Ninja Vs. Unicorn - Pipeworks Brewing Company

AJacob81

Illinois

4.35/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Bomber poured into New Belgium globelet.

A - Golden orange, a bit hazy, with a finger and a half of eggshell foam head that dissipates fairly quickly and is retained in a soapy ring and an island of bubbles in the center. Gorgeous legs.

S - Citric fruits and some pine, w a bit of bready sweet malt in support. Overall, not an overwhelming nose, but hits the expected notes.

T - Blood oranges, ruby red grapefruit, and fresh pineapple entwined with hints of burnt sugar and caramel. Grassy, delightfully bitter hops in a balanced finish. This must be fresh, because the flavors just pop.

M - Creamy, resiny, and crisp, sits fairly heavy on the palate. The hops resin provides a sticky viscocity throughout that coats and masks a slight alcohol burn.

This is just a phenomenal DIPA. Between this and Haymarket's Matthias, Chicago is finally producing some world-class hop bombs. Great time to be a hophead in the Windy City.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2012 18:52:29 | More by AJacob81

inlimbo77

Delaware

4.33/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pipeworks Brewing Co.
Ninja vs. Unicorn
22oz, batch 18, 6/18/12
Victory tulip

A: Pours a hazy, dark orange color.  Typical DIPA.  Two fingers of bright white head.  Tons of carbonation streaming off the bottom of the glass, and coming up sides.  I see this has some alcohol feet and assume lacing is gonna be left.

S: Lots of tropical fruits: mango, papaya, maybe some pineapple, etc.  Lots of hops, but there is some sweet maltiness in there too.

T: Right up front, nice hop bitterness on the tip of the tongue.  Really pleasant and not overly aggressive.  You get those fruity hops that you smelled.  Definitely pulling some papaya and peach and slight pineapple.  In the middle of the mouth, you get those sweet malts to help cut through the bitterness.  Still very hop forward though.  The close is very dry and slightly bitter.  Leaves you wanting more!

M: Medium bodied.  Great carbonation.

O: A- leading to A for me.  Really surprised and pleasantly happy.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2012 03:36:28 | More by inlimbo77

merc7186

New York

4.33/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Thanks to Trxxpaxxs for sharing this great bottle.

Bomber into snifter.

A: Golden Straw Hue, Passes Most Light, White Head, Some Lacing

S: Citrus, Floral, Mild Grapefruit Rind

T: Citrus, Orange Peels, Floral, Mild Grapefruit Rind

M: Decent Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Semi Bitter

Overall, pretty solid DIPA with nice citrus flavors and bitter notes.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 04:06:28 | More by merc7186

Beerandboards

New Mexico

4.33/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Bomber into a pint glass

First pipeworks beer, excited to see what the hype is about

A - light golden color, thick white head, about 2 inches after an aggressive pour. Head retains for a long long time, never completely dissipates.

S - lemon, some richer tropical citrus, grapefruit

T - when completely cold, there is a lot of citrus peel, mostly lemon. As it warms, the tropical notes come through. Lots of mango, maybe even a little pineapple. Lots of juicy citrus.

M - medium to higher carbonation. Crisp finish, very well done.

O - fantastic beer. If this is a standard representation of pipeworks, they certainly deserve the hype. Would pick this one up regularly if it were available where I am.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 03:29:38 | More by Beerandboards

ThePorterSorter

New York

4.3/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Batch #87
Pours a clear coppery amber with a loose white head that fades quickly. The nose is dank and wreaks of freshly squeezed citrus & passion fruit and a bit of booze. The taste is a blast of sugar-coated citrusy hops with a light slightly alcoholic finish. The mouthfeel is almost syrupy sweet with an overwhelming hop profile that lingers. This is a solid IPA, thanks Tom for sharing.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 01:04:01 | More by ThePorterSorter

DovaliHops

California

4.3/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

2013. Pours a hazy orange color with a small white head that disappears quickly. Scent is very interesting. Going into this beer, I know it is a DIPA. The smell is that of fresh fruit. Very strange smell to this one. I don't get the hops very much, but I do get ripe, fresh apricots, peaches, and other stone fruit. There is a whole lot of APRICOT to this one. I may even say the most apricot I've ever gotten in the aroma of a DIPA. The taste reflects the apricot a little, just not nearly as much as the nose. Taste is a bit malty, yet remaining hoppy at the same time. Could use more hops in the flavor. This one is well-balanced, and definitely well-crafted. Mouthfeel is full-bodied, yet a little more carbonation could be nice for this beer. Drinkability is very high...as it is very tasty and marketable. Overall, this beer is very good. The label and name are for the marketing value, but the beer speaks for itself. It's a well-crafted brew.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 09:46:13 | More by DovaliHops

KFBR392

Illinois

4.29/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: Golden color with some prominent burnt orange accents. A very light and bubbly head. Decent carbonation for being a DIPA. Has a very clean and clear look.

