Tricerahops Double IPA - Ninkasi Brewing Company

smekermann

British Columbia (Canada)

3.3/5  rDev -18.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

This brewery's been getting a lot of hype in BC. Everywhere I turn, I see NINKASI. I go to Facebook, I see NINKASI being hyped by the distributor. I go to Brewery Creek, I see NINKASI beer in the staff recommendations list. They have NINKASI tap takeovers. Obviously, this brewery has something to prove. I avoided them in the past on account of a friend (hello largoderr) saying he wasn't too impressed with their stuff. He's generally someone whose taste I trust, but at the same time, I couldn't take all the hype anymore. I had to try one of their beers. I was in the mood for some goddamn IPA this evening, so I got a bottle of this, a bottle of Tofino Brewing Hoppin' Cretin and a sixpack of Lagunitas Sucks from Brewery Creek. When I asked the cashier about this beer, he told me that if I liked being punched in the mouth with hops, I would definitely enjoy this. Welp, seeing as my favorite pastime is being abused, assaulted and being held hostage by hops, I assumed this beer would deliver. Sigh. One of these days I'm going to have to stop being so trusting of people.

Where to start with this beer? I guess I'll start by saying that I had a couple of the Lagunitas Sucks bottles first, because I knew they were pretty goddamn amazing (and they were), and then I had the Tofino Brewing Hoppin' Cretin because it was a single IPA so I figured I should have that before having the TRICERAHOPS, because the TRICERAHOPS was a double IPA, you see. Thus, it contained, like, DOUBLE the amount of palate-wrecking hops contained in a meager bomber of Hoppin' Cretin.

Sadly, this beer is completely underwhelming. It pours ok. I guess I'm really bad at gauging a beer's quality by its color (and really, I hardly understand the point of a rating based upon it), but it poured a pretty nice cloudy amber. It smelled... not like a double IPA would smell. The hops were fairly anemic and kinda generic, in the way "wet grass" would smell. The malts were very noticeable in the smell, as well, which is never a great sign in a supposed "hop bomb" double IPA.

The taste was just... bland. Generally, when I have a double IPA, I expect to be smacked down by the hops. It's not masochism on my part, I've just come to expect it from the style. This beer's hop profile could barely compare to the Hoppin' Cretin single IPA I had prior to it. You could definitely tell you were drinking an IPA, but you'd be hard-pressed to pinpoint any exact flavors or aromas. When your double IPA fails to overpower or, hell, even stack up to a single IPA, you have some issues on your hands.

Initial mouthfeel isn't bad. Good carbonation, decent crispness from the hops, but then the malt just overpowers everything else. This sort of malt backing would be ideal to an overpowered, 11% IPA with an obscene amount of hops (like Hop Henge, maybe). In this beer, though, it just overpowers everything and just makes it kinda sweet and slightly cloying.

Maybe I didn't have the freshest bottle. I wouldn't know, since NINKASI (HYPE HYPE HYPE) doesn't date their bottles. I've been running into this problem quite often recently. Breweries, seriously, how about you start dating your goddamn IPAs? Regardless, I'm pretty sure I'd have many of the same qualms with it even fresh. At 8.8% ABV, I can't see the hop profile balancing out the huge malt body this beer has.

Overall, I think this is proof that hyping a beer to hell and back works. 91 rating on BA? Seriously? There are way better examples of double IPAs in Oregon, Washington, and, hell, even in BC, Canada. They don't have an awesome hype campaign like this brewery, though, so they're nowhere near as well known.

HYPE IS AWESOME NINKASI HYPE HYPE BEST BEER (if you like things that suck)

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 07:12:45 | More by smekermann

travisd13

Washington

3.98/5  rDev -2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 22oz. bottle into a Pike tulip.

A - Burnt orange in color with a light tan head.

S - Piny hops, grapefruit/orange, caramel malts.

T - Much like it smells. Balanced very well.

M - Light on the carbonation making it very smooth. A little sticky on the finish.

D - For the "style" very high. I'm not sure I'd call this a double. I'm still enjoying it very much.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2008 04:13:29 | More by travisd13

WonderfulSam

Washington

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

Wow! Deep, honey colored, slightly opaque, glowing, with a smallish white head that fades to a white bubbly haze on the surface. The smell is all hops. It doesn't come off as a complex smell at first, but after repeated huffing a myriad of aromas becomes apparent: fruity, citrus, pine hops lifted my spirits! Fruit and honey malt starts to come through, and I get really excited to have a drink. I am not disappointed. Herbal, floral, and pine hops are right up front, with a bit of sweet malt in the middle. It finishes crisp, with a slightly bitter pine hop edge. Medium bodied, with good interplay between the carbonation and the hop crispness. Dry but smooth. Very, very easy drinking for a DIPA!

