Terrapin Hop Karma IPA - Terrapin Beer Company

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

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

Bottle thanks Radek. Pours a dark brown body with a white bubbly head, and is lacey. Hoppy aroma is present. Complex malt profile, though licorice most noticeable. Creamy mouthfeel. A bit complex. Burnt caramel in finish. Good for the style. Good hoppiness.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2009 02:42:13 | More by northyorksammy

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

3.73/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Butter caramel brown that becomes reddish ochre when backlit. Despite an appropriate sound on cap cracking, the golden brown sugar colored crown peaked at less than one finger. Still, it's rich, creamy, persistent and looks good when it reaches the sides of the glass.

If the nose becomes more assertive with warming (note: it does), then it will earn a good score. Not surprisingly, IBA smells like a hoppy brown ale. Not so hoppy, however, that it obliterates the brown maltiness that the brewers were going for when they used crystal, chocolate and roasted malt, among others.

The flavor profile is pretty much as expected, which is definitely a good thing. I just wish the beer was even bigger and more malty, like the best versions of the style tend to be. Frankly, the only thing earning it a 4.0 is the considerable hop flavor and bitterness. If you aren't a hophead, steer clear and pick up some Dogfish Head India Brown instead.

The taste score will be downgraded to a 3.5. There simply isn't enough depth/complexity present on the malt side of the equation. Brown IPAs are a wonderful idea, but brown should at least hold up its end of the bargain. For the record, the hop bill includes Nugget, Chinook, Centennial, Willamette and Columbus (dry-hopped).

So, in the end, we have cocoa and sugar-crusted pecans on one hand... and grapefruit peel on the other. The finish is bittersweet, with bitter lingering longer, as it often does. Terrapin's hop focus is great, but this could be much better beer with a few well-chosen tweaks.

The mouthfeel score is a direct result of insufficient barley. There are no rough edges in sight, but it isn't the least bit full or creamy. The carbonation neither helps nor hurts.

Terrapin India Brown Ale could use less Indian and more Brown. Actually, that's not quite true. It could use the same amount of Indian and more Brown. With that simple change, this beer could be as mind-bendingly groovy as its label. Thanks to Georgiabeer for the extra.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2008 13:38:47 | More by BuckeyeNation

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.8/5  rDev +22.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

WOW. I dont really know what else I can say about this. Poured a deep dark brown with a nice 2 inch plus off white head. Slow fade left behind ample lace. Smell was obnoxiously hoppy, so fresh, like a fresh cut lawn. The taste was everything I could want in a brew. Disguntingly great fresh hop profile, great carbonation and a perfect feel. Maybe my favorite on tap beer i have ever had, perfect in many ways!!

Serving type: on-tap

04-29-2007 00:55:44 | More by mikesgroove

womencantsail

California

3.58/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle shared by Bobby.

A: the pour is dark brown in color, perhaps mahogany, with a ringer of tan head.

S: Interesting nose. Starts off with some mild chocolate and nutty notes. The hops are there but not terribly intense. Somewhat grassy with citrus peel. More malt flavors in the form of toffee and toasted bread.

T: Sweet malts make up the bulk of the flavor. Chocolate, toffee, light caramel, and some toasted nutty notes. Floral hop flavors along with a bit of citrus peel and a light piney bitterness.

M: Medium in both body and carbonation.

O: Would have been better if it was just a brown ale or if it had been much hoppier.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2011 19:41:19 | More by womencantsail

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewed from notes. Had this before it was Hop Karma.

Pours a moderate brown with an off white head. Nose is really nice and hoppy. Great pine notes and a bit of light citrus. Taste has a bit of roast and brown sugar, cutting back a bit on the hops. Medium body with good bitterness. This is a nice cold weather brew.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2010 21:38:32 | More by Thorpe429

brentk56

North Carolina

3.7/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a murky dark russet color with a huge ecru head that leaves a nice web of lace

Smell: Although there is some toasty brown bread in the profile, the "C" hop aromas dominate

Taste: Opens with a toasted brown bread flavor that is quickly joined and subsumed by the citrusy hops, although some nut skin bitterness remains; after the swallow, the fruity hops continue to dominate, but the bitter nut skin flavor persists and detracts

Mouthfeel: Medium body and moderate carbonation

Drinkability: Would that the malt profile provided a better brown ale character; as it is, the nut skin is about all that persists, and that is the least beguiling part of a brown ale; the hops are nice, but the balance could be better

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2009 00:39:52 | More by brentk56

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.2/5  rDev -18.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance: Pours a dark reddish-brown body with a creamy, light tan head.

