Total Domination IPA - Ninkasi Brewing Company

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

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

Mebuzzard

Colorado

3.23/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A bit of a let down by this brew. While a solid IPA, it's a bit disjointed.

looks fantastic. Gold and orange, nice fluffy big ole white head. Sticky! lacing is great. Faint citrus rind.

Taste is overpowered by the bite. Dry and sharp, but mellow out. The citrus is dominated by the pine and stale caramel. It has a boozy feel to it, but not the flavor. Can't quite describe it.

Perhaps my bottle wasn't all that fresh, b/c the malt is there, and the hops are there. They just don't blend all that well.

But, I'll finish this beer quite easily

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2012 06:08:14 | More by Mebuzzard

khensley

Washington

3.2/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance is light copper with a slight haze.
Head poured a bit weak, and dissapated to nothing about half way through. Some lacing/ringing for the first half.

Smell is fruity with some light hint of...corriander???

Taste starts off with sweet apples and slides back to toasted bread, then finishes with a light bitterness that lingers for a few seconds. Hops are suprisingly not very pronounced, which is odd given the beer's name.

Mouthfeel is pleasing, if but a bit undercarbonated.

Overall, this beer is nice to have in the fridge and knock a few back after dinner, or watching a ball game. A bit pricy given the IPA competition, espicially on the west coast

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2012 05:53:58 | More by khensley

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.1/5  rDev -16%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Whew. There is a lot of apricot on here. Quite tangy. Too much so for the style. Sweetness is well beyond acceptable limits for the style. As an IPA, this really falls very short of the style. The only thing I get that fits is a slight spicy tone from hops. Besides that, it's quite far away from being a well made IPA. It's a drinkable beer, but in no way interesting or inspiring. A shame.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2012 22:23:46 | More by RblWthACoz

mdaschaf

Washington

3.9/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had on tap at Safeco. Review from notes.

A: Pours a amber/copper color with a small off-white head on top. Decent retention with lots of thin lacing let behind.

S: Nice grapefruit aroma with some light citrus. There is a bit of caramel malt and a hint of spice.

T: Nice citrus and grapefruit flavor. There is a bit of lemon/orange zest mixed in a strong caramel bite on the finish. Slight bready malt presence as well.

M: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Easy drinking.

O: A solid IPA, was very happy to have it at Safeco vs. some of the other offerings.

Serving type: on-tap

08-05-2012 21:19:58 | More by mdaschaf

goldendenizen

3.1/5  rDev -16%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pretty amber ipa look.

S: I can't smell anything?!?

T: Dull, muted flavors. Cant even taste the hops.

M: Oily, lack of carbonation. No born on date. Humm...

O: I dont know why I keep buying this beer. I think the label tricks my brain into thinking this is a good IPA. Less then impressive IPA. I wouldn't recommend to anyone as there are many, many better options at this price.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2012 20:40:02 | More by goldendenizen

marlinsfan4

Maryland

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

Bought a bomber of this for around $5. Pours a mostly see through yellow/orange, smallish white head to it. Not much in the aroma department. Taste is alright, bit of an odd mouthfeel. Somehow manages to not be overly hoppy, but no maltiness to back it up either. A bit of a confusing beer, the hops just do not shine through like you'd expect. Would be hard to recommend this one.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2012 02:49:28 | More by marlinsfan4

N3rdM3t4l

Oregon

3.53/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Brown bomber purchased with Winter 4 pack. Have had this before and it was such a hop bomb that it brutally crushed my palate, maybe a little time in a cool dark place has mellowed it out some. Served chilled in a standard pint.

A: Very clear gold/amber with a finger of white head that fell to a slightly chunky cap and is leaving great lacing.

S: Slight pale malt on the nose but mostly big hops. Very floral.

T: Not nearly the hop bomb I remember. Opens quite malty a little biscuity even. Passes into earthy floral hops with a hint of bitter citrus. The flavor lasts a long long time, this beer lingers for a bit before the bitterness hits. When the bitterness comes through it is strong though. This bottle might have aged a bit too long (7 months). Getting a little bit of hop-ghost, I can taste what it was supposed to be but it is not at the peak. I would say a 4-5 month old bottle of this would be at its peak.

