Boatswain Double IPA (Twin Screw Steamer) - Rhinelander Brewing Company

BitterLover

North Carolina

1.58/5  rDev -37.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 1 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.75 | overall: 1.75

Poured from a 22 oz bomber purchased at Trader Joe's for $2.99 or something.

Has a very nice honey amber color, with strong carbonation resulting in a fluffy off-white head that evaporated quickly with almost no lacing.

The smell is really off, not smelling like hops or malt. Smells more like cheap beer that has sat out overnight after a frat party. Not inviting at all.

The taste is the least balanced of any "craft" beer that I have ever had. Very sweet up front, followed almost immediately by a bitterness with no complexity. No citrus, no floral, just extreme, lingering bitterness.

Yes, I can feel it in my mouth. Kind of wishing at this point that I wasn't.

Overall, this is one of the worst non-mass-market beers that I've ever had. I actually poured most of the bottle down the drain, which for me is like sacrilege.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 03:30:15 | More by BitterLover

scootny

New York

3.09/5  rDev +21.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

A 22oz bomber for 2.29 from Trader Joe's. Pours a standard coppery amber with a white head and decent lacing . Smell is sweet with alcohol and a light fruitiness. Some caramel and a grainy malt. Taste aint bad for a cheap DIPA. Is it grand and complex? No. But it has real beer taste and decent balance. It is on the sweeter of things, and it is certainly not the hop bomb we have come to expect in this style, but by no means is it a bad beer. Finish is a little sweet and mildly hopped. The abv is well integrated and not a hinderance to drinking it. Feel is smooth and slightly chewy, with a lighter weight for the OG. Not a bad beer for the price. There is flavor to be found here and for those of you looking for an abv bomb at a BMC price look no further.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2013 00:37:54 | More by scootny

Omer4176

California

1/5  rDev -60.6%

06-17-2013 15:13:06 | More by Omer4176

thrash420

California

1.3/5  rDev -48.8%
look: 3 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 2

This beer is god awful for what it is. Having just a few sips, my mouth has this burn and taste that won't go away.

It pours ok. Opened it and it reeked of a cheap alcohol. I can usually pinpoint flavors and spices, this tastes like it was over sweetened to mask the taste of everything horrible. I can not pinpoint anything I like about the flavor of this beer.

Overall. Do not buy. Stay away. Far far away.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2013 00:57:40 | More by thrash420

drgonzo2k2

California

3/5  rDev +18.1%

05-27-2013 02:53:51 | More by drgonzo2k2

ButtomsUp

Missouri

2.75/5  rDev +8.3%

05-25-2013 17:07:01 | More by ButtomsUp

zoolou

Iowa

1/5  rDev -60.6%

05-23-2013 23:18:53 | More by zoolou

Billolick

New York

3.15/5  rDev +24%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

Bomber bottle purchased at my local Trader Joe's (god I love shopping at that place...)
for the stupid cheap price of $2.99....I know I know, you get what you pay for...

Pours clear typical almond amber. Off white head stays at the thicker film stage and leaves some fine bands and fields of sheetage.

Nose is on the sweet side..hmm thats not a good sign..

On the tongue and palate the nose carries through with more...sweet...this is the sweet side of DIPA land, with just some dry notes in the finish. I do get some woody smoke, and some sticky caramel character. But this is kinda boozy, kinda sweet and not really what most are looking for in this style. ....I know I know, you get what you pay for...

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2013 01:42:24 | More by Billolick

UCLABrewN84

California

2.18/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 1.75 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2

Pours a hazy orange with a foamy orange-tan head that settles to a craggy cap on top of the beer. Small dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, margarine, non-stick cooking spray, and subdued citrus zest hop aromas. Taste is much the same with malt and metallic hop flavors on the finish. There is a medium amount of hop bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a low level of carbonation with an almost flat and medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a poor beer with no real redeeming qualities other than its appearance.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2013 05:02:35 | More by UCLABrewN84

beer_doc

New York

2.75/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 3 | smell: 1.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.75

First review.