Smell: Floral hops to the max. A tough beer to take your nose out of. A strong malty backbone is here as well though to balance this brew out. There is some booze here, but overall this is a wonderfully balanced and hop heads dream aroma!

Taste: The front is a very smooth hop welcome. Fruity and some tangy pine greets the palette. The body continues to roll a lot of hops and then you get some malt presence. Again, the balance is really great. Waves and waves of hops keep coming on the palette after drinking. A slight spicy touch is added by the alcohol but only ads depth and is not offensive.

Mouthfeel: For how the hops stand out, the palette is not wrecked and dry. The fruitiness is left behind more then anything else.

Overall: Another awesome DIPA from Pipeworks. This one is truly great. So much hop complexity and a really good malt backbone that does not distract away from the hops. May have to go get a few more of these.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2013 01:25:44 | More by KFBR392

Khazadum

Illinois

4.28/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A beautifully clean and clear body presents itself for viewing. We have an occasional bubble here and there cascading from the bottom of my glass to support the froth on top. Easy to generate head, crisp wedding lace appearance, good lacing, and great retention. Its an unusual color for a DIPA. Its... yellow... like a process yellow. Very interesting. Lighter than every other one I've ever encountered.

Rocks you right off the bat. A smashing pine branch right up my nose. I can't help but be flattened to my seat as I try to get beyond the initial blast. As it flares out and my nose gets used to the pine I find oranges... tropical notes.. Aroma of sweet citrus. Gentle, caressing, nothing overpowering. It is there, lemon grass... oh man lightly basted lemon juice on chicken generates this type of gentle aroma.

Flavors aren't as complex as the nose unfortunately. It opens big bitter bite. Slips you a pine note and generic slice of regular bitterness. The middle is sweet as it should be to balance out this huge hop presence. I'm finding orange rind and sucrose. Finishes with a nice chunk of alcohol accentuating some bitterness into the finish. Mixed in is peaches, tangerines, and... Long, long, looong lingering bitterness. Great stuff and dry as all hell.

Full bodied, crisp tingling bitterness right as you imbibe it shocking me. The vision doesn't show me that and I'm tickled pink!... Well, process yellow to be honest. Creamy, thick, silky smooth. A long bitter tooth with extreme dry tendency makes me smile as you don't find that too often with DIPAs.

This isn't the best DIPA I've ever had. But damn if it doesn't try to get there. I love how it has a delayed burst of bitterness. You get the initial spike as you expect from a DIPA, but then it settles down to give you time to recuperate and explore the sweet middle/alternative hop flavors. Just as you decipher its hidden code BOOM! Slaps your mouf out with a second wave of bitterness and alcoholic heat for a finish. It is truly an amazing first beer from Pipeworks and I can't wait for all of the others.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2012 00:17:01 | More by Khazadum

Treebs

Illinois

4.28/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22 oz. bottle served in a CBS snifter. Bottled at the beginning of March.

A: Pours a perfect golden amber color with a frothy one finger head that slowly recedes to thick, bubbly collar. Pillows of foam sit atop the glass. Sheets of soapy lace coat the glass and leaves some sticky remnants.

S: Sticky resin, tropical fruits and citrus all fill the nose. Pineapple, mango, orange and lemon fill the nose with a nice sweet, caramel malt backbone.

T: There is a piney bitterness up front that jumps right out of the glass and slowly molds into a bready, cracker malt backbone with nice sweet fruits. Papaya and mango with a slight pineapple flavor. This really hits the bitterness, the sweet, and the fruity notes that I look for in every good DIPA.

M: Medium bodied with a nice sticky and slick mouthfeel. Solid carbonation, full of flavor. The hops just resonate across the palate and just provide the mouth with constant flavor.

