Dark Horse Crooked Tree IPA - Dark Horse Brewing Company

throwthechaff

Michigan

5/5  rDev +25.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This is easily one of my personal favorite beers I have ever had. Have been a big fan for almost a year to it and am still pretty loyal to it and there are only a couple ipa's I have had that can hang or sit next to it. Its nice and bitter and has a lot of flavor. For the price I have yet to have one to be topped. This one is a MUST try, I guarantee you will at least enjoy it.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2009 20:39:29 | More by throwthechaff

mattfungus

Wisconsin

5/5  rDev +25.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Picked this one up as a single. Singles at my favorite place are all individually priced and this one was one of the cheaper singles($1.90) While others of the 100 and 99pt beers usually run between $2.50-$6.00 I thought I would give it a go. And it was worth it.

This is a wonderful ipa. I rugged hint of chocolate at the beginning followed by a complex taste of carmels, malts, and hops, with a sweet malt finish.

Nice head.

My only disappointment is that this is not in pints. Oh well open two bottles at a time.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2012 04:08:12 | More by mattfungus

rhartogsq

Virginia

4.93/5  rDev +23.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

After visiting the brewery last month, this was one of many bottles I brought back to Washington DC. I had it on tap at the brewery, but this review is from the bottle.

Poured into a pint glass, nice slight orange haze with a finger of head.
The aroma was insanely good. A variety of citrus notes. Tangelo for one.

Taste: A nice balance of hops and more hops, a little sweet, hints of malt sweetness.

Mouthfeel. I am never good at this part, but had a nice body, what you expect a great IPA to be.

Easily a top 3-5 IPA for me. I need to arrange a shipment of these to Washington!
Well done Dark Horse.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2012 15:11:00 | More by rhartogsq

Jamesplarson

Wisconsin

4.9/5  rDev +22.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A- a little cloudy and the sediment on the bottom made me feel like it was a homebrew.

S-the smell was delicious it had me salivating at the first whiff. The over powering aroma of a beautifully hopped IPA just added to the bitter sweet taste of this hazy copper ale

T- The taste was a great IPA id say a model that all IPA's should live by. Sweet on the lips and the tip of the toung and then a bitter lingering flavor that takes over the whole mouth

M- mouth feel was a bit dry but did not detract from the taste and smell of this great IPA.

D- one of my personal favorites out of the IPA genera i could drink it all day goes down smooth and just gets better and better all the way till the end.

over all one of my favorite IPA's out there

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2008 20:15:46 | More by Jamesplarson

BenJames1984

Michigan

4.9/5  rDev +22.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Appearance- Deep, burnt orange color, complimented with a fluffy, cream colored head. Left a good amount of lacing.

Smell- Hops, and a little sweetness.

Taste- Floral and citrus hops are notable here. Nice and crisp.

Mouthfeel and Drinkability- I must say, this beer goes down nice and easy. I can easily see myself drinking six of these bad boys in an evening. One of my first, and one of my favorite IPAs.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2009 07:49:39 | More by BenJames1984

paxtonthegreat

Michigan

4.88/5  rDev +22.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Easily my favorite michigan IPA. It tastes extremely hoppy despite only being 39 IBUS. Heavy on the grapefruit and slight floral notes. Aftertaste does not have any lingering bitterness that isn't balanced perfectly against malt and grapefruit taste.

Serving type: on-tap

11-07-2011 18:24:37 | More by paxtonthegreat

chica4me

Indiana

4.83/5  rDev +21.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Solid IPA, with great hops taste with an even body of to balance. My go to brew when I need an IPA fix. This brew is earthy, robust, and has a nice hops kicker. Great example of what an IPA shoud be without trying to overwhelm a brew with hops, but not drowning in other flavors. Crooked tree has got this IPA dialed in for the IPA fix.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2011 03:50:34 | More by chica4me

botham

Illinois

4.8/5  rDev +20.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

on tap at the brewpub in Marshall. pours a hazy apricot color with a half finger of white head that leaves light lacings.

aroma is of rich and fresh hops with tropical undertones and a bit of bready malt. very fresh in the nose, with a bit of piney hops mixed in. wonderful.

taste follows the aroma with intense piney hops at first, followed by a smoothing citrus hop character and lightly tropical undertones. very fresh in character with borderline perfect mixing of a widely diverse palate of hop qualities.

mouthfeel is medium to full bodied with a dry texture and a piney finish.

drinkability is great. this is an intensely hoppy brew with a wonderfully smooth character and a great semi-dry finish of residual hop resins. the freshness of the brew only accentuates the hops, producing one of the most well crafted IPA experiences of this BA's tenure. cheers!

Serving type: on-tap

05-12-2009 02:32:25 | More by botham

ccrida

Oregon

4.72/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

12 oz bottle served in a small goblet, Crooked Tree IPA is burnt orange with lots of floaties, and a small off-white head that quickly dissipates, leaving light lace.

Smell is good, a nice robust american hop profiles, citrus fruits accentuated by a nice sweetness from the malt, and a resiny backbone as well.

