Twin Sisters Double IPA - Left Hand Brewing Company

PlineytheBearded

North Carolina

4.43/5  rDev +17.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: This beer was suprisingly cloudy and very inviting. Little head and minimal lacing.

Smell: Nice dank hoppy aroma. Hints of lemon added a nice sweetness.

Taste: This was served just a bit colder than I would have liked, but not so much as to hamper the flavor. It didn't have quite the bite I would have expected from a double, but it did have a good blend of fruit and hops with a malty aftertaste that lingered just long enough to allow you to truly appreciate this beer.

Mouthfeel: Carbonation was on point. This beer was a little chewy but not too heavy. Overall a good blend.

Drinkability: I thought it went down very smooth to be a double. Nice hoppy tones but not overpowering. I could drink quite a few of these, at least until the 9% ABV caught up with me! I would recommend this to my friends.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2010 01:16:19 | More by PlineytheBearded

xhuskr

California

4.1/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Cloudy appearance after being poured into a pint glass..more than I expected

Nice smell with hops dominating in a balanced manner

Nice taste...alcohol taste present, but still behind the hops with a more fruity flavor as it warms

Very drinkable, but at 9% either I need another due to my Huskers playing so poorly or cause it got to me faster than expected.

bottles says CA redemption value, but I've not found this brew or any Left Hand in SoCal...post if you know of any place to find it to save me waiting for visits from friends/family

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2010 04:22:42 | More by xhuskr

Spider889

Ohio

3.8/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Another beer from Bodega. This beer is supposedly inspired by some of the local geography and... brewed with Rocky Mountain water? sounds kinda like a BMC marketing scheme.

I've always liked Left Hand though and was excited to see this on draft.

Pours a slightly cloudy golden yellow color. Small white head that recedes into average spotted lacing.

Smell has a lemony character to it, with piney hop oil aromas.

Pine resin and fresh steamed needles create an inviting hop bitterness. slightly sweet with a bready malt backbone.

Well carbonated, this beer arrives on the tongue bright and crisp, and drinks easily, though I was somehow expected a little more from this beer.

Serving type: on-tap

12-04-2010 09:54:29 | More by Spider889

Spica66

Indiana

3.85/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Received this one from Jason on his way through to Kalamazoo.

A: Deep yellow with good head formation and retention. The beer is opaque.

S: Citrus hops over a sweet malt base. Very pleasing.

T: Sweet malt and citrus hops. Almost a little too sweet on the malt, but there is substantial hop bitterness on the finish to make your mouth forget about the "over" sweetness.

M: Full-bodied and properly carbonated. A little more stickiness than one would normally associate with a DIPA.

D: this is a sipper to be sure.

This is the twin brother to Dark Horse's Double Crooked Tree.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2010 17:26:42 | More by Spica66

clayrock81

Virginia

3.78/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a somewhat brownish body with two-finger head that slowly dies and leaves lace patches. A sharp, pungent citric hop aroma along with some caramel and other malts. Medium-bodied with a husky body that's dry as the citric hops pack a wallop and there's also a bready, caramel malt sensation for a little bit of sweetness. Overall, the beer is less fruity and on the more dry side of DIPAs. A dry, crisp finish as the alcohol complements the beer and I find this a quality after-dinner sipper.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2010 12:53:26 | More by clayrock81

katan

Colorado

3.7/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22oz bomber into a pint

A - Pours a very opaque, deep golden color. Not hazy, just solid. Strong head formation, leaving behind a off white 2mm thick layer.

S - Very strong, floral, citrus, and grapefruit aromas of hops. Very smooth, almost seems sweet. Some more resinous notes are there bu well hidden.

T - Starts off with the floral citrus notes of hops, tied directly to a potent 2-row malt profile. Mid-stream gets to add alot of bitterness. FInishes with a more nutty caramel, malty sweetness - perhaps associated with rye. Aftertaste is beyond bitter.

M - Moderate to strong beer body, complemented by a potent but not unbalanced carbonation. Noticeably oily and sticky on the tongue - big retained bitterness.