M: Very strong medium mouthfeel, light enough to drink continuously and during warm weather but heavy enough to satisfy.

O: Considering my bottle was past its prime I can't say for sure if this is a great beer. But tasting it as is knowing that the flavors in it are muted versions of themselves I can say it is a good beer. Not my style really (IPA) but not a bad example of a northwest IPA.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2012 06:23:40 | More by N3rdM3t4l

tlazaroff

Virginia

3.33/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Oranges on the nose, fresh citrus. I don't really get any malt aroma off of this, it's just a mild citrus. Wish it was more dominant, it's disappointing, but not offensive.

Total Domination is beautiful opaque orange gradient with a crisp off-white head that laces extremely well. The head dissipates quickly which is a shame.

Main flavor is orange citrus. It has a kind of bready bite in the mid palate which helps carry the beer through to the crisp finish. Bitterness is firm, but not dominating, interestingly enough. The bready malt character I would say is more dominant than usual in this style.

It's highly carbonated, and full bodied, almost chewy at times. The beer actually finishes a tad dry, but all that thick maltiness would trick you into thinking its sweet. Overall this isn't bad, but I wouldn't go out of my way to find it.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2012 04:25:10 | More by tlazaroff

brandonpaulweaver

3.33/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I have had this beer several times throughout Seattle, mainly from a tap. I remember enjoying it more then than I am now so my rating might be a touch low.

A - Amber Orangey brown

S - Slightly orange, A floral quality as well.

T - Hoppy! Then Malty! Kinda Sour then bitter.

M - Crisp. With a creamy middle. This is my favorite part about this beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2012 05:27:57 | More by brandonpaulweaver

Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

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

Thanks to Gkunkle for sliding this my way.

Appearance: Mostly clear, slight chill haze. Dark gold. Head is white, creamy, and drops to a spotty cap. Some lacing. Pretty standard affair.

Smell: Popped the bottle and it smelled like oranges. Big citrus punch. Orange flesh with a touch of oily zest thrown in. Malts are big enough to match. Biscuit dough and a touch sweet. Some pine and a touch of mint, but it's all about the citrus. Some pithy bitterness rounds it all out.

Taste: Pretty mellow. Pithy bitterness jumps out over some oily orange zest. Mild touches of mint leaf. Faintly medicinal, but not in an old or past its prime kind of way. Orange flesh and grapefruit rind. Oily hops. Malts add a nice sweetness, but come up a little short and fade quickly. Mildly biscuity.

Mouthfeel: Lingering dryness. Carbonation is a bit high and pulls the flavors around a bit too much. Medium body comes in right though. Smooth and easy to drink.

Overall: I was not dominated, but that's ok. It's a nice profile, if a bit citrus heavy. A little off balance, but that's to be expected. Easy drinking and I wouldn't be sad if I cold drink this at will.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2012 20:41:41 | More by Goblinmunkey7

htomsirveaux

Texas

3.83/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22 oz. bottle tried 11 Jan 2012. Christmas gift from A&P, thanks! Served in the 0.5 L Adambrau becker.

Medium sized beige head. Moderately carbonated. Clear orangey brown in color. Aroma is lightly sweet and resiny. Starts sweet and orangey. Moderate bitterness, resiny into the middle. Medium fizzy body, moderate ethanol. Resin, hay and orange. Fairly bitter finish, becoming a bit astringent in the aftertaste, not quite aspiriny.

Pretty good everyday IPA.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2012 03:09:24 | More by htomsirveaux

bluetravlr

Colorado

3.8/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Given a bomber by Jake the Big Mistake. Thanks Jake!

A: Burnt orange coloration (almost a rosy hue) with a moderate cascade of bubbles. Fairly substantial initial head. Great retention and lacing.

S: Sweet alcohol smell with notes of pine, tangerine and orange-peel. A bit biscuity.

