Hop Sutra - Peace Tree Brewing Co.

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.55/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle thanks to Huhzubendah. Served in a tulip.

Pours a nice orange color and is fairly clear. An aggressive pour yields a beer with a small white head and not much lacing. The nose is pretty powerful considering the bottled on date of June 2010. Strong notes of citrus and floral hops, though these are overpowered quite a bit by a strong alcohol presence. Taste suffers the same fate--nice hops and some strong bitterness, but a rather bracing amount of alcohol hits as well. Finish is really nice with hefty amounts of bitterness. Drinks fairly well but I can't get past the booze.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2011 01:36:40 | More by Thorpe429

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4.28/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This beer appears slightly hazy and a burnt orange color, with a half inch of head. The aroma is pleasant, with the expected citrus and hop notes. The flavor was surprisingly good. I am shocked that there is still such a healthy hop presence, as this beer was brewed June 2010. Excellent notes of grapefruit and slightly tart citrus, with just the right balance of malt and hops. I could only imagine that a fresh bottle of this would be even better. Should I have the opportunity to sample a fresh bottle or draft of Peace Tree Double IPA, I will amend my review accordingly. Likely the best beer brewed in Iowa, it's certainly my favorite so far.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2011 17:56:49 | More by Huhzubendah

WeisGuy

New York

4.15/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Purchased this at Cyclone Liquors in Ames, IA back over the holidays. 12oz stubby bottle that claims a June 2010 brewed on date (though I think this was released around October).

Pours a lightly hazy, very deep copper color with a half-inch white head. Head retention is light, as is the lacing. Smell is quite interesting in that it reminds me a lot of a saison - lots of spicy black pepper and strong Belgian yeast blend in with the lemon hop aroma that was presumably more prominent when fresher. Taste is also reminiscent of a hopped up saison with its pleasing mix of lemon and citrus hop bitterness mixed in with spicy black pepper and fruity Belgian yeast. The finish is pretty dry with a light alcohol heat and moderate lingering bitterness. Medium-bodied with moderate carbonation and a dry finish with mild alcohol warming. Drinkability is fairly high for the style, partly because of the restrained bitterness and depth of the flavor profile. The alcohol is relatively well-hidden as well. Overall, this is a really good effort by Peace Tree, and yet more evidence that these guys are making the best beers in Iowa right now. I hope they bottle this again soon so I can try it a little fresher.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2011 21:42:56 | More by WeisGuy

ChillMike

Alabama

4.05/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

a: Nice burnt orange color with a smaller light tan head. Very pretty looking.

S: Amazing smells of piney hops balanced out with some nice malts.

T: Delicous double IPA, lots of piney hops accompanied with a nice citrus flavor and capped off with a wonderful toasted malt taste.

MF: Nice light to medium body feel, not as much carbonation as I was expecting/like but pretty nice.

D: I'd drink these all day long if it wasn't 9% and I didn't have to come up to Iowa to snag one!

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2011 05:22:43 | More by ChillMike

clonebrewer

Iowa

4.47/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a little grenade style bottle into a brandy snifter. Pours a little hazy orange with a thick resinous head. Smells like a citrusy grapefruit bomb went off in my nostrils. The nose is evident as soon as you open the bottle. Taste is a good balance between a light belgiany yeast, bready characteristics, and a karate chop of hops flavors. Bitterness is there, but the complexities of the belgian yeast and the copious amounts of hops makes this fun to sip and savor. This is damn good and I really hope they make this a year round offering. Right now only available in singel 12oz red stripe style bottles. I could drink a couple in a setting but at 9% it'll getcha. I would say this is the best beer currently being brewed in the state.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2011 15:50:29 | More by clonebrewer

sprucetip

Alaska

4.22/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Very clear, active, light side of mahogany, thick white foam with good retention and thick lacing early. Very good looking brew.

Citrus and piny hops are prominent, booze is well hidden, with malty body supporting underneath. Mild Belgian yeasty character.

Sharp citrusy hops balanced well by strong malty body. Belgian yeast is subtle but identifiable. Lingering bitterness after the finish.

Well carbonated, rich full body with medium viscosity, and drying bitter finish.

Excellent DIPA! Complex, aggressively hopped but pretty well balanced and very smooth. A great result of Iowa's new laws making higher ABV beer less burdensome to make and distribute.

