Knuckle Sandwich - Bootlegger's Brewery

Chaz33187

California

4.38/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Reddish orangey glow
S- very piny and a bit fruity. very powerful exciting smell
T- very original and well balanced choppy malty booze taste. The first taste is a breathe of life. Alcohol isnt well hidden, but its strangely welcoming. Towards the end of the beer, the bitterness did linger a bit.
M- sharp booze bubbles, very fizzy but it doesn't ruin the beer
O- incredibly unique IPA. It has this scotchy choppy balance that really surprises you.

Serving type: on-tap

04-09-2013 01:15:05 | More by Chaz33187

theopholis

California

4.13/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance- Fairly clear deep copper/amber color. Good, creamy frothy off-white head with good staying power.

Smell- Lots of caramel, malt sweetness with background of citrus. Maybe a hint of earthyiness, but it smells very fresh and inviting.

Taste- Very malty, with a lot of malt-sweetness and just enough hops to balance it out nicely. Very well balanced in all aspects.

Mouthfeel-: Medium body. A tad light on the carbonation. It's amazingly creamy, like a nitrogen charged stout.

Overall- One of the better DIPAs out there. I find most of them are too citrusy or too piney for me. This isn't the best, but it's pretty good. And I like asking for it, because the waitress balls up her tiny little hand and says "I'll give you a knuckle sandwich!". LOL

Serving type: on-tap

04-23-2012 01:03:28 | More by theopholis

corby112

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On draft at the brewery and at Bruery Provisions.

Pours a clear golden orange color with a one finger white foam head that quickly settles into a lasting ring.  Streaks of lace left behind.

Floral, dank hop aroma with balance of earthy pine, citrus fruit notes and pale malt.  Strong pine needle presence along with pineapple and lemon peel followed by biscuity malts and subtle alcohol.

Chewy body thats fuller than expected with a really nice balance of earthy, grassy hops, tropical/citrus fruit and pale malts.  Dry and bitter up front with piny hops lingering over the sweeter notes.  Hints of pineapple, grapefruit and lemon peel countered by a  nice malt presence that provides balance without interfering with the hop flavors.  Subtle hints of biscuit and graham cracker before finishing with some boozy heat. The alcohol flavor towards the end of the palate takes away from the hops a bit but overall this beer is pretty good.

Serving type: on-tap

01-25-2012 23:59:00 | More by corby112

augustgarage

California

4.43/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On-tap @ Tony's Darts Away - served in (multiple) 10oz nonics. Reviewed briefly from notes:

Deep amber body with bright orange-ish highlights. Pasty lacing; good retention.

The aromatics are stunning and deliver wave after wave of tropical fruit - mango, kiwi, guava, pineapple...then a fresh burst of kumquat and other citrus. Super fresh hop notes abound.

The flavor delivers more of the same fruity goodness backed up by a potent alpha-acid bomb of juicy hop bitterness. Excellent. Sweet/tart/then finally dry finish with a lasting IBU-induced glow.

Creamy, medium-bodied, and faintly oily mouth-feel.

Bootlegger's has outdone themselves with this one - one of the fruitiest takes on the style I've sampled; and quite strong without being overwhelming or totally unbalanced (though this is still a beer for hop-heads).

Serving type: on-tap

01-25-2012 16:10:22 | More by augustgarage

TheCrowsNest

California

4.63/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I love Bootlegger's tasting room. No frills. Just beer. In mason jars.

Pours a rich copper. They fill their mason jars to the brim, so there wasn't much room for head. No complaints there.

Lemons, oranges, pine needles. Very fresh and inviting.

Goes right along with the taste. At 10% I didn't get much warmth, but the malt backbone supports the heavy hops.

Medium-full bodied. Dry.

An IPA that will stand with the best. I wish they still put this into growlers.

Serving type: on-tap

01-24-2012 17:46:00 | More by TheCrowsNest

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.73/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at The Bruery Provisions store and bar. There was some buzz about this beer, where it will be on tap and the like. I found it to be a bang on DIPA, but not living up to any hype. Golden orange coloured body. Orange taste, the IBU certainly up there. Leaning on the bitterness, but still balanced. Middle bodied. What's not to like.

Serving type: on-tap

01-20-2012 15:33:49 | More by northyorksammy

Retsinis

California

4.15/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Fresh on draft @ instant replay

A: Hazy copper, honey amber color. Intial solid cap of head, good half inch. Slow settle, light smooth lacing.

