Cluster
Double Mountain Brewery & Taproom

ClusterCluster
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From:
Double Mountain Brewery & Taproom
 
Oregon, United States
Style:
American IPA
ABV:
7.3%
Score:
87
Avg:
3.85 | pDev: 9.35%
Reviews:
27
Ratings:
116
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jul 15, 2017
Added:
Jun 07, 2011
Wants:
  3
Gots:
  15
Single Hop IPA

"Clusters were the dominant hop in the US brewing industry literally for centuries, and the forerunner for many of our modern Northwest varieties. They have a unique aroma with quite a bit of citrus and a heft of herbal goodness. The Clusterf#ck recipe features Clusters in the kettle, in the hopback and especially in the fermenter for dry-hopping. Pilsner and honey malts form the baseline; Clusters form the melody"
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by JohnGalt1:
Photo of JohnGalt1
Reviewed by JohnGalt1 from Idaho

3.83/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
RB

Mini-growler picked up tonight at Bier Thirty in Bown... Pours a bit hazy golden... decent white head has beautiful lacing despite the flimsy cap.

Nose is a weird hop mash-up... citrus+lessor melon with a background skunky almost catty hoppiness.. pretty sharp.. the "catty" note is really jumping out... just enough pale maltiness to balance.

Good bitterness with a fantastic hop flavor.. again is a bit catty with the pithy citrus/husky melon..

Zippy mouthfeel... never gives way to the EtOH... crisp and very drinkable.

Very well made IPA.. I would buy this again and again if I found fresh bottles... Now, I will retire to the rest of my growler.

3.75/3.75/3.75/4/4
Jul 02, 2014
More User Ratings:
Photo of Lone_Freighter
Reviewed by Lone_Freighter from Vermont

3.59/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Thanks Frank. This was poured into a becher pint glass. The appearance was a golden orange color with a finger’s worth of white foamy head that fell off at a good pace. Not much lace. The aroma had some earthy hop spice, light honey, black pepper, dried leaves and some sweet freshly cut grass. The flavor brought the prior mentioned aromas in semi-sweet with an ample amount of spice. Aftertaste was hop spice and black pepper. Finish was the hop spice. The palate was just a touch under than medium bodied with a fair sessionability about it. Carbonation felt fine. ABV felt fine. Hop spice wasn’t too distracting, felt, but yes, not distracting. Overall, I didn’t mind this for me, but coming from the West Coast, I thought there would have been a stronger malt base in most "West coast styled IPA’s" but hey, this wasn’t bad for the most part.
Jul 15, 2017
 
Rated: 3.75 by Kmat10 from Canada (AB)

Apr 23, 2017
Photo of Todd
Reviewed by Todd from Finland

3.74/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Decanted slowly to leave the dregs in the bottle, Cluster pours a clear, golden and orangey hued beer with a creamy foam head and sticky lace. Herbal and citrusy nose that follows into the palate. A bit light bodied with a prickly and creamy carbonation. Fruity and hoppy notes with flavors of apple, grass and bright citrus rinds. Quite bitter with hint of tartness. Some hoppy grit, raw leafiness and oiliness sticks to the tongue too. Bready malts emerge as the beer warms with a dry, biscuity finish.

A bit rough and astringent, but I dig the refreshing focus found here.
Nov 24, 2016
Photo of stevoj
Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho

3.12/5  rDev -19%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
After drinking some big beers earlier, this comes off kind of bland. Pretty smooth though, creamy texture, silky head, mellow aroma. Taste is subdued for an IPA, malt and hops identifiable in the mix. Good, but kind of weak.
Nov 14, 2016
Photo of biboergosum
Reviewed by biboergosum from Canada (AB)

3.79/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
500ml bottle - doesn't 'cluster' mean a bunch of things, as opposed to 'single'? #scratcheshead

This beer pours a clear, bright medium copper yellow colour, with three fingers of puffy, loosely foamy, and chunky eggshell white head, which leaves some eroding limestone formation lace around the glass as it quickly blows off.

It smells of gritty and grainy pale malt, biscuity caramel, some chalky flintiness, mixed citrus and more exotic tropical fruit notes, and some plain leafy, floral, and piney green hop bitters. The taste is bready and crackery caramel malt, a pithy minerality, some still muddled drupe, melon and citrusy fruitiness, and more herbal, leafy, and tea-like hop bitterness.

The bubbles are pretty low-key in their basic package frothiness, the body an adequate middleweight, and generally smooth, I suppose, no hop acridity taking the time to make a party-pooping ass of itself here. It finishes off-dry, the malt holding steady, while the lingering blended fruity esters start their long, arcing wane.

Overall, this is an agreeable enough IPA, the (I get it now - 'cluster' is a hop varietal) single hopping doing its damnedest to cover all the bases. Lots of robust flavour, with very few individual ones standing out - not a bad thing, imbibement-wise, amirite?
Aug 16, 2016
Photo of beercam
Reviewed by beercam from Colorado

2.72/5  rDev -29.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75
tastes like a strong miller - sorry to be so harsh but... ya. just doesn't measure up. everything here is on point, except for the beer itself. these brewers are talented, driven, creative. this showcases none of those attributes. a miss. but that doesn't mean i'm not still loyal! try again double mountain.
Jul 31, 2016
 
Rated: 2.62 by drone from Oregon

Jul 21, 2016
 
Rated: 4 by NickThePyro from Washington

Jul 02, 2016
 
Rated: 3.77 by LXIXME from New Mexico

Jun 15, 2016
 
Rated: 3.85 by abrodsky from Massachusetts

Jun 14, 2016
 
Rated: 4 by AdamSkylar from Washington

Jun 06, 2016
 
Rated: 3.76 by McBAINx from Washington

May 31, 2016
 
Rated: 3.3 by DOCRW from Kentucky

Dec 27, 2015
Photo of Reidrover
Reviewed by Reidrover from Oregon

3.06/5  rDev -20.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3
500 ml bottle bought from Lifesource Natural Grocer in Salem OR $4.99 Pours a pale orangey colour with a large rocky/frothy off white head. Not getting a whole lot of hop aroma..some honey some slight pepper and spice.Lot of caramel malt. Taste is very earthy..semi bitter, some honey again and a touch of white pepper in the end. Palate is OK for style nothing great..almost cloying in the end. ’Not a great beer..found it quite dull..note to self.do not buy any more cluster hop beers.
Oct 17, 2015
 
Rated: 3.98 by clager from Michigan

Oct 08, 2015
 
Rated: 3.55 by Beervana from Canada (BC)

Sep 25, 2015
Photo of flagmantho
Reviewed by flagmantho from Washington

3.93/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from 500mL bottle into a dimpled mug. Bottled 7/3/15.

Appearance: light golden hue with a moderate haze and a thick finger of frothy white foam that leaves a nice lace as it dissipates. Not bad!

Smell: sweet with a somewhat undefinable fruitiness; perhaps something like pineapple. A tad cloying, perhaps, but interesting.

Taste: quite fruity, again possibly pineapple, with kind of an earthy finish. There's a fair amount of sweetness and a touch of alcohol heat coming through as well. I find this beer growing on me.

Mouthfeel: medium body with a good level of carbonation and creaminess for an IPA. It works for me!

Overall: like I said, this beer is growing on me. Kind of bizarre, but worth a try.
Sep 16, 2015
 
Rated: 4.04 by Tunic from Washington

Sep 13, 2015
 
Rated: 4.09 by 2GOOFY from California

Sep 02, 2015
Cluster from Double Mountain Brewery & Taproom
Beer rating: 87 out of 100 with 116 ratings