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2008 03:14:08 | More by WonderfulSam

turnerr79

Washington

2.88/5  rDev -29.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Medium head that launched floral hops fragrance into the stratosphere.

Nose of fragrant valley hops. The brew itself does not retain the sweet hoppiness, and blasts more of a bitter deep malty flavor. The aftertaste is on the bitter side of bitter.

A spike of the 8.8 abv pierces the the tongue. Complex flavor, but not a good IPA.
A bitters freak might enjoy this, but not me.

I will not purchase this brew again.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2010 04:37:01 | More by turnerr79

slammgrass

Belgium

3.15/5  rDev -22.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bomber into a pint glass and a tulip; served immediately from fridge. Sampled cold, and let it warm up to see if the taste and aromas changed.

Appearance: Orangey-golden hue. Very little carbonation with tiny bubbles with little to no head, and no remnants of lacing. Suspect that this might be a dud of a bottle.

Smell and aromas: Subtle notes of sour lemon, and sauerkraut. Since this is a DIPA style and is advertised on the bottle to have double hops, malt, and alcohol, I had assumed that this would have a strong and rich floral aroma with citrus notes. Plus with a name that evokes massive size of dinosaurs, I assumed this would be a hop head beer. I was surprised because the aromas were flat, and seemed to waft up slowly when giving the glass a whirl.

Taste: Bitter, with very subtle hop, slightly sour, and a spicy finish on the swallow. While there is little carbonation in the glass, the beer gave a bitter bite which was improved with the carbonation in the mouth. The beer had an astringent quality, with less notable “big hops” but had a slightly sour finish. If you are looking for a bright, hoppy DIPA with floral and citrus notes, this is not the beer. However, as it warmed, the carbonation seemed to give the beer some bite. I am not seeing how this is a DIPA, it seemed like a regular IPA.

Mouthfeel: Little to no coating, bitter on the finish which leaves a dry mouth, and gets you ready for that next sip. The body of the beer is watery and thin. I think this would complement slightly spicy food (such as Indian or Thai).

Overall: I really wanted to like this beer because I love DIPA’s. Although it was not what I expected (to be clear, I was looking for a big floral nose of lychee and citrus - but I am not holding this beer to my expectation) I stuck with it to see how the flavor may change. This is where I picked up spice, and thought about how the beer may be an excellent choice with ethnic foods. To me, beer styles should be creative and flexible, so if you are a DIPA lover, or getting into them, I would recommend a quaff.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2011 19:16:20 | More by slammgrass

OhSoHoppy

California

3.95/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

From a bottle to a glass this beer poured out as a nice light caramel color. the head was light and frothy, and a little strung out, This beer was strong in flavor but i never would have guessed that its ABV was so high base on the taste. decent amount hops even for a double. enjoyable and definitely worth the purchase but I don't think i will buy it again any time soon.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2010 20:41:09 | More by OhSoHoppy

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

decafron

California

4.18/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

poured into a proper pint glass from a 22oz. bomber. golden amber with tons of carbonation and excellent long lasting lacing.

smells of caramel, pine, and of course hops, hops, hops. i can't help but think of spring rain when i put my beak in there.

tastes of massive hops, citrus, rock candy as well as malt in the middle of the palate. probably the maltiest DIPA i've ever come across which isn't a bad thing at all.

mouthfeel is somewhere between a medium to heavy body with lots of carbonation.

a damn fine drinkable DIPA that hides the 8.8% very well. not quite the hopmonster i was expecting, but pleasantly balanced and refreshing. at about $5 i'll gladly be buying more of this. thanks ninkasi!

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2010 03:34:59 | More by decafron

timhoth

Oregon

5/5  rDev +23.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This is easily my favorite IPA i have ever had. First off its a double, which is awesome in itself. The great thing about it is that i couldnt taste any of the bitter taste you can get with a double, and the beer drank so smooth i just wanted to down it all at once. A couple of these and i was feeling really good so i would recommend this to everyone even if you do not like to drink IPA. I had a couple friends with me and they all agreed is was very good and easy to drink and they are not big into IPA or even dark beers.