S; Punch of juicy pineapple, citrus, touch of pine. Dried mango, peach skin.

T: Cararmel malt baclbone is pretty distinct. This is not a light dry DIPA. Maltiness shines through. Bitterness is well blended, & is layered with the malt.

M: a little sticky, light to medium carbonation

O: First off, thank you Stan for tapping this. What a treat. This is a DIPA I have not chased due to the demand, and the limited distribution. While a bit malty to Pliney, and not as clean as Citra, this is a good DIPA.

Serving type: on-tap

12-29-2011 05:39:06 | More by Retsinis

Drinkerofales

California

4.78/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I had this on tap at my local Oggi's

a - Great color, a clean amberish-orange, slightly murky

s - hops, grapefruit, citrus, and a malt sweetness undertone

t - bright citrus hops up front, with malty sweetness in the middle, and both on the back, a excellent changing of the flavor throughout

m - it feels almost light, the right amount of alcohol flavor and feel, doesn't feel like the high abv it is

o - this has rapidly become one of my top 5 beers of all time, just wish it was more available, even going to the brewery itself they didn't have any. If I would want anything from this beer it doesn't have, it would be that I could have it all the time.

DOA

Serving type: on-tap

11-14-2011 02:30:28 | More by Drinkerofales

BrewtifulMind

California

4.5/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at Bootlegger's tasting room

Wow. Didn't expect this from Bootlegger's. This one pours a dark amber, almost copper in color. I could smell this thing on the bar as soon as the lovely barmaid set it down. It smelled of sweet, and citrus fruits, and upon closer inspection, the pungent hops and sweet malts filled my nostrils. This brew tastes just like a world class DIPA should. Potent of hops and citrus, but also a sweet backend from the malts. There's a slight burn of alcohol, but not very noticeable. Very well hidden, just enough to warm the chest. For being such a manly beer, the mouthfeel is very light and refreshing, with just the perfect amount of carbonation. Overall, I would say this is definitely one of the best DIPA's I've had. Up there with the juggernauts of IPA's. Definitely worth hyping this one up. Go get yourself some. Cheers.

Serving type: on-tap

08-20-2011 21:54:31 | More by BrewtifulMind

JeffBob

California

4.72/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

poured from tap at Bootleggers brewery into a beer glass.
A Great 1/2 inch of foam
S aroma of fantastic hoppy piney sweetness.
T At first bitter hops then sweetness hits you fading away to a nice bitter hop aftertaste.
M bitter dry and smooth
O just fantastic this beer ruined most IPA's for me.

Serving type: on-tap

04-17-2011 19:28:37 | More by JeffBob

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

3.23/5  rDev -25.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours 1 finger of creamy beige head. Color is a lot darker for a dipa. It is a dark amber gold.

Aroma: A lot maltier than I was expecting for a Cali DIPA. Very bready with some caramel malt flavors. It is still hoppy. Floral and a bit citrusy.

Taste: Again, this DIPA is malty. It is kind of off putting. It is hoppy, but all the bready malts bog it down. Some citrus fruits. Floral notes. Biscuit flavors.

Mouthfeel: Bitter and creamy. Medium bodied with a medium amount of carbonation. Ends with a sticky hoppy aftertaste.

Overall, I was surprised to see this on the top 100 list. It just isn't a very exciting DIPA. Not something I would really want a lot of.

Serving type: on-tap

04-07-2011 20:02:57 | More by mothman

adamsneighbor

Minnesota

4.5/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I had knuckle sandwich on tap at the brewery it was exceptional.

The beer has very nice color a dark caramel brown color with good carbonation.

Aroma was excellent a good hop nose with floral, grassy notes not over bearing just right.

The taste was surprisingly smooth it had great hop/malt balance and for a 10% abv beer it was not boozy at all which surprised me.

Also this beer has great mouthfeel it has good body and just the right amount of carbonation to make an exceptional dipa thanks bootleggers.

Serving type: on-tap

03-30-2011 16:16:15 | More by adamsneighbor

dragonWhale

New York

4.63/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

had on tap at the tasting room. Only enough time and sobriety for a halfpint of one beer, so I had to go with this. It only seemed logical. Amber and sexily foamed up above the cloudiness. Aromas popping high into the air. I wave my whiskers from above, peering into the beer's soul. Grapefruit and sticky pine. The resins dominate, with some sweet malt and a little alcohol. It's exceptionally drinkable, truly it is. The balance is excellent between the sweet malts and the titanic hop presence. Big bitterness up front cut into by the malt sweetness, followed up with waves of hopgasms. Resinous, sensual, yes, delicious. Perhaps one day I shall return, Bootlegger's.