O: Wow. This is really great beer. I'm really digging the balance of this guy and this bomber is going to be done in no time. The bitterness upfront with a nice malts and fruity sweetness on the finish is just how I like my DIPA's. I'm a "Friends with Benefit" for life and it's going to be the best investment I ever made if the guys keep pumping out beauties like this. Well done guys!

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2012 01:03:07 | More by Treebs

Holland

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Batch 13, drank as quickly as possible. Thanks to Treebs for the heads up. Grabbed the last bottle on the shelf.

A: straw orange with a slight haze and a great head and lacing that stay for a long time.

S: big pine and fruity smell. The fruits go from pineapple to some other tropical fruits like starfruit or something I can't put my finger on. A bit of sweetness and no alcohol I can detect.

T: very bitter, piney, full of hops. I get earthy flavors and a very mild sweetness. Strong hop taste, and quite complex, but the taste is a bit muddled for me by all of the different flavors. A few tropical fruit flavors carry through from the smell.

M: well carbonated and medium bodied. Quite crisp

O: there are no flaws to this beer to my senses. I see why Pipeworks has been hyped by the Chicago beer crowd. Should have purchased some of their other beers while I was at Binny's.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2012 21:13:55 | More by Holland

Cresant

Kentucky

4.28/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served this 22 oz. brown bottle in a Tripel Karmeliet glass. Batch 25. The body was lightly hazy and orange/apricot colored. Minimal lacing.

The smell had tons of pine and citrus. Floral and fresh.

The taste was creamy sweet, and powerfully hoppy. Juicy with enough malts to carry the aspiriny drying bitterness. The bright, piercing bitterness lingers after the initial sweetness. Tropical fruits. Unique DIPA. Very tasty. Alcohol is well hidden.

The mouthfeel was medium bodied with medium carbonation. Some alcohol sting.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2012 17:43:18 | More by Cresant

KDawg

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

poured from bomber into a pint glass. Pours a clear pale gold with a small head

very well balanced with really good aromas of hops, citrus, oranges and tropical citrus

very good full body feel with bursting flavors of hops, florals, tropical citrus notes, and some oranges

This was a very impressive debut by pipeworks. I only wish I had gotten more bottles

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2012 04:12:28 | More by KDawg

mfavoino

Washington

4.25/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Batch #8 bottle courtesy of Treebs. Poured into a snifter on 5/4/12.

Appearance: Orange amber color with a big fluffy head that persists for a while. Great lacing.

Smell: Big hop notes. Heavy pine and fruity hops. Citrus aromas became bolder as it warmed.

Taste: Initial hop bitterness is quickly complimented by pale sweet malts. Finishes with a lingering bitterness that is assertive with the piney hops. Very bold, but not too big.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied, sticky, with a bit a big of alcohol warmth.

Overall: Very impressive. Hops burst all over the palate and leaves perfect bitterness. This stands up to plenty of top notch DIPAs.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2012 02:49:01 | More by mfavoino

MasterSki

Illinois

4.23/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle purchased at Binny's - Marcy St. Served in a Darkness glass.

A - Two fingers of creamy white foam that settle to a thin cap, thick collar, and splotchy lace. Transparent bronze body.

S - Hefty doses of citrus zest, tropical fruits, pine, and perhaps a touch of sugar cookie malt in the background. Definitely on the more attenuated side of the double IPA scale, which I appreciate.

T - Taste is solid, but not quite as defined as the aroma. More on the ripe orange and tangerine citrus side of things, with less of the exotic tropical flavors. Perhaps a tad more in the way of malt balance - some lightly sugary and bready flavors - but still pretty hop-forward. The last 6oz are pretty palate-bruising - *almost* too much.

M - Carbonation is on the lower side of things, and the body is a tad thin, which combines to make this feel a touch watery. Otherwise it's a nice smooth medium body, with an exceptionally dry finish. Perhaps a touch of alcohol warmth, but not out of line for 8.5%.

D - This is a really good beer. I've never been particularly impressed with Pipeworks' test batches so this is a pleasant surprise, and also bodes well for the future. I hope this becomes a rotating offering as I'd intersperse my Dreadnaught and Maharajah purchases with this beer. Drank the whole bomber on my own with no problem whatsoever.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2012 00:04:13 | More by MasterSki

Vonerichs

Illinois

4.23/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Slightly hazy golden body with a short but persistent white head.

