Dark Horse Crooked Tree IPA | Dark Horse Brewing Company
Brewed by:
Dark Horse Brewing Company
Michigan, United States
darkhorsebrewery.com
Style: American IPA
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 6.50%
Availability: Year-round
Notes / Commercial Description:
No notes at this time.
Added by xlperro on 08-10-2002
View: Beers | Place Reviews | Events
Ratings: 3,290 | Reviews: 930
Reviews by the Alström Bros:
More User Reviews:
4.44/5 rDev +12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Very good IPA offering from Dark Horse. You can't find a better balanced IPA than Crooked Tree. There's nothing exciting or unique about this beer, it is simply crafted to perfection. If you enjoy IPAs you will definitely appreciate this beer.
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look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Very good IPA offering from Dark Horse. You can't find a better balanced IPA than Crooked Tree. There's nothing exciting or unique about this beer, it is simply crafted to perfection. If you enjoy IPAs you will definitely appreciate this beer.
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3.74/5 rDev -5.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
12oz bottle poured into a snifter
A- pours a murky deep amber color with a thin foamy white head that has short retention, settling into a thin film on top
S- fruity hop aroma with some notes of candied orange peel, a bit of pine, plenty of bready malt
T- more fruity hops up front with more candied orange peel, piney and earthy hops at the mid-palate, the finish is malty sweet, with noticeable alcohol
M- medium body and medium prickly carbonation leads to a foamy mouthfeel and a creamy, slightly warming finish
O- good ipa, a bit malty, nothing outstanding but certainly drinkable
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look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
12oz bottle poured into a snifter
A- pours a murky deep amber color with a thin foamy white head that has short retention, settling into a thin film on top
S- fruity hop aroma with some notes of candied orange peel, a bit of pine, plenty of bready malt
T- more fruity hops up front with more candied orange peel, piney and earthy hops at the mid-palate, the finish is malty sweet, with noticeable alcohol
M- medium body and medium prickly carbonation leads to a foamy mouthfeel and a creamy, slightly warming finish
O- good ipa, a bit malty, nothing outstanding but certainly drinkable
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4.2/5 rDev +6.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
The appearance of this beer is murky for an IPA,a cloudy orange.
Right away with a surprising fresh citrus but not BIG hops taste and it's w/a medium to full body.
Overall, for a not so super hoppy tasting IPA, it's drinkable and very satisfying.
My wife bought one for me & i'm gonna watch a recorded two day old,Fare Thee Well night 2 in Chicago while (or soon after) drinking it (depending on when my wife comes back up from the basement after gaming)...i'll continue watching Seinfeld reruns & reading Ulysses until she gets up here...My dog Sputnik looks bored over there setting in the red chair,poor guy! He wants to watch Grateful Dead & Trey too....also,this beer has a slight after taste that is not the best...a little bitter in a bad way...like the way you can feel about a Crooked tree in your back yard & the way it always scares ya a little bit that it might fall on yer garage in stormy weather...
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look: 3 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
The appearance of this beer is murky for an IPA,a cloudy orange.
Right away with a surprising fresh citrus but not BIG hops taste and it's w/a medium to full body.
Overall, for a not so super hoppy tasting IPA, it's drinkable and very satisfying.
My wife bought one for me & i'm gonna watch a recorded two day old,Fare Thee Well night 2 in Chicago while (or soon after) drinking it (depending on when my wife comes back up from the basement after gaming)...i'll continue watching Seinfeld reruns & reading Ulysses until she gets up here...My dog Sputnik looks bored over there setting in the red chair,poor guy! He wants to watch Grateful Dead & Trey too....also,this beer has a slight after taste that is not the best...a little bitter in a bad way...like the way you can feel about a Crooked tree in your back yard & the way it always scares ya a little bit that it might fall on yer garage in stormy weather...
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4/5 rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Had this awhile back when I found it in Mount Pleasant,nice bronze color with really nice head that left some lace.Very fresh and zesty smelling,tasted of grapefruit and was a little grassy.If ur a hophead I think u would really like this one,Iam not but I still really liked it.
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look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Had this awhile back when I found it in Mount Pleasant,nice bronze color with really nice head that left some lace.Very fresh and zesty smelling,tasted of grapefruit and was a little grassy.If ur a hophead I think u would really like this one,Iam not but I still really liked it.