Serving type: on-tap

03-23-2011 23:05:48 | More by dragonWhale

LBBeer

California

4.85/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

On Tap at The Factory Gastrobar in Long Beach, CA.

A--Deep Copper color, ivory head. Not much lacing.

S-Deep sweet malt note, combined with bright citrus, and a balanced floral note.

T-This is my favorite beer currently being brewed because there is a giant dose of sweet malt to go along with and absurdly good citrusy hop profile. I have gone head-to-head against Port's Mongo and Drake's Denogginizer, and found them to be poor substitutes.

M-When I take a drink of this beer, for a second it feels like a really well-built European ale, and then the hops catch up and its true awesomeness is asserted.

D--Honestly, I could use even a bit more malt, and a skosh of roastiness.

There is no better double IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

03-06-2011 04:19:14 | More by LBBeer

PeprSprYoFace

California

4.9/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

One of the best IPA's I've ever had. Better than hopslam. Maybe not as good as Younger, Elder or Heady Topper but I might have to give it 4th place.

On Tap at Bootlegger's in OC. Super fresh.

Pours an amber honey color. Very clear with a very nice sticky white head and lacing. Very good lookin beer.

Aroma isn't as good as the IPA's I listed that were better but still pretty good. Very citrucy hops. Little bit of peach and tangerene.

Taste is awesome. Sweet like a hopslam but the hop profile is better IMO. Tons of citrus and peaches and a bit of honey. Sooo tasty.

Mouthfeel is perfect. Sweet and malty but not chewy. The hop bitterness and the malt profile makes it feel amost dry and malty at the same time. If it's possible.

Overall an awesome beer that I hope they expand their brewery for so they can make it all the time and it won't be in such short supply.

Serving type: on-tap

02-27-2011 22:57:48 | More by PeprSprYoFace

largadeer

California

4.5/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Half pint on tap at the brewery. This provided a much needed dose of lupulin after The Bruery's barrel tasting.

The beer is a darkish amber with a thin white head. Clarity is quite good.

The aroma is awesome. Huge resiny, sappy, evergreen goodness. A touch of dry biscuity malt, some candied grapefruit. More on the dry side, but there's a touch of sweet fruitiness.

It's light on the tongue, but massive in flavor. There's a lot of candied grapefruit and resiny pine. Some sugary sweetness too, but just a touch - this is far from being a malty DIPA. Strong but clean bitterness in the finish. This is a fantastic beer that I wish I could have enjoyed more of.

Serving type: on-tap

11-30-2010 03:42:16 | More by largadeer

Acsanchezz

California

4.35/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A tasty brew that goes down easy with great flavor. Nice amber color with a healthy head. Smell is pleasant but not too strong. Taste is it's strongest point, oh wait the great mouthfeel makes it that much easier and smoother to drink. Nice mixture of hops with a nutty flavor to balance it out. Hard to believe this brew has 10% ABV.

Serving type: on-tap

10-16-2010 23:23:33 | More by Acsanchezz

BevMoAndrew

California

4.55/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Poured into a mug from tap at Hollingshead

The Bootlegger's Knuckle Sandwich pours a golden honey-like color in the mug with a thick white froth, good head retention, & nice lacing. The nose is absolutely amazing with pronounced aromas of grapefruit, apricot, mango, pine, fresh floral hops, spiced herbs, caramel, & fresh baked biscuits that follows through on the palate. The beer is full bodied, has a definite hop presence - however balanced with the malt - good acidity, smooth mouthfeel, & long finish. Although I have never had too many Bootlegger's beers, I heard about this one through the grapevine & couldn't pass up the opportunity to try it. In all honesty, I'm not one for DIPAs because I find them to be unbalanced, however, this DIPA is absolutely amazing! Highly Recommended!

Serving type: on-tap

09-11-2010 17:12:51 | More by BevMoAndrew

TheJollyHop

California

4.33/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Bootleggers, poured into a mason jar (interesting)

Golden, reddish amber- crystal clear- no head.

Grapefruit, pine, herbs and flowers on the nose. Pine sap, grapefruit again, tangerine and mango too, herbal hop undertones on the taste. Sticky sweet caramel with a sweet finish. As the beer warms a slight tomato like flavor comes through, but not in an unpleasant way. Crisp flavors, surprisingly balanced; not messy like many other DIPAs.