Appearance - Pours deep amber with a nice head in a tulip glass. Head gives way to quickly with slight ring around the rim. Clear, rich amber color.

Smell - Resiny, but smells more like a cheaper keystone style beer rather than a double IPA. No dry hop aromas

Taste - Very balanced for an 8.4% beer. What I feel the beer lacks in hop flavors, it makes up for in hop balance between bitterness, maltiness, and alcohol content.

Mouthfeel - Again, the slightest bit resiny in the sense that you can taste the thickness of the hop resins. No warming from the 8.4% ABV, but full thickness to each sip.

Overall disappointed. I like a wide spectrum of beers, but usually stay away from DIIPA's because they can be a bit bitter. I saw this in Trader Joe's and psyched myself up for the resiny ride I was about to embark, only to be disappointed by what smelt like a keystone lite. The best part about it was that although it tasted like a generic canned beer, this a was a balanced 8.4% 24 oz beer.

Won't buy again.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 03:05:11 | More by beer_doc

MCain04

Illinois

3.15/5  rDev +24%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Only $3 for a 22oz bomber. Not expecting much but why not try? No bottling date. This was poured into my Bell's Tulip glass.

A: Orange amber body mostly clear, 1 finger of head but good retention and lacing.

S: Not much aroma on this at all. Maybe a little tropical fruit aroma and sweet malt.

T: Taste is not the hoppiest, the malts are a little stale, the is some metallic sourness on the back end as well, and some malty sweetness throughout. Not very bitter. Not too much heat, to its credit.

M: Over-carbonated, thin body, but crisp. Could be dryer.

O: For the price, this isn't terrible. It's certainly better than BMC. Probably won't get it again but if I wanted to get a cheap beer buzz or was asked to pick up a cheap DIPA at the store, this is a decent choice.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 01:38:00 | More by MCain04

tjsdomer2

Illinois

2.65/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance: Big bubbles and great thin layer of foam. Pinkish copper in hue.

Smell: Very weak for a DIPA. Sweet grapefruit and malt liquor. Not a bad smell, just nothing really to speak of.

Taste/Mouthfeel: Sweet, thick caramel and a strong metallic finish. The finish is what really "screws" this up. Mouthfeel is quite syrup, but not awful overall.

Overall Drinkability: Did I enjoy this beer? No. Did I hate it like a lot of people? Probably not.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2013 03:15:51 | More by tjsdomer2

aflies

Arizona

3/5  rDev +18.1%

04-07-2013 19:39:33 | More by aflies

BRD14

Illinois

3/5  rDev +18.1%

04-04-2013 03:16:16 | More by BRD14

DMB

Massachusetts

3.25/5  rDev +28%

03-31-2013 02:28:50 | More by DMB

BrianC

Massachusetts

1.35/5  rDev -46.9%
look: 3 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.25

This was very disappointing. I know it's a generic brand type of beer, being brewed for Trader Joe's, but I still expected much better than this. It tasted like a low quality old man sort of beer except concentrated. There was some bitterness, but nothing in the way of pleasant hop aroma or flavor. I really don't understand the purpose of putting a beer like this out on the market.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 02:26:06 | More by BrianC

ExaltedNecrosis

Texas

3.5/5  rDev +37.8%

03-17-2013 22:36:02 | More by ExaltedNecrosis

TonyY

New York

3/5  rDev +18.1%

03-14-2013 09:30:13 | More by TonyY

Somebody_Else

California

1.99/5  rDev -21.7%
look: 4 | smell: 1.75 | taste: 1.75 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

What rating does Olde English 800 get?
'cause that's what I rate this.

Someone told this brewery that IPAs were selling well, and it's like they shrugged their shoulders and said, "If you say so..."

I don't find it horribly offensive as several reviewers do; it's just that I find no merit.

Appearance: this beer's strong point. Nice clear raw honey with a firm enough head that degrades into a thin film and very light lacing.

Smell: old beer and alcohol. I'm going to stick with the same smell as Olde English 800.

