Dark Horse Double Crooked Tree IPA - Dark Horse Brewing Company

deadonhisfeet

Kentucky

3.58/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a Dogfish Head IPA glass. The pour is a dank, hazy apricot color with a thin dingy head and some floaties (not sure if it's yeast or coagulated hop resins and malt proteins a la Heady Topper). On the nose I get crisp, fresh grapefruit and syrupy-sweet notes of over-ripe peaches.

The beer has a medium-full body and a firm feel. Strongly bitter and over-the-top hop blast with little apparent effort made to balance the flavor. I get flavors of grapefruit juice and marmalade, with an undercurrent of honey. The bitterness intensifies across the palate and joins a boozy flavor on the finish. I'm left tasting grapefruit juice and Everclear. Not very drinkable, although the bitterness somehow hides the high ABV quite well (though not completely).

I didn't care for this beer and it's not because I thought it was bad. I am not ashamed to admit this, but even at 400+ reviews this beer is still beyond me. I know it's good and I will certainly try it again at some time in the future. BAs who want more and more raw hop bitterness probably love it, but it's a bit extreme for my palate right now. I've had several IIPAs that were extremely bitter, yet I still found them very pleasant to drink (Heady Topper, Dreadnaught, and Ruination come to mind first). This was not one of them (not yet anyhow)

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2013 08:47:52 | More by deadonhisfeet

hornsup

Virginia

4.1/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into a standard Mother Earth pint glass

A: Pours orange, borderline amber color with minimal head, leaving a thin white lacing around the edge of the glass (3.5)

S: citrus, residual sugar, grapefruit, white oak, lemon..would buy as an air freshener (4.75)

T: very oak forward, boozyyy in middle, back end has a solid orange zest to it and more booze and more booze (4)

M: medium mouthfeel, hint of alcohol, not oily or overly thick (just a little), which is not bad for a refreshing IPA (3.75)

O: Great DIPA, slight reminiscent of White Oak Jai Alai, but more subtle flavors, tinge more booze that substitutes out for the white oak flavor. The oak and citrus balance each other well. If it toned back to 9-10% ABV it could really be dangerous. However, would not drink this on a regular basis but I dont mind the booze kick. Top 10 DIPA's. (4)

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2013 05:18:46 | More by hornsup

mnphish

Minnesota

4.68/5  rDev +12%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

12oz 2013 batch poured into a wine glass. Appearance is orange pushing amber with a one finger head that leaves nice lacing. The nose reeks of fresh tropical fruit: grapefruit, pineapple, citrus, peaches, mangos, and lemon. There is some caramel and hints of booze there as well. The taste follows the nose nicely. It's got very tropical hop flavors along with a sweet caramel malt backbone, impressively balanced. The alcohol is hidden very well but it's certainly there. It is medium bodied and very drinkable for 12% abv! I was expecting more of a barleywine style beer or a booze bomb but this is most definitely a great drinkable DIPA!

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2013 00:54:25 | More by mnphish

weonfire

Illinois

3.79/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A - Reddish golden- almost a copper. finger width amount of cream colored head. lacing sticks to high beer mark. small amount of head stays for entirety of beer.

S - Deep grapefruit, honey, lemon, and brown sugar.

T - initial: sweetness attempts to come thru but is smashed immediately by bitter strong hops. Grapefruit, honey and lemon is noticeable and pleasant. finish: strong booze, lots of hops, and pine. LOTS of pine.

M - Alcohol pierces tongue. Very nice froth otherwise. viscosity is low.

O - Maybe is too strong, maybe Dark Horse didn't hide the alcohol well enough. Either way, booze & bitterness dominates. I wish there was a sweetness to balance this. Yes - all the classic IPA flavors are present but overwhelmed. I admire the 13.6ABVs - the brew is good and drinkable but I won't be ordering or purchasing this again.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 23:45:35 | More by weonfire

wyatt13

Illinois

3.83/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

My Dad brought this back from Michigan for me unexpectedly! My first beer from Dark Horse. Bottled on date of 2/26.