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4/5 rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a golden color, maybe even more so towards a light shade of amber, hazy and highly opaque with teeny tiny bits of sediment floating around the brew. Nice, slightly off-white cap shows decent retention and some seriously amazing, chunky lacing. Nose is wonderful, very perfumey, pungent, and floral, like a bed of wet roses. Earthy, ashy, and a bit peppery even. These hops have a lot of character to them, and quite a nice repertoire. Some toasted bread and crackers bring up the malt aroma which pales in comparison to the hops.
The hops kick you in the mouth first here, mostly taking on that ashy, peppery aroma in flavor. Very herbal and spicy, almost like dry tea leaves and white pepper. Bitterness hits high at first, mellows out quick, and then plateaus into the aftertaste. Some pithy, bittersweet citrus flavors are second in command, including some grapefruit and heavy lemon zest. A bit of alcohol flavor and warmth adds to things and combines with the lemon zest to give a Lemon Pledge type flavor, but it actually tastes better than it sounds. Bready malts and yeast are apparent in the aftertaste, giving your mouth that fluffy, dry coating. Light malt and barley flavors cut through at times during the hop trounce, but aren't that noticeable and are certain far from the forefront. Medium body, slick with a touch of residual stickiness. Carbonation is on the higher side of things, giving the palate a crisp snap after each sip.
Had this a long time ago, thought it was okay. This time around, it was much to my liking. Goes to show you how the palate changes over time. A solid IPA with a nice ashy and earthy bitterness. Reasonably priced and local, too.
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look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a golden color, maybe even more so towards a light shade of amber, hazy and highly opaque with teeny tiny bits of sediment floating around the brew. Nice, slightly off-white cap shows decent retention and some seriously amazing, chunky lacing. Nose is wonderful, very perfumey, pungent, and floral, like a bed of wet roses. Earthy, ashy, and a bit peppery even. These hops have a lot of character to them, and quite a nice repertoire. Some toasted bread and crackers bring up the malt aroma which pales in comparison to the hops.
The hops kick you in the mouth first here, mostly taking on that ashy, peppery aroma in flavor. Very herbal and spicy, almost like dry tea leaves and white pepper. Bitterness hits high at first, mellows out quick, and then plateaus into the aftertaste. Some pithy, bittersweet citrus flavors are second in command, including some grapefruit and heavy lemon zest. A bit of alcohol flavor and warmth adds to things and combines with the lemon zest to give a Lemon Pledge type flavor, but it actually tastes better than it sounds. Bready malts and yeast are apparent in the aftertaste, giving your mouth that fluffy, dry coating. Light malt and barley flavors cut through at times during the hop trounce, but aren't that noticeable and are certain far from the forefront. Medium body, slick with a touch of residual stickiness. Carbonation is on the higher side of things, giving the palate a crisp snap after each sip.
Had this a long time ago, thought it was okay. This time around, it was much to my liking. Goes to show you how the palate changes over time. A solid IPA with a nice ashy and earthy bitterness. Reasonably priced and local, too.
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3.5/5 rDev -11.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
4.32/5 rDev +9.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.08/5 rDev +3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Picked this one up at Liquor Stop in Highland, IN. Pours from the bottle a deep, cloudy fall colored pumpkin orange with a nice inch of foamy eggshell head that sticks to the glass. Aromas of sweet underlying pale and caramel malts collide with a bracing dose of grapefruity citric, piney hop oils. Fresh and green...quite a nice nose on this one.
First sip brings a nice sweet pale caramelly maltiness that has underlying bready notes (sourdough). This is followed by a wall of big hop bitterness featuring notes of citrus, herbal spice and pine needles. I enjoy the transition from sweet to semi-bracing bitterness on the way down here. Finishes clean with a lingering mellow hop bitterness. Tasty.
Mouthfeel is big and chewy with a hefty malt body to hold up the hoppiness. Good carbonation helps this go down smoothly. I could easily enjoy a few of these...a well made IPA that leans to the bitter side. I hope to see more Dark Horse stuff around here in the future.
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look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Picked this one up at Liquor Stop in Highland, IN. Pours from the bottle a deep, cloudy fall colored pumpkin orange with a nice inch of foamy eggshell head that sticks to the glass. Aromas of sweet underlying pale and caramel malts collide with a bracing dose of grapefruity citric, piney hop oils. Fresh and green...quite a nice nose on this one.
