Terrapin Hop Karma IPA - Terrapin Beer Company

StonedTrippin

Colorado

4.05/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

this is a brilliant style fusion. thanks to claystation for bringing this one over. it pours a soapy milk chocolate brown color, with great tan suds on top, lacing up the glass. the nose is sweet chocolate malt with light toast, and a whole buttload of fresh bitter hops. its a huge contrast between malt and hop in this one, but they get on wonderfully with one another, despite their seemingly rival intensities. the flavor yields to the grains first, with sweeter, full bodied, mouth washing sensation that hints at a Hershey bar with almonds. the hops wait patiently, ramping up slowly as the beer concludes. they are bitter and bright, and they cut the sweetness of the malt expertly. I love how distinct each half of this beer is, and how much is really going on while still making sense. fine carbonation, maybe a little light, and a fuller medium body. pretty drinkable at 6% abv, and a beer I will definitely revisit when I have more than one to enjoy. I have not had much from terrapin, but this gets me excited to seek out more. really excellent meld of the brown ale and ipa.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2013 16:53:48 | More by StonedTrippin

NoLeafClover44

Delaware

3.78/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

12 oz. bottle poured into FFF nonic pint. Best before the 4th week in July.

A - Pours dark mahogany with a few fingers of off-white head. Leaves behind a splotchy lacing as the head recedes. A marbled layer of foam remains on the surface for the duration.

S - Smells of wet oats, almond, and grass clippings. Some roasted malts and caramel sweetness along with rich, earthy hops. I get more brown ale than IPA from the nose.

T - Toasted malts and caramel from the start. Barley and a distinct nuttiness in the middle. Drying pine through the swallow.

M - Light, crisp feel with a relatively clean finish. Maybe a touch undercarbonated.

O - I am a big fan of Black IPAs, so I figured I'd give this one a shot. While it isn't bad, it definitely came off much more brown ale than IPA to me. The malts are the main player with roasty, nutty, and sweet notes. Mild pine hop bite on the back end. Not too shabby, but not one I will seek out again.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2013 00:51:30 | More by NoLeafClover44

JohnQVD

New York

3.94/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Dark reddish-brown body with a wispy light tan head that leaves little behind. Smell is baking bread with caramel and roasted ?. Taste is bready with a twinge of the caramel and a semi-dry finish with a touch of medicinal lingering bitterness and a bit of licorice as you get into the glass. Feel is moderately light, with full carbonation.

Overall, this is a solid, interesting hybrid. It's got more bitterness than a standard brown ale and more maltiness than IPA. It's quite drinkable and threads its way between the two styles well.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 21:14:26 | More by JohnQVD

Jacurdy60

Alabama

4.29/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

A-Pours a deep brown color with a red hue and an off-white, almost toffee colored head. Retention isn't so great but it still looks fantastic

S-Probably the best aspect of the brew. Nutty, sweet, malted barley and a faint note of hops. A bit boozy as well. Smells so damn good

T & MF-Lemony hops at the front, followed by a nice malted caramel sweetness. Almost like sugared almonds. Alcoholic bite at the finish where the hops make a presence again. A touch over carbonated, crisp, but it goes down smooth. Very well balanced and full bodied brew.

O-Exceptional brew. I've never tried a dark IPA, but I really love this combination. If you see this, do not pass it up

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 00:36:53 | More by Jacurdy60

zeledonia

Minnesota

3.55/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I like IPAs, and I like brown ales, but this is an unusual hybrid. Tasted 10 April 2013.

Pours a murky deep brown, just clear enough to see through the very edges. One finger of pale tan head, good retention, spotty lacing up the sides.

Smell is unique, and really interesting. Definitely sugary malt-forward, more brown ale than IPA, but with an intriguing citrusy slant. Everything fits together so well that it's hard to pick out individual components. But this is one of those cases where the whole works really well - warm, sweet, rich, and fruity.

Taste is fine. Less sweetness than I expected based on the smell. But there's still a light brown sugar presence, followed by a mid-level hollow bitterness. Not bad, but a bit on the dull side; where the smell brought the best of both styles, this has less than half of each.

Feel is meh. Medium-bodied, slick. Medium-low carbonation. Slippery, want it to slither away more quickly.

A unique beer, with the smell as the definite high point. There, the two styles work together in excellent harmony. But I find the rest of the beer muddled and lacking direction.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 06:41:00 | More by zeledonia

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Fairly dark red-brown. Big sudsy tan head. Lacing is craggy and thick. Nice.

Piney and earthy hops. Richly toasty and roasty. Dark bready malts at work in the nose. Not much like a IPA. More like a hoppy brown ale.

Very earthy with a one-note pine. Best if enjoyed by July, but this beer doesn't come with a fresh hoppiness. Staleness gives way to a more interesting maltiness. A little bit of that pot smoke dankness. Dry, crisp finish could use some more pizzazz. A little bland. Roast, pine, barley, and earthy grit.

