Hop Baron Double Down IPA - Rivertown Brewing Co.

brewdlyhooked13

Ohio

3.8/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Appearance - pours a deep honey-gold with a finger of manila foam. Decent stick and fairly good resilience, holding at a thin but full cover.

Aroma - very light layer of caramel malt aroma, covered by piny zesty hops. The hoppiness backs off a bit on setup, showing more malt than I'd expect in DIPA.

Taste - good presence of sweet crackery malts. Big hops, grapefruit rind, light pine oils. The abv comes across a bit hot, downplaying the hops a bit. This is a well-balanced double IPA! Not over the top bitterness, I dig the balance. Ends with some decent drying bitterness and hoppy aftertaste.

Mouthfeel - lightly smooth, not a big body for the style.

Drinkability - very tasty brew, though the hopheads might consider this a DIPA-light due its lack of tongue-scraping bitterness. I like it though.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2011 01:25:15 | More by brewdlyhooked13

AleWatcher

Illinois

2.73/5  rDev -21.8%
look: 1 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Pithy grapefruit with some earthiness and a really big malt bill come through on the nose. The flavor starts pretty sweet with caramel malts, then fleshy orange skin, white grapefruit, and the beer stays sweet all the way through...
Where's the bitterness?
As this warms it reminds me of grapefruit with sugar sprinkled across the top.

After having the Pale ale earlier that had no hop flavor and all bitterness, this is the complete opposite-- it's all flavor and no bitterness. The flavor is decent, but not really blowing me away.

This one is undercarbed and has a slight syrupy vibe to it.

There was little head on this one, no lace, and very poor retention.

Overall, this is a slightly subpar DIPA-- it isn't offensive, and if I were offered one I could drink it without having to feel like "I'm choking it down." I'd take this over lots of beers, but with DIPA being one of my favorite styles, I just cannot see this as anywhere above average.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2011 04:07:12 | More by AleWatcher

ngeunit1

California

3.63/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Pours a hazy dark-orange color with a finger of off-white head. The head fades down leaving behind some lacing in the process.

S - Aroma has a nice balance of piney and citrus hop aromas. They just do not seem strong enough for a DIPA. There is just a hint of sweet malts in the background.

T - Starts off again with a nice balance of citrus and pine hops, but they are a bit too subdued. Through the middle, some bitterness comes through alongside a bit of sweet malts. The beer at least finishes strong with a nice punch of hops and bitterness and a bit of booze that lingers.

M - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Feels smooth and slick, however, a bit too watery overall.

D - Very drinkable. Nice hop balance, it just needed a bit more flavor overall. The finish was a nice surprise at least.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2011 05:18:14 | More by ngeunit1

shanblur

Indiana

3.73/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Purchased on a recent trip to Jungle Jim's International Market in Fairfield, OH. No freshness date on bottle. Apparently they only use it on the case packaging. Poured from 12 oz bottle into a tulip.

A - The lightest of orange in hue, with a moderately large white head which fades to some light lacing.

S - A good combination of citrus and piney hops but not much else.

T - Hops show through with both citrus and piney hops flavors present. Well integrated and not too overpowering.

M - Medium body with little carbonation.

This is my first from this brewery. It was a good example of an imperial IPA, though I have had better. I am glad I was able to try it and would be happy to sample others from this brewery.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2011 23:06:28 | More by shanblur

phiberoptik

Ohio

3.78/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I have to put it out there... why is this a screw cap?! Not only is it the bottle type of horrible macro breweries but I also cannot reuse it for my home brews!

Hop Baron pours a clear copper with a small white head into a standard pint glass. I was surprised to read people saying their was cloudy... I can see right through this.

I get caramel malts up front, sweet fruits, yeast, and a bit of sour cherry. I expected more citrus or pine in the nose from the hops but it smells like the hops came in early and not dry hopped.