D - A very potent, slow drinking DIPA. Bitterness is quite pronounced. ABV is strong. A very enjoyable slow drinking IPA, perhaps more close to a barleywine.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2010 03:53:05 | More by katan

thain709

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - A dark copper body that showed carbonation running to the top...the head was small and white and didn't retain a lot...but it left nice lacing down the glass

S - The nose was sweet from both the hops and the malts...citrus notes of oranges and pineapples were from the hops and caramel from the malts

T - There was an initial sweetness up front from the citrus fruits...the caramel flavor played around in the middle and added to the sweetness...so to start things off this beer is really sweet...towards the end the bitter hops start coming through...but so does the alcohol

M - Medium bodied...syrupy, oily, slick, bitter, and alcohol

D - This IIPA was just okay for me...I enjoyed the sweetness on the nose and at first sip...but after a while it almost became cloying...the bitterness was enjoyable but the 9% ABV coming through was not

Serving type: on-tap

11-15-2010 14:01:04 | More by thain709

rarbring

Sweden

4.38/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The beer is orange amber, very cloudy, good lacing.

The smell has honey, citric nuances, grass and hay.

Tasting of honey and brown sugar, fruit nuances, orange and mango, candy and liqueur style.

Medium carbonation, a huge body and a dry finish.

IMHO a really nice dipa.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2010 20:01:03 | More by rarbring

GRG1313

California

3.85/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a clear orange amber with a nice white head that is not long lasting.

Nose is ultra sweet ripe pineapple with heavy perfume; Mouthfeel is medium to full, creamy and rich with a very nice balance though heavy on the bitter hops.

Flavors are sweet on the very front palate and then go to big bitter grapefruit/pine bitter hops that carry over to a big bitter grapefruit/pine finish.

This is a big bodied beer that is all about the hops but with a delightful sweetness in the very front. Well made and bold. A hop-head's delight.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2010 07:00:40 | More by GRG1313

JordanEllwanger

Michigan

4.13/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A very nice cloudy amber tone that floats a dense soft white head. A strong hop sent at first then a strong malt sent. Both somewhat cancel each other out and leave a 'pure' sent. That's all I can say to describe that. The taste is a lot like the smell, I can tell there is a lot there but . A very elegant flavor and feel. Not too harsh and very drinkable. I could do a session with this.
Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2010 06:39:15 | More by JordanEllwanger

terrapinfan88

Virginia

4/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Again on tap at the Oxymoron even at Galaxy hut.

Appearance: Burnt orange, little to No head, awesome lacing

Smell: PINEAPPLES never actually had this before this beer smelled like someone had poured pineapple juice in it. I loved that. Everything else takes a backseat to that smell but pine and other bright fruits are present.

Taste: Again Taste like it was a pineapple and Hop beer which in my opinion is about the coolest thing ever. Never had a double or a pale ale with a STRONG pineapple taste, but If I could find one with a more reasonable ABV I'd be drinking it all the time. Plenty of hops in this brew just the way I like it. Again everything is trumped by the pineapple but pears and a present but not over powering booze taste.

Mouthfeel: Heat, moderate carbonation, awesome hop bite that lingers

Drinkability: Again if it were strictly based on taste all day I could drink it. But this was only my second pint and I was not drunk but past tipsy. So the ABV sinks this one to a three but if you are on a mission to get destroyed drinking pineapple juice look no further.

Serving type: on-tap

10-30-2010 01:08:22 | More by terrapinfan88

beersensei305

Florida

3.83/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The beers pours an a deep apricot with a thin head. A big hops aroma with some earthy tones like pine. Sweet and syrupy up front, you can taste the rye and malts. Some dryness at the from grapefruit added. However, the complexity tis beer boasts is not present. A good tasting beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2010 00:47:31 | More by beersensei305

babaracas

Florida

3.9/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear amber with one finger dense foamy white head, fades leaving splotchy lace. Smell: bam! citrus rind, grapefruit, pine, resinous. Taste: grapefruit, orange, spicy, a bit green, pretty alcoholic, a nice juicy pale malt backdrop with just a touch of caramel sweetness. Very happy that this one didn't live up to the label's promise of a balanced DIPA. A bit rough around the edges, but enjoyable. Late Sept 2010 release.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2010 04:35:15 | More by babaracas

sonata2008

Minnesota

4.33/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I was pleased to see that a local pub offered this beer as a cask.

