Boatswain Twin Screw Steamer - Minhas Craft Brewery

BeerNinja007

New Hampshire

1.18/5  rDev -55.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1

Bought the bomber for $2 plus change at Trader Joe's. Code 13 251 12, whatever the heck that means. Served cold in a standard pint glass at the same temperature.

Odd bitterness, very vegetal and green. Like boiled brussel sprouts. Thin, watery, and flat.
Pretty disgusting. Not much else to say. No redeeming qualities aside from the price, and that's meaningless when the quality is this poor.

Bottle claims "Our Double IPA has a pleasant bitterness from the extra hops. This is one big, bold beer!" Whoever wrote this obviously has no idea what 'pleasant bitterness', 'big', 'bold', etc, mean. No way would anyone who's ever had such a thing ever confuse this with a pale ale, much less an IPA, much much less a DOUBLE IPA. Like someone boiled some vegetables, added a bit of color, and carbonated it half-way to what a beer should be carbonated to. It's THAT bad.

Absolutely an epic fail, Trader Joe's. Unbelievably bad.

DRAINPOUR! BLEH! AVOID! GROSS!

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 01:45:47 | More by BeerNinja007

Mosstrooper

California

2.38/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Poured from 22oz bottle into Duvel tulip.

Appearance: Clear amber color with a medium off-white head that dissipates slowly and leaves behind some spotty lace.

Smell: Very woody flavor backed up by citrus and sweet bready malt. Hops are fairly weak overall...this is a double IPA???

Taste: Begins sweet and buttery before rounding out into a woody and slightly earthy flavor. Also has a slight hint of citrus peel. Weak on flavor overall, though- nothing here quite jumps out and says "I'm a D.I.P.A.!"

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body with light carbonation and a watery finish.

Overall: This is a double IPA? It barely could even pass as an IPA. Oh well, at $1.99 and 8.4% ABV, at least you can get drunk on the cheap...

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2012 06:02:41 | More by Mosstrooper

Ryan011235

Ohio

1.6/5  rDev -39.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

Poured into a Delirium glass on 8/23/12

Deep, burnt honey amber color with an effervescent, two finger head that dwindles to a much shorter foamy layer. Speckled lacing dots a few places on the glass. Better lace farther along.

Aromatics: soap, dirty orange rinds, herbal hops, soap, caramel, perfume, bread and more soap. Yuck.

The taste is bad on an equal level, though for different reasons. This thing has a candied hop taste with strange, irritable notions of tea leaves, dirt, pine bitterness and stale citrus pith. Caramel and bread thicken the middle, while sticky sweet candy fruit notes linger on the finish.

Fluffy carbonation is a bit too much for its own good, but it's close to being matched with the medium body. The overall feel is ok, aside from the sticky sweet finish.

This is a really bad DIPA and a rather poor beer in general. I won't be finishing it. Not recommended.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2012 03:04:07 | More by Ryan011235

TheSixthRing

California

2.53/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Appearance - Pours a semi-clear honey orange with a 2 finger head, average retention and a resulting lace that's sparse and somewhat sticky.

Smell - Sweet, bready malt; hop character is heavily buried under the malty aromas.

Taste - Dominant malt character. Sweet and bready. Underwhelming hops. Subtle notes of citrus. Nothing here that would lead one to believe it's double IPA label.

Mouthfeel - Full-bodied and thick; almost syrupy. Sticky. Decent carbonation.

Overall - If this isn't just a re-packaged version of their Rhinelander Underworld "Double IPA" then it's damn close to it. Woefully unbalanced in favor of heavy malt. 75 IBU's? I think that'd surprise even the most discernible of palates. Very 'malt liquor' like in it's feel. Will not buy again. They should be embarrassed to call this a double IPA; it isn't even close.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2012 04:38:31 | More by TheSixthRing

rfbenavi80

Missouri

2.58/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Bought at Trader Joe's for 2 bucks. Most of the time they turn out to be pretty decent beers. Lets see if this one holds up.

A- Pours a brilliantly clear orange color with 1 finger of foamy yellowish head that does not hang around too long, and does not lace the glass.

S- Hmmm, not really up to par for the style. Not much hop aroma at all. Smells malty and grainy. More on the grainy side. Some earthy aromas. Does not smell like much.

T- Again, not much going on. The flavor seems way off for the style. Not really hop forward. Tastes like a pumped up adjunct filled beer. Flavors are all over the place.

