Tricerahops Double IPA - Ninkasi Brewing Company

Sokool

Washington

3.86/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Mine didn't actually much of a head to speak of, and didn't leave any lacing either. Possibly my sinuses here, but not a lot in the way of an aroma either. Smelled tangy hops and a light biscuit aroma. I really enjoyed the taste of this beer though. I've been drinking a lot of the more fruity/citrusy IPA's lately, and it was nice to drink something with a more buscuity/bready malt profile. The hops were still tangy, and I enjoyed the bitterness of it all. Overall, considering it's availability in my area and relatively low price, I would definitely drink it again... and again.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2013 18:08:29 | More by Sokool

Derek

British Columbia (Canada)

4.14/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A: Golden-bronze with an off-white head, light retention & initial lace.

S: Not a huge aroma for a DIPA, but it's nice: pine, mango, citrus, sponge toffee...

T: Nice piny resin, assertive bitterness, but not all harsh. Mango, nectarine, apricot, sponge toffee, hint of biscuit. Alcohol is subtle.

M: Well-attenuated, moderate body has a light hop acidity with a crisp finish.

O: Certainly hop-accented, but not at all unbalanced. Incredibly drinkable for a brew of this strength.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 03:36:50 | More by Derek

Samuel906

California

3.39/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Pretty average ipa across the board. Pourz a nice clean amber. Smells super hoppy, pine and citrus. Flavor is a little unbalanced and slightly bitter. Resiny hops coat your mouth. Nothing spectacular but a solid ipa. However, out of all the "hop" pun beer names, Tricerahops is probably my favorite.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 06:13:23 | More by Samuel906

mdaschaf

Washington

3.98/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Had on tap at Burgundian

A: Pours a clear amber color with one finger off-white head, very nice head retention with sheets of lacing down the glass.

S: Nice piney aroma upfront with some lighter citrus underneath, a bit of grapefruit and orange. A bit of caramel.

T: Nice combination of citrus/pine and caramel malt.

M: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.

O: Enjoyable, not amazing, but easy drinking with a nice flavor profile.

Serving type: on-tap

02-08-2013 06:20:53 | More by mdaschaf

CHickman

New York

4.43/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours hazy gold orange color with a 2 finger foamy/creamy beige head that faded slowly and left foamy good lacing as it went down, leaving a ring around the top.

Smells of oranges, grapefruit, tangerine, pineapple, citrus hops, caramel, biscuit, sweet malt, and floral hops; pretty much all citrus in the nose, with some herbs, grains and piney notes adding balance, but boy was this nice to inhale and what I had hoped for with those Pacific Northwest hops in play.

Tastes like it smells, only better, with juicy oranges, grapefruit, tangerine, pineapple, citrus hops, guava, caramel, malt, brown sugar, piney hops, lightly roasted grains, tea leaf, herbs, floral hops, flowers like a rose petal, wet wheat bread and some boozy sweetness that seems like a wet hop was dropped in the glass for good measure. Considering how hoppy this is, the bitterness is mild and the malts/grains add nice balance and make this very easy to drink, hiding the ABV with juicy fruit and herbals notes. The spices don’t play any role in the flavor palate, which surprised me, but I still really dig this flavor.

Mouthfeel is creamy, slick and very smooth, with mild carbonation, a medium body that’s almost chewy and slightly bitter finish that’s full of sweet citrus fruit and goes down easy. This was freakin’ easy to drink, and I downed the bomber faster than I should have because it was so tasty.

After being disappointed by the Sleigh'r Dark Doüble Alt Ale, Ninkasi exceeded my expectations with this DIPA, which was easy to drink and extremely flavorful. I suggest East Coast hopheads go to ‘Let’s Pour’ and order some as this was a very tasty brew.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 06:22:49 | More by CHickman

thegodfather1076

Ohio

4.36/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Presentation: Very cool label and color scheme with the Ninkasi seal as the centerpiece. Give a small description and small background about the beer on the side of the label.

Appearance: Poured out of a 22oz bomber into a 13oz tulip glass. Pours out a slightly hazy copper orange hue with an airy 2 finger white foam head of light density. Head initially fades quickly but slow considerably with head retention at 3min 30sec before finally settling to a thin foam coating and ring.

Smell/Aroma: Smells of very sweet citrus hops with grapefruit and orange being the prominent aromas. Hints of pineapple sweetness and a slightly floral hop scent can be detected as well. Smell is delicious and intoxicating!!!

Flavor/Taste: Tastes of citrus sweetness mixed with pine and floral hop bitterness all atop a bready malt backbone!!!! Extremely bitter on the back-end and aftertaste. Excellent!!

MouthFeel/Drinkability: Medium bodied with a medium carbonation but not overly filling. Very drinkable.