Serving type: on-tap

01-11-2011 03:12:19 | More by sprucetip

zeff80

Missouri

4.1/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Poured out a clear, amber color with a one-finger, off white head of foam. The long lasting head left sticky rings of lace on the glass.

S - It smelled of grapefruit and other tropical and citrus fruits. There is a burnt toast aroma, too.

T - It tasted of sharp bitter hops. Slightly fruity - grapefruit and a strong burnt toast maltiness.

M - It was crisp, sharp and smooth. A medium-bodied beer with a dry finish.

D - This is a really nice Double IPA. My first Peace Tree beer was quite impressive.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2011 19:41:26 | More by zeff80

Dreadnaught33

District of Columbia

3.98/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Colin for this one.

Pours an amber to brown hue with some lacing and a small head, revealing some nice hops of pine and floral varieties. Sort of has a cologne edge to it with the fruitiness it has.

The taste has a nice hop to malt ratio, with flowery hops being the standout for me. Tropical fruit leads to a bitter finish. nice taste overall and a smooth mouthfeel as well.

Good IPA overall.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2010 14:14:31 | More by Dreadnaught33

williamh

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

This is another great offering from Peace Tree, finally good to see some good beer come out of Iowa.

Appearance is beautifully colored and clear, a little lacking on head though, it took a rather forceful pour and it was not retained well.

Smell is fantastic, you get great citrus hop flavor and nice fruity undertones from the belgian yeast, this is by far the best attribute of this beer.

Taste is also very good, more of the same of the nose but less of the yeasty flavors

mouthfeel is good but lacking in carbonation

drinkability is extremely easy, I couldn't have guessed this was 9%

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2010 20:17:55 | More by williamh

ballz50401

Iowa

3.93/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz. bottle into a Duvel tulip glass. Bottled 11/15/10

Appearance: Pours a dark copper color with a light tan head. Foam is loose and soapy with average retention. There is a slight haze and low carbonation bubbles.

Smell: Hops are slightly herbal and grassy with stronger pine with some mild citrus. Malt aroma is sweet with some meduim toasted caramel malts. Yeast has some earthy and musty notes.

Taste/Mouthfeel: Very sweet caramel with dark fruit and candi sugar. Some herbal/piney hop flavor along with the earthy yeast notes. Mouthfeel is full bodied with a chewy texture. A slightly numbing bitterness is present near the finish.

Drinkability: This one drinks pretty easy for a DIPA. Would love to visit the brewery sometime and try a fresh batch on tap.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2010 03:48:20 | More by ballz50401

mdwalsh

Iowa

3.55/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I wrote one review for this beer, but it seems to have disappeared. We'll see how a second reviewing goes.

A: A large, sand colored head, 3 or more fingers tall, is the dominate feature of this beer's appearance. It's got medium sized but densely packed bubbles and seems to be holding up pretty good. The beer itself is hazy though, a major turn off. This looks like a hefeweizen or even denser. To me, in a beer this strength and style, a little haze is ok. This is going too far. As the head settles, it leaves a nice, sticky lace. The beer itself is orange/amber/red and has alright active carbonation. I'm going to deduct some points for haze, but credit some for a great head. 4/5

S: As soon as I popped the cap on this one, it nearly knocked me out of my seat with resinous, piney, dank, hops. It's really the only thing going on here. It's not sharp, they are well rounded, but this is an American slap you in the face with a bag of pot and pine needles Double IPA. Even sitting an arm's reach away from this beer I can easily smell it. I wish there was a little malt there, some bready, grainy sweetness to somewhat balance it out. It's not so bad in the aroma but I fear for the taste. However, for the aroma of an America Double IPA, I'd say these guys just about nailed it. 4.5/5

T: Pine-sol. Sharp, bitter, no malt backbone. Absolute hop tea. This is exactly what I thought this beer lacked the first time I had it, but now I'm even getting a little alcohol in it. (Side note: the burp tastes a little better than the beer). As I drink more of the beer, the initial shock wears off a little, but I still get an astringent, hoppy mess. This is simply not a beer I want to drink, the taste is way off both the style and what I want in my mouth. I was much more malt in this Double IPA, much more. An American Double IPA, to me, should have some residual sweetness. If I want what this tastes like, I'll boil a pot of hops on my stove and drink the water with a shot of vodka. 3/5

M: The mouthfeel is a little thin, helped into that roll by the sharpness of the hop acids. The carbonation isn't bad, it could use a touch more, but not too much. 4/5

D: No, absolutely not. If it weren't for the fact that so many people loved it, I wouldn't have given it another shot. Apparently, the people of Mason City, IA are just bigger hop heads than they realize. I just cannot get behind this beer. 3.5/5

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2010 14:26:10 | More by mdwalsh

mynie

Indiana

4.38/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On tap at the Lava Lounge.