M- Thick but not creamy if that makes sense. This one is not entirely mouth coating, but it still is "Imperial". Carbonation seems low. It could be more refreshing with more carbonation.

O- Not worth trying even for the 2 bucks. Deeply disappointed with this one. This is just one step above a drain pour.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2012 08:00:01 | More by rfbenavi80

TTAmod

Michigan

2.8/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Bought from TJ for $1.99

22 oz. bomber poured into pint glass. I must admit that I had high expectations, considering that the Mission St. IPA is brewed by Firestone Walker. However, once I looked closely at the bottle, my expectations plummeted when I saw that this DIPA is brewed by Minhaus which, for those of you not in their distribution area, is a WI brewery that puts out mediocre to sub-par "craft" beers.

A: Surprisingly, this one doesn't look too bad. Semi-transparent orange with a one finger white head.

S: Smell is full of fruity esters. Has a strong orange and pineapple scent coming off of it. Maybe the slightest hint of earthy hops and caramel, too.

T: Taste is very underwhelming. The bottle says it's 75 IBU...there's no way in hell that's possible. Grainy husk taste and a touch of caramel make up the malt base. There's a nondescript fruit flavor, but it's not as strong as the smell would lead you to believe. There's a bit of metallic taste, too. Faint taste of phenolic alcohol and leafy hops on the back end, but it's not too bad.

M: This is one of this beer's strengths. It has a good body and a good amount of carbonation. It goes down very easy and without any fuss.

O: Better than a malt liquor (which you can get at the same price for the same serving,) but it doesn't really compare to other DIPAs. I don't even know if I'd consider this a DIPA, as there is very little hop flavor.

BUT, if you want to get a good, cheap buzz and don't want to buy malt liquor, this would be a good enough substitute.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2012 03:30:36 | More by TTAmod

MacQ32

South Carolina

1.68/5  rDev -36.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

A - pours an amber copper with a decent half inch of dense nearly white head. A fair lacing and ok retention. Not bad looking, but the head has the look of a beer with lots of processed sugars

S - Definitely has that apple type APA fruit/mild citrus character (which I actually dislike), grainy and caramel malts as well. Smells additive heavy/unnatural.

T - I dont think I've ever dumped out a beer, literally, EVER. It may happen, probably not but I'm not going to enjoy this at all. But I don't believe in sunk costs when it comes to beer. A little sweetness comes through after a gross dry additive flavor and a mild alcohol taste (doesnt really burn, just gross). If I could give this a zero I probably would, honestly

M - Super smooth, medium bodied, seemingly no carbonation

O - Reminds me a lot of shipyard brews, probably cheaply made, quick fermentation etc. The color and density of the head on the beer, the aroma, taste and mouth feel all suffer from the cheap sugars/sweeteners presumably used in the beer. Reminds me a lot of Shipyard. at least its 8.4%? Unenjoyable

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2012 00:18:00 | More by MacQ32

BEERchitect

Kentucky

2.98/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

The Minhas stab at this style ends with much less emphasis on hop character and more nondescript malt influence than expected when reaching for the style.

The beer pours with a dense and hazy rust color, capped by a dense sand stained head that retains well and laces reasonably.

Off balanced aromas highly favor caramel, nuts, and grain with a mild rebuttal from hops. Leaves, twigs, and wood-like elements blend into grains and give rise to the fruity sweetness from esters.

Flavors favor similarly and caramel sweetness, part malt, part grain, and bread crust provide the base taste while pulling in esters of bruised fruit: apples, pears, peaches, and apricots deliver an English-like taste. Even the broad earthy bitterness of wet woods and damp earth sing a British tone.

Rich grainy-sweet textures also reside in mouthfeel as the residual sweetness sits heavy on the tongue. Mild carbonation does little to lift the sweetness or provide the creamy-dryness that the style demands. Finishing with extended sweetness, grain and hop astringency, the beer's clean bitterness is interrupted, thus compromising its pleasant finish.

All in all, this is a beer without identity. It bridges gaps of large English IPAs, strong ales, old ales, and lighter barleywines. Instead of satisfying a varying palate, it confuses and dispels the tastebuds.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2012 16:13:15 | More by BEERchitect

barczar

Kentucky

2.43/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours a clear copper color with a solid one inch cream head that dissipates rather quickly, leaving spotty lacing.

