Steelhead Double India Pale Ale - Mad River Brewing Company

dickroop

Maryland

4.03/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I've had it on tap ~5 years ago, now let's try it from a bottle, 3,000 miles and 6 months from its origin. First off, the label is wonderful. Anytime you have a beer named after a fish, with a fish on the label, I'm all for it. This is a *very* attractive lable with double-trout jumpin' -- extra points for appearance right there. The brew is a honey dark-golden and quite hazy with lots of visible floaties and dregs - that's promising to me. The head is wheat-colored and leaves exotic lacing. It's an altogether enticing sight, this tumbler of mine, ready to sip.

But first, the smell test -- it's piney but also (perhaps more so) phenolic. Also a bit of straw to the nose and a hint of musk. The taste is quite bitter and not as sweet as I feared. The indistinct hop flavor is predictable because I bought this a while back and didn't get around to it, so perhaps it's past its prime. There is good citrusy hop-bitterness that grabs at the back of the palate, gets balanced by restrained malt sweetness, and then settles in for a nice bitter finish that has a sort of peppery gun-metal grayness to it. Overall, I'm liking this bottle better than I expected. Fine italic print on the label says "A Sublime and Elegant Balance of Malt and Hops" and "West Coast Alchemy Humboldt Style". Where the hell is Blue Lake, CA, anyway?

Mouthfeel is cloyingly sticky, chewey, a bit of warming (but not much) from the 8.6% ABV. I'm waiting for this brew to warm a bit and *reveal* itself, but it's already winning me as an easy sipper that keeps me coming back for taste after taste. Drinkability is good, but given the ABV, one or two are certainly enough. Overall it's a nice package.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2011 20:28:42 | More by dickroop

KYGunner

Kentucky

3.76/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Bright copper to orangey brown the color is striking. The head was light, thin and wispy but with a bright white hue.

The scent is is nice with more malt than hops. Subtle tea leaves are balanced with a grainy maltiness. Light lemon rind and grapefruit are closer to the end.

This IPA derives its taste from the strong malt base and only picks up slight hoppy flavor towards the end. Some earthiness mixes with the malt and then a metallic pine after taste takes hold. That pine lingers perhaps a little too long.

Overall, I'm a big fan of more malt intensive DIPAs so this is right up my alley. Just a little less metal in the after taste and amped up the scent and you would really have something.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2013 21:26:49 | More by KYGunner

davidsumner

Virginia

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

Amarillo hops is something I'm not too familiar with. But I can't complain. This is an excellent beer.

It poor's very well, with a decent head. Nice dark golden color.

The nose is decent.

the taste is very good; I really can't complain. This should be in every restaurant and if it were, I would buy it often.

good grapefruit, floral, sweet finish. This is a good double IPA.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2013 18:09:13 | More by davidsumner

grover37

District of Columbia

3.75/5  rDev -2.1%

05-22-2013 03:43:56 | More by grover37

buckyp

South Carolina

4/5  rDev +4.4%

05-20-2013 00:57:52 | More by buckyp

kguard

Iowa

4/5  rDev +4.4%

05-19-2013 14:23:33 | More by kguard

Flounder57

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

12 oz bottle was poured into a snifter.

Appearance: This beer poured a one finger head that reduced to a thin layer. It is a hazy orange color with a little clarity and bubbles coming up through through the glass. Nice lacing on the glass as the beer was drank.

Smell: Citrus and tropical hops, caramel, and bready malts. It's hard to decipher the scents in this beer.

Taste: Caramel sweet malts, grapefruit, tangerine, citrus, and bready notes.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, full bodied, tingly bitterness, a little chewy, and medium carbonation.