A: Clear, golden copper color with a finger width of foam. Not much carbonation.
S: Definitely a strong hops aroma with lots of pine.
T: A nice grapefruit flavor with some spice, and floral notes. A pleasant bitter hops finish. Very nicely balanced.
MF: Medium mouth feel, smooth and creamy.
D: A lovely beer. Very smooth. Goes down nicely.

Serving type: cask

10-24-2010 21:35:10 | More by sonata2008

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.95/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Dark copper color, not much head, formed late in the pour. Aroma, a little sweet, but largely lacking.

Taste, ooh, herbal hop, bitterness, warming, leaning to the almost pine side, possibly because of the herbal feel from the initial mouthfeel. A pretty easy drinking beer given the abv, bitterness. Glad I picked this up, for me, left hand has been all over the place in terms of quality/likeability, but 2010 has been a good year for them in my book.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2010 05:21:11 | More by Beerandraiderfan

lordofthewiens

Maine

4.1/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle, 2008 Bottle Conditioned on the label.
In a pint glass, the beer was a hazy orange color with a thick tan head that rapidly dissipated. A bit of lace.
Strong citrus aroma. Sweet/floral. Tickle your nose peppery.
Grapefruit and tangerine taste, sweet bread. Didn't quite live up to the promise of the aroma.
Still, a nice, mellow DIPA.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2010 21:57:21 | More by lordofthewiens

BigPlay1824

New York

3.53/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a pint glass

A: Overall not an entirely beatiful beer to look at. Has a very clear appearance without even the slightest hint of cloudiness i sometimes enjoy in strong beers. The color is mostly golden with a slight reddish hue.

S: Lacking slightly in this category because the brew does not have the strong scent that most other double IPA's have. very dulled hoppiness as far as the smell is concerned.

T: As with the other categories, Twin Sisters is lacking slightly in the taste category. That is not to say that it is in anyway a bad taste but that it is not up to the level of the strong tastes that i would associate with a double ipa.

M: Very smooth mouthfeel which makes it a very easy to drink brew.

D: As mentioned above it is a very easy to drink brew and i would go as far as saying that it is one of the few double ipa's that could be drank in large amounts.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2010 00:09:46 | More by BigPlay1824

ocelot2500

Arizona

3.68/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear golden orange with a tight white head that leaves plenty of lacing.

Smells of tropical fruits and some citrus.

Tastes of decent hops up front with a decently bitter finish. Malt backbone is fairly good with some caramel sweetness coming through and rounding everything out. Hops have notes of grapefruit, mango, and pineapple. Hops could be more assertive on the palate. Would like more bitterness.

Mouthfeel is medium with a smooth amount of carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2010 02:42:53 | More by ocelot2500

daledeee

Iowa

3.85/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A 22 oz bomber with a new label compared to the website.

The beer poured a very dark gold with an orange tinge. Head was medium but lacing was excellent.

Nose is floral and citrus. Not real strong. As I drank the beer and swirled it, I got a couple whiffs of strong alcohol.

Taste is citrus, mostly grapefruit, malt and sweet. It tastes good but the depth is not quite there.

Mouth feel is medium and not quite top shelf.

Drinkability is good; alcohol is not real strong/warming.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2010 23:27:06 | More by daledeee

chaz410

North Carolina

3.3/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Got this beer at the flying saucer in Charlotte NC on tap.
Pours a staw colored yellow body with a thick white head that disappears quickly.
Smells of piney and grassy hops with very dried malty backbone.
Taste similar to smell. Very dry and grassy overall. Some floral bittering flavor colliding with thick and basic caramel malt character.
It's pretty dry but not overpowering for the ABV and IBUs.
Thick mouthfeel and it's fairly dense for the style.

Serving type: on-tap

10-14-2010 03:18:31 | More by chaz410

Jeffo

Netherlands

3.85/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Got this at De Bierkoning in Amsterdam.