Overall/Comments: A very very good double IPA with a great smell and flavor profile. Above average to excellent across the board. Classified as a Double/Imperial IPA at 8.8% ABV. Consumed 12-4-12.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2013 09:57:58 | More by thegodfather1076

RickS95

Indiana

4.38/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A bit dark for an IPA, but it's a double, so I'll cut it some slack. A dark peach color, maybe a dirty orange. Dark enough to be mostly opaque. Head is only around for a short bit, but it provides a decent lace.

A lot of stuff going on in the nose. A big fight between citrus and pine, and malt and bready yeast. Not a bad problem to have. Nothing dominates, though the citrus is the winner, as all scents are present.

If you're going to make a DIPA, it might as well taste like this...like someone soaked a grapefruit and a Christmas tree in a barrel of ale. Pacific Northwest flavors at their best.

Lots of grapefruit and pine, on a bed of bready goodness. Citrus and earthy. Acidic. Cleansing in that the IBUs shred your palate, but in a nice way. Almost sweet in the beginning, giving way to citric, before Dr. Jekyll takes over for a bitter finish. Crisp. Medium bodied.

I'm partial to Pacific Northwest IPAs and this is an example of why. It's a stellar beer. Overall, it's got a great taste and it's easy to drink despite wicked high hops and just as high ABV. But it's smooth and goes does a little too easy.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 04:28:16 | More by RickS95

hoppytobehere

Colorado

3.78/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz. bomber arrived in the mail. No date on the bottle. Get with the program, Ninkasi.

A: Clear, bright copper body. Not a ton of head, even with a fast pour. Retention and lacing are pretty decent.

S: That huge hop aroma that's normally present with IIPAs is hardly there. This suggests that the beer is at least a few months old. Smells of grapefruit juice and bread crust.

T: Decent hop bite for not being fresh. Well-balanced. Malt is taking over though at this point.

M: Mouthfeel is great for an 8.8% beer. Not very boozy. Good levels of carbonation.

O: Need to try this fresh, I can tell it's a great IIPA.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 00:53:44 | More by hoppytobehere

nUgZ

North Carolina

4.05/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22 ounce bottle poured into a snifter. Thanks to SanFranJake for the opportunity!

A: Pours a hazy orange color with a half finger head and some lacing.

S: Citrus and floral hops along with some sweet malts and a hint of alcohol.

T: The flavors follow the nose. Citrus, floral, and piney hops with some bready malts and a touch of alcohol.

M: Medium to heavy bodied with light to moderate carbonation.

O: This is a solid DIPA. It's tasty, has great mouthfeel, and is easy to drink. I'm glad I got to try it.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 23:05:32 | More by nUgZ

ThickNStout

Georgia

4.05/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22oz bottle from LetsPour.com. No apparent bottling info. Served in a Red Brick snifter.

Pours pale hazy orange with three quarters of a finger pale head. Not much, but there is a bit of lace here and there.

Smells of citrusy grapefruit and orange hops with some sweet malts

Taste follows the nose. Pine, orange/ grapefruit peel, fresh cut grass, pepper, sweet bread, soft biscuit and a slight kick of booze. Flavors seem a little muted but nice overall.

Slick medium feel with fairly light carbonation. Long dry bitter finish with more citrus peel, pine and biscuit.

I'd remembered liking this a little more when a friend brought one back from Colorado last year but this is still pretty darn good. A nice (but a bit faint) blend of citrus and pine hops with a good sweet malt body. Perhaps not the brightest or boldest double IPAs but I'd not turn it down and it's certainly worth a shot if you come upon it.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 01:39:25 | More by ThickNStout

donkeyrunner

Massachusetts

3.85/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The obvious complaint is that if it's a double IPA it should be called Biceratops, not Triceratops. Unless they're indicating that Tricerhops has three times as much hops as Ninkasi's standard pale ale which I would be ok with.

Hazy gold with a thin head. A thin veil of retention held on until about mid-glass and left a few speckles. Apathetic bottle art.

Pineapple and citrus with a little floral tilt. Sweet Twinkie malt immersed in it all. Smells spot on but doesn't exactly jump out of the bottle like a good DIPA should. Lazy dino.

The gusto picks up where the olfactories left off: floral citrus amid sweet, sugar cookie malt. Tastes really good but lacks the punch and bravado required of the style. Reserved bitter and not a whole lot of resin. Big creamy body is nice though.