Taste: old beer and alcohol. Minimal hops flavor compared to my favorite hops-bombs. Slightly more hops flavor than Coors.

Mouthfeel: I don't know how to rate mouthfeel.

Overall: it'll get you drunk, son. That's about all it's got to recommend for itself.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 22:41:14 | More by Somebody_Else

ChugMan

Washington

1.58/5  rDev -37.8%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

A - Amber/ brown. Small head which quickly disappeared. No lacing.
S - Sweet in a malty dextrose way, which makes me nervous. Maraschino cherries. Soap. Cough syrup.
T - Begins creamy, building expectations for something good, but rapidly devolves into oppressive soap and coppery metal flavors. Intense nuttyness too like a weird amaretto.
M - That bitter metallic twang just goes on and on. Serious sensation of pennies on the tongue.
O - Who is this beer for? It won't appeal to those seeking a cheap and drinkable beverage. Though it's cheap, it goes down like a mouthful of loose change, and for exactly that reason it certainly won't appeal to anyone keen on indulging their palate. Avoid.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 06:44:06 | More by ChugMan

Wally1912

Massachusetts

3.25/5  rDev +28%

03-06-2013 20:47:21 | More by Wally1912

marct

Nevada

2.5/5  rDev -1.6%

03-03-2013 03:05:38 | More by marct

Sorcerer

United Kingdom (England)

3.21/5  rDev +26.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25

Looks really good on a slow pour into a Redhook ESB Tulip. Had to slow down and let the beautiful head subside and finish a complete pour before drinking. Patient drinker tonight.

I have no idea of the bottling date. I have consumed this beer quite a few times before. This is my review.

Sweet smelling brew of sugar, wet straw, faint horrendous hint of rotting ginko fruit (yuck!), alcohol, hint of marigolds and daisies (flowers that smell like something dead), and yes, I do smell hops intensely as well, a bit like a wet mowed lawn in this case. Not bad.

Legs of lace follow my quaffs with a slender ladder persisting upon completion of the draught.

Taste arrives with alcohol right up front for me, followed by a sweet malt cloyed by something acetic and then ester, but all good, as a general hop infusion slams away doubting taste-buds. In fact this bottle surprises me with how good it tastes. I do not expect a great deal from this budget fare. I expect something to drink with dinner that is not revolting. I am enjoying this.

Mouthfeel is wonderful! Just the right amount of carbonation for me. But I manage my pours, and pick my glassware. You always know beer is not water. But this is like a hopped up carbonated honey drink. Maybe this has adjunct in proportion in the recipe. Feel good.

Overall, I enjoy this brew from time to time. Lucky to have something this strong and cheap. Not perfection. A hard working beer for the hardworking person with only a little bit of change to spare. Beer snobs will have to seek something else.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2013 04:30:28 | More by Sorcerer

bubseymour

Maryland

2.5/5  rDev -1.6%

02-12-2013 02:26:11 | More by bubseymour

SerialHiker

Illinois

1.1/5  rDev -56.7%
look: 3 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

Appearance: Pours a clear orange/caramel brown…tons of bubble action going on…some off white head formed and hung around...looks watery and average…(3/5)

Smell: Bitter! Smells like a cheap beer, think a skunky Old Milwaukee…grains and bitter hops…(1/5)

Taste: Bitter! There’s grains, bitter hops, sweet/pale malts and cardboard…it’s overly bitter, disgustingly bitter…the bitterness overpowers everything happening here and has the classic skunky, frat party cheap beer taste…GROSS! (0/5)

Mouthfeel: Light body, medium carbonation…fluffs disgusting bitterness all over my palate…bitter after taste…(.5/5)

Overall: This may be the single grossest beer I’ve ever had…there is an outrageous bitterness that isn’t tasty nor does it leave room for any other flavors…I can’t believe people actually bottle this and I’m more surprised people buy this…DO NOT PURCHASE this beer, save your money…I suspect burning two one dollar bills with a lighter would bring more satisfaction…seriously, this is disgusting and something I would be ashamed of…(0/5)

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 01:53:58 | More by SerialHiker