Pours dark and thick, like fluffy marmalade. Smells and tastes remarkably well balanced, although the toasted malt and light, spicy Belgian yeast taking a back seat to piney, citrusy hops.

Although this is assertively hoppy, I'd hesitate to call it a hop bomb, since the hops don't overwhelm the rest of it and, really, none of it is overwhelming. Some people might complain that it's not as much of a kick in the ass as, say, Dreadnaught, but sometimes it's nice to drink a strong, powerful beer that doesn't make you feel like you've just been punched in the face.

But--ahh, I guess I have to contradict myself, because this falls short of getting a truly elite rating because it's not quite strong enough. It's still a wonderful beer, though. It's tremendously complicated, and maybe the most drinkable double IPA that I've ever come across.

Serving type: on-tap

11-28-2010 02:01:24 | More by mynie

alcstradamus

Illinois

3.3/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a murky golden copper color with two fingers of head and good lacing.

The aroma is an assault of pine, grapefruit, banana, onion, and lemon zest.

The flavor is fairly well balanced. A biscuit maltiness dominates the front palate, with an empty bitter finish and some pine resin in between. Lots of lingering bitterness.

The body is medium and carbonation is low and appropriate. Sticky on the lips.

Overall this is a decent enough beer but not really noteworthy. Would be nice with a burger and fries at a brewpub but I probably won't drink it on its own at home again.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2010 06:25:46 | More by alcstradamus

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

4.47/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Radiant apricot that turned to dark apricot when the yeast entered the glass at the tail end of the pour. Murky beer looks best. Three fingers of ginger colored cream look fine and dandy, while thick sheets of finely stippled lace might mean generous hop resins. Here's hoping.

If the outstanding nose is any indication, Peace Tree have done themselves proud with this hoptastic Double IPA. Too bad more brewers don't use this blueprint (1.5x malt and 2.5x hops) rather than doubling the ingredients in their IPAs. Huge amounts of tropical fruit greet each sniff. Like Hop Wrangler IPA, however, the Belgian yeast esters aren't that noticeable.

Simply put, Double IPA is the best Iowa-brewed beer (in a bottle) to have ever entered my glass. This stuff is right in my hoppy beer wheelhouse and is leaps and bounds better than its (still pretty good) little brother. Again, increasing the hops more than the malt is the key for this style.

The malt bottom end has a hint of toasted breadiness that is easily exceeded by a metric ton of American hops. Simcoe must be in there, along with several of my other favorites. The clove and white pepper spiciness of the Belgian yeast adds another flavor facet that isn't quite strong enough for a change to Belgian DIPA to be considered.

Thankfully, they got the mouthfeel right as well. This isn't the biggest, chewiest DIPA on planet Earth, but it's big enough. Besides, slightly less size and perfect carbonation is a boon to drinkability. As is spot-on alcohol masking.

Peace Tree Double IPA is the single biggest surprise of the second half of 2010. The fact that this stuff is brewed a stone's throw from my house is mind-boggling. It would be all kinds of awesome if this 'Brewers Special Release Series' seasonal became a year-round beer. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2010 12:47:38 | More by BuckeyeNation