Drinks burly. Medium body and medium carb.

Not bad, but just not the beer for me. Can't say it's that satisfying.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2013 13:49:21 | More by thecheapies

Roman5150

Michigan

3.9/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

appearance: dark amber, mahogany brown

smell: west coast hops, piney resin, english malts

taste: great balance in between being malt and hop heavy, the description on the bottle is spot on. The pineyness offsets the english malt and creates an interesting, smooth aftertaste. Wish it had a higher alcohol content, but it's a great session beer as a result.

mouthfeel: not very carbonated, pretty dry

overall: never had a Brown IPA before, so I can't really review to style per se. But this is a highly drinkable session brew that nails a perfect balance between malt and hops. Being more of a hop guy, I found this much easier to enjoy the maltiness as theirs plenty of hoppiness to suppliment it.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2013 00:56:53 | More by Roman5150

AgentMunky

Alabama

3.95/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 12 ounce bottle into a DFH IPA glass. Best before the second week of September.

A: Deep mahogany brown. Pretty and clear with great lacing and tan head.

S: Biscuity malts and fruity hops. Nice enough.

T: I like this! Citrus forward hops, tempered by sweetness conspires to make for an interesting, tasty beer. Tropical tinge with a drying endtaste. Yum.

M: A bit lackluster.

O: Recommended. Would drink again.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2013 06:18:17 | More by AgentMunky

Maxwell

Massachusetts

3.88/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

The beer pours a ruby brown, and sits in the glass as dark brown, nearly black, with a huge rocky head of dirty yellow-brown bubbles that mellows into a half a fingers width of much smaller and smoother bubbles. In body, the beer is clean of particles with only a faint haze, while carbonation bubbles are weak and far between in rising up to the head. The beer leaves a slippery lacing that leaves thin sheets on the sides of the glass. On the nose, the beer smells of creamy caramel and brown sugar malts with hints of pancake syrup. On the fringes of the smell lingers a bubbling tingle of sweet citrus peel, but it is rather weak beside the big malt smell. On the tongue, the beer tastes bitter and then malty sweet with a nice mellowing mouth feel and bitter back bite. The flavors begin as light caramel, quickly building into roasted and toasted nutty flavors with a touch of syrup and brown sugar beside a light bitter tingling which builds into the finish. The finish is of bitter orange or grapefruit peel and aspirin flavors, mingling with the light malty roast. The finish does not last long. The aftertaste is of light citrus hops and slight roast flavors. In the mouth, the beer feels medium in body with a slight watery finish. Carbonation begins prickly and fierce but nicely mellows into a silky smoothness on the tongue. The mouth is left slightly damp with only a light hint of hoppy dryness. Overall, this is a nice American brown ale, but I do not see it as anything more than that. According to Terrapin, this is one of the first American dark “India” beers, so I will give it the benefit of the doubt and say it is just an older example of the style, but I do feel a little let down by the fact that it doesn’t have a big juicy hop smell like I was hoping for. This beer is tasty and interesting, and worth a try for any brown ale fans out there, but is a little disappointing to me and doesn’t really stand out to my palate.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2013 23:36:52 | More by Maxwell

csparace

Illinois

3.89/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance (4.00) - from a 12 oz bottle to a large snifter. huge 3 finger head that dissipates quickly. tons of carbonation with bubbles forming along the sides of the glass and large bubbles in the head. very dark red amber that doesn't let much light through. lacing is mediocre.

Smell (4.00) - warm dark hop with a sweet turn. smells like a dark beer. hints of chocolate and spices. slightly sharp to the nose.

Taste (3.75) - very smooth on the front with not a lot of hop crunch. dark roasted flavors are present but not a main component. coffee is also present but not overwhelming. a slightly disappointing lack of hops.

Mouthfeel (4.00) - for the size of the head and carbonation on the side, there isn't a ton of carbonation in the mouth. leaves the lips slightly sticky. very smooth overall thought. very drinkable.

Overall (4.00) - not quite what I was expecting but not really a disappointment. its a good dark IPA that has a decent amount of flavor going on. It leaves a bit to be desired in terms of hop content. Everything, including the drinkability, makes me see this as a great desert beer after a large meal.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2013 02:15:16 | More by csparace

rangerred

Tennessee

3.8/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into a pint glass.

Pours a clear darkish brown with a thick one finger light tan head. Amazing head retention and some nice globs of lacing on the glass. A really nice looking beer.

I find the aroma to be a little bit weak. Some mild citrus sneaking through with a little bit of pine along with a touch of coffee and roasted malt. There is a little citric tartness reminiscent of lime.