A - Pours a very cloudy & murky toffee color. Very small head due to the monstrous ABV. Pretty nice lacing as I drink down.

S - Massive caramely sweetness with maybe some more tropical fruits.

T - Lots of sweetness again here with some bready notes. Sort of like a sweet breakfast pastry. Bitter finish that hides the alcohol well. I'm surprised there's not more going on here.

M - Low carbonation & sticky sweet.

O - Pretty disappointed overall. Perhaps the bottle wasn't stored well? Either way, I'm glad to have tried it. Hope to revisit soon.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 01:18:37 | More by wyatt13

TTAmod

Michigan

4.2/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Picked up a 4-pack of this for $15.99. This beer was just released around here, and this particular batch was brewed on February 26th, 2013. I poured a bottle into a Sam Adams Perfect Pint glass.

A: Tawny, hazy amber and with an okay head retention.

S: Smell is of strong, pine resin hops and a bit of citrus and alcohol.

T: Caramel-y malt gives way to an extremely strong, bitter hop assault. The hops have a taste of faint orange zest and other citrus flavors, but they're mostly of the pine and herbal variety. There's a slight kiss of alcohol near the end, and it finishes very bitter and herbal-y, only being slightly balanced by alcohol and a touch of sweetness.

M: Not as heavy as you would expect an IPA of this strength to be. Since this beer isn't particularly sweet, it's not a huge surprise that it's not super-heavy. Generally, a cloying sweetness is indicative of a heavy body. This beer is dangerously drinkable for a 12% IPA.

O: This is a TRUE double IPA. They took the original Crooked Tree IPA and used half the water or doubled the ingredients. There aren't many IPAs quite like this one. Since a lot of very strong IPAs are generally more generous with the malt, this one turns out to be a lot less sweet than a typical IPA of this strength. It's lack of cloying sweetness makes this beer extremely palatable; this is by far one of the easiest drinking extremely strong DIPAs I've ever had. Compared to Founder's Devil Dancer (another 12% IPA), this beer is far, far superior. Where that beer is an alcoholic mess, this beer somehow balances a strong hop profile with a strong malt profile. I would definitely not age this at all. The hop flavor is superb and aging this would take away this defining trait.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 03:38:24 | More by TTAmod

YieldToNothing

New York

3.61/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

the whole here is greater than the sum of its parts. this is my first review here and i'm certainly no expert, but i've had my fair share of excellent beers.

quite bitter and you don't feel the citrus notes that are generally prevalent in west coast ipas and dipas.

the aroma is kinda pine-y and pretty subtle and it has a nice mouthfeel. the abv is hidden pretty damn well.

glad i tried it, but not too thrilled i committed to a 4 pack. this is a good beer, but i don't love it.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 03:34:59 | More by YieldToNothing

nickapalooza86

Wisconsin

4.84/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours a amberish brown, cloudy as can be, a finger of a tanish head.

Smell is probably the biggest let down in this one, a little pine, citrus and a bready caramel malt, really a lot more faint then I would have thought for a 12% beer.

Taste is where is shines, full of resiny hops, citrus, floral, pine with a really nice malt backing, caramel, and a wee bit of a alcohol burn in the end.... Very faint though

Mouthfeel is more barleywine then DIPA, Very smooth, medium full, low-medium carbonation, finishes with a bittering dryness.

Well I got a 4 pack and decided to drink 2 fresh and 2 aged.... It may be hard but I hear this beer does wonders with some age... However it super fresh so maybe I will have to try to grab another 4 pack!

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2013 01:52:26 | More by nickapalooza86

MCain04

Illinois

4.34/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Just picked up fresh from the bottle store. 12 oz bottle poured into a 12 oz Spiegelau snifter.

A: Opaque orange/amber body with off-white 1 finger head, good retention, some lacing.