BieresDesMoines

Iowa

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

The beer pours an orange color with one mean haze to it, basically impenetrably hazy the head is nice and big but fades to about a medium size and leaves some spotty lace.
The aroma on this beer is sweet and fruity and seems more dominated by the belgian yeast used than the hops which is weird because that's kind of the opposite with hop wrangler, either way it smells good. The aroma has a distinct sweet almost floral character that works really well alongside that fruity yeasty thing I was talking about and also the piney and citrusy hoppiness. I like the flavor, I actually like everything I taste in this beer. It is indeed a lot like an intensified hop wrangler, so all the oddities of that beer are amplified here. I say oddities but you must understand, I mean this in the best way possible. This and the wrangler are beers that don't jump through a hoop for you and do exactly what you want them to, but as the glass progresses everything sort of weaves it's self together. This is, I believe the concept behind these two beers and I think it's executed very well in both cases. That said I'll say a little more about what's going on here. We've got a fruitiness and a citrus character that is unmistakably from west coast American hops sort of melding along with a fruity belgian yeast strain, which I might add as a side note seems to be becoming more and more dominant with each batch this brewery uses it in. The pineapple flavor is pretty nice in this beer, now lots of times you get pineapple from a yeast or a hop and sometimes it tastes like a pineapple flavoring, or a candy if you will. This tastes like genuine fresh pineapple. So what, you've got a west coast Belgian IPA on your hands. But that's not the case, I think when I first had Hop Wrangler I wished it were the case. Again with this one, these guys are going to make you think a little harder than that. Beyond all the fruitiness the beer is very bitter in a sort of herbal old world hoppy kind of way. Think of something like the biting bitterness of a good Classic German Pilsner. Then add to this all a sort of musty dank character. Theres lots going on but everything is balanced out to where it doesn't seem messy at all. I like this brewery more and more all the time, and again they've gone and put an original spin on a classic American style.
The palate seems a little bit thicker than I guess would have liked, but there are far worse things than that, and the beer was perfectly carbonated with just a nice spritziness to help the beer across the palate. For a 9% abv beer the alcohol is perfectly concealed and this is frighteningly easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2010 20:58:56 | More by BieresDesMoines

FreshHawk

Illinois

4.23/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pretty hazy, dark apricot, orange color with a good sized, sticky, somewhat creamy, thick, white head. Good retention with a nice creamy layer of lace left.

S - Lots of hop aroma with a good amount of orange and pine. A fair amount of herbal and grassy hops as well. Some sweet caramel and candi sugar with a bit of pale malt in the back. Hints of Belgian yeast hidden in there as well.

T - Similar to the smell. A lot of pine with some orange also coming out. Also had a fair amount of herbal and grassy taste. Pretty bitter. Some sweetness from the candi sugar and caramel taste along with some pale malt, but not much malty sweetness. Some Belgian yeast comes out toward the finish, but it isn't all that strong.

M - Medium body with a good amount of carbonation. A bit on the thin side for the style and ABV, but has a bit of a creaminess.

D - Quite drinkable. Even with a good amount of hop bitterness and the ABV, it is surprisingly easy to drink and quite refreshing, so be careful.

Notes: Had this on tap at the brewery and it was a very enjoyable DIPA. Fairly similar to the Hop Wrangler 3, except that the Belgian flavors are a bit more muted and the English come out just a touch more. I'm not sure which of the 2 I prefer, I think it would depend mostly on how much Belgian flavor I wanted. All in all another good beer from these guys and worth a try.

Serving type: on-tap

09-01-2010 03:34:04 | More by FreshHawk

DesMoinesMike

Iowa

4.25/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

WOW, this little bottle packs quite a punch. If you're a hop head this one is definitely worth trying.
My perfect pour glass is filled with this brew that's light brown and very cloudy. The head settles quickly and leaves a thin, even cover. The aroma is very hoppy and dry. The flavor is somewhat citrus and pleasant once the initial shock of the hops wears off. It leaves a sharp aftertaste, as expected.
I must say I'm impressed with the quality of product from a brewery less than two years old. Iowa ingenuity along with the new state beer laws are the recipe for fantastic brews. Keep it up, gents.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2010 03:23:35 | More by DesMoinesMike

siradmiralnelson

Iowa

4.43/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured form 12oz stubby bottle into Tulip.

A. 2 finger head. Pretty thick lacing left. Good retention. Color is dark orange almost light brown.

S. Smell is very hoppy. Piney resiny hops. A little bit of citrus but mostly piney hops. Some caramel malt lying beneath. Very floral smell to it. Just a bit of a hint of the belgian yeast is detectable beneath all the hops, that gives it a uniqueness factor not found in other DIPAs.

T. Taste is very smooth for a DIPA. The bitterness is there with more piney hops. The belgian yeast definitely takes some of the bite out of the hops and makes this incredibly smooth and easy to drink. Not a lot of sweetness from the malt, but enough to provide a counterpoint. This is a well balanced DIPA. The 9% ABV is almost not apparent.