First sip brings a nice sweet pale caramelly maltiness that has underlying bready notes (sourdough). This is followed by a wall of big hop bitterness featuring notes of citrus, herbal spice and pine needles. I enjoy the transition from sweet to semi-bracing bitterness on the way down here. Finishes clean with a lingering mellow hop bitterness. Tasty.
Mouthfeel is big and chewy with a hefty malt body to hold up the hoppiness. Good carbonation helps this go down smoothly. I could easily enjoy a few of these...a well made IPA that leans to the bitter side. I hope to see more Dark Horse stuff around here in the future.
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3.8/5 rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Hazy apricot color. Solid two-finger white head on the top. Reduced down a bit but left some scattered thick pillowy remnants stay on top. Sticky lace clings to the side.
Strong citrus and floral hop aromas blast from this one, mainly orange and apricot with some honey. A touch of sweet roll butteriness mixes in too.
Sharp on the tongue initially. Not a whole lot of hop flavor initially when compared to the aroma. A substantial amount of resin bitterness though towards the end. Finishes out a bit sweet with maybe a little alcohol showing through. A touch of butteriness shows up throughout. The lack of flavor up front is the only downfall I really see.
Good medium body. Flavor hangs for a while. Drinkability is good as well. The strong aroma really draws me to this beer, but the flavor needs a bit more. Regardless I think this one is pretty good and I'd have a couple more if I had them.
thanks to hoppymeal for this one...
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look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Hazy apricot color. Solid two-finger white head on the top. Reduced down a bit but left some scattered thick pillowy remnants stay on top. Sticky lace clings to the side.
Strong citrus and floral hop aromas blast from this one, mainly orange and apricot with some honey. A touch of sweet roll butteriness mixes in too.
Sharp on the tongue initially. Not a whole lot of hop flavor initially when compared to the aroma. A substantial amount of resin bitterness though towards the end. Finishes out a bit sweet with maybe a little alcohol showing through. A touch of butteriness shows up throughout. The lack of flavor up front is the only downfall I really see.
Good medium body. Flavor hangs for a while. Drinkability is good as well. The strong aroma really draws me to this beer, but the flavor needs a bit more. Regardless I think this one is pretty good and I'd have a couple more if I had them.
thanks to hoppymeal for this one...
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4.32/5 rDev +9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A_ Dark copper orange with a small bone white head.
S_ Heavy grapefruit,orange zest,and caramel malt.
T_Huge grapefruit profile,hoppy,and some citrus. Sweet caramel malt back bone. Nice hop kick but pretty well balanced overall.
M_ Crisp, dry and full bodied.
D_Great session ipa.
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look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A_ Dark copper orange with a small bone white head.
S_ Heavy grapefruit,orange zest,and caramel malt.
T_Huge grapefruit profile,hoppy,and some citrus. Sweet caramel malt back bone. Nice hop kick but pretty well balanced overall.
M_ Crisp, dry and full bodied.
D_Great session ipa.
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3.46/5 rDev -12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 5 | overall: 4
So I was at the liquor store and I decided I'd stray from my beloved Two Hearted. You've been warned, I've got my baby in the back of my mind ;)
Appearance: Pouring the beer it looks EXCELLENT. It looks thick, cloudy, lots of stuff floating around, etc. The head looks good from the pour, but it dissipated pretty quickly which disappointed a bit. I'm a huge fan of lacing which this beer seemed to lack.
Smell: Good stuff, I didn't notice much but I'll be honest and say my allergies are pretty damn ripe right about now mid-autumn.
Taste: It's got a good bite. Not impressed but not let down. I can't really explain, but I'd like it to be a hint sweeter, or a ton more bitter. The hops just seemed *empty* if that even makes any sense at this point...
Mouthfeel: EXCELLENT. Quite thick, yet not syrupy, just as the appearance would suggest.
Drinkability: Yeah, I could kick back six of these and it would be a pretty good night...
Overall I think the appearance and the mouthfeel of this beer are the highlights.