Smell: Aroma of toasted nuts and caramel with just a smidgen of chocolate. Hops impart mostly citrus notes with some pine and a light grassiness in there as well.

Taste: Earthy malt flavor of toasted nuts and caramel. More pine showing in the taste, with citrus and fresh-cut grass taking a backseat. Plenty of bitterness in the dry, lightly chocolaty finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation. Just a touch watery.

Drinkability: Its alright.

Serving type: on-tap

06-20-2007 22:03:27 | More by ChainGangGuy

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle: Poured a clear deep brown color ale with a medium size foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma consists of molasses and strong caramel malt with a clean bitter finish. Taste is also characterized by strong caramel and molasses malt with a dry bitter hoppy finish. Body is about average with good carbonation. Interesting take on the style with more malt then expected but less hops then I had hoped for.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2009 17:42:56 | More by Phyl21ca

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4.13/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is one of the best beers tasted on my recent trip to Atlanta. the beer displays plenty of agression, along with a welcoming smoothness and drinkability. Starts off with a solid dark brown color and a bit of a haze. Head retention stays midway through the session and laces well. Aroma of sweet, chocolate malts allow agressive hops to give off pine and grassy aromas. Flavors start of solid and sweet with barley malt, chocolate, and toast; with gaining intensity of bitterness and hop flavor (again grass and pine). The beer feels full, but not rich or heavy. Finishes clean with the sweetness, but long and lingering with the hop flavor and dryness. Terrific beer.

Serving type: on-tap

06-14-2007 17:22:56 | More by BEERchitect

oberon

North Carolina

4.4/5  rDev +12%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Glad to finally try this,I heard great things about it and well for good reason.Poured into a standard pint glass a slight hazed deep chesnut brown with a clingy one finger white head that held for quite some time.What a great aroma a great mix of big piney,earthy,and citric hop mixed with a large caramel and slighty roasted malt base,great near balance but the hops win out.The mouthfeel was a little thin that is my only slight complaint,flavors are great.Big resiny pine mixed with citrus and herbal hop intertwining with a big firm somewhat sweet biscuity malt base that holds up well.A great interplay of flavors,Iam a hophead so this is defifnetly my kinda brown here.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2008 19:45:11 | More by oberon

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The label reads "India Style Brown Ale" but I've never heard of that. But wait, they explain it - it's a combination of an IPA and a brown ale. I get it. I still don't like the name, but the beer inside is really good.

It's a dark mahogany brown beneath a short head of creamy off-white foam. Unfortunately the head retention is quite limited, but it does leave some minor spots and streaks of lace about the glass.

The aroma delivers and interesting combination of citrusy hops and dark cocoa-like malt that combine into one intriguing scent that's spicy, chocolatey, and just slightly fruity. It reminds me of chocolate and orange candy.

The flavor really opens it up though, and it's loaded with citrusy hop flavors, followed by soft notes of chocolate. I'd have thought there'd have been more of a combination as found in the nose, OR, more of a muddled mash-up, but it's neither. The citrus is presented first, with orange and grapefruit and tart melon up-front, and then they quickly dissipate just across the middle and into the swallow as the cocoa and dark-chocolate flavors rise. Following that, the finish is surprisingly simple. There's a little bit of flavor-melding involved, giving it that orange-centered chocolate candy I'd imagined in the aroma, but other than that it simply disappears. Sure, some grassy/spicy hops and a bit of citrus rind linger along with a bit of cocoa dust, but they actually help to cleanse the palate - I was expecting a mash-up of flavor and then a sloppy, lingering finish, but it's actually very focused and clean-cut. Superb!

Nicely done! Very well-balanced all around. An interesting and drinkable beer. I could certainly have more than one of these at a time. Worth trying!

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2009 00:13:14 | More by NeroFiddled

metter98

New York

3.65/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at Barcade, Jersey City, NJ

A: The beer is clear dark red in color and has no visible carbonation. It poured with a quarter finger high light beige head that took a long time to dissipate, leaving some patches of bubbles on the surface and a collar around the edge of the glass.
S: There are light to moderate aromas of nutty and chocolate malts and herbal hops in the nose.
T; The taste has flavors of nutty malts with notes of roasted malts and hints of chocolate. There are also some notes of citrus and pine resin hops, which also contribute a light to moderate amount of bitterness.
M: It feels medium-bodied and a little smooth on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation. The hops also lend a bit of crispness.
O: This is an interesting hybrid of two styles. It's nice and malty like a brown ale but also delivers some hop flavors and bitterness.

Serving type: on-tap

10-06-2012 12:21:31 | More by metter98

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.22/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Music for this review: "Journey Into Satchadananda" by Alice Coltrane, although the label picture makes me want to put on a Ravi Shankar record. This cut is pretty close, though.