From a bomber into a snifter.

APPEARANCE: Pours a medium, fluffy looking, off-white head with good retention. Color is burnt orange, totally clear, with medium carbonation evident. Head slowly fades to a good foam cap leaving immediate lacing down the sides of the glass. A slight wisp and ring remain, leaving some nice lacing as well. Good looking.

SMELL: Sweet pale malts, notes of pine, honeydew melon and pineapple. A nice fruity nose, but it could be a little bolder.

TASTE: Pale malts and some biscuit notes. A little sweeter than the norm, with some honeydew melon and pineapple. Hints of pine and some hop bitterness come through near the finish. A big, lingering aftertaste is piney with some bitter hops. Pretty good really. It's not a bitter, hop bomb, but it starts out with a sweet malt component at the beginning, and slowly transitions to a bitter, hoppier finish. Nice.

PALATE: Medium body and carbonation. Creamy on the palate, goes down fine with a bit of a burn after the swallow, and finishes slightly mouth-coating.

OVERALL: Pretty decent brew really. It's not a bitter hop bomb, so don't expect that, but it's a tasty, interesting, maltier version of a DIPA. Dare I say, it's a more "balanced" interpretation. The taste profile starts out plenty sweet, showcasing a strong malt backbone, and later moves to the bitter, hoppier act after the swallow. Tells a story, like a beer should. Give it a chance if you see it. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2010 11:29:09 | More by Jeffo

MetalHopHead6

Virginia

3.85/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Left Hand Twin Sisters Double IPA is liquid bread.

It poured cloudy gold with a thick white head and cascading bubbles. There was a wall of lace left on the glass. The aroma was crisp and citric during the pour; however, the flavor was thick and yeasty with a salty dry roasted finish. The feel also was thick with a rich, but not over-powering bitterness.

The thick feel of Twin Sisters is like ale-soaked bread and the flavor is salty and nutty. It was a good experience.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2010 22:49:08 | More by MetalHopHead6

kk73

Hawaii

3.38/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a 22oz. bottle into my glass. Bottled in 2010. Thanks to dmunroe for this one.

A - Pours a slightly cloudy brunt orange/amber color. Less than a one finger white head that disappeared quickly into a ring of foam around my glasss, some lacing.

S - Maybe the nose if off, but some bready malt. Piney hops, with a hint of citrus, which I cant pinpoint.

T - Seems to follow the nose. Piney hops upfront, sweet malt midway, followed with some citrus notes. Slightly bitter on the finish.

M - Definitely not sticky. I would say more oily, medium body, and moderate carbonation.

D - This was ok, but did not leave me wanting another. Always worth seeking out at least once. Fairly well balanced, but the hop presence seemed less than inspiring.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2010 07:16:41 | More by kk73

telecomz

Massachusetts

2.9/5  rDev -23.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A - Nice copper. Fast dissipating head.

S - Slight citrus and weak hop aroma. Weak for a DIPA.

T - Malt and hops. More malt than hops. Slightly disappointing.

M - Moderate wight. Suitable carbonation (light)

D - Average. Felt hot.

Not the best, not the worst.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2010 23:10:00 | More by telecomz

WVbeergeek

Ohio

4.13/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Brilliant bright clear orange copper body with a bright off white head forming thick, lacing is fine and intricate evenly spread. Aroma has earthy/pine/citrus hop character in the nose with an underlying sugar coated malt balance. Flavor is wrapped with booze and malt sweetness a very sharp caramel/sugar coated hop character rolls across the palate. Sharp citrus peels dominates the palate along with evident hot alcohol, sweet yes but even in the sweetness it's like citrus peel bitterness amongst the sweet sugar coated malts. Mouthfeel coats the palate with hop oils/alcohol/and malts a bit of residual sugars this one could get cloying but it's definitely tasty. Drinkability overall this is a solid flavorful DIPA, I didn't know what to expect from Left Hand's super hoppy category I've only really been exposed to their standard lineup. Needless to say a solid offering, just a bit booze ridden compared to some of the more balanced versions of the DIPA.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2010 02:18:20 | More by WVbeergeek