Tricerahops Double IPA - Ninkasi Brewing Company

meatyard

Pennsylvania

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

Appearance is a hazy, dark orange.
The smell is a crisp bit of citrus & pine though not real strong.
The taste is sweet and bitter. It has a pleasant hoppiness and a malt sweetness. It doesn't taste like a IIPA hop bomb.
Mouthfeel is thick and oily.
Drinkability is very good for the ABV.

I like this beer a great deal. It doesn't seem like a typical West Coast IIPA but more balanced than expected. I do like the usual WC IIPAs but find this satisfying too.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2008 00:13:27 | More by meatyard

mtrentm

Oregon

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

Poured from a 22oz into a snifter

A: Orange/copper color with a nice 2-finger off-white head.

S: Hops...Lots of hops! Citrus fruits & slightly sweet toasted malt notes lingering in the background.

T: Just like the nose, sweet citrus fruits, mostly grapefruit. Caramel flavors are present from the malts. A very well balanced DIPA.

M: Medium-full bodied, thick yet creamy mouthfeel. Really nice.

D: A very drinkable DIPA one of my favorites by far! If you can get your hands on this you must try it!

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2009 23:38:12 | More by mtrentm

mshannon

Montana

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

22oz into pint glass.

A- Gorgeous dark amber color, very clear, creamy head, long retention and thick lacing, definitely inviting

S- citrus and floral hops, also nice caramel/biscuity malts

T- relatively big hops, not what I was expecting with double IPA, but tasty and citrusy, same malts, alcohol is mild, nice balance

M- thick and bubbly

D- awesome, very drinkable though not really double, I'll buy it again

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2010 23:54:58 | More by mshannon

benclimbs

California

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

Delicious brew from a solid brewery that has only recently made it onto my beer awareness chart.

pours golden, red off-opaque with a one finger head and a good bit of lacing down the glass - what a big ipa should look like.

smell is excellent - uber west coast hops, tons of grapefruit cascades, pine, and a bit of strawberry coming to the palate as well - woody and fruity, mmm mmm.

taste is also beautiful not as pronounced as some of its west coast cousins, but very unique nonetheless.
a big malt backbone drives this hop-filled beast, this blends nicely with the extremely fruity hops to create this unique strawberries and cream sweetness - lovely actually, like a hoppy desert beer. it is rather sweet, but so are a lot of double ipas...big ass beer. Mouthfeel is a bit sticky for me though.

Overall, for a sweet, 9% double ipa, i'd rank the drinkability pretty damn good...great beer, psyched i tried it.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2011 05:05:41 | More by benclimbs

dlbrockmiller

Oregon

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

I recently discovered this brewery. This was the first of their offerings that I tried and I wasn’t disappointed. It had a nice strong hoppy smell with a really hoppy bite. Really strong flavor and good mouth feel. Overall a nice balanced beer but a little strong at 8.8% so watch out, it will sneak up on you.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2011 22:43:29 | More by dlbrockmiller

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

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

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

Hojaminbag

Colorado

4.35/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Got this in the mail from CCrida, thanks! I love the name.

Amber color with a very small white head. Leaves a little bit of lacing.

Not a strong smell, just a little floral hops.

Tasty. Bitterness up front gives way to citrus in the middle. Follows with a little dry piney flavor. I notice just a little sweet malt backbone in the finish. VERY smooth. Maybe the smoothest DIPA I've had, and well balanced too. Great brew, medium bodied.

