Double Crooked Tree IPA
Dark Horse Brewing Company

Appearance – This, dirty pond brown had an appropriately moderate head.

Smell – The nose is powerful and equal parts toasted malt and heavy citrus hops with light lemon. This is a big balanced DIPA.

Taste – The monster hops step up at the taste but the heavy malts keep them in check. A sharp pine flavor shows up at the taste.

Mouthfeel – This full-bodied DIPA is moderately dry. I expected a super-dry finish but the caramel from the malts keeps it pretty even. There is absolutely no alcohol sting so beware of this 12.0 ABV heavy hitter.

Drinkability – This is dangerously easy to chug.

 

 

 

 

Look - really nice thick dark auburn color with a big slight tan head and lacing
Smell - lots of caramel malts and piney hops
Taste - bitter piney slight citrus hops with a thick caramel malt backbone
Feel - thick body with a medium carbonation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12 oz bottle from 2015 (don't know bottle date) .
Poured dark amber, minor head dissipated quickly with some lacing.

Nose of a convoluted battle between hop, malt, pine, caramel and ?!? teriyaki ?!?

Palate of hops and hops interlocked in a battle with malts, caramels and pine. Semi thick mouth feel with slight sting left on the tongue. Higher AVB not really noticeable on the mouth but definitely warms the central nervous system after several quaffs.

This one aged rather well becoming smoother. Just the teriyaki aroma on the nose I can't place my finger on and seemed a little off.

Enjoyable.

 

Holy crap, this beer is kicking my ass and taking names. Twelve ounce can from Siciliano in Grand Rapids, poured into a 16 oz willi glass. Deep amber color topped with 2+ inches of firm white head that lasts longer than one of those My Pillows you see advertised on TV. Smell is a mix of pine, biscuits and pure, sweet alcohol. Did i mention this is 12%ABV? I cant remember because it kicked my ass and took my name. On the tongue this hits you with a well balanced but extremely potent mix of malt and hop bitterness (86 ibus) with tons or resinous pine, a hint of grapefruit, and dankety dankness to the max. Although I can smell the alcohol, the brew does a good job of hidi g it in the flavor profile. This is a great old fashioned true double IPA in the West Coast style. I love it but cant have another tonight because it kicked my ass and took my name.

 

A Malt Bomb, but it hides the Booze Well.

 

 

 

Bottled early 2016; drank 2/12/16 @ the Yarchives.

Semi-opaque ruby red appearance.

A rough pour yielded a nice eggshell head; a thick curtain of tree-rung lace.

Blood orange, burnt caramel & faint banana notes in the nose.

Medium thick mouthfeel.

Burnt caramel & faint banana flavors up front; dry grapefruit notes on the finish. No booze heat!

Decent American Barleywine vibes; I'm not blown away.

Poured from a single-serve bottle into a tulip...

Pours dark copper/amber with a slowly rising, and fast-clearing head, with good lacing/legging.

The aroma is heavy, especially initially, on the malts. Big, sweet, almost brown-sugar notes initially dominate, although there are citrus and pine hops notes in the background, as well as herbal, rather than typical floral aromas. The booze is there, but not overpowering.

The flavor is quite strong and unapologetic, yet somehow stays balanced. The malty sweetness is the first flavor to hit the palate, again with brown sugar in the forefront, but also subtle hints of caramel and biscuit/grain. The hops arrive to provide much-needed balance to save the day. Mostly pine notes, but touches of orange citrus (zest, flesh, and pith as well) with herbal/spice, leather and tobacco flavors, and a bit of grassiness. The booze is, again, definitely present, but remarkably blended--this is only a "warm" D(T?)IPA, not a burner.

The mouthfeel is actually rather remarkable. Despite the big malt-bomb presence, the carbonation is solid, and this brew never crosses over into "heavy" territory. Medium/full bodied, and definitely a sipper, it is still very drinkable.

I agree with others that the malt presence evokes comparisons to a barleywine, but the hops here are not an afterthought---they are a full partner. A true "Triple" IPA.. Another quirky and worthy brew from DH.

 

 

 

Whoa, damn, this one was good. Surprising flavors and oh-so-smooth. Looks great, deep caramel-amber color with some light tan head and spotty lingering lacing. Smells faintly of bitter fruity zest hops but then there’s a small punch of some sort of malty goodness. Tastes of mildly-bitter grapefruit zest hops and a little herbal hops, but then there’s also depth with toffee, vanilla, caramel and some roasted coffee nuttiness - flavors I didn’t expect in an imperial IPA. Nice malt backbone to balance everything out. Smooth, slightly creamy mouthfeel and perfect carbonation. High 12% ABV was very well-hidden and only as the beer warmed did the alcohol come through. Excellent!

 

Very attractive semi-lacey off-white finger-thick head and a beautiful caramel/amber color to the beer itself. Carbonation itself is even visually the perfect balance. The taste itself is impressively diverse. Butter-toffee, honey, and caramel notes balance out the tangerine, apricot, and grapefruit (not really, but what IPA review doesnt mention grapefruit?). Warmer, less fruity flavors seem to come through with almost coffee notes once it warms up a little. The 12% abv was deceiving. I had to look it up after drinking two and thinking something was wrong with me lol. Definitely a good night-time 'couple beers after work' drink.

This is a chill-hazed burnt amber beer with a thin khaki blanket that exhibits notes of caramel, wet pine, rug, and a surprising lack of the boozy heat I expected from it. The body is smooth and more drinkable that I imagined, but still not a favorite flavor-wise.

 

Pours a caramel color with an off white head that quickly fades, nice lacing. Aroma comes across as Orange rind. It has a sweet malty taste. This is an awfully tasty and dangerous beer.

 

 

 

Great flavor