Corn, caramel malt, some dank resin, and grapefruit form the aroma, finishing somewhat skunky. Initially reminiscent of malt liquor...with hops.

Flavor reveals the suspicion is correct. Very sweet adjunct flavor, with alcohol very prevalent. There's an underlying lemony grapefruit note that almost saves the flavor, which ends somewhat bitter.

Body is syrupy, with moderate carbonation. There's a significant astringency at the finish.

Very adjunct laden brew. Hops enable this to not be a total drainpour. That, and I'm cheap.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2012 05:29:15 | More by barczar

beerenjoyer1

Illinois

3.15/5  rDev +18.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A ~ Medium amber color with nice foam but little lacing. There is good carbonation throughout.

S ~ Not the smell of a Imperial IPA but more a Bud. No real floral or hop smell characteristic of a Imperial IPA.

T ~ Nice but not really impressive for a Imperial IPA at least not what I expected.

M ~ More of a pale ale taste than that of a Imperial IPA.

O ~ To me this of more of a pale ale other than the alcohol content. I still think it is a nice beer but lacks extra hop and floral notes.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2012 21:07:01 | More by beerenjoyer1

HeightsEats

Ohio

3.13/5  rDev +18.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance is a pleasant brown / copper, with a malty / boozy aroma. Flavor is a subtle caramel malt with plenty of alcohol. Mouthfeel is a bit thick but not too heavy, making for a pretty drinkable high ABV beer. Enough hops so the beer isn't cloying, but their flavor / aroma isn't really noticeable.

This is a tasty, drinkable high ABV ale for $1.99, but it really shouldn't be labeled as a "Double IPA" when it tastes more like a low hop barleywine.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2012 23:14:59 | More by HeightsEats

Fitwitchik

Ohio

3.38/5  rDev +27.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

For a less than 2 bucks & 8.4% I figured what the hell...

And it is exactly what a $2 dollar double IPA bomber can be---ok.

The hops surrenders to a malty flavour yet it isn't horrible. Bought two bottles just to make sure I wasn't dreaming the price. the Mr. who loves malt thought it wasn't half bad.

Dont' believe I will be a buyer on a regular basis but am grateful it wasn't a complete waste of cash.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2012 22:35:06 | More by Fitwitchik

TriggerFingers

New Jersey

1.95/5  rDev -26.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Tasted their DIPA once, and tried it again just to make sure it was what I thought it was.

Hop aroma and flavor is pretty much non-existent. Its boozy with a capital B. Actually, the glaring alcohol reminds me quite a bit of 211 Steel Reserve in that regard (its better than 211, but just so you get the idea).

Being a homebrewer, the only way you can make a DIPA taste this way is if you cut corners-- cut your hops, barley, and specialty grains and increase adjuncts like rice or sugar to boost ABV.

One redeeming value for this beer is that it could be a good "tune-up" for your palate if you were going to judge a bunch of beers. This is a quintessential example of "how not to make DIPA"

Bottom Line: This is pretty much a flop for a DIPA. I am not bashing, just calling a spade a spade. This is at the back of the pack for the style. If you are at TJ's looking at Minhas beers, their Chocolate Stout is surprisingly good and the HLV is not bad either.

Grade: D

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2012 13:48:24 | More by TriggerFingers

smcolw

Massachusetts

2.43/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Minimal head that dies to a single rim of bubbles. Absolutely no head. The color is dark gold and clear.

Nearly no hop smell--not a good start.

The taste is stunningly mild. Very little hop, no notable alcohol. The flavor is mostly creamy malt with a bit pepper from the minimal amount of hop. At least the body is rich.

A very poor DIPA.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2012 21:18:41 | More by smcolw

t420o

California

2.48/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Boatswain DIPA from trader joe's $1.99

A- pour into pint glass produces a 1-1/2 finger off white head. Not much retention leaving some spotty lacing. Body is a light brown- gold and is very clear. 3

S- malty and bannana with some alcohol. Some light bitter hops also. Not liking where this is going 2.5

T- boozy and I am normally very immune to booziness in beers. First taste is alcohol then that bannana is in there again. Not much in the way of hops though is very malty. Not too sure where the 75 ibu's claimed on the bottle are unless they count in the bitter alcohol and metalic twang.   To be fair trader joes had been storing these on the top shelf exposed to light all day and at room temperature. But I don't think it matters with this one. 2.5

M- fizzy like soda and light 2

O- I really like the mission street ipa that trader joes has but I was disapointed with this one. Way too boozy. At $2 it's better than a 24 of bud at the same price point but I won't be picking this up again 2.5

C- 

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2012 03:57:44 | More by t420o

BucannonXC5

California

2.08/5  rDev -21.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Picked it up at Trader Joe’s in Albuquerque, N.M. Poured from a bottle into a small glass (maybe eight ounces) that I had in the hotel room in Albuquerque, N.M. on April 21. Color was caramel, but pale with lots of bubbles. Just about a finger of head. Light lacing on the top that dissipated almost right away. No film on the sides.