I feel like I'm downgrading this beer because of the label - the style not the dinosaur reference. If this was labeled an IPA I'd be all about it but it lacks the strength of a DIPA. That said, I really like this beer. One of those that I like better than it reviews I guess. Hate the game, not the player.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2012 14:05:30 | More by donkeyrunner

Bitter_Echo

Michigan

4.93/5  rDev +21.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I don't even know what to say, this is so good. I can't get this anywhere close to where I am, but my friend Mike brought a bomber back just recently. If I had to design an IPA, this would be exactly as it would be. Pours like they all do, but who cares, it's dark orange inviting, and more yellow that rust and tannic. Head, who cares! Smells yummy piney, floral and citrus hops, really makes me want to shove my head in the glass, good. If I could only 'jam on' my olfactory centers to continually perceive the hops: That good! Taste is clean malt, then citrus rind and more pine, and a hop echo that really can't be beat. This stuff has terrific after effects and outstanding balance. Mouthfeel is really good for a DIPA, and the alcohol lower, which I like, and the carbonation is moderate-low and fine and not overly syrupy in the delivery. If I were stinking wealthy, I'd hire a courier to bring this to my door. I'd have one every day. Astonishing.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 18:35:10 | More by Bitter_Echo

DaveAnderson

Minnesota

3.53/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Purchased in the Portland airport, post-security. Ninkasi bottles are not dated, but they seemed to be selling a lot of beer, so I took a chance on freshness.

The beer pours into my goblet, and briefly forms a light head of pure white. There is no haze or sediment, and the color is on the coppery side of straw.

What is it with the tropical fruit these days? It seems like my last several beers were devoid of citrus and pine. This is more of the trend. Very fruity, but no citrus.

Once in the mouth, this beer can't pretend to be anything but an IIPA. Heavy in body and slightly sweet, it still delivers a bitter kick in the end, and the alcohol is clearly present.

It's a pleasant beer, but I'm not sure I want to drink a whole bomber. I will, of course, but I'll probably regret it in the morning.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 04:40:11 | More by DaveAnderson

tdm168

North Carolina

4.48/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - dark orange with a soft, off white, foamy cap of head

S - grapefruit, mango, some pineapple, faint bread

T - orange, grapefruit, mango, mild pine, mild bitterness

M - medium bodied, smooth, perfectly carbonated

This is a very nice, citrusy, full flavored, hoppy beer. This is simply delicious. I thoroughly enjoyed this one from beginning to end. I will definitely have it again.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2012 02:12:28 | More by tdm168

Immortale25

Florida

4.59/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks a bunch SatlyMalty! Poured into a Dogfish signature snifter. No readable freshness date.

A- Pours a medium amber color with a 1/2 inch white head that doesn't retain long before becoming a thick ring around the edge of the glass and random tufts of surface foam. Splotchy lacing.

S- Effervescent hop aroma that's citrusy and grassy. Notes of grapefruit, pine and some astringency from the alcohol

T- The hops sink their teeth in and then let go like they were almost never there. The bitterness is so abrupt but subtle. There's a splash of tropical fruit flavor like grapefruit, orange zest and lemon but it all quickly recedes leaving a dry finish with a modest lingering bite. Alcohol is nicely subdued.

M- Oily and crisp with medium carbonation and an average body.

O- I rarely find an IPA that can be this hoppy yet still be so balanced and restrained. Definitely the best I've had from Ninkasi thus far.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2012 01:38:29 | More by Immortale25

Caedus

California

4.38/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A:Golden Amber with Orange hue, nice 3 inch fluffy head with lacing.

S: Citrus notes with some passion fruit ripeness, grapefruit rind and a nice resinous hop character.

T: Nicely balanced between the ripe passion fruit and bittering hops on the back end. Finishes well, leaves a bit of a lingering bitterness. A bit of alcohol can be felt on the back end as well. The citrus and ripe malts come through well, but are balanced well by the very present hop character.

M: Medium body, light carbonation, a bit of sugar present but leaves a slight bitter linger.

D: Very nice, very smooth, well balanced, very much enjoyed.

Full review here: http://bit.ly/WlkjHP

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2012 05:21:53 | More by Caedus

ngeunit1

California

4.23/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a hazy amber-orange color with a finger of frothy white head. The head fades down at a normal pace leaving behind some lacing.

S - Aroma is a mix of grapefruit, pine, floral, and grassy hops with some sweet caramel and biscuit malts.

T - Starts off with a mix of grapefruit and citrus hops with some bitterness and some sweet caramel malts. Through the middle, some pine, grassy, and floral hops come through with some more bitterness and some biscuit malts. The finish is a mix of pine, grapefruit, and grassy hops with some resiny bitterness and some sweet bready malts.

M - Medium-plus bodied with moderate carbonation. Feels smooth with a dry, bitter, and lightly sweet finish.

D - Very drinkable. Nice hop profile and bitterness throughout with good overall balance.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2012 05:09:09 | More by ngeunit1

alexgash

Connecticut

4.13/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz. bottle. Great name.

Clear, clean, deep copper orange body. Think finger of dense, creamy, beige-khaki head. Great lacing. Spicy, sweet, fruity, caramel-y malt hangs out beneath some citrusy, tropical fruity, and herbal hops. Very juicy and fresh-seeming (no date on bottle to verify).