Bitter up front. I am guessing the majority of the 120 minute boil included hops. I still dont get a lot of flavor from them. I get caramel malts and a bit boozy (in a good way). The more it warms up the more I get a faint hint of some piney resin. This is flavorful but I expected more hops.

Medium bodied, nice mouth coating, and good carbonation.

Overall this is one of the better brews I have had from our hometown Rivertown guys. It was a single so I dont have another right now to compare it to but I like their attempt at a big beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2011 00:20:41 | More by phiberoptik

sendsilk

Florida

2.38/5  rDev -31.8%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Received as an extra in a recent trade.

A- Poured cloudy, I mean really hazy orange. This shit doesn't look clean, or too promising for that matter.

S- Here's where the wheels come off. I can tell by the smell, this beer is old. There is no forward hop presence and reading the bottle would really make me thing I should get hit with some strong hops presence if it was fresh.

At this point there's not much point in continuing. Tastes like syrup. There is a slight spiciniess in it that would be good if it was fresh. I'll hopefully get to try another one fresh and change my opinion. Perhaps they should bottle date these (shouldn't they all date them, especially if they are IPA's)?

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2011 22:55:30 | More by sendsilk

mcallister

Ohio

4.03/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Deep copper with different shades at various points of light. Small light crimson head holds long retention as a topper. No lace.

Nice nose of citrus, floral notes, toffee, biscuit, grapefruit, orange, lime, some fussel alcohol aromas, and hints of peach, and apricot.

Quite a nice beer, this is the new hopped version and it shows. Good balance of caramel, toffee, biscuit malts and grapefruity, stone fruit, floral earthy hops. Lots going on. Nice bitterness on the finish with snappy carbonation and a brisk acidity.

Rich creamy mouthfeel in the mid palate that turns more rounded on the finish. Very nice.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2011 23:09:36 | More by mcallister

daliandragon

North Carolina

3.23/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Picked up at Belmont Party Supply in Dayton when swinging through there a few days back. The label drew me in to this one; sweet biplane battle artwork is a winner every time. I do find it interesting that this particular brewery produces this DIPA but does not brew an actual American IPA. Curious.

Color is a mellow golden. Head dies extremely quickly despite copious visible carbonation. Nose is heavy on the herbal and citrus notes with some pine resin and needles there for appearances.

Strange. The hops are there but they seem to take a few lapses. Earthy, metallic malts spend a surprising amount of time in the spotlight. The body could be stiffer, though its not for a lack of bubbles. The whole project needs adjusting and tightening. I'm not even sure I'd recognize this as an IPA, let alone a DIPA. Keep the label, but fix the beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2011 03:02:03 | More by daliandragon

PDXHops

South Carolina

2/5  rDev -42.7%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

12 ounce bottle courtesy of Ryan011235, poured into a Duvel tulip. The dull amber body goes well beyond hazy into murky territory. A finger's worth of head disappears quite quickly, leaving a bubbly island and a thin collar of foam behind. A few specks of lacing.

Fighting thru the plentiful aromas of brown sugar and caramel (uh oh) is a lemony pine combo that's more reminiscent of a household cleaning product that actual lemon and pine.

On the positive side, there's a fairly potent undercurrent of bitterness and the plentiful overripe orange taste natural enough that I no longer want to scrub my floors. This stuff is tooth achingly sweet, though. I'd swear there was a spoonful of straight brown sugar dissolved in the bottle. I don't know what you paid for this bottle, Ryan, but you paid too much.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2011 01:10:31 | More by PDXHops

kirok1999

Ohio

3.68/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a light clear gold with nice sticky lacing.
Smells of mild spice, wheat, mild vegetal grains, sweet malt backbone.
Taste is very much like the smell but a bit amped up. It has a nice spicy finish that would let it pair well with some strong foods. The lingering finish is nicely bitter with a creamy and mildly carbonated mouthfeel.
This would be a nice summer beer after mowing the lawn.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2011 02:39:34 | More by kirok1999