T: Pretty bitter. Definitely a lot of pine resin. Floral and citrus characters combine with fresh-baked bread in the middle. Starts off bitter and ends bitter. Lingering.

M: Effervescent with perfect carbonation but with a lingering thick, resinous, chewy character.

O: I'm surprised this beer is only 6.7%. It's characteristics would tell me otherwise, and I think that's the best thing going for it . . . it makes full use of the ingredients. I would definitely seek this beer out again. Great, original IPA that almost tastes like a double without the alcohol.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2012 07:20:58 | More by bluetravlr

NODAK

Tennessee

3.15/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Smell is initially fairly citric but soon shows a bit of a sour side to it as well that's a bit different for style. Almost puckering, really.

Pours amber in my glass with a very generous and fluffy head to it. Lacing is good.

Initially quite bitter, with a punch in the mouth of citrus and pineapple straight away. Then, there's a pretty pronounced breadiness and grain profile for style that shows up midway through the swallow to the finish. The finish and aftertaste has a real cutting, aspirin bitterness that punishes the tongue and lasts a fair while into the aftertaste. More than anything, that may define this one.

A lot of IPA's seem alike when it comes down to it, although I think this one differs a bit and stands out partly for good and partly for bad. I wouldn't rate it among my favorites of all time, but I'd say it's worth a drink.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2012 01:48:39 | More by NODAK

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.38/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Review from 6/2011 notes. Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours a slightly hazy orange amber. One finger off-white head and light lacing. Faint aroma of malt and light fruit, not much hops, which is surprising. Medium bodied. Mild malt, piney hops, pineapple and citrus dominate a light to medium flavor profile. Nice hop finish, but not very fresh or herbal. A very low key IPA. Neither the malt nor the hops are very notable. Pleasant, but not a contender; there are too many good IPAs out there.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2012 21:49:48 | More by LiquidAmber

AgentMunky

California

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

Poured from a 22 ounce bottle into a snifter.

A: Very nice head forms, that then falls. Clear copper colour. Nice lacing.

S: Amarillo hops...citrus (tangerine) and some bready malts. The faintest sourness taints the otherwise pleasant nose.

T: Sweet citrus dominates the maintaste, with a lingering piny end and aftertaste. This is a bitter, spritzy, alcoholic tangerine drink. This can apparently to be attributed to both Summit and Amarillo hops, but I have a hunch it's the former. Not half bad.

M: Thick and creamy with perfect carbonation. The hops are spicy and lightly dry.

O: Not a great IPA, but a pretty solid effort. I might have another one, but I probably wouldn't recommend it too strongly. Not as highly as say Ninkasi's Believer.

Notes
Starting Gravity: 1067
Bitterness: 65 IBUs
Alcohol by Volume: 6.7%
Malt: 2 Row Pale Malt, Munich Malt, Carahell Malt
Hops: Summit, Amarillo, Crystal

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2012 04:34:11 | More by AgentMunky

brotherloco

California

3.95/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22oz bomber. No date on bottle. From this year's Winter 4-Pack. Served in a tapered 22oz glass.

Pours a hazy medium-dark gold. 2 fingers of beige head recedes at a moderate pace. Medium-high amount of lacing left in glass.

Aroma is mildly bright and contains pineapple, grapefruit, and sour fruit notes. Bready malt is right in the background.

Taste is similar to the nose. Pineapple fruit notes are there but there is more of a bitter and tart grapefruit quality that dominates a quiet bready german-style malt. Bitterness sits on top of the flavor throughout. Finish is fairly dry with lingering citrus bitterness.

Medium-light body with medium carbonation. Quite smooth and drinkable.

This beer is pretty damn flavorful for a standard IPA, and very drinkable. I'm digging it.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 06:15:59 | More by brotherloco

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

climax

Missouri

3.6/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

My first offering from Ninkasi pours a hazy burnt orange. The eggshell head is modest, yet the retention is admirable.

The nose comes through quite balanced, but not overly potent on either end. Tropical citrus tones from the Amarillo green guys are subtle but add slight sweetness to a mostly herbal hop bill.

