Critical Hit
Ninkasi Brewing Company

Critical HitCritical Hit
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From:
Ninkasi Brewing Company
 
Oregon, United States
Style:
American Barleywine
ABV:
11.7%
Score:
83
Avg:
3.67 | pDev: 13.9%
Reviews:
35
Ratings:
103
Status:
Retired
Rated:
May 08, 2019
Added:
Mar 22, 2010
Wants:
  15
Gots:
  27
In the Ninkasi tradition, this barley wine is hopped to high heaven –using more than 16 pounds per barrel! Critical Hit’s rich, malty expression is balanced by 16 varieties of hops that linger on the palate. Its high gravity nature warms the cheeks and soul. Critical Hit does maximum damage, so you might have to roll to save if you take this ale for granted!
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Rated: 3.41 by Oh_Dark_Star from Washington

May 08, 2019
 
Rated: 4.02 by TheHopsman from Nebraska

Nov 19, 2018
Photo of siskiyoucellar
Reviewed by siskiyoucellar from Oregon

3.99/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
This is the 2013 reserve. It’s been in my cellar for 26 months and somewhere else for about that long before that, so it’s had quite a while in the bottle and I think that has worked very well for this beer. Color is a very pretty dark honey amber with a good strong head and nice lacing. The nose is excellent - rich honey and molasses malts and sweet tropical fruits with a hint of bittering hops. The taste nicely defines the point that separates DIPAs from American barleywines, landing on the barleywine side. The hops, muted by the time in the cellar, are important but not dominant and the malts take center stage with a great variety of sweet and bready tones. Feel is very nice but nothing really special. I have enjoyed this offering from Ninkasi ever since it came out and it think some aging has made it even better.
Jun 27, 2018
 
Rated: 4.43 by Odysseyalien from New Jersey

Jan 20, 2018
 
Rated: 4.5 by Vidblain from Minnesota

Oct 09, 2017
Photo of beercam
Reviewed by beercam from Colorado

4.78/5  rDev +30.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
2011 reserve
Reviewed 9/28/17

This was really really good. Has thickened and concentrated nearly a port like state. Thick, smokey, syrupy, malty, spiced
N hoppy. A true barleywine made good and fine, savored fullly after withstanding the hallowed test of time. Ninkasi is either good or super good. This was super good. #patiencedelivers
Sep 29, 2017
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Reviewed by mklmcgrew from California

3.54/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
On tap in a small glass mug.

L: Pours a clear deep amber color with a minimal head and a little lacing..

S: Pretty light nose, mostly dark fruit and caramel.

T/F: Starts off with the fruit and malt in front, then the aggressive hops come in and a strong bitter finish. You can definitely taste the alcohol in this one. Medium feel and good carbonation.

O: First try in the barleywine style. Overall a good beer, and I'm interested in trying others of this style.
Mar 25, 2017
 
Rated: 3.84 by GoBeerGo from New Hampshire

Feb 16, 2017
 
Rated: 4.03 by hayesjw from California

Feb 12, 2017
Photo of beergoot
Reviewed by beergoot from Colorado

3.51/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25
Unique bottle label data: 2014 Reserve, 11% ABV, BOTTLE NUMBER 07298/20000

Dark reddish-copper body; thick, sticky head; spidery fingers of lacing along the glass. Very fruity aroma infused with heavily sweet grain scent; raisins, plums and red grapes. Cereal grain flavor base with a harsh bitterness; boozy. Heavy body; hot alcohol notes.

A rather hot, harsh beer which delivers some malt sweetness yet that is overridden by a rather overly-aggressive bitterness and alcohol presence.
Jan 15, 2017
 
Rated: 3.74 by Beervana from Canada (BC)

Aug 17, 2016
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Reviewed by biboergosum from Canada (AB)

3.97/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
22oz bottle, 2014 Reserve - very Dungeons and Dragons in its theme, which makes my eyes glaze over, before I've even approached this one's heady measure of ABV.