S: Malty, a little grassy piney hops, not too aromatic though.

T: Some good piney hops with a strong malty backbone. Great bitterness throughout, definitely lingers. Unbelievably, not heat whatsoever.

M: Great smooth texture with moderate carbonation and a heavy, full body. Very nice.

O: A good, if not great, DIPA. Hides the ABV incredibly. Very easy drinking. I hear people put this down for a year, but I don't see it needing the aging... This tastes great fresh. I'm a fan. Looking forward to the rest of these!

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 06:14:03 | More by MCain04

barczar

Kentucky

4.03/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Pours a murky medium brown with copper tones and a frothy half inch cream head that slowly dissipates, leaving sheets of lacing.

Resin, pine, grapefruit pith, mint, floral hops, and bready caramel malt form the initial aroma. There's a touch of sweetness.

Flavor is more citrus-based, with grapefruit, lime, and mango countering resiny bitterness. There's enough toasted malt to tie the hops together, but sweetness is subdued. Fresh cut grass and resin dominate the finish.

Body is moderate and a little slick, with carbonation a touch on the low side. Alcohol warmth is significant.

Interesting balance of resin and citrus hops. Fairly bitter, and lacking the sweetness siren in most examples of the style, which, for my palate, is a bit of a negative.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 02:38:11 | More by barczar

BeerZack

North Carolina

4/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

Sweet light malts, some fleshy fruit and spicy hop aroma. Flavor is similarly sweet and pretty sticky with an herbal hop note. Alchol is pretty well hidden with only the sweet fruitiness to indicate the 13%+ ABV. Not super hoppy, but probably better a couple weeks ago.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2013 01:41:53 | More by BeerZack

Greywulfken

New York

4.3/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A: into a tulip, amber-brown beer with a sediment suspension, off-white head about a finger thick slid down into a sparse film and collar, some arms of lace stuck to the glass

S: rich malt base under pine and resin hops

T: great chewy pine, sticky with resin, and dark citric undertones suggestive of dark grapefruit sift through the big malt flavors of caramel and grain.

M: big on the palate, medium-to-heavy, bittering hops, slightly coating, slightly sticky

O: wonderful DIPA with a dark blend of pine and citrus and really big, bold malt. A real pleaser.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2013 00:43:30 | More by Greywulfken

tdm168

North Carolina

4.21/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A - dark amber with some orange hues in the light; very nice, soft, foamy, dense off white head head that has good retention

S - booze, big sugary malts, some caramel, grapefruit, pineapple

T - bread, caramel, sugar, booze, some citrusy hops

M - warm, full bodied, a bit of booze in the finish

This is a really nice DIPA, but in my opinion it's probably closer to a barleywine. That being said, the malt character here is very delicious. It's bold and flavorful with a nice complexity. The hops are present and assertive, but tend to lend more balance than outright bitterness. The alcohol is heavy in the finish which may cover some of the hop character. I would definitely like to see how this beer ages. Ultimately, this is a really nice beer whether we call it a DIPA or a barleywine. A fan of either style should enjoy this beer. I'll definitely be buying more.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2013 01:49:12 | More by tdm168

Stevedore

Wisconsin

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

(Note: personal system uses whole numbers, rounding down e.g. no rounding up to 5)

2013 12oz bottle with no bottle date, poured into Bell's tulip glass and consumed today 3/6/13

Aroma: Really rich- full of floral, citrus hops that makes me think of mango and passion fruit. I also get a ton of sweetness that gives me toffee and honey. But otherwise I feel like I'm sniffing a hop cone! And that's what I'm looking for when I drink a big DIPA. (5)

Colour: Nice, cloudy dark amber body, pours with a 2cm white head that dissipates quickly, leaving a small film remniscent of oil on water. Lacing is decent but nothing to write home about. Best way to describe this beer is the color akin to apple cider. (4)