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look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 5 | overall: 4
So I was at the liquor store and I decided I'd stray from my beloved Two Hearted. You've been warned, I've got my baby in the back of my mind ;)
Appearance: Pouring the beer it looks EXCELLENT. It looks thick, cloudy, lots of stuff floating around, etc. The head looks good from the pour, but it dissipated pretty quickly which disappointed a bit. I'm a huge fan of lacing which this beer seemed to lack.
Smell: Good stuff, I didn't notice much but I'll be honest and say my allergies are pretty damn ripe right about now mid-autumn.
Taste: It's got a good bite. Not impressed but not let down. I can't really explain, but I'd like it to be a hint sweeter, or a ton more bitter. The hops just seemed *empty* if that even makes any sense at this point...
Mouthfeel: EXCELLENT. Quite thick, yet not syrupy, just as the appearance would suggest.
Drinkability: Yeah, I could kick back six of these and it would be a pretty good night...
Overall I think the appearance and the mouthfeel of this beer are the highlights.
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4.4/5 rDev +11.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a Sam Adams pint glass.
Comes out a cloudy orange color with a nice, two finge rhead that quickly fades to some lingering foam and some lacing on the glass.
The aroma is very nice: I get lots of citrus: grapefruit and orange with a bit of pine and a little caramel.
This beer tastes amazing. Way better than the aroma hinted. This is a very, very juicy IPA. I get tons of grapefruit and orange, a little mouth-watering juicy fruit gum and a lingering, piney dry bite at the end. As I drink more, there is some bready sweetness underneath as well.
Mouth feel is light to medium, smooth and easy.
Overall, I'll buy this again. So juicy, I expected pulp. Very nice.
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look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a Sam Adams pint glass.
Comes out a cloudy orange color with a nice, two finge rhead that quickly fades to some lingering foam and some lacing on the glass.
The aroma is very nice: I get lots of citrus: grapefruit and orange with a bit of pine and a little caramel.
This beer tastes amazing. Way better than the aroma hinted. This is a very, very juicy IPA. I get tons of grapefruit and orange, a little mouth-watering juicy fruit gum and a lingering, piney dry bite at the end. As I drink more, there is some bready sweetness underneath as well.
Mouth feel is light to medium, smooth and easy.
Overall, I'll buy this again. So juicy, I expected pulp. Very nice.
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4.09/5 rDev +3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12oz. brown bottle into a 16oz. pint glass.
Golden yellow-orange in color with a thick white head. Smells of piney hops with some grapefruit citrus.
Very hoppy with a fair amount of citrus flavor and a bready, malty balance. Hops don't seem quite as fresh as they could be.
Mouthfeel has a bite to it with a good medium body. Quite drinkable.
Not an overly complex IPA, but refreshing and true to style. Something i will be having again.
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look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12oz. brown bottle into a 16oz. pint glass.
Golden yellow-orange in color with a thick white head. Smells of piney hops with some grapefruit citrus.
Very hoppy with a fair amount of citrus flavor and a bready, malty balance. Hops don't seem quite as fresh as they could be.
Mouthfeel has a bite to it with a good medium body. Quite drinkable.
Not an overly complex IPA, but refreshing and true to style. Something i will be having again.
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Dark Horse Crooked Tree IPA from Dark Horse Brewing Company
3.95
out of 5
based on 3,290 ratings.
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
From BeerAdvocate Magazine Volume II, Issue II:
West Coast IPA done Michigan style with an almost patented "Intense Transfer Method." Bring it on, our hophead alter egos are ready for it. Nearly clear orange-amber color dons a thin haze. Solid head retention with some sticky bubbly lacing. Deep aromas of ruby grapefruit, evergreen and wild flowers show what the hops are all about. It seems the nose is all about the hops as well. Mild carbonation, smooth and crisp medium body. Citric hop flavor throughout, mostly tangerines, sweet grapefruit and blood oranges. Hop bitterness is soft as the hop flavor is dominant with a puckering component. Sure there is some maltiness present with a notch of sweetness and light biscuity undertones, it brings some balance to the mix. Hint of alcohol middle to end with a juicy cherry fruitiness. The finish points toward dry with a long lingering and pleasant hop flavor.
Bull's-eye when it comes to the style its aiming for. Drinkability is high and with only 6.0 percent ABV it's a borderline session ale; at least in our book it is. IPA freaks should seek this beer out.
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