This beer pours a clear, bright medium red-brick amber colour, with two fingers of puffy, finely foamy, and lightly bubbly tan head, which leaves some limestone grotto lace around the glass as it slowly sinks out of sight.

It smells of semi-sweet, grainy caramel malt, a touch of biscuity toffee, reduced brown sugar, some candied citrus notes (think of those discount store 'orange' slices), some prominent leafy, earthy, and piney green hop bitters, and a loitering metallic booziness. The taste is bready and doughy caramel malt, some lessened toffee sweetness, a still rather sweet citrus and pome pithiness, further muddled dark orchard stone fruit, some subtle earthy mustiness, and more evolving leafy, floral and certainly piney hoppiness.

The bubbles are pretty understated in their quotidian frothiness, the body a solid middleweight, if one harbouring some heavy-set aspirations, and generally smooth, with a wee creaminess arising as those fridge temperatures ebb a little bit. It finishes still sweet, the big-ass malt, meandering fruit, and hard to pin down booziness sealing the proverbial deal.

Overall, this could be considered a big-ass Yankee DIPA, sure, if no one was looking all that closely at it - big malt, big fruity and verdant hoppiness, and yes, big booze. I get that the delta between the two styles is minimal, but this is the example that proves the point, if there is even any merit in doing so.
Jul 25, 2016
 
Rated: 3.58 by QuakeAttack from California

Jun 20, 2016
Photo of Gubbser2
Reviewed by Gubbser2 from Oregon

3.41/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
Recieved a 2013 bottle as a gift from a friend, very excited ad I have recently had some barley wine that I really liked and wanted to see what the local brewer Ninkasi had to offer. Looked great and smelled sweet as it poured with nice head and lace. Once settled noted many "floaters". Wish the taste matched the smell! Had a strong roasted barley taste with a touch of sweet, then the hops kicked in with a strong bitterness. Feel is sticky everything but the actual taste of this points to sweet is it hiding behind the hops? Definitely glad I didn't drop spend the $15 for this as I am disappointed.
Apr 06, 2016
Photo of ivehadthatbrew
Reviewed by ivehadthatbrew from Nevada

3.56/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75
2014 Edition, bottle #14972/20000

Look (4): Pours a pretty blood red hue. Filtered, white/tannish head that retains well.

Smell (3.5): Malty biscuits, big piney hop resin and bitter aromas. Boozey flavors really come out that I had to blow off.

Taste (3.5): I definitely opened this too early. There is a boozey and malty taste that's unbalanced with some major bitterness that's a bit much. As it warms up it gets a bit better, caramel syrup like. Has some spicy pepper components at the end.

Mouthfeel (3.25): Medium plus to full bodied. Think feeling with some stickiness. A dry ending.

Overall (3.75): I should have waited to open it. At least one to two more years. I'll have to go buy another because I can almost imagine it getting more mellow and balanced out.
Mar 22, 2016
 
Rated: 3.94 by ambruns1979 from California

Mar 17, 2016
 
Rated: 3.34 by agjohnson82 from Colorado

Mar 10, 2016
 
Rated: 1.96 by drone from Oregon

Jan 31, 2016
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Reviewed by CarolinaCardinals from North Carolina

3.59/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Picked up a bomber from TW Arrowhead at the end of October for $13.99. This is the 2013 version, bottle 3760 out of 10000. This is 10.4 % abv, 100 IBU.

Beer poured amber-brown with a beautiful head upon the initial pour.

Nose is slightly boozy but nothing much beyond that.

Taste is very unbalanced. Initially the traditional barleywine malt bill was there but be prepared to be slammed by mega alpha hops. I suspect if you aged this beer another 4-5 years it could be pretty good.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and somewhat smooth.

Overall not a bad beer but not worth the price of admission.
Jan 30, 2016
 
Rated: 4.11 by OregonGrown7 from Oregon

Jan 22, 2016
Critical Hit from Ninkasi Brewing Company
Beer rating: 83 out of 100 with 103 ratings