Serving type: on-tap

02-28-2010 08:09:57 | More by timhoth

oc0dyc

Washington

4.08/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - 4" Thick white head, dark golden brown
S - Smells very strongly of Piney hops (I have trouble detecting much of anything else from most IPAs)
T - Mild IPA flavors, not as hoppy as the nose suggests, though compared to something like DFH 90min this is tame (which I think works in its favor). A slight citrusy finish
M - Moderately heavy with good drinkability. Great aftertaste - not that overwhelming almost metallic flavor.
I got another one to put in my fridge, this one is going to stay toward the front of the fridge

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2010 17:39:08 | More by oc0dyc

KMDouds

California

4.08/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A strong contender in a very strong & crowded field of American Double IPAs. Unlike it's weaker sibling brew, Total Domination IPA, Tricerahops delivers return consideration...

Decent appearance and smell, hops that frame without overwhelming or dominating the taste and aftertaste. An extremely well balanced bitter sweet mouthfeel that actually got better with each successive swallow. In fact, it's hard for this beer lover to believe this is a 100+ IBU Beer. This will definitely not be a one & done Beer!

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2011 01:30:32 | More by KMDouds

abaer123

California

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

A nice offering from Ninkasi. A double IPA with sharp hop bitterness on the beginning, smoothed over by rich fruit apricot flavors. The bitterness continues to linger and reminds me of the initial sharpness. I hope this one will stay in my nose for a while to remind me of its hoppy goodness.

Appearance - golden amber color, rich

Smell - fruity and sharp with hops

Taste - sharp bitterness to begin, smooth fruit middle, bitterness linger and linger and linger. :)

Mouthfeel - light carbonation makes this an easy drinker. 8.8% abv says go easy.

Overall - one of my favorites.

Serving type: on-tap

04-06-2011 03:45:01 | More by abaer123

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

Andy1618

California

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

A - Pours a slightly hazy, somewhere between dark gold and honey amber with a tinge of copper. A nice thick head sticks around for a little while and leaves moderate lacing.

S - Very grassy aroma from the hops, with a hint of lemon. Malt is subdued.

T - Strong and clean hop bitterness balanced by caramel malts. Grassiness and is less pronounced than in the aroma, but still present.

M - Smooth and creamy from lots of malt, followed by mouth-drying bitterness that lingers nicely.

D - This is how a double IPA should taste. Goes down easy and comes on strong. An all-around excellent beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2010 04:20:37 | More by Andy1618

cubancigar2000

Idaho

5/5  rDev +23.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I have been a beer fan for 50+ years and this one has blown me away. Exceptional flavor and after taste. I wish the beer was less damaging so I could drink more but two is absolutely all I can handle. The wife works for the distributor so I get a break on cost. I just love this beer

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2010 19:37:46 | More by cubancigar2000

bmerz

Massachusetts

2.9/5  rDev -28.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Appearance

Burnt orange snow globe. I'm guessing yeast particulates float around the medium size bubbles.

Smell:

Grapefruit, peach, yeast when it warms. Under-ripe orange with rind on the back

Mouthfeel:

Thicker and more yeast on the back of my throat than is normal for an DIPA or I like from one.

Overall:

Not into it. Why so much yeast. Why boast hops when they aren't complex, well rounded, or that forward in the nose or flavor. Yet it isn't malty enough to imagine they are hiding.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2011 06:12:45 | More by bmerz

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

SecondSandwich

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I lived in Portland, OR for the last couple years and Ninkasi was available just about everywhere you look (God, I miss Portland). Their "Total Domination IPA" was one of my go to beers and is one of the best in its price range. The "Tricerahops Double IPA" is a delicious step up from its tasty nephew. A bit more pricey, but that certainly didn't stop me from enjoying my fare share of this scrumptious brew.
Now, I am not up on beer terminology (despite being an avid craft beer consumer) so forgive me if my description is "unconventional". I'll also have you know that I am heavily biased toward IPAs and the double/imperial IPAs in particular.
I have had the Tricerahops many-a-time in the bottle and have been lucky enough to discover it on tap on at least one occasion. The Tricerahops has a light-ish amber color and somewhat of a flowery aroma. In terms of taste, it really packs a nice punch. It delivers a lot "on the front end" as I like to say. It has a nice, crisp hoppy attack. It has a lot of treble and mid-range flavor. However, it doesn't really have much of that bass-y complexity that comes out about mid-taste with some other double IPAs (the Hercules Double from Great Divide for example, mmm). That being said, I don't think that bassy flavor was intended with this beer. It is more of a zippy, refreshing, deliciously hoppy (and high gravity) treat to enjoy when you are out on the patio in the summer or autumn.

