ago and remember really enjoying this.
Unfortunately, this pint here at the brewery just wasn’t quite as a robust and flavorful as I remembered for that experience. I don’t want to really comment on the quality of their beer here as they continue to expand and get bigger but I will say that this beer fell far short of what I remember from 2 years ago.

Serving type: on-tap

09-22-2011 14:24:40 | More by Kegatron

katybee

Oregon

2.85/5  rDev -22.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

poured deep golden yellow, with quickly disipating head of creamy foam.

smelled very lightly of citrusy hops.

emphasis on a citrus hop experience, but towards grapefruit, and only mildly, compared to double or imperial IPA styles. Only lightly malty. Somewhat one-dimensional, but pleasant enough and more flavorful than an average American lager.

light to medium bodied; clear, not creamy.

An average beer; nothing objectionable, but not really memorable.

Serving type: on-tap

08-20-2011 02:20:36 | More by katybee

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

BeerAdvocate

Massachusetts

2.9/5  rDev -21.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Review from BeerAdvocate Magazine Issue #48 (Jan 2011):

Quick to foam from a moderate pouring, the epic-sized head dissipates real slow. Amber golden color is completely hazed over. Grapefruit rind, taffy and walnut skin in the nose ... lots of hops, but the yeast shakes things up. Slick medium body, carbonation goes from massive head to nearly nothing. Bitterness is borderline astringent though a toffee flavor and ester alcohol distract the palate enough to produce a disjointed balance. Yeasty and fruity in the middle with a plainly bitter finish. Unfortunately, the yeast dominates a bit too much here--you can taste the potential if the yeast was tapered back.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2011 14:44:37 | More by BeerAdvocate

beertunes

Washington

2.95/5  rDev -20.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured into straight pint glass. Less than 1/2 inch of off-white head. Some lacing, but it doesn't stick. Typical bright amber IPA color. Hop aroma not as forward as expected. Typical lack of malt backbone. Body is OK, perhaps slightly thin. Nicely drinkable. A solid IPA, but lacking a solid foundation, this should have a bolder hop profile to make an impression. Total Domination? Nope. I suspect people in areas with less access to craft beer would like this a lot, but here in the Northwest an IPA has to be very good to be noticed. This beer is average, not a waste of time but try other options first.

Serving type: growler

01-11-2009 23:15:43 | More by beertunes

DavoleBomb

Ohio

2.95/5  rDev -20.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Poured into a snifter.

4.0 A: Lightly hazed medium orange color. Three fingers of creamy/frothy off-white head. Retention is average and lots of non-uniform lacing is left.

3.0 S: The aroma is surprisingly subtle. Bready malts with a touch of crystal. Hops offer a slight orange and grapefruit. Fairly simple and tame.

3.0 T: Like the nose, this is tame and unassuming. Orange and grapefruit again with a strange sourishness. Bready malts with a good bit of crystal sweetness.

3.0 M: Lighter medium body. Good moderate carbonation. Lightly creamy.

2.5 D: Not horrible, but unimpressive on every account.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2011 19:39:56 | More by DavoleBomb

Seanibus

California

2.98/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Disappointing for a first encounter with this brewery I have heard so much about.

Pours hazy orange with a disappointing head - froths at first, but proves to be short-lived and thin, with terrible lacing. The aroma is heavy and floral, with some rose and an overbearing orange. The flavor is likewise heavy and unsubtle - a strong, slightly wry malt, earthy and nutty. The hops are floral and heavy, lurid and thick, like an obtrusive rose perfume. The mouthfeel is thick and syrupy. Not terrible, but not particularly appealing either.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2011 03:03:05 | More by Seanibus

ffejherb

Pennsylvania

2.98/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

22oz. bottle into a paper hotel cup on 6/26/11.

A - Orange/copper-colored liquid with sparse off-white head that dissipated to a patchy film and thin ring of retention, leaving behind some specks of lace around the cup.