Smells like tropical fruit- a little pineapple, a little papaya and mango. There's also hints of pine and a little mint.

It's pleasantly bitter with those same tropical fruit and pine notes. It has a very fresh and clean taste to it and it's all well pronounced.

Clean and dry mouthfeel with good carbonation.

This was a very, very good DIPA. I hope this one becomes more accessible.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2012 01:59:44 | More by Vonerichs

4DAloveofSTOUT

Illinois

4.23/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

thanks to kawilliams for bringing this to share! Thanks kent!

Reviewed from notes taken 7/4/12.

poured into duvel tulip.

Appearance: clear yellow bodied beer with huge white head. Drops down to a solid cap that remains while drinking the entire beer.

Small: juicy grapefruits and resinous pine. Some tropical fruits and a bready almost sweet malt.

Taste: On the high end of moderately bitter hop bite. Big grapefruit and pine. Oranges and tropical fruits. Malts taste biscuity just like the nose. Pretty hop forward with the malts offering decent balance, but there isnt much taming that going to tame those aggressive hops!

Mouthfeel: medium bodied beer with moderate carbonation. The beer finishes a little dry with a bitter snap. No booze noted in this one at all!

Overall: Really great DIPA. This is a wonderful local offering from chicago! Powerhouse hop profile for all those hop heads out there!

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2012 16:06:27 | More by 4DAloveofSTOUT

Thedaver4220

Illinois

4.23/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz. Bomber poured into a Maudite tulip. Batch #56

Ninja vs Unicorn pours a cloudy ruby color with about a finger of fluffy head. Great lacing on this one as well. The nose is piney but not as strong as I was expecting. Nice bitterness and creamy, sweet mouthfeel wrap this mythical battle in a nice little bow. All around a really good beer that's super drinkable. And on a side note BJ and Garret are super cool dudes that live for this and you see it in their beers. Nice work guys.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 07:34:04 | More by Thedaver4220

jlindros

Massachusetts

4.21/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to rudzud for sharing.

Creamy fizzy 1/2 finger head fades slowly with light lacing over hazy mango orange colored beer. Head keeps building and not fading, good for the abv and ibu count.

Nose fresh tropical fruit, light grapefruit, hint of musty resins, guava, even hint of pineapple but no real orange citrus, and a light fluffy wheat malt.

Taste starts fluffy, nice creamy malts, light sweetness. Then hops, bitterness builds and ramps quite a bit, nice tropical fruit but not as much as the nose, light pineapple, grapefruit, guava, etc. the hops turn slightly piny and spicy. No resin or orange citrus. Light candy flavored though. Finish is dry and quite biter, spicy hops mostly with a hint of tropical fruits, etc, and slightly oily.

Moth is med bodied, good carb, slight oily hop.

Overall nice, good hops really nice tropical fruit but weird that it's without the orange citrus, light resin, booze is hidden well tasty and goes down easy.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2012 02:56:33 | More by jlindros

Ninjabrew

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Well I had to weigh in on this one and let me tell you first that the Ninja won this epic battle!!! Though if any (SF) unicorns want a redo I'm game ;)

A very solid hop blast of a IIPA with American Hops. Aroma is magnificient very fruity and floraly. Taste is very good but could not match the smell as this is an awesome smelling beer. Overall this is a top 5 DIPA anyway you "slice" it.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2012 22:55:33 | More by Ninjabrew

Jaycase

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

a: copper. two finger foamy head. good lacing.

s: piney hops, some caramel

t: strong piney hops, some caramel, good amount of bitterness. hops, hops and more hops

m: medium body, medium carbonation. sticky hop resin clings through the end.

o: If you enjoy hoppy bitterness, this will be delightful. Fortunately I do and it was. My first from Pipeworks and surely won't be my last.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2012 21:36:22 | More by Jaycase

emerge077

Illinois

4.18/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Glad to see Pipeworks' first beer from the brewery out into the world...

Into a tulip glass it pours a bright saturated golden orange. Plenty of lacing all around the glass forming drippy irregular patterns.

Eucalyptus and light citrus aromas, initial blast of resinous hops, slight pale malt sweetness bleeds through eventually.

