Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Dark Horse Double Crooked Tree IPA

Dark Horse Brewing Co.   Marshall, MI

Notes:
Double I.P.A.
12oz Bottle
12% ABV



Appearance:  Pours a slightly hazy, caramel brown…a classic IPA color…I can see sediment floating all about on the inside…head is off white and settles very, very thin just barely covering surface…beer looks a bit watery when I swirl it around…lack of any real head is a detriment for me…(2.75/5)

Smell:  A nice orange, tangerine and pineapple citrus zest up front…it’s mouthwateringly fresh…sharp piney resin comes through next, very distinct, almost peppery and tingles my nose…malts are lightly sweet, caramel based and support the hops fest/zest that is this double IPA…slightly boozy….a wonderfully aromatic brew…(4/5)

Taste:  Yum!  Flavor develops rather subtly…a wonderful creaminess at first, then a smooth stream of piney hops bitterness and sweet caramel malts come next…while it’s hop dominant, the malt flavor balances things out - this definitely isn’t a runaway freight train of hops…it’s good…with every sip, I get just a little bit of a different flavor, sometimes it’s orange/pineapple up front, sometimes sharp pine, sometimes sweet bready caramel malts…tons of flavor and a pure sipper…Yum! (4.5/5)

Mouthfeel:  Medium body with medium to full carbonation…it does fluff up bringing piney resin and light lemon peel bitterness to the palate…wet, mildly chewy and slightly robust…piney resin bitterness lasts through the after taste but isn’t overly dominant and just fades nicely into the sunset…I get some of that sharp piney resin tingle on the edges of my tongue…(3.99/5)

Overall:  Had to come back the next day to finish this review, I definitely caught a buzz…at 12% ABV, it’s a very drinkable, strong double IPA with tons of flavor and a sip-ability that allows it to sneak up on you…I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s too strong, but for sure this is a, “at home, on the couch with no serious machinery needed to be handled or maintained” type of beer…crack one of these open, pour it into a glass, then sit back and enjoy a few of your favorite episodes of say, Parks and Rec…sounds great to me! (4.5/5)

Score:
(4.07/5)


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