The taste thankfully has more going on than the aroma. Some cocoa and light roast marries nicely with mild pine and and some light citrus in the way of lemon and lime. Towards the end I can pick up more in the way of darker chocolate and cherries. Bitterness is on the mild side leading to a slightly sticky finish.

Overall, this is a nice beer that is a hoppy brown almost bordering on a light Black IPA. Not overly complex but a good easy-drinking beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2013 00:49:49 | More by rangerred

dogfishandi

New York

3.7/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.25

12 oz. bottle a little above fridge temp poured into a snifter. "Best if enjoyed by month 7 week 2"

Pours out a really dark brown, almost appears black. When held to the light a very nice clear deep ruby red can be seen. A nice one fingers worth of light tan colored head off the pour, settles to a nice retentive layer with some decent lacing.

Earthy hops, on the herbal, woody side. Hard to get much else, maybe a bit of toasted, caramel grain. Really not the most enjoyable aroma.

A better taste than the aroma suggests. Earthy, herbal, woody hops, maybe a bit of pine balanced by caramel, toasted grain, fairly sweet, finishes with more of a pale ale bitterness.

Definitely smooth and drinkable with a subtle carbonation.

A decent beer, but a bit more hops would have been appreciated. The few other brown IPAs I've had in the past were a bit better.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 19:37:30 | More by dogfishandi

M_C_Hampton

Georgia

4.06/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass, red orange brown with a huge tan head that lingers leaving good lacing, clear

S: earthy hops mixed with woody grains, pine, cedar

T: very malty and less bitter than expected, still has a major hop flavor, earthy, toasted bread, pine, nutty

M: medium bodied and slightly creamy, good carbonation

O: interesting hybrid style, malt and hops compete more than balance

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 00:52:56 | More by M_C_Hampton

BigBry

Alberta (Canada)

4/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap selection at the Nashville Flying Saucer, Terrapin Night so it was on sale.
Arrived a clear, dark brown color with a thick, light tan head. Good foam retention and left some chhunky lacing on the glass. The aroma had some nice citrus and pine hoppiness, mixed with the roasted, dark malt. The taste is well balanced between the two styles. Some cocoa/chocolate and roasted, smoky malt sweetness. Mild pine and some light citrus hops give a good dose of bitterness. Overall, this was a nice beer that delivered just as advertised - a brown IPA.
I enjoy getting to try these hybrid styles.

Serving type: on-tap

03-22-2013 12:27:30 | More by BigBry

AmitC

Indiana

4.19/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured form a 12 oz bottle into a snifter. Best if enjoyed by 3rd week of July.

Color is dark brown with about one finger thick tan colored head with excellent retention. Super long. Very nice lacing on the sides as well. A bit of ruby hues in the light.

Aroma is a mix of some nutty caramel flavors. May be some roast. Some grounded dry hop aroma. A bit herbal. A good amount of hop presence. Overall strength is moderate.

Taste has a good amount of hop bitterness. A good mix of roasted brown malts, a bit of nuts and bitterness from hops. Provides a surprisingly complex taste.

Mouth feel is medium bodied. No hint of alcohol or warmth. Moderate carbonation. Nice piney and oily touch of an IPA.

Style Rate: 4.25
Personal Rate: 4.25

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2013 02:39:46 | More by AmitC

ESeab

New Jersey

3.64/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Pours a very nice dark/clear brown. Thin than head

Smells roasty, nutty, slight hops

Taste is subtle with hop presence along with nutty and matly tastes

Mouthfeel is very thin on this, not really a fan

Overall this was an alright IBA. I definitely prefer DFH to this but I would drink this again.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 20:49:43 | More by ESeab

MapleSyrup

New Jersey

2.05/5  rDev -47.8%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 1.75 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 1.75

This beer is one confused beer and has too many things going on. I was totally disappointed in the taste and it being a Brown IPA?? No medium body and no fresh taste, rather coffee chocolate and hogwash. Too much hype and zero drinkability. Never been a fan of Terrapin and this offering makes it worse. Two thumbs down.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2013 20:00:39 | More by MapleSyrup

kangarooAdam59

Pennsylvania

3.96/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Thanx Damian74Shensky:

Best by Third Week of July:

Into a nonic:

A: dark brown body slightly clear around the edges, two finger off white foamy head gently recedes and leaves some spider web foamy lacing in the wake

S: hops up front, subdued malts trying to get through but mostly stays underneath the hops, gets slightly nutty as it warms

T: bittersweet through a nice combination of hops to malts, slightly nutty

M: medium, sessionable, slightly sweet aftertaste and a sticky finish

O: ABA or AIPA, either way, I like it for the most part, good example of a hybrid between the two that I would have again

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2013 13:33:47 | More by kangarooAdam59

Jimmys

Pennsylvania

3.84/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

12 oz bottle into Flying Dog chalice. best before the 4th week of April.