Taste is also good and hoppy, more balanced then the nose between the citrus and pine, with the fruit of the hops complimenting the crystal malt, but the bitterness bringing perfect balance. I normally dislike IPAs that are malty, but this one is excellent, very well made.

Mouthfeel is oily but a bit dry, with a medium body.

Drinkability is high, this is a fantastic IPA. I'm really impressed, one of the best I've had outside of the west coast.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2010 21:37:37 | More by ccrida

cdrogers

Illinois

4.72/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from bottle to pint glass.

Appearance: Reddish-copper in color, looks like a glass of tea almost with an off-white head. Head stands well and looked as if I had some ice cream with my beer.

Smell: Lots of citrus and some piney notes, definitely similar to many other IPAs I've tasted. Slight maltiness, but not overwhelming at all.

Taste: Very well hopped with the slight maltiness and definite citrus. Hits the style spot on in my opinion.

Mouthfeel: Medium to medium-light in body. Doesn't have any harsh hoppiness that stays on the tongue after each sip.

Overall, great American IPA, one of my favorites for sure. Highly recommend giving this one a shot and not bad for a first IPA for someone.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2011 03:01:11 | More by cdrogers

clint1019

Michigan

4.72/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Deep gold in color witha frothy cream colored head. Assuming this is a non-filtered beer since there are many particles floating around in the beer.

S - Very floral and citrusy hop aroma's. Exactly what you would expect from a great IPA.

T - Has a light toffee-like malt flavor followed very quickly by a strong citrus flavor. Finishes with a nice hop bitterness.

M - Medium bodied with a light carbonation.

O - A wonderful, wonderful IPA. The flavors and aromas are spot on. This is what an American IPA should taste like.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2011 01:24:37 | More by clint1019

greshdoghophead

Ohio

4.7/5  rDev +17.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

6-pack from the Sharon Square store

A-nice copper color with minimal head

S-not overpowering, hop variety not specified on label but might be centennial

T-not very carbonated which is a plus - smooth ala real ale

M-incredible on the palate, not too malty yet very balanced

D-this rivals the best and easily could be something you could drink everyday

Once again a Michigan brewery hits the mark

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2009 03:02:33 | More by greshdoghophead

seh410

Massachusetts

4.7/5  rDev +17.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Cloudy dark orange/pumpkin color with one finger of a thick off-white head

Aroma: Tropical and citrusy hops, very bright and a little spicey almost

Taste/Mouthfeel: Lots of citrus balanced nicely with sweet malts. Mouthfeel is medium to full and slightly creamy

Notes: Definitely drinkable. The beer is very light and tastes/feels good

Serving type: on-tap

08-04-2010 19:32:22 | More by seh410

TapTitan

Pennsylvania

4.63/5  rDev +16%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bought a Sixtel of this for the bar.

A- Cloudy orange almost like a Guiness the way it settled.

S- Hop madness, piny & citrus explosion!

T- Heaven, but seriously, very hoppy and somewhat bitter, nice.

M- Perfect on the palate, taste stays with ya for some time.

D- Smooth drinking a special IPA!

Serving type: on-tap

03-02-2010 01:38:26 | More by TapTitan

horshack7

Massachusetts

4.6/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Appearance: From a twelve ounce bottle and into a pint glass is a hazy copper color with a nice two fingers of head that retains well.

Aroma: A citrusness with a dry floral hopiness in the nose. Heavy grapfruit notes with malts letting out a carmel aroma with a touch of sourness in the finish.

Taste: Floral and citrusy hopiness. A crisp yet a little buttery mouthfeel. Piney and grapefruit.
The malts let out only a little sweetness. The finish has a pleasant dryness to it. To round it all out it's very drinkable.

Notes: This i.p.a is very well done glad I picked this one up. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2010 03:41:28 | More by horshack7

sopor

Oregon

4.58/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Light amber with golden highlights under a medium sized creamy, dimpled head that leaves a clumpy, uneven, thick film, leaving a small amount of lace. Smells are light, just a bit of pale malt, and crisp spicy herbal hops. Flavors include hints of biscuit and cereal malts (unless you're eating hot wings, in which case the malts come out and this beer tastes even better than normal) somewhere under there. The hops are AMAZINGLY yummy, strong, herbal, floral, crisp, and in your face. Not burning your tongue resinously bitter, no way, not from this amazing MI IPA! Strong and assertive, very flavorful, but not overly bitter. Pale ale body with soft frothy carbonation. My dream beer, I must clone!

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2006 23:50:44 | More by sopor

nortmand

Virginia

4.55/5  rDev +14%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a deep, cloudy amber with a brilliant white head. Pour very slowly, or the glass overflows.
Smells sweet and malty with a nice, citrusy hop presence.
Nice initial hop peak, balanced by sweet maltiness. Astringency mid swallow ends with a nice, crisp bitterness on the back of the tongue.
Smooth drinking, sufficiently carbonated. Very drinkable, highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2004 00:57:01 | More by nortmand

zdk9

Texas

4.55/5  rDev +14%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A- Pours out a cloudy orange with lots of sediment in the bottom of the bottle (didn't expect that). A finger of puffy white head lingers for a while and leaves sheets of white lacing.