This is a very drinkable beer. Smooth, well-balanced. Super high drinkablitity. Shared this with a few guys who aren't BA's and they loved it too.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2008 16:03:05 | More by Hojaminbag

RustyDiamond

Georgia

4.35/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into my SA beer glass. Hazy, bright orange with a faint little white frothy head. Aromas of pine & citrus. Head quickly dissipates leaving a white ring of film.
Sweet taste at first, which becomes piney and chalky. Very drinkable for 9%...almost too easy. Honey in the mouthfeel...dry hop finish. Very clean for a big IPA like this.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2008 21:19:06 | More by RustyDiamond

erikm25

Washington

4.35/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a huge orange and copper golden hue. There are hazy tangerine and amber undertones. Overall this one just glows in the glass. Amazing retention and a full halo of draped frosty lacing that coats from top to bottom all the way through. So much lacing that if I look closely I begin to decipher an ancient Mayan code.

S: Nice pine resin and citrus hop aroma balanced against delicate earthy undertones. A perfect blend of citrus acidic grapefruit and sweet floral aromas. Very subtle yet fruity, full, and rounded.

T: While hoppy, as expected, this is mildly refreshing. Like crisp pine soaked pineapple. Subtle honey limed and floral taste with a well balanced tart tinge. No malts present here. Very smooth and absolutely perfect finish without the slightest nod that this is a double.

M: Medium body with a long perfect finish and minimal carbonation.

D: Easily drinkable and delicious. Besides that the name is just flat out cool. I plan to put this one in regular rotation. Note to self, try as many other offerings I can from this brewery.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2008 04:58:35 | More by erikm25

Donnie2112

Alaska

4.35/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5

poured into a shaker pint (and a bit into a corsendonk tulip)

a. orange-red in color, solid carbonation, limited in terms of head retention and also doesn't lace the way I'd prefer. When I poured into the tulip glass the head retention was of course greatly improved and the lees created a hazy brown affect. In my mind the best beers look good even in a shaker pint, this one doesn't look great in that condition but it looks better when it's put into glassware that helps cover its weaknesses.

s. all subtle citrus fruit, lime rind, oranges and grapefruit, mild herbal floral notes on the nose. I also smell something a bit spicy, almost like pumpkin bread baking

t. bready but like sourdough bready on the start, rolls into a sour-bitter lime like finish. Extremely solid in the flavor department. There is a pleasurable, teeth rattling oily astringent hop presence that lingers for minutes on end. Solid

m. This beer could use a bit more body, it seems rather light and thin.

d. On the other hand because it's so light and thin I find it extremely easy to drink especially considering alcohol content. This stuff drinks almost like a light lager as opposed to an IPA w/ 8.8 ABV.

It's solid stuff and I'm glad I finally tried this brewery, can't wait to check out more of their stuff.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2011 08:01:07 | More by Donnie2112

cbak999

Florida

4.35/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Hand delivered from my brother in Oregon. Sticking with the 'hop' named beers tonight. This one pours a deep orange color with a big, white head that really hangs around. Smells and tastes are of piney, citrusy hops. Great hop taste, but nothing that is so bitter that it hangs around too long after the sip...which is great balance between the hops and malts. I do taste some caramel malt, but not too much. A great beer from Ninkasi.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2011 01:52:34 | More by cbak999

vande

Illinois

4.35/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: a bottle colored deep golden bronze with a 2 finger layer of head floatin on top....leaving nice laced rings along the pint glass as it disappears...

S: Hops... Citrus hops and bready malt braided together ... Very appealing.

T: Like the smell, there's the tropical citrus fruit presence, yet balanced out nicely with the malt back-bone too..

M: Smooth, appeasing kind a creamy... not too heavy and not light, good viscosity... slightly bitter and dry at the back...

O: Love it

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2011 00:08:00 | More by vande

IronDjinn

Alberta (Canada)

4.35/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

From a brown 22 oz. bomber, picked up in Ponderay, Idaho. Pours out a slightly hazed copper hue, tall foamy ivory head with impressive retention.

Bright burst of grapefruit hops on the nose, and after much sniffing, not much else. No complaints here though.

The flavour is straight up, in your face, mouth puckering grapefruit citrus hops. A hint--if not simply just a glimmer of the imagination--of bready, biscuit malt can be discerned behind it all, however that may only be urban legend at this point.