Balance continues through the flavor, yet the intensity is bumped up a notch. Loads of 2 Row add a doughy caramel backbone that keeps up with resiny hop flavors.

Perhaps the best trait of the beer is it's thick viscous body. It takes the throat a couple tries to pull it down, yet carbonation keeps it bright and crisp without being distracting.

It may not completely dominate my taste buds, but I have a good feeling about the rest of the beers in this 4 pack.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2012 06:06:31 | More by climax

DarthKostrizer

California

3.05/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Look: Copper in color and totally translucent with a 1/4 inch off white head and good retention

Smell: Piney hops with some resin behind the hops and of course a malt sweetness

Taste: Is very much similar to the nose. This is a very malty IPA and is a touch on the sweet side with the same piney resiny notes picking up the backend

Mouthfeel: Less than a medium body but not by much and ample carbonation and a bitter dry finish

Overall: It is not a bad IPA if you are not looking for a overly hoppy IPA with that being said it does lack quite a bit in flavor and the nose. Would drink again

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2012 05:22:02 | More by DarthKostrizer

drabmuh

Maryland

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

Amber IPA poured into a tulip, beer is amber and hazy with a nice off white head of small bubbles, relatively low retention and some lacing on the glass.

Beer smells sweet, malty, mildly piny / earthy on the palate.

Beer is medium in body, leads off with some sweetness and some more sweetness before giving way to a mild hop palate of sulfury / earthy hops. I don't know what to think about htis beer honestly. It tastes fine but I wanted a hoppy IPA, this is not that, it is a malty IPA. I drank it but I don't think I'll return.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2012 02:35:52 | More by drabmuh

magictacosinus

California

3.48/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured into a pint glass out of a 12oz bottle.

Provides an amber color, light foaminess at the top of the glass, as well as moderate carbonation. No lacing, but doesn't look bad at all.

Smell is far maltier than expected, but full of zesty hops. Citrus, oranges, pine, and an overall balanced mix that feels refreshing and tasty.

Starts smooth and creamy, but ends quite bitter and bone dry. While it holds flavors exactly the same as the aromas, it has a malty backbone that makes up for any lost bitterness. Nevertheless, there's also a yeasty backdrop that becomes more apparent as it warms up. Easy to drink, refreshing, but not necessarily spectacular.

This is not what I would consider an authentic West coast IPA recipe to be, as the yeast and maltiness can be too much at times. Nevertheless, the hops are flavorful and provides an all around decent bitter ale experience.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2011 01:34:49 | More by magictacosinus

mithrascruor

California

3.1/5  rDev -16%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

22 oz. bottle poured into a mug.

Appearance: Pours a hazy copper-orange color, with an airy yet rocky off-white head. Leaves a fair amount of lacing too.

Smell: No real aroma of speak of; just a bit of sweetness.

Taste: Fairly yeasty flavor, with hops and citrus. There's a bit of sweetness in there. Nothing very specific in the taste. Aftertaste is pretty much the same.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with mild carbonation.

Drinkability: Fairly mild ABV, but flavor isn't so inspiring.

A bit too yeasty for this type of beer. Not enough citrus or other hoppy flavors either.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2011 04:27:36 | More by mithrascruor

seanwhite

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Total Domination is a tremendously balanced IPA.

It tops out at 65 IBUs so the hoppiness does not over power the palate, as many IPAs.

Even with the (relatively) low amount of hops, this beer is not a push over.

It has a strong finish that is characteristic of a classic IPA but when meshed with the opening floral notes, it is one of the smoothest. It is dangerously easy to drink four or five of these without even thinking about it; which, with a 6.7% ABV, can lead to some fantastic situations.

I would not call this beer overly complex but that is the beauty of it. The simplicity of this beer paired with the brewmaster’s ability to perfectly meld the ingredients makes this IPA one of a kind. I thoroughly recommend this to anyone if you can get your hands on it.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2011 18:19:10 | More by seanwhite