S- A delicious and strong whiff of hops- grapefruit, flesh only, not pith; blood orange; a touch of evergreen.

T- Hops forward in the taste as well. A little more pithy though in the taste, and without the orange. There is a good amount of carmel too which didn't come out in the smell. I like the balance.

M- Bitterness is strong on the sides of the tongue. Creamy but also more carbonated than expected. Do I like the tingling? It's interesting, I might prefer more mouth coating, but it does relieve the bitterness which I like...the verdict isn't out yet, but hopefully that's enough info to decide for yourself.

D- I'm loving the hops profile on this one. I really enjoying the taste on this one. The mouthfeel is great. Delicious- initially the bitterness was harsh for me, but as the beer warms up (along with the hightened carbonation) it becomes a delicious silky mess.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2007 05:51:48 | More by zdk9

teovaldi

Michigan

4.55/5  rDev +14%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a hazy orange with a 1 finger head that stays around for a bit, leaving nice lacing.

Smells of hops with rich tropical fruit. Just an absolute citrus bomb.

Taste follows the aroma. Juicy tropical hops with sweet malts that really balance this brew out in a great way.

The mouth-feel is medium bodied, dry and piney.

Very easy to drink a few of these in a night.

Had this on tap and in the bottle many times both ways. In the bottle this is a good IPA...on tap its a whole different story. All the citrus notes come out so much more on-tap. I've never had quite the experience with the difference of bottled vs on-tap as Crooked Tree

Serving type: on-tap

02-01-2010 10:08:35 | More by teovaldi

muddyh2oblues

Illinois

4.55/5  rDev +14%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Smell those hops! This beer let's you know it's all about the hops, with it's citrusy upfront aroma. Then you take a drink and wow. this is kind of bready sweet, then come the hops, with a nice dry finish. Awesome IPA here. Will drink this again and again!

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2012 18:56:14 | More by muddyh2oblues

putnam

Michigan

4.53/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Red/brown with a moon dust tan colored head.
Tasted next to Bell's Two Hearted. This beer is deeper-toned with more toffee and nutty richness to offset the straightforward, citrus hop extracts. This much is obvious in the aromas.
Bready, crusty and loaded with flavors of caramel, grapefruit, hop crumbs, sour, seasoned oak, black iron and herb. A seductive, glycerin-rich texture supports the dynamic exchange of fine bubbles and tannic grip.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2004 20:45:35 | More by putnam

Duster72

Indiana

4.53/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a very cloudy dark copper color with a one-finger head that took a few minutes to dissipate. Sticky lacing down the glass. Aroma was rather mild, but primarily earthy hops of the pine/floral variety. Taste is fantastic. Perfect blend of pine, floral and citrus hops with excellent matly sweetness. One of my top two IPAs. Very drinkable. If I had bought a six pack, I probably would have drank 3 or 4 at the minimum on a nice warm early spring evening at the grill.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2007 00:24:29 | More by Duster72

mnstorm99

Minnesota

4.53/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Pour is a cloudy light orange with a nice head that sticks around very well and this one laces pretty nicely.

Great orange, lemon hop aroma, with a nice grainy malt smell in the back.

Taste is great, nice smooth malty, toasted, carmel flavor and a great hop backbone that is a nice floral sweet citrus taste.

Mouthfeel is great, perfectly carbonated and almost chewy for the style. This is right up there in the top 5 IPA's I have had.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2008 16:07:09 | More by mnstorm99

jmich24

Michigan

4.53/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle

A: Clear amber color with dark orange hues. Two finger fluffy off white head.(fairly aggressive pour. Lots of sediment left behind.
S: Super citrus hops. Oranges and sweetness. Super Fresh Marijuana Dankiness!
T: Sweet maltiness to start, nice citrus orange peel and grapefruit. Great bitterness to finish.
M: Crisp, smooth, sharp carbonation.
D: Super drinkable! Relatively low ABV, nice lingering bitterness, could easily finish a sixer.

Amazing IPA! Right up my citrus loving alley. Better when fresh, like all other IPAs.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2010 02:08:37 | More by jmich24

Gehrig

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

My first taste of the highly touted Dark Horse, Crooked Tree is a terrific start, a hopped-up IPA with vibrant flavors. I was impressed with Crooked Tree from the beginning, with its two-finger head of white froth topping a very cloudy orange body. The smell was full of hops as well as fruit, with orange, lemon, and grapefruit arising from the hops. Excellent taste--lots of hops, fruit, and some pine and mint to boot. As if that weren't good enough, the carbonation was effervescent but not obstreperous, making this IPA highly drinkable.

This last part is significant, since the heavily hopped beer might be too much for some. It's a crisp-tasting IPA, but heavier on the hops than most straight-up IPAs. In fact, I had to double-check to make sure that this was not a Double IPA.

Quite impressive, and one I'll be sure to try again and again. Dark Horse is officially on my radar. Excellent stuff.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2008 01:21:08 | More by Gehrig