Dark Horse Double Crooked Tree IPA | Dark Horse Brewing Company




Brewed by:
Dark Horse Brewing Company
Michigan, United States
darkhorsebrewery.com
Style: American Double / Imperial IPA
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 12.00%
Availability: Spring
Notes / Commercial Description:
Have you read the description for the regular Crooked Tree yet? Well this beer is almost the same just double the flavor and alcohol. We actually took the Crooked Tree recipe and doubled all of the ingredients except the water, just the way a DOUBLE should be made. Big hops balanced with tons of malt give this beer a huge body. Although this beer is as cool as "The Fonz" when first purchased, it gets really mellow and smooth with some age. After a year or two stored in a cool dark place you'll notice the heavy caramel and malt flavors are trying to sneak past the hops. This beer is hugely delicious so it will need your undivided attention (the chores can wait....trust us).
98 IBUs
Added by putnam on 03-05-2005
HISTOGRAM
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Ratings: 2,861 | Reviews: 930
4.31/5 rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Tried this tonight from tap for the first time. A very good DIPA. Could become a new staple in my home if I can find it when I get back to St. Louis.
Dark Amber, clear, high alcohol content is apparent in the nose, along with a good helping of hops. A little syrupy with some caramel apple taste, but overall a fine DIPA.
If you like Dogfish 90 minute, you'll probably like this, although the hops are very different, the overall satisfaction was similar to me. Definitely worth a try if you're a fan of DIPAs.
513 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Tried this tonight from tap for the first time. A very good DIPA. Could become a new staple in my home if I can find it when I get back to St. Louis.
Dark Amber, clear, high alcohol content is apparent in the nose, along with a good helping of hops. A little syrupy with some caramel apple taste, but overall a fine DIPA.
If you like Dogfish 90 minute, you'll probably like this, although the hops are very different, the overall satisfaction was similar to me. Definitely worth a try if you're a fan of DIPAs.
513 characters
3.75/5 rDev -9.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.84/5 rDev -7.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.65/5 rDev -12%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
L: This beer is so incredibly dark for an IPA. Poured a mild brown color with a thin, half-finger of head on top. Not entirely transparent but a good amount of light comes through the glass.
S: Smells like a malt bomb. The commercial description on this beer claims that it is okay to age this, and I think my current bottle is a couple months past its "best by" date. It's hard to consider this an IPA in its current state.
T: I think most of the hops have faded in the bottle that I have, so I am mostly getting a huge malt presence. Caramel sweetness combines with some smooth, dark liquor flavors. Not what you would expect from an IPA, but maybe from one that is several months old with this kind of alcohol content.
F: Very thick and molasses-like for an IPA. At 12% and with some age, this beer is hitting hard. I can feel the alcohol burn on the way down. Like the commercial description says, however, it is quite mellow. It goes down smoothly as you can tell some of the initial flavors have evened out.
O: I would be interested in trying this beer fresh to compare it to my current bottle. This beer is drinking more like a scotch ale or a barleywine at the moment.
1,180 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
L: This beer is so incredibly dark for an IPA. Poured a mild brown color with a thin, half-finger of head on top. Not entirely transparent but a good amount of light comes through the glass.
S: Smells like a malt bomb. The commercial description on this beer claims that it is okay to age this, and I think my current bottle is a couple months past its "best by" date. It's hard to consider this an IPA in its current state.
T: I think most of the hops have faded in the bottle that I have, so I am mostly getting a huge malt presence. Caramel sweetness combines with some smooth, dark liquor flavors. Not what you would expect from an IPA, but maybe from one that is several months old with this kind of alcohol content.
F: Very thick and molasses-like for an IPA. At 12% and with some age, this beer is hitting hard. I can feel the alcohol burn on the way down. Like the commercial description says, however, it is quite mellow. It goes down smoothly as you can tell some of the initial flavors have evened out.
O: I would be interested in trying this beer fresh to compare it to my current bottle. This beer is drinking more like a scotch ale or a barleywine at the moment.
1,180 characters
4.12/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.18/5 rDev +0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours dark amber with thick, medium, off white head that lasts a while.
Smells caramely, bready, doughy malt. Light spicey, earthy/dank and hints of pine.