Pretty weak smell. Only got hops after I practically snorted it. Got a light whiff of caramel, but really nothing else.

The taste was almost as weak. Got a few flavors, but it was almost like they couldn’t figure out which one to put where. Hardly got any hops, which was a bit surprising. Not a lot of taste. Maybe some late caramel, but nothing complex at all.

Medium body. Oily thin texture. Very carbonated. Abrupt finish.

Nothing to say about this beer. It started bad and ended bad, and there was a whole bunch of bad in between.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2012 04:23:47 | More by BucannonXC5

travolta

California

2/5  rDev -24.5%
look: 3 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

App: Golden apricot in color, slightly tan head with quickly disappearing head. Very minimal lacing.

Nose: Really? Not much going on here. Some malt when I really tried, but not much else.

Taste: Syrupy, with calm carbonation and a wet/smooth mouthfeel. A bit of strawberry and some tropical fruits.

Notes: Not very true to style. In ABV, yes, but in hop profile, no. You can't beat the price. Hops heads can skip this one.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2012 02:09:24 | More by travolta

cswhitehorse

Oregon

1.2/5  rDev -54.7%
look: 3 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1.5

I got this 22oz bomber from Trader Joe's here in Portland. I think it was a cheap price and now I can understand why. Usually they have some really good products but I wouldn't consider this one of them. The appearance was burnt orange with a not much of a head or lacing on the sides of the glass. The smell was pretty non existent and off. The taste really thin for a double and it left a poor aftertaste in the mouth. If I wasn't so cheap I might poor this one out. Overall it tastes like a first time off home brewers attempt.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2012 01:36:08 | More by cswhitehorse

drewone

California

1.15/5  rDev -56.6%
look: 3 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1

I think this the first beer that I am about to drain pour - don't even like to review but this is that bad - i would even grade on a curve considering the price - had low expectations and even those were not meet.

Absolute no hop aroma, smells sweet, corn syrupy.

No hop taste either, very slight bitterness, super sweet malty, alcohol doesn't come through.

looks half way decent.

mouth feel is overwhelmed by sweetness.

This is seriously not that different than simpler times - not to style at all.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2012 07:16:01 | More by drewone

AWolfAtTheDoor

California

2.83/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

This was 1.99 at Trader Joe's.

Coppery hue to the yellow color. Very clear. Very little head, no lacing.

Not much on the nose. After a quick swirl, I detect some sour hops, and a nice whiff of alcohol.

More alcohol on the palate. Was there any grain that went into this beer? Some wet grassy hops, very little malt flavor to speak of. Metallic pepper mixed in as well.

Slightly under carbonated, thin mouthfeel. Alcohol twang sits around. Not good.

Overall I don't know what I was expecting for a $2 bomber. I guess I saw "Wisconsin" and automatically thought it would be at least drinkable. I'd have been better off drinking a hunk of their cheese.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2012 04:17:39 | More by AWolfAtTheDoor

Nugganooch

California

3.18/5  rDev +20%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Trader Joes Purchase
-says brewed by Rhinelander Brewco - Monroe WI...which looks like who acquired Minhas.

22oz bomber to pint glass

A: Pours a mostly clear caramel amber color with some hazy orange hues to it. Carb looks way low although it is bubblin. Just a thin sheet of white lace across the top. Some splashes of lace.

S: Nice big pine and grass aromas up front. An overall caramel malt sweetness. Some spice and alcohol present.

T: Piney yet malt forward with a roast caramel sweetness. A hit of juicy hops. It's really quite bitter actually. Harsh at first especially at mid-back palate. Has a fruity component with notes of apple and pear. Alcohol. Peppery with a dry crisp finish. Not bad but balance needs some work.

M: Medium-heavier body with some sticky sweet sugars that linger. Somewhat chalky at times. Lighter in finish with a dry crispness.