Medium to light bodied with a medium to high carbonation level which works very well with this style. Solid DIPA.

Serving type: on-tap

08-30-2010 14:49:18 | More by TheJollyHop

WeisGuy

New York

4.13/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at Stone Bistro on 6/29. Review from notes.

a - deep golden, almost burnt orange color, quarter-inch ivory head with decent retention and lacing, fairly clear with only minimal haze

s - huge grapefruit dominated aroma, lighter notes of pine and caramel malt, wisps of alcohol in the nose

t - big bitter and sweet grapefruit explosion up front, pine mixes with citrus on the midpalate along with light caramel notes, finish is pine bitterness and light sweetness along with a decent alcohol heat

m - medium to full bodied, moderate carbonation, nice alcohol warming, pretty dry on the finish

d - not overly drinkable for the style, you can taste the alcohol but it's not overwhelming, pretty harsh on the palate, but that's essentially what you're asking for with a big DIPA, I like that the sweetness component is a bit more muted than many recent DIPAs I've tried

Great effort by Bootleggers here. It's only the second beer I've had from them, but the first exceeded expectations, as did this one. Well worth seeking this one out.

Serving type: on-tap

07-05-2010 21:59:13 | More by WeisGuy

SShelly

California

4.08/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On draft at Tonys darts away.

Pours medium amber, crystal clear with light white head.

Aroma is a small blast of hops with some sweetness behind.

Decent upfront bitterness with strong hop finish, a little sweeter than I expected. Really smooth for the alc percentage, pretty darn enjoyable, in fact probably my favorite thing I've had from bootleggers so far.

Serving type: on-tap

06-05-2010 17:32:04 | More by SShelly

wethorseblanket

California

4.53/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Whole Foods Venice for a Bootlegger's tasting event. Very suprised to see Aaron hooking up a keg along side a Black Phoenix tap already flowing. Pours amber-orange with a nice white head. The nose is lovely with a strong citrus note. Taste is well balanced with resiny hops and good malt backing. Did I mention the citrus? Very solid DIPA, right up there with the best. Grateful and pleased to have it again. Aaron is doing it well. Go seek it out, you'll be glad you did.

Serving type: on-tap

05-31-2010 02:03:22 | More by wethorseblanket

PretzelCity

California

4.6/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served in a tulip glass on Tap at Tony's. Poured a nice deep golden amber color into the glass with a white one finger head that quickly faded to lacing around the glass. The smell is a hop punch in the nose. Lots of citrus and pine stand out, not a lot of malt detectible. Taste is more of the same, lots of citrus and piney hops. It reminds me of the first time I had Sculpin. Flavors like grapefruit jump out. The mouthfeel is great for me. Syrupy hop resin makes this beer thicker, with body and bite. The hops tingle your tongue with each sip like hop pop rocks. Not overly bitter but enough to get you in the back corners of your mouth. This beer is smooth and very drinkable, but at 10% it won't be drinkable for very long. I really like what Bootlegger's is doing and I think this is their best offering by far.

Serving type: on-tap

05-28-2010 18:26:24 | More by PretzelCity

bump8628

Oklahoma

4.13/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

1/2 liter pour at Hollingshead's Deli.

Medium amber with an inch or so of persistent off-white head.

For some reason the nose on this beer is muted, especially for a DIPA. I get faint whiffs of the requisite citrus and pine and not much more. Hmm...not impressed so far.

There they are! The hops reveal themselves once the beer hits the palate. Herbal, pungent, piney, with a splash of citrus peels to boot. Malt actually holds its own admirably with a solid backbone of caramel. Medium-dry with a nice sticky feel that coats my tongue in lupulin goodness.

A nice DIPA from a brewery I hadn't heard of before. Where's that 10% ABV? This one drinks more like an 8%er.

Serving type: on-tap

05-27-2010 15:06:07 | More by bump8628

mrotstein

California

5/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A: bit of a dark orange/yellow color

S: This is where it hits. As soon after they serve me the cup I can smell it easily from 2 feet away. Smelling of wonderful hops and floral scents

T: Very good. Not too bitter, not too malty. Just right. I can keep drinking this if it was available in a unlimited quantity in my cup

M: Not heavy, goes does very easily and doesn't over power the senses

D: Like I said, Amazing, can drink this all day

Serving type: on-tap

05-08-2010 20:22:07 | More by mrotstein