Flavour: Like the nose, it is really, really rich and full of flavour. It's really big on the floral hop tastes that give off an earthy flavor and makes me think I'm drinking some sort of sweet nectar; the sweetness comes from the bready malt which definitely makes itself well-known- lots of honey with hints of toffee. Very good! (4)

Mouthfeel: A medium-bodied, really well carbonated beer that coats the inside lining of my mouth in a way I would definitely describe as resinous. Any part of my mouth that comes into contact stings from the hop bitterness for minutes afterwards. If you're a massive hop head, this is what you're here for. I cannot tell that it is a 12% ABV brew. Dangerous! (4)

Overall: A hophead's wet cone dream. It's not a particularly balanced DIPA in that it integrates the hop and malt components well (like Pliny the Elder does), but it does bring incredibly strong hop and malt components both to the table. It's a really intense DIPA and you don't mess around with it. I think it beats out Hopslam, but the price point is even worse than Hopslam's ($16.99 for a 4pk in Madison WI). It's probably a beer worth trying once, and worth getting if you have something worth celebrating about, but it's not exactly a staple kind of beer. I think it's probably the finest representation of the intense, less-balanced type of DIPA you can find in the midwest. If you like a more balanced DIPA, go with Sucks or Pliny or something similar; if you want a hop blast with a lot of malty sweetness, this is it. (4)

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2013 00:16:46 | More by Stevedore

superspak

Michigan

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

12 ounce bottle into tulip glass, bottled on 2/19/2013. Pours lightly hazy reddish orange color with a 1 finger dense cream colored with with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Good spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass. Aromas of huge grapefruit, orange zest, orange rind, pineapple, caramel, pine, floral, grass, and floral earthiness; some slight alcohol as it warms. Fantastic aromas with great balance and complexity of hop notes; with great balance of malt that is not overdone at all. Taste of grapefruit, orange zest, pine, caramel, pineapple, orange rind, floral, grass, and floral earthiness. Fair amount of citrus and pine bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of citrus, citrus zest, pineapple, pine, caramel, floral, grass, and floral earthiness on the finish for a while. Damn nice balance and complexity of hop and malt flavors; with a near perfect balance of malt/bitterness; and zero cloying sweetness present after the finish. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a creamy, slightly slick, and sticky mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is extremely well hidden with only a small warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a highly excellent and huge DIPA! Great balance and complexity of hop flavors with malt; and dangerously smooth to sip on. A highly enjoyable offering.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 03:53:06 | More by superspak

PsilohsaiBiN

New York

4.2/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

2013 bottle

Appearance: Amber, unfiltered with floaties everywhere. There's a 1/2 finger white head that quickly fades mostly to the perimeter.

Smell: Earthiness, solvents, adjuncts, some malt sweetness, faint hops, black pepper. Not overly aromatic and quite odd.

Taste: Malty, sugary and sweet, with some hop presence, though not overwhelming. This tastes way better than the nose would indicate. The booze is hid quite well, would love to see how this ages.

Mouthfeel: A bit chewy and coats the tongue nicely with ample carbonation.

Overall: A unique and interesting 2xIPA. Haven't had a Dark Horse brew that let me down yet.

UPDATE: Had this on draft and it is obv significantly better. Bumped it up a notch in the taste dept.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 03:32:19 | More by PsilohsaiBiN

jtd1969

North Carolina

4.39/5  rDev +5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Deep amber, lacing is decent

S - Citrus with some grassy sweet malt

T - Smooth bready malt with some grassy herbal hops that lingers. Tastes great

M - Big medium with medium carbonation

O - Great DIPA, especially at a well hidden 12% abv! All DIPA fans gotta try this one! It's definitely malty, but all DIPAs are. I really liked this one!

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2013 03:29:32 | More by jtd1969

robhbest

Michigan

4.38/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured from bottle into tulip glass.

A: Golden amber, nice 2 finger white head, good lacing.