D: Somewhat filling and harsh at times with a sharp bitterness. Touch on the malt heavy sweeter side of things. All considered its a not a horrible DIPA...especially for the price. Still comes through with some big hops.
Could definitely use some clean up work on this one but for the price I could easily see myself grabbing a few more of these in the future.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2012 23:27:46 | More by Nugganooch

fezmeister

California

3.6/5  rDev +35.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Okay, so lots of people expecting a DIPA and getting this are likely going to be disappointed. That said, this is a much better beer than commentary is likely to indicate, if reviews are based partially upon living up to style.

The beers pours a golden orange, a bit cloudy, lighter than the darker colors I'm used to seeing in a double, but not outside the realm of possibility. Nose is a pleasant mild blend of fruity hops, sweet malts, and...corn?? Taking a swallow the taste is very similar. I drink corny beers so infrequently that I may have had trouble placing its flavor save a happy accidental run-in with another Wisconsin corned beer last week. It's so strong in the flavor profile of this one that I'd think that alone would automatically eject it from the imperial IPA genre, without even going into the rather underdone hop content for what is expected from this style. That said, I actually enjoy what this beer has to offer the drinker. The hops taste good, although they appear briefly, the malt is sweet but light and not sticky, and the corn is tasty, with a long, smooth finish. This would be an unusual beer even if placed in the IPA genre; I can't quite figure out where it fits in, but it's pretty good. Just don't expect a double!

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2012 05:50:37 | More by fezmeister

notchucknorris

California

2.78/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: Copper in color with a one finger cream colored head.

S: Not getting a ton of hops. A sort of metallic smell and some faint toasted malt. Pretty weak aroma.

T: Yeah, this doesn't seem like a DIPA at all. What hops are there seem faded and purely resinous. Mostly a biscuity malt with some caramel and some faded hop resin on the finish. I wasn't really a fan. IMO, if you're in Trader Joes, the Chocolate Stout is worth the $2, but this is not.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 04:38:00 | More by notchucknorris

kojevergas

California

3.1/5  rDev +17%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

1 pint 6 fl oz (650 ml) brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap served into a N'Ice Chouffe beer flute in low altitude Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live. Expectations are high. Acquired at a Trader Joe's in Los Angeles.

A: Pours a one finger head of slight cream, decent thickness, and good retention (especially for the 8.4% ABV). Colour is not a "deep amber" as per the label, but rather a transparent textbook copper. She looks pretty good, and about right for the style as well.

Sm: Caramel and candied sugar, actually. I was expecting a blanket of hops, but they're rather faint. There might be a cherry ester somewhere in there, but it's hard to tell. A mild to moderate strength aroma, and a pleasant one at that.

T: Where are the hops? Candied sugar is quite apparent, particularly in the second half and throughout the body. I don't get much hop bitterness, and what little there is is covered up by the well-placed caramelized malt on the finish. It's nicely balanced, but strange for the style with its relative lack of hops. I drank this the day after purchasing it, so I'm not concerned about hop death. It's rather simply built - to its detriment. There's not a whole lot going on here, but I do appreciate the balance. No alcohol comes through.

Mf: Smooth and wet, but also a bit coarse from the candied sugar on the finish. Too thick for the lack of flavours.

Dr: A drinkable beer but a boring one, this so called double IPA will disappoint hopheads. That said, it remains a pleasant brew that's probably best suited to a spring night. I wouldn't buy it again, and I doubt I'd even want to try it on draught.

I doubt it would pair well with food. Not recommended for aging.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2012 02:09:08 | More by kojevergas

Enish266

California

1.7/5  rDev -35.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

22 oz bottle for $1.99 from Trader Joe's. Code on bottom is 1277 01W1277. This doesn't match up with bottle date codes online and my best guess is it was bottled on the 277th day of 2011. If that information is right it is approximately three months old.

A - Deep reddish-copper hue. Head is moderate and mostly dissipates after a few minutes.

S - Caramel and herbal with a touch of dish soap. I can't for the life of my pick out any hop aromas.

T - Grassy and sweet. This reminds me of an amber or a Märzen much more than a double IPA. Rated at 75 IBU and seems a lot less bitter than that. Finishes with pine and metallic notes. I can't wait to cleanse my palate with something else.

M - Carbonation is on the low side and is thin but sticky at the same time.

O - I only finished half the bottle and had to dump the rest. Not recommended for anyone I like.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2012 02:34:00 | More by Enish266