despainmakesbeer

Kentucky

3.5/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Light Amber color, leaning toward the oranger side. off-White 1/4" head at pour settling to a off-white ring and thin cover on face of beer. Dark malty aroma with compliments of a deep orange breadiness. Occasionally picked up some brighter citrus notes. Doesn't pick up as much hop as I was expecting for style, aroma pretty much dominated by maltiness. Very dry finish. Beginning is very dark and sweet. Middle brings through a slightly brighter, citrusy flavor. End becomes dry which carries through to finish. Heavier maltiness very dominate in overall flavor as well accompanied by a relatively high carbonation level that seems to linger. Overall not that bad, slightly on heavy on the sweetness.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2010 05:26:34 | More by despainmakesbeer

gford217

Georgia

3.65/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle courtesy of Tifore, poured into a tulip.

Pours a clear amber with a very small beige head that recedes immediately to a small collar leaving no lacing.

Aroma is very sweet with lots of caramel malts and hints of juicy citrus. The malts take on a slightly toasted character in the nose. The oranges and pineapple come out a bit more as it warms.

The taste is more of the same with oranges and tons of sugary caramel malts. The bitterness is more pronounced in the finish, with some pine resin mixed in with the citrus.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied with low carbonation and slick and sticky on the palate.

Not the most impressive of DIPAs as the hops are pretty subdued given the purported hop profile. Lots of sugary sweetness in this one.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2010 01:12:55 | More by gford217

nlmartin

Ohio

3.25/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The beer was served in an Imperial Pint glass.

Appearance: The body of the beer is clear orange with a quick to resolve white head.

Smell: Biscuit caramel malt support a bit of citrus and pine hops. Smells alright but not a hop bomb by any stretch.

Taste: The flavors of the beer are sweet biscuits smeared with caramel. This supports a thin pine hop. I would like a bit less malt and a hell of a lot more hops. This is more of a hop tinged malty beverage.

Mouthfeel / Drinkability: The body of the beer is medium. The carbonation is on the low side but not really problematic. The beer drinks well enough. I think this is a very good stab at a DIPA. I think this beer needs another reworking.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2010 13:22:51 | More by nlmartin

Ryan011235

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a snifter on 9/27/10

Burnt amber in color with golden edged highlights. At first I didn't think much head would manifest, though over one finger rose toward the end of the pour. Very bubbly retention holds. Decent lace at the onset, though it gets spotty.

Seemingly undergoing a transformation, the aroma initially struck me as floral, herbal & solvent-like. Additional considerations find suggestions of citrus hops (lemon & grapefruit). The solvency remains, albeit to a lesser degree. A touch of pine. Malts are maybe a bit too prominent with notes of bread, caramel & a hint of sugar cookie. Kind of an all-around weird aroma.

A multi-faceted wave of hops strikes the tongue up front. Pine, grapefruit, lemon zest, floral hints & herbal wisps, all with a solvent twinge. I find the taste much more impressive than the aroma, especially in the hops category. There's a good amount of bitterness to offset the malts which, though quite apparent, aren't really out of place for the style. There's some of the aforementioned sugar cookie sweetness that tugs at the bitterness.

Medium, maybe full bodied; somewhere in that spectrum. Carbonation is average for the style & seems appropriate for this beer. The solvency fades some as the beer warms. Though it isn't hot, there is some inherit warming. The finish is kind of odd; bitterness quickly concedes to the sweetness, which lingers.

I'll admit to being skeptical based on the nose. Regardless, I've found Hop Baron to be enjoyable; I'm glad I picked up a bottle (maybe two would have been better?). Cheers to Rivertown for some reasonably solid work on this one.

My cause for concern - this was $2.99 for a 12oz. bottle (I only saw them sold as singles). That price point pits the Baron against some heavy hitters...

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2010 01:50:00 | More by Ryan011235

bevenson

Ohio

3.6/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

No date on bottle. Poured into a Sam Adams Perfect Pint glass.

A - Orange and clear with a bright, dense white head. Looks just like I'd expect a DIPA to look.