Medium-full mouthfeel, full silky smooth texture, with medium carbonation that has its brisk moments.

Everything I'm personally looking for in a regular American IPA, it's lacking some malt backbone or balance for a DIPA, but who cares, this is delicious. Wish I would have picked up more. Really enjoyable stuff, worth seeking out more.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2012 05:49:16 | More by IronDjinn

Dubbercody

Washington

4.33/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at the Concordia Ale House, served in a pint glass. Holy cats, this is a nice beer. Nice combination of malt and hops in the nose. This follows into the taste too. Great balance for a double IPA. Alcohol doesn't come out and hit you, it's nicely incorporated.

Can't wait to have this in a bottle soon.

Serving type: on-tap

03-02-2008 06:39:15 | More by Dubbercody

Wetpaperbag

Washington

4.33/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A- Dark golden copper haze of a beer, with a huge 2 inch tightly formed head. Very long lasting head at that. Watch out how you pour this.

S- Honey, great red grapefruit, and a nice earthy malt note. Lots of hops for sure.

T- Great malts, but the hops are the star. Grapefruity, yet other citrus notes are there. The hops aren't overpowering, but a very well balance DIPA. Very tasty and delicious.

M- Thick, but not overly thick, great feel for the mouth.

D- Very drinkable!

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2009 02:13:36 | More by Wetpaperbag

davidchollar

Washington

4.33/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Beautiful dark honey with a generous, just off-white head which settles quickly but never fully disappears. Very standard appearance for the style, but it might be my favorite color of beer hence the high score. The smell is really intense! Huge aroma here even before letting it warm up a bit. Obviously a double IPA with double hops. Really hoppy but a great balance of fruitiness without overdoing it. Tropical fruitiness, pineapple and citrus right up front. Dig a little deeper and there's a delicious, almost cinnamon toast maltiness.

Oh yeah it's bitter. While the smell was absolutely perfect, my first reaction to the taste is that it's a bit one-dimensional. Super hoppy. While probably not as bitter as 90-minute, Tricerahops is certainly NOT for the beer newbie. After just 10 minutes of warming I would say the flavors have opened up and become more pleasant. Hard to believe it's nearly 9% ... until you start to feel it.

My first taste of Ninkasi, and a very well-made beer. I'll definitely try their other offerings if I get a chance.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2009 09:14:57 | More by davidchollar

NorCalYeti

California

4.33/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

taste- caramel, citrus, butter, bittering hops, a little alcohol in the finish

color- honey

clarity- slightly brackish

smell- floral, caramel malt, light hoppiness, bacon and earth in the end

body- well balanced, nice clingy hoppy bite at the front of the mouth and a syrupy malt transition in the finish, medium-body and length finish

appearance- color is nice but a little light, delicate creamy lace, appears flat until agitated.

overall impression- a well balanced, above average tasting beer. great body, mouthfeel, and flavor, very easy drinker.

notes and comments- not sure i would call this a double ipa...it borders on a strong ipa.

glassware: tulip

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2010 03:30:58 | More by NorCalYeti

uturn

Florida

4.33/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22oz bomber poured into Dogfish Head snifter.

A: The beer poured with a fluffy one finger head and left a small thin lacing on the glass.

S: The initial smell was sweet almost honey like, then I picked up some citrus/grapefruit.

T: The initial taste of this beer was mildly sweet from the malts, and then it finished with mild bitterness of grapefruits. Nothing over the top here, just a very well balanced beer. It was much less "hoppy" then expected from a Imperial IPA, but not disappointed due to the excellent balance of this beer.

M: The mouthfeel was just a tad under a thin syrup and had a very nice carbonation level for this style of beer.

D: I would definitely drink this one again in the summer, fall, winter or spring. I would have this beer with brunch, lunch, dinner or just by itself.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2010 18:57:20 | More by uturn

bum732

Maryland

4.33/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

S: Citrusy, juicy hops, breadiness, very bold tangerines.