Murky reddish brown look, stable near-tan head, holding it in at a good 1/4".

Fruit greets the nose first, then bitter hops, dark fruits followed by citrus rind, with mild cocoa below, hints of nuts and toffee.

Tasting: This time they come at once, warm dark fruit plus dark malt character, plus bright pine and citrus. Sharp bitter start, then mellowness thereafter. The palate remains treated to a mildly spiced, flavorful lingering taste.

Solid body, medium to full, ...just a little harshness in the back of the throat, though. Maybe too hoppy for the malts at work.

I like it, though. Hoppy browns are always welcome in my belly.
And I've never met a Terrapin label I didn't love. Go, pandit tortoise!

But, should we really say "India Style", as this label does? They're not making this in Mumbai, are they?

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2008 04:39:00 | More by feloniousmonk

drabmuh

Maryland

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

Poured from a bottle into a standard pint glass. Since this is an Indian Brown ale, perhaps we are witnessing the emergence of an new style. Hoppier than a brown ale, more roasted malts than an IPA. Interesting to see where these IPA incarnations take us. Beer is dark brown, head is two fingers, brown and has medium bubbles. Carbonation is moderate and the head leaves some lacing on the glass.

Aroma is hoppy with an odd sulfurish component in with the malt. The hops are more citrus hops than piney, its subtle.

The taste is slightly metallic and there is that sulfur character again. Not as good as I remember. The bottle does not have a "best if consumed by" date on it, so this could be an old batch. I'm not sure what to say, sorry Terrapin. The drinkability suffers because of the unpleasant flavors. The mouthfeel is full and good, I just wish that off-flavor wasn't present. I'll give this beer another chance, but as it stands now, its only mediocre. Sorry.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2009 03:16:01 | More by drabmuh

Mora2000

Texas

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

Thanks to Exiled for sharing this bottle.

The beer pours a clear medium-dark brown with a tan head. The aroma is caramel and toffee malt with some pine and chocolate malt The flavor is piney hops with some toffee notes. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation. This was an older bottle - still labeled as India Brown Ale - which may be why the hops were not more prominent. Still, it was a good beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2010 01:43:58 | More by Mora2000

zeff80

Missouri

4.08/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Poured a murky brown color with a small, tan head of foam. It left rings of lace on the glass.

S - It smelled nutty and malty with some IPA spiciness.

T - It tasted of biscuity malt with hints of hazelnut. There is a citrus hop kick with a nice bitter bite.

M - It was crisp, sharp and smooth. A medium bodied beer with a dry finish.

D - This is a pretty good brown ale. I like a hoppy brown and they have done well with this one.

Serving type: on-tap

07-21-2010 00:46:26 | More by zeff80

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

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

Acquired from RutgersBeerGuy, courtesy of BA March Madness 2009 so a big "Thank You" goes out to him. Poured from a 12oz bottle into a US tumbler glass.

A: The beer is a dark brown color, with a thin off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a thin on the glass.

S: The aroma contains roasted malts, hops, nuts, maple and a little bit of fruit.

T: The taste starts out with a hearty malt character along with sweet flavors of caramel, maple and nuts. Then a complementary hops presence comes in and although it's weaker than I had expected, it provides a good balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

D: Tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, decent kick, good representation of style, I certainly got more brown ale than IPA out of this beer but it's still a good beer to drink for a while.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2010 03:30:57 | More by TheManiacalOne

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.4/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I had this beer a while back and I wasn't too thrilled about it. Then by mistake a bought it again and drank it thinking it was a new beer and noticed how much my tastes had changed. Originally I wasn't digging the combo of nuts and hops. This beer pours out as a pretty nice looking brown color with a decent head on it. The aroma is hoppy and a little sweet. The taste is decent, it's got a sweet nuttiness to it upfront then fades into a very bitter hoppy flavor. The mouthfeel is medium bodied and drinkable. Overall it was much better the second time around.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2011 02:18:15 | More by Knapp85

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.38/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Got this one from chefmikeanderson, thanks Mike!

Pours an effervescent caramel with 3+ fingers of tan head. Stellar lacing & head retention

S: Pineyness & grapefruit, some caramel as this warms

T: Pineyness, grapefruit & toasty malt up front. Leafy hops, dryness, more grapefruit & a bit of caramel as this warms. finishes with flinty dryness, a hint of fruittyness, pineyness & more grapefruit, came real close to pulling a 5.0 here

MF: Medium bodied, moderate carbonation & excellent balance

Pretty easy to drink, shame I only have the one..This hop mix reminds me of PTE in many regards. Think west coast brown ale, well done Terrapin!