S - Faint earthy and herbal hop notes with a dose of caramel and toffee malt sweetness. Nose certainly doesn't totally dominate my olfactory senses, unfortunately.

T - Nondescript bitterness with a slight burnt caramel and toffee malt character. Hoppy? Sure, but the hop presence is muddled and displays only an inkling of citrus and herbal hop character. Overall, this IPA is too malt-forward.

M - Medium bodied with a syrupy texture, albeit a tad watery, and moderate carbonation, resulting in a slightly prickly mouthfeel overall. Finishes bittersweet and somewhat dry on the palate.

D - Eeehhh... mediocre IPA overall. Bitter, yes, but not enough real hop character to keep me interested. I was glad to have shared this bomber with Brewslut, as it would have been a chore to polish this off solo.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2011 05:25:35 | More by ffejherb

BarrytheBear

Wisconsin

2.98/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle into a tulip. No bottling/freshness date....lovely. Shady, nearly dark orange with a full finger of fluff that chills to a thin steady coat with some spotted dish soap bubbles and tear drops of lacing.

Crystalized malt, orange, and white bready yeast

Reminiscent of nearly dated orange juice: Mildly acidic, slightly sour citrus that is nearly cloying, with a chalky tart finish. Something here is just slightly off. The underlying characteristics seem on target, but the sourness is misplaced. Not sure what's going on. Not altogether unpleasant, however.

From a beer that calls itself Total Domination, this doesn't quite fit the bill. Maybe another bottle would help to determine whether this is just an off bottle or not.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2011 02:12:41 | More by BarrytheBear

richalexander78

Florida

3/5  rDev -18.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

On draft in Oregon. Nice color and aroma. I was hoping for something a little different. This a very good ipa. I would Def get it again. Nice bitterness. Lacks pine but does have a classic hoppy ipa profile. I well done beer with a good long finish. Try one.

Serving type: on-tap

08-15-2011 22:45:52 | More by richalexander78

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

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

Appearance: Pours a clear, pale orange body with a scant white head.

Smell: Minor toasty malt hints with a backing of citrus and pine needles.

Taste: Thin toasted malt flavor and sweetness. Citric, pine hoppiness with a medium amount of hop bitterness. Finishes dry.

Mouthfeel: Medium-thin body. Medium carbonation.

Drinkability: Pretty average India Pale Ale at best. Certainly not the most exciting beer to roll down my gullet that night.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2008 01:08:52 | More by ChainGangGuy

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

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

Obtained via trade with djmichaelk
Pooured in to Duvel tulip

A - Medium orange/yellow colour with one finger of thick, foamy white head and a little bit of lacing.

S - Bitterness up front from the hops with a faint citrus and floral nose to them. A caramel sweetness and very slight sour nose round out the nose. The sourness is a somewhat odd smell that I can't pinpoint.

T - The unusual smell in the nose is the first thing I notice on the palate. It is slightly sour with a specific flavour that I can't put my finger on. The bitter hops are very apparent in the palate as well but the flavour is a bit lacking - some citrus notes, but overall the bitterness comes through more so than the citrus flavour does. There is also a very sweet malt profile here.

M - Light to medium body, lightly carbonated.

D - Not an IPA I would hunt down in the future but it was decent.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2010 16:53:28 | More by TheSevenDuffs

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

largadeer

California

3.05/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance: Golden amber with a slight haze. A hard pour gave me 3 inches of frothy foam, which retains very well.

Smell: Citrus and pineapple from the hops, primarily cascade I'd guess, with a sweet and bready malt backbone. Not as pungently hoppy as I'd like, but decent enough.

Taste & mouthfeel: This is a PNW style IPA all the way, malt coming through plainly and lending quite a bit of caramel sweetness. Hops are nonetheless at the forefront, citrusy and tropical, bringing to mind pineapple, lemon and mango. Medium in body, faint acidity. This one ends on a dry and astringent note, pretty heavy on the tongue. A chore to drink after a while. It isn't an outright bad beer, but I wouldn't drink it again.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2008 03:11:05 | More by largadeer