I don’t know how much I can continue to gush over and like, no love the beers from Ninkasi Brewing in Eugene, Oregon. You guys and gals are going to start thinking I’m on their payroll, but I promise I am not. Last week I picked up a bomber of their Total Domination IPA and I must say that this it a fabulous IPA.
Before the beer, I first want to tell you about where I bought it. I was coming back from Portland when I needed gas. I filled up then went in to find something to drink. Like I often do I checked out the beer selection, and sure enough they had craft brews! I found this one for under $4.00 for the bomber and brought it home. The really killer thing about the whole transaction was that this was at a Jackson’s Convenience store, and (now get this) it was in a small Idaho town with a population of about 1500 people! That is right if ever there was a sign that craft beer is making inroads it is the fact that I got this beer in a rural Idaho gas station! Feel good moment of the day!…
On to the beer! This was a total delight. It poured a terracotta orange with a thin little white head. The nose was understated, sweet, and slightly floral. It was a very pleasant smelling beer, but not overpowering like I was expecting. Then I tasted it and that is when all the magic happened! I was drinking flowers. I didn’t know what kind of flowers until I went to Seattle’s Public Market on Sunday. There was a flower stand there in the market and they had all manner of bouquets for sale. One was a bouquet of sweetpea flowers and I picked it up and smelled it. I was instantly transported back to this beer. They were Sweetpeas! The flavor was magical and I seriously think this is the best beer I’ve had from these guys.
I know I go on and on about Ninkassi brewing and how their stuff is great, but honestly for a 6.7% IPA that is not overly citrusy, and has a great floral flavor this is a hit every time! I was curious so I went to their sight to see what hops they used and it is a combination of Summit, Amarillo and Crystal. They also use a combingation of malts that give it a full bodied feel, 2 Row Pale Malt, Munich Malt and Carahell Malt pull all those wonderful flavors together in a full bodied beer that is perfect for summer drinking. I’ve found another favorite and one I will keep on hand all summer long. At these proices I might just try to marinate some chicken breasts in it for the grill.
-Don
Beer & Whiskey Brothers 
Don, I love IPA’s but I don’t know if hearing that it taste like drinking flowers is making me wanna try this one… Speaking of flowers, why the hell is my little symbol next to my posts pink? How do I change that thing?
It has something to do with Gravatar, so if you go there, you can actually set up whatever image you want to show up there, Yeah, Pink is not your color! As for the brew, there is a difference between drinking an in your face citrusy IPA, and something that has a big flavor, but is much mellower than the typical Hop bomb. This is really floral. Sorry, but I don’t have a better adjective. However, I would try it if you have the chance. It is a different style of IPA that really delivers a big flavor. But not piney or citrus.
Yeah, I’d like to try it… I just had to give you a little hell about the flowers… Kinda funny coming from a guy with a pink flower next to his post I guess….haha… I had some Victory Hop Devil for the first time this past weekend… Pretty good stuff, I’d definitely buy it again… We have a newer brewery here around Cincy called Rivertown….they have an IPA, Hop Bomber that’s worth checking out if you can find it.
So when are you sending out samples Don? I don’t recall seeing Ninkasi represented among those craft breweries with products available at my local distributors here in MD.
I guess you’ll have to wait until they ship out east.
I must be missing something…. I tried the gravitar thing and it looks like I still have the pink thing… at least I don’t have the girliest one on the page… sorry Wayne….lol
Yeah I could never figure the thing out either. It just shows my photo because it’s my blog. At least I think that…or Jim did it.
I loved their Tricerahops…I’ve been hearing good things.
I had a similar experience in Vermont last year. I stopped in a Waterbury, VT (home of the Alchemist Brewery…it was closed :(….) and couldnt find a place to grab beer. So I went into a CVS and asked an older lady where I could get beer, and I mean good beer, she said the gas station across the street. I was like, um…ok. I walked in and it was bomber heaven! I left with tons of Rock Art bombers, Smuttynose, and 3 DF Bitches Brews.
Yeah John, but you’re back east where the craft beer revolution is in full swing. This place sells mostly dos XX and Carons, but they had two or three bombers available, One was Sam Adams, and I think the Other was Red Hook or Pyramid, and then this Ninkasi. It was a rose amongst the thorns. But it was there, and I have to give them credit for having it. I love when you find good things in unexpected places. Like truffles.
Pink/schmink,no problem, its kinda like my attitude about my name, “I don’t care what you call me as long as you don’t call me late for dinner!”
In re the image, if you go to your Gravatar dashboard you’ll see the current Gravatar image on the right with an option to “Change your Gravatar”
Somehow or other, I ended up with 2 accounts on WordPress/B&WB, the other one is Wayne.
Isn’t that just like an over achiever!