BarrelHouse Boss Cox Double Dark IPA
Barrel House Brewing Company

BarrelHouse Boss Cox Double Dark IPABarrelHouse Boss Cox Double Dark IPA
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From:
Barrel House Brewing Company
 
Ohio, United States
Style:
American IPA
ABV:
8.6%
Score:
82
Avg:
3.61 | pDev: 12.74%
Reviews:
81
Ratings:
84
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Feb 16, 2012
Added:
May 25, 2006
Wants:
  2
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by prototypic:
Photo of prototypic
Reviewed by prototypic from Ohio

3.53/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Appearance: It pours a clear, dark reddish brown color. Head is a massive two fingers. Retention was great and a thick coat lace lined the glass.

Smell: Very sweet up front. Great combo of caramel-toffee malts and citrus sweetness (mostly grapefruit, lemon, and mango). Hops are piney and strong.

Taste: Caramel malts and citrus flavors are sweet initially. Hops do provide a bitter factor to it, but not quite like I was expecting. Malt actually balances it out a little too much. Somewhat yeasty and leaves the palate quite dry.

Mouthfeel/drinkability: It's medium bodied. Carbonation is okay. Relatively smooth and drinkable. Drinkability is somewhat limited by its strength. Overall, it's a pretty good effort.
Jan 14, 2008
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.5 by Tyrawlings from Ohio

Feb 16, 2012
 
Rated: 3 by brandoman63 from Illinois

Nov 28, 2011
 
Rated: 3 by Jenray from Texas

Nov 20, 2011
Photo of phiberoptik
Reviewed by phiberoptik from Illinois

3.88/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bought directly from Barrelhouse's loading dock in 22oz bottles.

My wife and I split one of these at least once a week.

Its a dark, slightly cloudy reddish brown. The aroma is not as hoppy as I would expect but no off note or anything. The taste is very nice. I am actually enjoying a Stone IPA right now and believe it to be slightly more hoppy than this double. I dont taste the roasted malts that make it "dark", but bottom line, this beer tastes good, its a local brew, and the guys really take pride in it.

I would be happy to trade this with those outside of our area!
Apr 03, 2010
Photo of RedChrome
Reviewed by RedChrome from Connecticut

3.33/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A murk body with a chestnut color to the beer. Creamy inch and a half tan head took about four minutes to sink down to a cover. Too murky to note carbonation rising. Large lace spots.

Strong blend of hops and malt up front in the nose. The aroma is a bit on the gritty grain side. Nice hops bitterness is earthy in tone. Malt is strong on dark fruit scents.

Hops are quite subdued on the tongue, and malt takes over. A bit weak in flavor. A raisin flavor with a bitter floral hop coating. Good flavors, just weak.

Decent feel on the tongue, but flavors run away quickly. Carbonation is a bit flat.

Just above average brew. Would go good with a Shepard's pie. Flavor is just a bit weak to make an above average brew a good one. Good, but not worth hunting for specifically.
Feb 01, 2010
Photo of fightingwords
Reviewed by fightingwords from Kentucky

3.38/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5
A--mahagony and translucent. Big fluffy Belgian-esque white head. Avg retention.

S--candied sugars, raisiny, slightly bready malts. Almost no spicy or earthy hops. The nose is very floral.

T--all sweet malts w/ hints of raisin or dried prunes. The hops are present but not balanced. The tastes is unique and delcious but misleading based on name alone.

M--lighter bodied drink given the malt profile. Clean finish, and a relatively high carbonation.

D--Just too unbalanced to make this a quaffable drink.

Definately dark, and certainly unique but not what I was expecting. The hops take a full on backseat which is a let down because of the style but honestly the beer is saved by its tasty uniquness. I say try it and stay open minded.
Nov 19, 2009
Photo of DanielClouser
Reviewed by DanielClouser from Georgia

2.79/5  rDev -22.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
22 oz. bomber into Duvel tulip

A--Above average. Dark for an IPA--almost porter-like in low light but a nice reddish amber when back-lit. Head is decent, with a fluffiness absent in many American beers, but it fades fairly quickly, leaving minimal lacing.

S--What? This is an IPA? Where are the hops? I smell some caramel malts but little else. Maybe a little tart apple or something odd that seems out of place.

T--This just doesn't taste like an IPA. There's some tartness that comes from somewhere (maybe an infection, as in the intensely infected winter brew I've reviewed from this brewery). It's bitter, but there are no hop aromatics. Admittedly, the bottle may be old (no date that I can find on the bottle), but there should be more from the hops here. I think there's a tiny tad of diacetyl in here, too. There's some astringency as well. Despite all of these flaws, I say it tastes average. While awful as an attempt at an IPA, it's really better than many beers I've had.

M--No complaints on the mouthfeel, but it's nothing spectacular.

D--Really, for a beer approaching 9% ABV, the drinkability is very high. For all it's faults, the alcohol is very well hidden.

