Terrapin Hop Karma IPA - Terrapin Beer Company

WankelEngine

Illinois

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

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a pint glass

A: Pours a mostly opaque, ruddy brown color. There is a small tan head which fades to a thin cap and ring of foam.

S: This is a malty smelling beer. Chocolate, roasted notes and a little bit of sweet molasses. There is a little bit of fruit here as well, followed by light notes of pine.

T: Hops are much more prominent in the flavor than the aroma. Pine and herbal grass cuttings are fairly prominent. Although the hops are notable, the malt is still a driving force. Chocolate biscuit, caramel, molasses and even some brewed coffee. Fruit flavor is very mild and tropical, but does a good deal to add some depth. Finish is pine and bitter chocolate.

M: Medium bodied and slightly sticky. Carbonation is moderate and fizzy.

O: Most combination beers tend to lean much more towards one style or the other. I think this beer actually finds a very good balance, with the chocolate and brown malt of a brown ale, and the pine and fruit hops of an IPA.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2012 23:36:59 | More by WankelEngine

twenty5

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -10.9%

05-17-2013 15:26:32 | More by twenty5

JakeDebus

Maryland

3.75/5  rDev -4.6%

05-17-2013 10:11:01 | More by JakeDebus

THEOPTIMATOR88

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +8.1%

05-16-2013 02:53:14 | More by THEOPTIMATOR88

stephenjmoore

Maryland

3.75/5  rDev -4.6%

05-15-2013 22:51:19 | More by stephenjmoore

MCDub

North Carolina

3.25/5  rDev -17.3%

05-10-2013 14:39:24 | More by MCDub

JRBecks

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -4.6%

05-09-2013 21:41:51 | More by JRBecks

Heavenisbeer

Georgia

4.25/5  rDev +8.1%

05-08-2013 04:24:15 | More by Heavenisbeer

brudz2134

Michigan

4.5/5  rDev +14.5%

05-04-2013 04:30:04 | More by brudz2134

rabiddawg

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +1.8%

05-04-2013 02:20:42 | More by rabiddawg

Mattyb79

Virginia

4/5  rDev +1.8%

05-02-2013 22:29:06 | More by Mattyb79

ajtorres311

Florida

3.5/5  rDev -10.9%

05-01-2013 15:16:41 | More by ajtorres311

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

corwindamber

Mississippi

4.5/5  rDev +14.5%

04-28-2013 21:21:25 | More by corwindamber

Hoptopher

Tennessee

3.25/5  rDev -17.3%

04-24-2013 23:39:49 | More by Hoptopher

AleShark

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -10.9%

04-24-2013 00:52:46 | More by AleShark

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

dvmin98

North Carolina

3.5/5  rDev -10.9%

04-23-2013 01:46:49 | More by dvmin98

Coldsnack

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +8.1%

04-21-2013 13:50:00 | More by Coldsnack

Qwest_35

Florida

3.75/5  rDev -4.6%

04-19-2013 22:11:39 | More by Qwest_35

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

Jamison85

Indiana

4.5/5  rDev +14.5%

04-18-2013 18:02:26 | More by Jamison85

NumberNone

Maryland

3.75/5  rDev -4.6%

04-18-2013 16:57:34 | More by NumberNone

BrianJohnson

South Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +14.5%

04-18-2013 16:50:32 | More by BrianJohnson