Overall: A nice DIPA. It could be cleaned up a bit, but still an enjoyable beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 03:19:57 | More by Flounder57

Bustersuess

New York

3.75/5  rDev -2.1%

05-14-2013 18:23:45 | More by Bustersuess

TheBadger0289

New Zealand (Aotearoa)

4/5  rDev +4.4%

05-11-2013 01:22:38 | More by TheBadger0289

lighthabit

Oregon

3.6/5  rDev -6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

nice off white head dies down to thin layer and stays there, lacing is good. pours a hazy color that reminds me of dried mangos (not bad, that's just what the color makes me think of). smell is resiny hops right up front, not shy at all, as it warms up there's a minor off-smell, but almost missed it. early on it comes across as a bit dry, but that mellows as time goes on. taste is a bit of hidden citrus, almost covered up by the fairly strong hops. it doesn't like to be sipped, this would be great cold after a hot day in the yard - a nice brew for this summer. feel is resiny/oily, smooth, carbonation is there, but i'd almost like just a bit more to make those hops really go "ka-pow!". it's not a hop-bomb, but could be with a bit of a push. glad i tried it, though i'll probably go hunt down something with a bit more citrus when i'm looking for another ipa.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 06:43:57 | More by lighthabit

ejimhof

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -21.7%

05-05-2013 22:17:39 | More by ejimhof

Hanbergb

Washington

3.75/5  rDev -2.1%

05-03-2013 00:46:37 | More by Hanbergb

TheQuietMan22

Iowa

4.08/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. No freshness date.

Appearance: Poured into a tulip glass. The color is cloudy, amber-orange. It looks thick; orange pulp-like specks are suspended in the beer. About two fingers of dense, eggshell-colored head settled slowly to leave trails along the glass, a thick ring, and clusters of bubbles and skim.

Smell: Invigorating and spot-on! Orange, mellow grapefruit, light lemon zest, peach, pineapple, mango, strawberry, and raspberry. I know it sounds demeaning, but it’s true: it reminds me of a strawberry Orange Julius, or maybe one of the banana and berry smoothies from Jamba Juice. As the beer warms, caramel sweetness becomes more prominent and the booze begins to sneak in. A tame floral hop aroma also emerges.

Taste: The mouthfeel is thick and creamy. The taste is a bit of a letdown compared to the smell, but it is still pretty good. The citrus, tropical fruit, and berries from the smell are less prominent. There is a touch of pine spice as well, but the flavor belongs to pale malts, sweet caramel, and light floral hops. The bitterness is very minimal and the alcohol is almost completely masked.

Drinkability: This is very good stuff, but the flavor lacks the compelling complexity from the aroma.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 04:09:45 | More by TheQuietMan22

capnamerica

Arkansas

4/5  rDev +4.4%

04-28-2013 00:00:44 | More by capnamerica

Kenai4

Minnesota

4/5  rDev +4.4%

04-26-2013 02:36:20 | More by Kenai4

juicebox

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -2.1%

04-24-2013 02:03:45 | More by juicebox

johnnyboy76

Oregon

3.75/5  rDev -2.1%

04-24-2013 01:58:47 | More by johnnyboy76

Razorback09

Oklahoma

3.75/5  rDev -2.1%

04-19-2013 21:19:28 | More by Razorback09

andrew8626

Minnesota

4.25/5  rDev +11%

04-19-2013 15:58:40 | More by andrew8626

polopaul20

Maryland

3.5/5  rDev -8.6%

04-05-2013 18:23:32 | More by polopaul20

brauseboof

South Carolina

3.75/5  rDev -2.1%

04-02-2013 00:21:55 | More by brauseboof

Mantooth

North Carolina

3.25/5  rDev -15.1%

03-29-2013 21:17:32 | More by Mantooth

RDW

Nebraska

4.25/5  rDev +11%

03-23-2013 01:22:23 | More by RDW

lionnusmb

Iowa

3.75/5  rDev -2.1%

03-22-2013 22:18:26 | More by lionnusmb

alex_hart

Massachusetts

4.08/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

purchased a few days ago as a six pack recommended by a fellow beer searcher.

appearance is nice. a nice medium to dark hazelnut brown. No head (maybe just because of the slow pour) and extremely minimal lacing.

Smell is nice. A slight sharpness to the hops comes through along with some citrus and a bit of sweetness.

The taste was my favorite part of this brew, and that is the most important part to look at (as it should be for everyone). This delicious. Sweet, almost sticky, on the forefront of the sip, then it slowly eases into the refreshing sharp bitterness on the back of the tongue.

This is one of my first DIPAs, and it is definitely going to make me go back for more. I was expecting a much more intense hop presence than what was received, but in a good way. This is definitely a good brew to get you going at 8.6% abv. The percent is hidden very well, too, which could be dangerous as this night progresses.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 04:23:25 | More by alex_hart