I paid only $1.29 for this bomber, but I imagine that, given its regular price of $3.99, someone must have complained about infection (that, or someone noticed that a discount may be in order when some bottles are filled to within 1/2" of the cap, while others' level never reach the neck).
Jun 02, 2009
Photo of bhalter8
Reviewed by bhalter8 from Georgia

3.13/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
Pours a deep brown, maybe not double dark. Thin white head recedes quickly. Aroma, well, its very sweet smelling, I get all malt here, and no hops. Especially odd considering the barrel on the label is at the far end of the hop spectrum... The lack of hops continues to the taste, I get this is a dark DIPA, but still... I maybe getting a little bitterness at the back end, but it is very faint. Mouthfeel is fine, it rests easy, probably the best attribute in this one. It's almost chalky, not really a pleasant drink. Not a drain poor, but I forced this one down. I am normally a rather positive reviewer, but this one seems like a homebrew gone bad to me.
May 22, 2009
Photo of movingtrain
Reviewed by movingtrain from Ohio

3.12/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
A: Not as dark as I thought it would be. copper in color...just a bit darker than a barlywine style ale...1/2 finger tan head...light carbonation.

S: Hoppy...sweet...caramel...citrus...what you might expect from an IPA. Floral, but not overpowering.

T: Malty...chalky...sweet up front...hops on the back of the tongue...kind of empty in the middle. Watery...doesn't taste like and 8.6% ABV beer...the hop finish is all bitter...not much sweetness or spice...kind of stings the back of the tongue.

Overall: Decent...would be good if this were the only micro available in Ohio...not as complex as I thought it would be...Drinkable, but not outstanding.
May 21, 2009
Photo of MPLS
Reviewed by MPLS from Minnesota

3.82/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A: Certainly dark for IPA standards, amber body with a lighter frothy 2 cm head that seemed fluffy and light. Minimal lacing, as soon as the head diminished.

S: Is this an IPA? There wasn't a big citrus of hop overload to my nostrils. Smells like all caramel malts to me.

T: Oddly the first thing that popped into my mind was, this tastes like sweet butterscotch. There was not a huge IPA element to this beer, but it seemed to make the beer sweet, although not very bitter.

M: Decent mouthfeel, but doesn't possess caramel like smoothness.

D: Good job of hiding the ABV, it poked it's head as it warmed, I wouldn't be able to drink a lot of this from the butterscotch association.
May 07, 2009
Photo of soundbarrier
Reviewed by soundbarrier from Ohio

3.73/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours dark ruby with about 2 fingers of head. Some lacing after tan head diminishes.

Aroma of roasty caramel with a smidge of alcohol. Taste is caramelly, malty and citrusy with hop bitterness on the finish.

Medium-heavy body, moderate carbonation. Sweet, bitter, long aftertaste.

May be a tad unbalanced for some tastes. Pretty high ABV at nearly 9%
Mar 24, 2009
Photo of mrquartetman
Reviewed by mrquartetman from Illinois

4.7/5  rDev +30.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
A: Deep, dark amber, pours with a very good head

S: Big malt nose, no noticeable hop

T: Huge malt right up front, surprisingly little hop anywhere, stays robustly nutty and caramely all the way through the finish.

M: Very dense, chewy, strongly malty.

D: A most highly drinkable beer

Double Dark, I'll buy. But IPA? How is this beer an IPA? It is a very tasty beer, ignoring the style issue, so I didn't mind at all.
Mar 13, 2009
Photo of bamadog
Reviewed by bamadog from Ohio

3.73/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Just had this on tap over at The Comet and it wasn't quite was I expecting for an IPA - double dark or otherwise. Not much of a hop profile.

Appearance: Dark brown and amber in color. Thin lacing on top and a firm ring of it around the edge of the glass. Fairly clear and didn't see a ton of carbonation in it, but it was definitely present in the mouthfeel.

Smell: A bit of a vinegar essence to the smell - strong malty scent right up front as well. A smidge of hoppy bitterness is buried somewhere in there, but as mentioned above, not as much as I would have expected or hoped for.

Taste: Intersting to say the least - very carmelly sweet, reminiscent of a Scottish Ale, but the vinegar presence is there as well and it made it slightly awkward to drink. There is also a mild fruity sweetness in there as well, but I couldn't pin down exactly what kind of fruit it is. Again, a very slight hoppy bitterness is at the end as it goes down.

Mouthfeel: Stronger carbonation than I would have expected, not as sticky as I would have wanted but not bad either. Didn't "wow" me.

Drinkability: Not something I see myself going back to enjoy. I think if I see something with "double" and "ipa" in the name, I expect something considerably more hoppy and upfront.
Feb 17, 2009
Photo of MasterSki
Reviewed by MasterSki from Canada (ON)

3.5/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Thanks to Dave Schuster for tossing this into a Darkness Day deal. Poured into one of my trusty steins. I suppose it's appropriate that this is a Dark IPA...