S - Hops are definitely present in the nose. Pine, citrus, and a little pineapple. However, the hops aroma is a little subdued from what I expect in a DIPA. No malt in nose, which would be nice to have.

T - Taste follows aroma. Hops are up front in flavor with a firm, lasting bitterness. Bitterness is a little rough, but not out of line for a DIPA. Light, toasty malt flavor. There's a sweetness present, but from the warming sensation I think the sweet flavor is from the alcohol. Clean yeast character.

M - Warming with a dry finish. Moderate carbonation and very smooth drinking.

D - A very quaffable DIPA. If you took New Glarus' Moon Man and amped it up, you'd have this beer. A beer that would go very well with a strong cheese. The malt isn't too sweet, which is something that I think gets screwed up in a lot of DIPAs. I'd like a stronger hop aroma and flavor in this beer, though.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2010 00:59:30 | More by bevenson

sholland119

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Nice extra in the Blind Beers BIF, version2.

A-Clear golden with hints of peach with some frothy white head. No real lacing.

S-Biscuity malt, some citrus hops buried beneath what smells like a grainy rye twang. Not a hop bomb by the smell of it but nice complexity.

T-A bit sweet in the front, maybe overly so, with the hops arriving rather light and rather late. Some citrus notes in the finish. Solid but unspectacular. To be honest, I'd wonder about freshness based on the taste but the earliest review is a month ago so I think this is how the brewer intended it.

M-Medium bodied, crisp, a bit sweet.

D-Tasty, a bit high on the ABV to flavor ratio to seek it out.

HV

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2010 01:24:11 | More by sholland119

ThaBobfather

Ohio

3.88/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a text book- amber golden with a solid topping of beige/tan head.
Smell is cirtusy with some nice crisp hoppy notes.
Taste is quick with its flowery/citrus flavor- but it checks out quickly- a little malt on a back end.
Finish is a quick jab of hops with some citrus and malt left on the back of my palate.
Drinks great- very crisp and refreshing- completely hides a 8.5 punch.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2010 01:09:34 | More by ThaBobfather

Beejay

Virginia

3.93/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: A pale to medium amber, white head, but it doesn't stick around for too long.

S: Hops up front. Grassy with citrus, especially grapefruit. Slightly piney. Smells nice.

T: Hops are right up front. Piney and oily, nice flavor. There is a nice sweetness in the finish, perhaps from the malt. There is a little bit of caramel in there.

M: Medium in body, but the heavy side of medium. Carbonation works for the style.

D: Pretty good, though not my favorite of the style. Still, glad to see a local pushing the boundaries and trying new styles. Good, but not amazing.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2010 02:08:04 | More by Beejay

ltjska04

Kentucky

3.83/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I came across this beer at the Party Source this week and it caught me totally off guard. I can't find any mention of it anywhere, but alas, here it is in my Perfect Pint glass. I'm not sure what the availability is going to be, but I'm happy to finally see a Cincinnati brewery take on a bigger style like this.

This beer is an extremely clear golden orange and pours with a half-finger of head that quickly falls into a ring around the glass. Carbonation bubbles float lazily from the bottom. The smell on this is very nice; grapefruit and citrus up front and more sweet malt as it breathes a bit.

As I took my first sip I was ready for a bitter smack across the face and all I got was a little tap. Where did all the hops from the smell go? There's a bit of hop flavor at first but further sips find the hops getting covered up by sweet maltiness. Damn, I was really hoping for big hop flavor here. There's a little lingering bitterness in the finish but the hops are pretty weak in the taste for an IIPA.

The mouthfeel is pretty much spot on. Carbonation is just right and the beer feels smooth going down. Drinkability is pretty good; you don't taste the 8.5% but can start to feel it halfway through. At $3 a bottle this isn't a bad value but I had high hopes for this that it didn't quite reach. I'm still looking for that killer Cincy beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2010 22:57:02 | More by ltjska04