S: Smells like starburst meets the grassy hops combined into something wonderful.

T: Wow the smell transfers right into the taste. My mouth is watering.

M: Medium bodied, good carbonation.

O: I've had this beer twice now and its exactly as I remember it. It hides the 12% ABV very well. Its still a little hot fresh but not overpowering. The citrus and pines blend well here. Thank you Dark Horse for another solid offering!

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2013 02:04:12 | More by robhbest

Docrock

Illinois

4.51/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

on-tap at Dark Horse Brewery, thanks to my new friend Kevin from Detroit for buying a round :)

A - A deep orange color with a fine white head that settled to a thin ring. Solid patchy lacing.

S - Beautiful nose, orange, lemon, slight pine, crisp and clean.

T - Taste is similar tp the nose, candied orange flavor, smooth and boozy with a touch of pine towards the end.

M - Rich and dangerously smooth, no sense of the high abv ( 13% ). This one coul dbe dangerous. extremely drinkable.

O -Really nice DIPA, really well balanced, deserves to be mentioned along with some other top DIPA's like Dreadnaught, Pliny, Hopslam, etc. Can't believe this is the first time I have tried this. Really good on tap, picked up some bottles at the General Store, we'll see how that compares with on-tap at the Brewery.

Serving type: on-tap

02-13-2013 03:56:13 | More by Docrock

tut2528

Illinois

4.09/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

poured into a Tulip... dont see a bottle on date (purchased in June 2012)

A: rust colored bodied, no head formation, big alcohol legs (as expected), no transparency

S: big sweet malt backbone , biscuit and with big grassy hops. there is just a slight touch of citrus in there as well. surprisingly, i do not pick up on any alcohol.

T: identical to the smell. strong sweet malt, caramel, biscuit, grassy hops and a touch of orange peel. again I really don't pick up on the alcohol. very light creaminess in the finish.

M: strong medium bodied brew, low carbonation, leaves a grassy hop feel with a touch of creaminess on the palate.

O: actually, a nice brew in my opinion. felt that this actually did get better after letting it sit for some time. I remember an overwhelming grassy hops the first time around (back in June/July 2012) and a lot more heat. There is no ABV presence here this time around and I pick up a more sweetness and a bit more caramel here. In fact, I think can 3-4 of these and be completely hammered but enjoy every one of these.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2013 02:17:49 | More by tut2528

mpedara429

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A: Pours out a burnt amber color that is a bit hazy. One finger of off white head. Spotty lacing on the way down.

S: Biscuit, orange, and mango.

T: Similar to the nose with a big toffee malt backbone. 98 IBUs but very smooth and not super bitter.

M: On the heavier side with a very oily mouthfeel. Carbonation is a little bit lighter than average for the style. With that, the ABV is also a lot higher than average for the style. This is a big beer. A good nightcap or after dinner beer because of it's big body.

O: I knew this was a special one. The packaging was very vague and it sort of "commanded respect". The bottle conveniently forgot to tell me that is was more than 13% abv, but it did tell me that there were 98 IBUs and it ages well. I guess what this beer lacks in complexity, it makes up for in originality. The only other beer that I can remember that is so full of hops but not a bitter mess is Heady Topper (not that the two can be compared). I plan on aging one and coming back to it maybe a year from now.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2013 03:03:33 | More by mpedara429

CHickman

New York

4.18/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

On tap at Tap & Barrel in Smithtown, NY: pours cloudy amber orange color with a 1 finger creamy white head that faded slowly and left very good spotty lacing.

Smells of orange peel, citrus hops, floral hops, tangerine, herbs, sweet malt, caramel, grains and light booze; sweet citrus notes dominate the nose and hides the ABV well while still keeping a fruity citrus nose overall.

