Ginga' Ninja IPA
Portsmouth Brewery

 

 

 

 

 

Draught @ Brewpub. This one pours a clear, coppery amber color. There was a bit of a frothy white head on it that left lots of lacing. Nice nose. There is a big shot of piney hops, with a little bit of ginger in there too. The taste is very good. Piney hops, with a fair amount of ginger. Good malt body behind it. An interesting and nice variation of an IPA.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to dpuia for sharing this bomber on 10/31/11.

A - Poured a chunky, light earthy brown liquid with lots of yeast particulates and no carbonation. The swirly grayish head dispersed quickly to reveal some spotty lacing.

S - Initial nose is quite earthy with an abundance of herbal notes as well as plenty of ginger character. Overall though, it is not very inviting and kind of muddy.

T - Hop character is non-descript although quite earthy. However, the bitterness comes more from the coffee character rather than any hops that I can detect. Instead, I get hints of chocolate, soy sauce, tobacco and herbal leafy notes. Finishes with a leathery, old medicine chest kind of flavor, if you can imagine.

M - Light syrupy texutre with low carbonation, giving the mouthfeel a watery vibe overall. Finishes with a touch of herbal hop bitterness.

D - Hmmm... not diggin' this one at all. Bitter? Sure. But this ginger, herbal thing just isn't working for me.

 

On tap@ the Portsmouth Brewery (Portsmouth, NH) on 10/1/11. Served in a pint glass.

Pours a deep clear copper, with a thin covering of off-white head. This maintains a decent looking rich foaminess, leaving back a sudsy cascade of lace that quickly slides down the sides and hangs in there with some light spotty froth. The aroma smells fresh, floral, and a bit leafy, with underlying notes of zesty grapefruit, pine, and caramel malts. The sweetness of the malts is working nicely with the citrus flavors here in the nose and while the ginger is present, adding a lively spiciness to this, it is in no way overdone.

The taste has more of a solid hoppy Red Ale base to it (but that’s IMHO), with a lot of green citrus flavor that is balanced by strong malt notes of sweet caramel and toasted bready character. Like the aroma, the ginger adds a zesty feel throughout the bulk of the profile, while the finish on this is more aggressive with lingering pine, spice, rind, and final smack of bitter fruit. There is maybe even a touch of lingering sugars and ginger that stick to the lips a bit as well after each sip. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, with a strong prickliness most of the way through the feel but this does eventually give way to more of an underlying creamy feel that comes forward right as you are getting ready to swallow. Alcohol is very well hid, with just a touch of light warmth on the tail-end.

This was really solid and I loved how the ginger flavor nicely not only complimented the assertiveness of the hops but also how it spiced up and melded nicely with the bulk of the malt character here as well. As this warmed, the balance and flavor integration really picked up and this overall became a most delicious and easy drinking experience. I should have grabbed a growler of this one to go. It’s that good.

Ginga' Ninja IPA
22 oz brown bottle
Served in a 20 oz glass

Pours a mahogany brown with a minimal head on top. Interesting trails of lace.

Nice hoppy aroma with whiffs of citrus and spice.

There is a nice malty backbone with a slick feel on the tongue. Carbonation level is low. The hop profile is significant with flavors of orange, brown sugar, black pepper and ginger. A spicy and interesting IPA.

Pours typical looking almond amber, with a darker amber head, showing moderate retention and leaving respectable lace on the glass.

Lite ginger on the nostrils with some peppery spice.

Notes of the expected ginger with a quality dose of grainy hops. Ginger adds nicely to the mix, adding some complexity while not really getting in the way.