L: Hazy burnt orange, off-white head that dissipates, good lacing.

T: Bright tangerine and bready sweetness followed by a medium citrusy bitterness. Ends with some tangerine peel and slightly dry hop resin.

M: Medium bodied, medium-low carbonation. Alcohol just slightly noticeable.

A very solid DIPA. Well attenuated and i really enjoyed the tangerine like aromas and flavors.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2011 04:06:04 | More by bum732

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4.3/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Had this beer on tap at the Horsebrass pub the other night. I confess that I'm a bit surprised that I'm the first one to review this beer, as it's been out for a bit now and, at least in my opinion, is the most impressive beer Ninkasi has made to date.

This beer pours the quintessential light gold/orange DIPA color, with decent head retention and excellent lacing. On the nose one gets a blast of citrus and pine resin. There is no comparison between this beer and the regular IPA (which I confess has never impressed me); it's in a completely different league. This smells like it will be a fabulous DIPA, which of course it is. On the palate this stuff is just hop heaven nectar. Huge hops on the palate, with apple, citrus and pine. The beer does not have a huge malt presence (thankfully - no one will mistake this for an East Coast/midwest DIPA), and in fact it comes across as a bit dry. The beer has a lovely light mouthfeel (for a DIPA), and is a joy to drink. Yes, the abv. is a bit noticeable on the finish, making it a bit tiring to drink, but then again we are talking about a nearly 10% DIPA.

This is an outstanding beer. Frankly, I've not been as impressed as others by Ninkasi beers, but this one had me going "wow." I guess the name is a nod to the background of the brewer, who as I recall worked previously at Steelhead Brewing. Hoposauraus Rex and now the tricerhops.... two huge, mammoth, dinosaur of a DIPA. Very well done....

Serving type: on-tap

07-30-2007 03:29:39 | More by johnmichaelsen

mattmaples

Oregon

4.3/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This 9.6% hop fest is a masterpiece of brewing. It pours light amber in color with a small cap of dense foam. The aroma is huge with orange hops and just a hint of malt sweetness. The flavors is also big on the orange hop profile but the malt brings in some chewy caramel without being overly sweet. The mouthfeel is smooth and has a medium body. This is one of my favorite double/Imperial IPAs.

Serving type: on-tap

03-22-2008 00:49:18 | More by mattmaples

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.3/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Purchased from bottletrek, pours an effervescent bronze with 1+ finger of pearl white head. Very good head retention & lacing

S: Some citrus hops & honey as this warms

T: Biscuitty & honey malt, lemony & orangey hops, plus a touch of dryness up front. Booze starts sneaking in along grapefruitty & piney hops as this warms, I also get toffee balancing out the hops with the help of some passion fruit & tangerine. Finishes with resiny & citrus hops, caramel, a bit more booze, pineapple & a touch more grapefruit & a good amount of honey

MF: Medium bodied, fairly creamy with superior balance, skews a bit malty, but I like em that way, a bit hotter than I'd like. Has some stickyness to it as well

Drinks too easy for the style, well put together, just a touch too much boozeyness to session, unless you have a death-wish!

Bring back the Cretaceous Era!

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2008 07:32:30 | More by russpowell

beerad666

Illinois

4.3/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I picked up a 22oz bomber of this at Belmont Station in Portland OR. It made the journey safely in my luggage back to Chicago. I picked this is up becuase it was a Double IPA and a beer named after a dinosaur how cool is that.

The Tricerahops pours a golden dark amber color with a one finger white head. When you drink it you get that great hops bite and its still very refreshing. There is a decent amount of fruit that comes trough with the grapefruit and the orange. Overall a very drinkable beer especially at this higher ABV.

This was the first Ninkasi Brewing I've had and I will definitely be picking up this Double IPA and something else from Ninkasi the next time I am out in Oregon.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2008 16:12:14 | More by beerad666