M. Medium/low bodied. Nice mouthfeel. Some lingering bitterness from the hops. Medium carbonation.

D. I will admit that I was surprised with this beer. Peace Tree's regular IPA is good, but not earth shattering. Their DIPA is damn good. It is a little bit different than some of my favorite DIPAs. It has a really heavy piney hop aspect to it. The Belgian yeast hads a level of complexity and smoothness that makes this very easy to drink. This kind of reminds me of a amped up version of Modus Hoperandi.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2010 00:40:53 | More by siradmiralnelson

steve8robin

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Got this recommended on a trip to IA. 12oz bottle from June 2010...

A: Orange hue blended with some light brown highlights. Small white head that quickly fades to a lace atop the brew. Good.

S: Smells of a wonderful blend of orange citrus and grapefruit. Earthy hops with some hints of malty sugars on the backend. Very good.

T: Super dry earthy hops upfront. Some grapefruit on the front mixed with some citrus in the middle and dry grassiness on the backend. Hop monster! Good.

M: Leaves your mouth dry and tasting of grapefruit and earthy hops. Good.

D: Goes down easy once you get past the hop wall. Good.

All in all, I'm glad I got to try this brew. It is a very solid brew from a tiny brewery. I might have to pick up some more of this to take back with me before I leave. Definitely try this if you like super dry hoppy brews. If you don't like the hops, then don't worry about this one.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2010 03:26:28 | More by steve8robin

katan

Colorado

4.08/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz into a pint

A - Whoa hazy batman - lots of yeast suspended. Obviously this has a strong belgian yeast suspension. Strong head, well retained, off white in color.

S - Intense. Lots of grassy, piney, very strong hoppy notes. With all the hop bomb, some belgian yeast spice, white pepper, comes through nice and clean.

T - Tongue grabbing hopping right out of the shoot. Almost wet hop like. Chewy, earthy, grapefruit - hops to the extreme. Reminds me of a fresh furious. Mid-stream does pull in some yeast spicy, dry notes. Sticks to the tongue big time. Some alcohol warmth. Finishes clean, almost more orange and grapefruit than the more harsh initial hop assault.

M - Moderate body - full and creamy. Carbonation is present, supportive, but not overwhelming. Can be a little bit oily on the tongue.

D - Moderate to low drinkability. I love hop wrangler, and this is more of the same just dialed up a bunch of notches. However, the in your face hopping does become a bit weary. If you are in the mood to get whacked over the head with hops, here is your beer.

This beer deserves two shout outs - first to Joe @ Peacetree for brewing it, great job - you have outdone yourself. Second, to the state of IA legislature. This is finally the realization of changing our archaic beer laws and allowing our native breweries to be more creative.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2010 03:52:07 | More by katan

daledeee

Iowa

4.4/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I walked into a beer release by accident today. John's was hosting the release of Peace Tree Brewing Double IPA. I liked their regular IPA so I bought this with great anticipation

This beer poured into my oversized wine glass. A nice medium head and dark rusty body.

The nose is alcohol, pine, skunk, floral and citrus.

Taste. Oh what taste!! This is theone of the best DIPA I have ever had. It is absolutely complex and fresh and warm and great. I will have to have a few of these before I can decipher all the flavor notes. The initial taste is very smooth and creamy with grapefruit and hops. I don't mean a little hops, I mean lots of hops, but a good hops. The brewmaster was there and he said there are four kinds of hops and Belgian yeast in this. I don't remember the kinds. It doesn't matter to me. There is also a blend of great malt character and then a very citrus rind finish. Once again, I must say this beer has some of the most overwhelming hop taste I have had, but yet that is the great appeal to it.

This beer leaves your mouth feeling so good I should give it a 6. I have never said that before. It is not over carbonated and is a little sweet. It is just a very satisfying event to drink this. Usually mouth feel is never quite right with beer, but I think this beer found the nirvana.

This beer is quite drinkable since it is so easy on the mouth and the flavor just keeps bursting forth before, after, since and while you drink it. I have not had Pliny, but I feel this is what they are talking about. This is my beer heaven. Right now, I am saying this is the best DIPA I have ever had. And I have had a few in my years.

NOTE: I don't think the second batch is the same. More of an incline to grassy, pine type flavor profile. Mouth feel is different too. Still a worthy example.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2010 22:59:40 | More by daledeee