Herbal, minty bitterness right off the bat. A little spicy--almost rye-like. Fruity, somewhat caramely malt mid-palate. Tropical fruit in the finish, with rising herbal, piny bitterness. Lingering fruit and rye spice. Warming. Medium-full body with a slightly syrupy feel. Solid, aggressive DIPA.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2012 05:02:42 | More by alexgash

beesy

Ohio

4.05/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22 oz bottle into a standard pint glass.

A - pours a very beautiful medium orange. Very clear, but not brilliant. A one finger off-white head builds quickly and falls to a quarter finger head that lingers for most of the glass. Some lacing.

S - citrus notes are aparent, but its just really fruity - almost like juicy fruit gum. Tropical. Lemon. Some booze present.

T - lots of fruity flavors with some citrus. Very smooth. Some booze, but its very mellow, adding a nice compliment to the hops. A slightly coarse/dirty hop bitterness lingers on the palate. Hop sweetness in the mid palate.

M - on the heavy end of what I would call light bodied. Surprised its this light - nice and attenuated ;)

D - fairly easy to drink. The lighter body and smoothness makes it very easy to drink for 8.8.

Overall, a super smooth IIPA that is easy to drink. Its a little odd its so smooth, which is why I think I enjoyed it so much. The booze is way more suppressed than the other two IIPAs I've reviewed in as many days (Heady and Ninja v Unicorn).

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2012 01:20:35 | More by beesy

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A pretty nice DIPA, though the only thing from it that really strikes me as a double ipa is the thicker sweetness from the malts. Sure, the hops are full and distinct, but not so much so when compared to what the "lesser" IPA usually presents. Certainly an easy drinker. And overall, it's a pretty nice beer. Just not really blowing me away or anything.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2012 22:18:31 | More by RblWthACoz

jmarsh123

Indiana

4/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours almost neon orange with a small off-white head. Good lacing. Decent retention.

Light citrus and floral aroma with a bit of backing malt.

Citrusy up front. Not much malt to this one. Finishes with a big grapefruit and pine presence. Very nice finish.

Medium to light bodied with good carbonation.

Very solid IPA. Would prefer a touch more up front flavors, but love the bitter dry finish. Well done.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2012 21:41:08 | More by jmarsh123

Bfarr

Washington

3.18/5  rDev -21.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Clear light copper, moderate off-white head with good retention and okay lacing. Resinous light floral hop aroma. Floral and light grapefruit bitterness gives away quickly to heavy sweet caramel malts. Light hop linger and alcohol warming. Creamy and slightly sticky feel.

I remember this being one of the beers that was responsible for my interest in Ninkasi. However, that was a long time ago and I have since become quite disappointed with a lot of their beers. Having the opprtunity to try this one again unfortunately affirmed that position. Don't get me wrong, they make a good beer however there is little to differentiate them from other breweries. They seem to do just above the bare minimum for their beers. This is a nicely balanced and drinkable Imperial IPA.

Serving type: growler

07-11-2012 23:23:35 | More by Bfarr

elgiacomo

Georgia

3.2/5  rDev -21.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

22oz bottle, unknown date. Served at around 40-45F.

Pours lightly hazy orange/amber with a good off-white head that leaves lots of sticky lacing and maintains a small cap.

Aroma is some orange citrus, apricot, good bit of floral hops, a touch of pine, decent bit of caramel malt. Good strength.

Flavor is apricot, orange/grapefruit citrus, some resin, noticeable caramel malt backbone, decent bit of sweetness in the middle, moderate bitterness on the finish and just a little mild alcohol.

Mouthfeel is medium to full bodied, creamy, oily, moderate carbonation.

Apricot and caramel would be the best way for me to sum this one up, and unfortunately those are not my two favorite flavors in an IPA/DIPA. I could see fans of something like Dogfish Head’s 90 Minute really diggin’ this one though...

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2012 02:16:32 | More by elgiacomo

chugalug06

Colorado

4/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Crisp, clear, orange brew. Head is fluffy, small, and off-white with tan colors. Decent lacing too.

Sweet tropical scents. Big slight dry tartness. Unique.

Dry, bitterly wet, and refreshing. Sweet fruity flavors.

Delicious for a hot summer day. Glad I got to try this brew. Ninkasi redems themselves with this nice brew.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2012 01:35:46 | More by chugalug06

KDawg

Illinois

4.13/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

poured from bomber into a pint glass. Pours a dark orange color with a nice head.

Deep and big aromas of hops, oranges, and loads of citrus notes. While not completely complex, it has a lot of depth.

Full bodied with a really good smooth feel. Complete with real good flavors of oranges, citrus', hops and some hot caramel.

One of the better DIPAs that I've had in a while. This is exactly what I want a DIPA to be. There was no booziness to it either.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2012 01:35:07 | More by KDawg