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2009 03:37:02 | More by russpowell

Gavage

New Jersey

3.6/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: pours a clear brown color with a fluffy 2" head that lasts. Thick lacing paints the glass.

Smell: pine, grapefruit, and a earthy tone create a unique aroma.

Taste: toasted malt sweetness with some grapefruit, pine, hint of nuttiness, prune sweetness, and some mild earthy flavors. Bitterness is stronger than expected making it a bit unbalanced.

Mouthfeel: lightly crisp to start and finishes smooth. Dryness arrives late. Long aftertaste with the bitterness dominating. Medium bodied beer.

Drinkability: decent but this one is a bit to hoppy. After two of these I began to look elsewhere. For those who like aggressive beers this is for you.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2009 17:18:00 | More by Gavage

jwc215

New Jersey

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

Best by month 8, week 4 notched on side of label:

Pours dark brown with dark ruby/garnet hues. A thin tan, slowly vanishing head, tops it off. Thin lines of lacing stick.

The smll is of pine/resin, grapefruit, with brown sugar, slightly roasted chocolate and nuts.

The taste is hoppy - piney and citric/tropical fruity, slightly perfumy, with sweet dark malt - brown sugar, dark chocolate, nuts, very mild roast. Hops and malts do not clash, but work together well. Finishes bitter, but with a sweet touch.

The body is smooth, with no harshness, though could be fuller...

Too often, malty and hoppy clash (more with darker brews, though, I have found). Here is a brown ale that is hoppy, bitter, but not harsh. The two come together well here! A nice brew to choose if you want hoppy bitter with underlying, complementary, "brown" malty. Nice!

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2010 17:13:52 | More by jwc215

tempest

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to Brentk56 for this one. A great extra in our trade.

Essentially, this beer was a mix of semi-sweet chocolate and crisp citrus hops - delicious. Sometimes when a malty beer is matched with big hops, one of the two sides will overpower the other, but the grapefruit and orange rind hops with roasted toffee and cocoa malts were wonderfully balanced and damned tasty. Worth seeking out.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2008 02:46:46 | More by tempest

akorsak

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A 12 oz bottle courtesy of gford217.

A: The brown ale is predictably brown, a dark caramel or coffee color that resembles a still cola. A 2-plus finger head required two pours to empty the bottle and there are hints of lace around the glass.

S: The ale has a nice blend of caramel and toffee malts and citrusy grapefruit hops. The hops have a sweet floral presence.

T: The ale's body is heavy on the malt side, thick with treacly caramel and toffee. Roasted nuts also add a dry flavor element. The hops don't stand out so much up front but as the ale continues to warm up the profile emerges. Floral hops has a medicinal, herbal flavor to the ale. Citrus flavors also come through, adding some grapefruit. The hop flavors, while strong, do not overtake the brown ale's malt qualities.

M: The mouthfeel is more brown than India, showing off the malts at the expense of the expansive hop mix.

D: The ale is quite drinkable, a nice brown ale pumped up with lots of hops.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2008 17:15:46 | More by akorsak

WVbeergeek

Ohio

4.2/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pouring at the Roswell Taco Mac, I was excited to see a at least four Terrapin brews flowing while stopping in around lunch time. Appears a dark cola brown tone with a caramel beige tight formed head dwindles at a moderate pace leaving ample lacing around my glass. Aromatics upfront with the hops in addition to herbal a little pine and citrus are flowing as well interesting nice roasty mild chocolate and a bit of a nutty character are found within dark roasted malts. Flavor was smooth upfront hop bitterness adds some much needed character to a typical flat style in my opinion I really enjoy this hopped up brown much like the DFH version which I really like. More aggressive hops with citrus, herbal, and mild pine finish the malts all come together with mild roasty chocolate and touch of caramel coffee notes blended nicely. Mouthfeel is medium bodied even carbonation creeps along the palate with such finesse a touch of hop oil making it just a tad slick. Drinkability is great awesome hoppy brown ale I love this take on the style and like all other Terrapin brews I came across in Georgia it's quality.

Serving type: on-tap

05-20-2007 01:55:15 | More by WVbeergeek

barleywinefiend

Washington

3.98/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a rich brown with a thin head. Nose is very hoppy. Taste is hoppy with toffee, some caramel with a smoky overtone and hints of chocolate. Mouthfeel is pleasing and hoppy, with a touch of sweetness to offset the bitterness. Very good brew. Easily drinkable and tasty.

Serving type: on-tap

06-18-2009 01:50:34 | More by barleywinefiend