Tastes of orange peel, citrus hops, lemon, mango, brown sugar, floral hops, tangerine, herbs, sweet malt, caramel, roasted grains, wheat and light booze; the sweet citrus notes and caramel get balance from the grains and mask the alcohol very well, making this surprisingly easy to drink. There is some mild heat, which is to be expected at this ABV, but it was more like strong hops that harsh alcohol heat.

Mouthfeel is very creamy and smooth, with very mild carbonation, a medium to heavy chewy body and a bitter finish that's got some grainy sweetness and trails off only slightly boozy.

A very impressive trick to cover up the high ABV and make this so drinkable, locking in good balance and complexities while remaining true to the style and finishing bitter. An very good beer overall and an above average DIPA. Seems like a hoppy Barleywine, but either way it was very tasty and one I’d seek out again. Extra credit for being easy to put down with knockout level ABV.

Serving type: on-tap

12-09-2012 20:55:25 | More by CHickman

coreyfmcdonald

Georgia

4.28/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into a tulip

A: Pours a hazy dark amber/gold color with a finger of white head. The foam recedes to a thin film.

S: Strong citrus hops are supported by quite a bit of toffee and caramel sweetness. I get some pine as well, but mostly citrus and toffee. Quite nice.

T: Very sweet for a DIPA, there is a strong sweet toffee flavor with a nice spiciness to compliment. Quite a bit of hop bitterness keeps the beer balanced. This really tastes more like a Barleywine than it does a DIPA.

M: Quite thick for the style with rather high carbonation.

O: This is really more of a hoppy Barleywine than a DIPA, but it's quite nice. Sweet toffee, thick, with a great citrus hoppiness. I really enjoyed this.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2012 01:33:49 | More by coreyfmcdonald

lacqueredmouse

Australia

4.58/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Tried at the Local Taphouse in Sydney as part of their Dark Horse AleStars evening, along with a few other of their beers. This was my pick of the evening, however.

Pours a deep, crusty, clouded orange colour, with a fine white persistent head that eventually settles down to a thin ring. Has some very solid lace that forms in patches. Looks pretty good.

The nose is just gorgeous. Big, crisp, sharp orange brightness with a backing of sweet sherbet. Even a touch of fragrant rose, along with floral gin botanicals. It's that clean sweetness mingled with the sharp citric tang: candied peel, fresh lemonade. It's just gorgeous, and so, so pleasant. Love it.

Taste is similar: candied orange flavours, smooth sweetness that melds seamlessly with the sharpness. Spicy characters come forward towards the back, along with a bit of booze, but never enough to damage the smooth, pleasant finish. A touch of pine comes through to remind you it's a big IPA even still, but it's clean, bright and leafy—again reminding us of the fresh fragrance. By the end, the booze and citric melds into a warming character of kumquat liqueur.

Feel is chewy and rich, but clear and pleasant.

Wow. This is really good. For a beer that's over 13%ABV this is stupidly drinkable. This is a really, really good BIG IPA—I'm not sure I've had such a balanced and pleasant IPA this big. It's ridiculous, it shouldn't be possible. And yet here we are.

Serving type: on-tap

12-02-2012 03:56:59 | More by lacqueredmouse

qthompso

Minnesota

4.28/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy, ruby orange. Slight cream head but no lacing when it recedes. A little bit of yeast hanging out at the bottom of the bottle.

I smell booze, very sweet malt and some pretty spicy hops to round it out.

The taste is quite sweet up front. I get cherries and something juicy that almost resembles a weak strawberry. Once the fruit fades, the sweetness of the malt backbone kicks in and then it's a double punch of burn, one from the alcohol and another from the palate bruising hops.

Really full bodied, and remarkably creamy. The carbonation has held up over the course of the last year. I'm surprised by how much I enjoy the mouthfeel on this one.

Overall, a great DIPA. The booze originally didn't seem like it was that powerful but it really does linger. There's plenty of malt in this one and I feel like it slightly overpowers the hops. Maybe that's just me. Either way, a great beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2012 02:33:31 | More by qthompso