A: great clarity on this brown body. head is on the brown side of white. retention is good. real good. some spotted lacing left behind.

S: nutty and bitter. sweet as well, a little bit of vanilla. a decent amount of things going on here. well-welcomed for sure.

T: similar to the nose, a little bit of bubblegum. bitterness from both some dark malt and a boatload of hops. lingering nutty flavor combines with more hop bitterness. nose and body rather similar on this brew.

M: average carb on a medium body.

D: terrapin has a good hoppy brown here. a lot of flavors and aromas battle it out with the end result being balance. worth checking out, especially if you are a fan of black ipa's.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2013 06:35:04 | More by Jimmys

mscudder

Georgia

3.44/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25

Served in a pint.

A - Pours a deep amber brown with a finger-plus ivory head. Fair retention and lacing.

S - Sweet caramel malts, mild hops and brown sugar. Faint components.

T - Starts with a slightly bitter hop presence and recedes into sweet caramel and brown sugar. Finishes dry and with a lingering bitterness.

M - Large light body with moderate carbonation.

O - Not a huge fan of this one. That said, rarely does Terrapin impress me.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2013 03:20:38 | More by mscudder

OBeerMeGreatOne

California

4.09/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Got this in a beer trade with bradcochran1234.

Pours out a nice, deep red brown. 1/2 inch of tan head, not much lace.

Nice dark fruit, woody and sweet brown sugar. A bit of pine and grass as well.

Chocolate, burnt malts, grass and maybe rye. Some dry plum and a hint of citrus in the finish. Moderate body, little heavy on carbonation.

I wouldn't call it a brown ipa, but it is a nicely hopped brown ale. Pretty tasty beer in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2013 03:59:04 | More by OBeerMeGreatOne

Mojo

Alabama

4.23/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

12 ounce bottle -> Dogfish Head glass

This beer pours up an amazing deep black with a beautiful two finger caramel colored head, awesome retention, and a seamless tapestry of delicate lacing. The nose is a little earthy and kind of cocoa mixed together. The taste is an interesting amalgam of maltiness, citrus and coffee. It shouldn't work well together but it does. Very interesting and quite tasty. The mouthfeel is sort of thick with a very mild coffee aftertaste. Love it!!!!

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2013 03:32:42 | More by Mojo

Amish_Ambush

3.15/5  rDev -19.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance: Ruby red ale. Medium head. Nice thick lacing.

Smell: Brown malt smell. Slight grapefruit

Taste: An IPA/Brown ale. I am having trouble marrying the two. Earthy verses hoppy... I should like this but I just find it meh. Maybe I'm the problem and I need to revisit this another time.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 00:50:32 | More by Amish_Ambush

Apostlebrews

Texas

3.88/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Hop-Karma Brown IPA's aroma is full of roasty malts and something sweet--caramel, chocolate, and molasses maybe. I can also smell a hint of fresh hops, but I only detected it after I took a couple of sips. No doubt, the smell is overpowered by the malts and sugar notes.

The taste is far more complex than the smell. Sure, there are flavors of roasted malts, caramel, and molasses on the front end of the taste, but those flavors are quickly washed away with a citrus kick from the hops. The flavor finishes with a touch of bitterness and dryness, but leaves a unique after-taste that is very pleasant. There are echos of orange peels and chocolate flavors that linger--it is really quite enjoyable.

This is a well-balanced beer that has the best of all worlds. Hop-Karma Brown IPA is a beer that will please hop-heads and malt-bomb lovers alike. It's not too heavy and at just 6% ABV, it's not too dangerous either. There's not much to complain about with this one. It's a beer with which I could easily keep the fridge stocked.

Check out my other reviews at thebeerapostle.com and follow me on Twitter: @beerapostle

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2012 17:12:44 | More by Apostlebrews

NiceTaps

New Jersey

4.03/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a growler into a room temp pint glass.

A- Pours a coffee brown color with red hihglights. This pour resulted in a 2-finger mocha colored head that tapered slowly to a film. Lots of lacing, sticky rings. Now that I can see the dark roasted malts, let's find out more....

S- There's the roasted malt along with chocolate right away. Mix in a hint of floral and citrus hop aromas as well. That chocolate steps up as the beer warms.

T-Roasted malt and chocolate malt up front once again. The citrus hop flavor hangs back allowing malts to lead here. Maybe a touch of coffee backround, too.

M- Medium feel, good carbonation, and very easy drinking, Not heavy at all, probably thanks to its 6.0 abv and 65 ibus working well together. The hop tang lingers a bit on the finish but there's no doubt that this is a brown ale.

O- Well Done! Another fine Terrapin Beer offering. Ideal for this time of year.

Serving type: growler

10-28-2012 17:25:28 | More by NiceTaps