Bottom line, if you like IPAs, you will love the Tricerahops. Also, if you haven't really experienced the Ninkasi Brewing company (I have not seen it outside the west coast, unfortunately) I would recommend seeking them out. I have not been disappointed by anything I have tried from them.
Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2010 16:55:35 | More by SecondSandwich

evyoung

California

4.15/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance:
-massive yellow head that doesn’t quit (after a vigorous pour)--little valleys appear in it
-crazy thick lacing all the way down

Smell:
-sweet toffee and some floral hops

Mouthfeel:
-lighter than I expected from the appearance and smell, but still great
-only criticism (and I admit I’m nitpicking) is the presence of some wateriness

Taste:
-very sweet malt toffee (just like the smell) that overpowers/covers a good deal of the hop bitterness (I would expect more to come through up front in a DIPA)
-citrus hops pair well with the sweetness
-there is an constant underlying alcohol feel and taste

Overall:
-My first from this brewery, and I will absolutely try some of their other offerings. I really enjoyed this one, but wasn’t as crazy about it as my girlfriend. It’s her new favorite beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2011 03:23:48 | More by evyoung

volatilesther

California

3.03/5  rDev -25.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured a clear golden amber that left nice lacing on the glass.

The aroma is barely present. I got hint of citrus and cooked oats.

The first few sips were very bitter. I love bitter ales but there was something not very balanced about this beer. Perhaps I got an old bottle because the bittering hops are very dominant and I don't taste any flavoring or aromatic hops. It is also a little too tart for the style. After a few sips the maltiness was more apparent and I could taste ripe bananas. Very dry and earthy finish.

Mouthfeel is a little light for a DIPA but it is very smooth.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2010 01:54:59 | More by volatilesther

runjack

Washington

4.78/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Before I start off I should say that I love this beer. The malt is malty the hops are hoppy and it fits like a puzzle piece on my palate.

A) Foamy head with a hazy body. To me it seems a tad to dark for the style but thats just me being nit picky... just a tiny little bit tad

S) Hops, like hops in a bag from the lhbs packed and crisp BUT I should mention not what soever is the smell even close to the perfect heavenly smell that ipas can have...

T) this is one of those beers you have to taste to really understand. It's a perfect example of a real IPA. The hops aren't highly on center stage with the malty flavor filling all the gaps

M) the mouth feel is as expected from something almost perfect. It's not to thin not to thick its just about right

O) I love this beer though I know that out in that wide beautiful world is an IPA that really truly showcases brewing at its finest this may not be it though its pretty damn close...

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2012 02:57:54 | More by runjack

LagerThanLife

4.63/5  rDev +14%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

the malt and the hop flavors make this beer for me. I know that sounds stupid because what (besides yeast) the hell else would you be tasting bud? right? I know, however, a lot of IPAs I have had recently, now that they make up like 90% of the 22ozers at my liquor store :( , have been really bitter and really sweet which i guess = balanced, but i cound't for the life of me find another tasting note for them.
HOWEVER, this beer, this beer is bursting with both flavor and subtlety. malt flavor is rich but not over powering (2 row, munich and carahell) i dont know much about carahell and now i am interested. the hops bring bitterness, but alos complex tropical fruit aromas and spiciness.
this is an all around great IPA

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2012 21:06:31 | More by LagerThanLife

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

kswbeer

Oregon

4.47/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

This is a pretty solid Imperial IPA, and ranks among the best.

Our group just called Ninkasi and asked what hops they use. Search for "what hops are in tricerahops" or check out the following link:

http://www.kswbeer.com/2011/05/what-hops-are-in-tricerahops.html

Serving type: on-tap

05-09-2011 19:11:00 | More by kswbeer

qgardner

California

4.08/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I am truly a fan of just about everything this Brewery makes - and I only say just about because A: I haven't tried everything they make and B: Maiden the Shade is okay, but while the nod to Bruce Dickinson and company is very cool, the beer is still just okay. On the other hand you have this 8.8% ABV, 100 IBU Jurassic stomper that is just absolutely awesome. Very, very well balanced, the hops definitely don't overwhelm as one would expect at 100 IBU. A warm, caramel, toffee malt backbone and almost velvety mouthfeel (out of the ordinary for the style) pervade throughout the pint, and contrary to what another reviewer said, I think this beer gets even better as it warms. The hops are ever present, floral and remind me of fresh cut marigolds, but they don't whack you over the head like some extra IPA's. Behind all that love is a nice lingering aftertaste that leaves you wanting more. Would pair very well with chicken tikka masala.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2011 03:08:45 | More by qgardner