Review – First Rule IPA from Ninkasi

I was surprised late on a Thursday night by the FedEx guy with a box from Eugene, Oregon. Inside was the latest IPA from Ninkasi, First Rule.

Perhaps Fight Club was on Netflix and that is the reason for the name, or that the movie is old enough that no cease & desist would result. Either way the fist on the label, promises a punch of hops. But what I get is a minty/grassy aroma. The ale pours a slightly unfiltered orange color. AS the beer warms up a little I detect a citrus bitterness with my tastebuds thinking lime as the lead. The barley is hidden way beneath the bitterness and citrus. A solid IPA with enough differentiation to make it noticeable in a crowded style field.

Not the 2nd


Some lines from movies endure and even people who haven’t seen Fight Club know what the First Rule is. An IPA!

Ninkasi Brewing Company has a new special release series beer, First Rule IPA. This new beer graduated from Ninkasi’s Rare & Delicious Series.

For those keeping hop score at home this IPA has a hop profile that includes El Dorado, Calypso, Mosaic, Simcoe, Citra, and Amarillo hops.