Citrus rind, grapefruit and tangerine, a moderate bitterness, and an exceptionally light feel for an 8.5% DIPA. Crisp and clean, finishes with lots of hoppy nuance to keep you interested. Some vegetal bitterness lingers alongside pleasant citrus notes. Very tasty and a solid first entry into the market.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2012 03:52:05 | More by emerge077

rudzud

Massachusetts

4.18/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Recieved in a trade, many thanks! Batch 13. Poured into a Duvel tulip.

A - Wow, nice DIPA here. Nice slightly hazy golden orange yellowy pour, more on the yellow than orange with a nice big almost three finger head that is is sudsy and leaved big thick clumpy side lacing and a nice thick blanket.

S - Wow, this is pretty freakin solid. Great citrusy tropical hops with oranges, grapefruit, pineapple, mango, and light papaya. Slight sweetness from malts.

T - Wow, this is tasty too. Not quite what I was expecting based off the nose but nice nevertheless. This is a bit more piney and grapefruit peel than tropical, which is unfortunate. Still nice and tasty with just the faintest of tropics on the end. Quite bitter on the finish.

M - Mouthfeel is quite nice, the carbonation keeps this feelin abit lighter but the alcohol is clear and forward. Wish it was hidden a bit more. Nice and bitter.

O - Overall this was a very enjoyable beer. Glad I got to try it and would definitely consider trading for it again. With the tropics came across more on the flavour though.

S -

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2012 02:23:08 | More by rudzud

claspada

New Jersey

4.18/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle from West Lakeview Liquors, most recent release - Batch 25, so it was bottled sometime mid-July.

Pours a semi-translucent dark golden/bronze color with a semi-large fluffy white to off-white head that recedes into a thin cap, thick collar with some splotchy lacing remaining.

Aromas begin with a hefty doses of citrus zest, tropical fruits, pine and a subtle amount of grassy hops as well. As it warms I get a hint of the malty backbone highlighted by a slightly sweet sugar cookie-like doughiness.

The tastes follow the nose with some lightly sugary and bready maltiness but then you are immediately greeted with the ripe orange and tangerine citrus hop flavors. As with most beers the tropical fruits and pineapple aren't as present in he taste with a more pine, resiny hop flavor. with less of the exotic tropical flavors.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied with medium carbonation. Previous batches had some low carbonation issues but this one is dialed in. There is a pleasantly slightly assertive dry finish; definitely on the more attenuated side of the double IPA scale, which I appreciate to avoid excess sugary sweetness that plagues some of this style.

Overall this is a super beer; my first from Pipeworks and I can say it won't be my last. It is a super dialed in recipe that has clearly been developed and perfected by the brewer and I can see why even though they have only bottled less than 30 total batches of beer they decided to make this one 6 times already. This is a really good beer. Highly recommended and well worth seeking out if you can get it fresh (like all DIPA).

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2012 23:52:29 | More by claspada

fastenoughforphish

Illinois

4.16/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: Nice yellow orange, clear. On the light side of ipas.

Smell. Pretty citrusy, heavy on the grapefruit. Can smell how sweet it is.

Taste: Orange, apricot, and sweet. This ipa is real nice. It is peachy and has almost a vanilla background. Loving the flavora here. Finishes nice a bitter, nothing to harsh but I wish it was mellower because it clears out the sweet vanilla fruits too quick. But great taste.

Mouthfeel: Nice low carbonation how I like it.

Overall. At first I wasnt too wowed but I love how the sweet and citrus peach play with eachother.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2013 02:15:02 | More by fastenoughforphish

jcsull

Virginia

4.15/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured extremely pretentiously from bomber into snifter. Got my bottle at Binny's in the South Loop.

Leaves a soft white fluffy head and great lacing. Great orange color, crystal clear. Love the way this one looks.

Smell is a great combo of pine, tangerine, little grapefruit, little bit of floral aroma in the back. Very nicely done.

Nice malty backbone, kinda has a similar profile to Hopslam without the ridiculous stickiness. I like it. Leaves a little more bitterness at the back end than I like, but overall very drinkable. The same hop profile of pine, citrus, and floral notes is definitely present but not overpowering.

Very easy to drink, a little thinner than most IIPAs, but very good. The residual bitterness is for some people, but just not my cup of tea.

Been hearing great things about these guys and I have to say I'm impressed. If you can find a bottle, get it. Their first offering is very good. If they keep making beers like this they'll be big players in the Chicago market. Nice job on the first effort.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2012 03:08:16 | More by jcsull