A - Huge tan head, tons of lacing, excellent retention - so why only a four? The color is hideous, a kind of drab murky brown, with only nice cherry wood coloration at the fringes.

S - Sweet citrus hops with a bit of lemon and pine, but also some caramel & toffee flavors. Smell is rather understated and doesn't leap out of the glass.

T - Taste is...not what I expected. There some toffee-like sweetness, some smoke character, a bitter hop aftertaste, and a boozy flavor in there for which I don't care much. It's not bad, but not great either, and definitely doesn't taste like an IPA (American or British).

M - A little chalky, thin, and over-carbonated for my liking. Minor complaints as it's otherwise smooth, creamy, and solid.

D - It's OK - I finished a bomber by myself. It tastes like an 8.6% beer. Kind of interesting as a novelty, but not something I'd seek out again.
Jan 14, 2009
Photo of hopdog
Reviewed by hopdog from Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
22oz bottles acquired in a couple of trades.

Poured a deeper mahogany color with an averaged sized off white head. Aromas of caramel, citrus, butterscotch candies, and some pine. The caramel and butterscotch dominate. Tastes of caramel, citrus, and a little earthy. Malts dominate with the hoppiness taking a back seat. Alcohol well hidden. Weaker body.

Notes from 8/30/07
Nov 23, 2008
Photo of DrJay
Reviewed by DrJay from Texas

3.9/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Bottle courtesy of mikesgroove. Thanks!
Clear, light brown in colour with a bit of a reddish hue. The pour produced a two finger cap of dark beige bubbles that settled very slowly. Chunky clumps of foam clung to the glass. The initial aroma was a combination of brown sugar and mild pine. As it warmed, notes of honey, cereal grains, and a bit of fruit appeared. Bitterness was solid, but not overbearing, with a bit of a kick towards the end along with some piney hops. The flavour was mostly malt, some toffee and grain, apples, maybe a hint of cherry in the finish. Just a bit of alcohol was also apparent in the finish, along with some warmth. Medium bodied with average carbonation, but nicely integrated. This is really an odd duck. There were things I really liked about it and things that I couldn't put my finger on that didn't quite sit right. Definitely an interesting beer.
Aug 15, 2008
Photo of naproxen
Reviewed by naproxen from District of Columbia

3.94/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
What sucks is that this is listed as an American IPA, and there is no category for, let's say, American Indian Brown Ale or Indian Dark Ale. So style wise, this loses points, but I was never one to follow the rules...

More head from this beer than your normal street walker, that is for sure. Nice thick taupe head about an inch or two thick that took more than a minute to settle. The body is a deep caramel brown with a small reddish glow. The smell is definitely reminiscent of a hoppy barleywine, dark and malty and mildly sweet. First, caramel hits the palette, replaced slowly by the dark malt and hop bite, which is thankfully not overpowering. I can't get the taste to leave my mouth after a few sips but I am not complaining, this beer is right up my alley. After letting the last few oz's warm up a bit, the alcohol really comes to the forefront and I am reminded of a very boozy tasting strong ale I had which escapes my memory (probably due to the alcohol, whoops)

8.6%, in a bomber, you are in for a sweet night.

Glad I picked this up in my travels earlier this year, I have been putting off cracking it for awhile.
Jul 24, 2008
Photo of tronester
Reviewed by tronester from Oklahoma

3.55/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Pours a dark amber/brown with a big, tan head. Smells of raisins, alcohol, and toasted barley, a lot like a Barleywine. Taste is very malty, sweet, with a hint of earthy hop aroma. There is a slight acidicness as well. Bitterness levels provide a nice balance. Just like the smell though, this tastes exactly like a Barleywine. Mouthfeel is super creamy, smooth carbonation. Drinkable, but with the very sweet taste it would be hard to drink more than one 22oz bottle in one night. This is a good beer, but IMO is not an American IPA, it tastes much more like an American Barleywine, or American Strong Ale
Jul 19, 2008
Photo of roadhouse
Reviewed by roadhouse from Florida

3.58/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Poured from 22 oz. bomber bottle into a pint glass.

Appears a dark reddish brown with an off-white, almost tan, one and a half finger head. No lacing.

Aroma is quite malty overall. Notes of caramel, raisins, some chocolate, and piney hops. Good, but a bit too malty for an IPA.

Taste is similar to the aroma. Caramel, piney hops, figs, and dark chocolate on the finish. Again, not quite enough hops.

Mouthfeel is good. Medium body, perhaps a bit too much carbonation for my liking.

Overall I found this to be pretty tasty, but it seemed to lack the characteristics of an IPA that I really enjoy. It was more malty than hoppy I think. It did taste good though, just not so much as an IPA.
Jul 15, 2008
BarrelHouse Boss Cox Double Dark IPA from Barrel House Brewing Company
Beer rating: 82 out of 100 with 84 ratings