Tastes sweet caramel and doughy fading to a bitter pine and then a light fruity vanilla. Dry lingering pine finish. Higher side of medium body and smooth medium carbonation.
330 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours dark amber with thick, medium, off white head that lasts a while.
Smells caramely, bready, doughy malt. Light spicey, earthy/dank and hints of pine.
Tastes sweet caramel and doughy fading to a bitter pine and then a light fruity vanilla. Dry lingering pine finish. Higher side of medium body and smooth medium carbonation.
330 characters
3.67/5 rDev -11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.68/5 rDev -11.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.73/5 rDev -10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
2017-02-07
12oz bottle served in a snifter. Bottle given to me by @mr-jj. 12-28 DBL128. Poured completely, so I probably got some sediment I didn't really need.
Pours like a barleywine, but with a little extra carbonation. Looks syrupy, dark ruby-brown, moderately clear with some floaters. Smallish, creamy head with lots of fine, sluggish carbonation. Smell is booze, smells like barleywine. Musty, woody. Syrupy sweet.
Taste is not as heavily boozy as the smell (although it's quite boozy). It has more of a malty/woody character, with a substantial but not excessive bitter backbone. Sweetness is throughout, maybe a little hint of dates or something very slightly dubbel-ish.
Mouthfeel is surprisingly thin for as thick as it looks, as slow as the carbonation moves, as high as the alcohol content is. Also surprisingly dry. Interesting for a 12% ABV beer. Overall, I think it's pretty good. Not something I'd run out and look for more of, but I'd drink it again.
972 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
2017-02-07
12oz bottle served in a snifter. Bottle given to me by @mr-jj. 12-28 DBL128. Poured completely, so I probably got some sediment I didn't really need.
Pours like a barleywine, but with a little extra carbonation. Looks syrupy, dark ruby-brown, moderately clear with some floaters. Smallish, creamy head with lots of fine, sluggish carbonation. Smell is booze, smells like barleywine. Musty, woody. Syrupy sweet.
Taste is not as heavily boozy as the smell (although it's quite boozy). It has more of a malty/woody character, with a substantial but not excessive bitter backbone. Sweetness is throughout, maybe a little hint of dates or something very slightly dubbel-ish.
Mouthfeel is surprisingly thin for as thick as it looks, as slow as the carbonation moves, as high as the alcohol content is. Also surprisingly dry. Interesting for a 12% ABV beer. Overall, I think it's pretty good. Not something I'd run out and look for more of, but I'd drink it again.
972 characters
4.24/5 rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.25/5 rDev +2.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
3.94/5 rDev -5.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
4.16/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.26/5 rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.75/5 rDev +14.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
3.69/5 rDev -11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.78/5 rDev -8.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Very malty bready sort of DIPA. Look - clear but a very dark amber. Smell - boozy, bready, dark fruity. Taste - actually got a strange peanut butter jelly kind of thing. Caramel and bready maltiness in heaps. Feel - clean and drinkable.
236 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Very malty bready sort of DIPA. Look - clear but a very dark amber. Smell - boozy, bready, dark fruity. Taste - actually got a strange peanut butter jelly kind of thing. Caramel and bready maltiness in heaps. Feel - clean and drinkable.
236 characters
4.5/5 rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
3.58/5 rDev -13.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Poured into a pint glass. Striking color out of the bottle: copper-brown with a fluffy and resilient light tan head. Nice tracks in the glass. Does not smell like a DIPA, with caramel and bready malt. The hops are there but just not out front - a bit of orange and piney resin. Malty and sweet. Bitter and the hops taste like candied fruit with some earthy notes. Warming on the finish and a bit boozy. More on the barleywine spectrum for me.
442 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Poured into a pint glass. Striking color out of the bottle: copper-brown with a fluffy and resilient light tan head. Nice tracks in the glass. Does not smell like a DIPA, with caramel and bready malt. The hops are there but just not out front - a bit of orange and piney resin. Malty and sweet. Bitter and the hops taste like candied fruit with some earthy notes. Warming on the finish and a bit boozy. More on the barleywine spectrum for me.
442 characters
Dark Horse Double Crooked Tree IPA from Dark Horse Brewing Company
Beer rating:
4.15 out of
5 with
2,861 ratings
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