Double Barrel IPA
Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A- 4 Pours a hazy gold/orange that has a minimal white head. Sticky, smooth micro bubble lacing that stays all over the glass throughout.

S- 4 Very citrusy. Definitely a grapefruit aroma classic to the style. Just a hint of hops.

T- 4 Like the aroma, citrus dominates the taste. Grapefruit comes through again as do the hops but other than that I'm really left searching... I like it alright but there isn't that much to it.

M- 4 Slightly under medium in body with sufficient carbonation. Little syrupy on the finish and I get a hint of booze even though I don't believe it to be that heavy.

D- 3.5 Though I did enjoy this, I feel like I could have a couple but no more. It is rather one-dimensional. Its balance is just a tad off on the citrus side. Decent brew overall but nothing too exciting.

Pours a very nice mid-copper color with excellent head and great lacing. Nice semi-sweet malty scent with a nice hint of hops on the nose; not as hoppy as I'd like an IPA to be, but not bad. Good flavor, a nice deep malt backbone with a very nice semi-citrus hop finish that lasts on the tongue. Goes down quite smoothly.

Poured a clear copper color with an average frothy white head that mostly lasted with good lacing. Moderate sour citrus and floral hop aroma. Medium body with a slick texture and soft carbonation. Medium bittersweet flavor with a medium bittersweet finish of moderate duration. I would recommend this to a freind.

Had this on tap while visiting the Rock Bottom in Chicago. The place was packed and the first two beers I asked for they were out of so I was skeptical of what I was going to get. Needles to say I was happy with the result. Nice copper color and bog citrus hop scents. The taste carried that as well but it was also more malty than I imagined which provided a more robust taste. Nicely balanced.

Appearance: copperish amber color with a medium-sized, rocky, off-white head that diminished before the first taste but left a decent amount of lacing 2/3 of the way down.

Smell: Mmm, very nice. Citrusy hops over a good malt backbone. A little sweet-smelling with some yeasty bread (especially after it warms up a bit) and a hint of caramel under the solid fruitiness of the hops.

Taste: The taste is surprisingly rather malty. Well, I guess it’s not THAT malty, but more so than I expected from an IPA. It has a nice fruity and slightly grassy taste and a bit nutty. But I was expecting a little more hops from an IPA.

Mouthfeel: Dry texture and mildly astringent on the finish, medium body, moderate carbonation.

Drinkability: A little weak for an IPA, and there was something just a little off-balance, but it was still a very enjoyable beer that I will have again.

Despite the power suggested by its name, the Double Barrel is a fairly basic IPA that's not too demanding or bitter; well-rounded; and highly drinkable. It utilizes American hops, but as far as it's maltiness-bitterness-hop flavor ratios go it's really more of an English-style IPA; and, it works brilliantly when it's poured cask conditioned!

It's clear, orange/amber in color, with a short head of white foam that holds fairly well and leaves some decent lace at the outset of the glass. The nose offers some slightly caramelish malt and a scattering of citrusy hops. In the mouth it's medium bodied and gently crisp. The flavor is much as the aroma indicates, with a combination of bready-sweet, caramel-tinged malt and a touch of citrusy and slightly piney hops. The bitterness is firm, but not quite solid; and balances what's there quite nicely. It finishes smooth and easy with little residual bitterness and just a whisp of malt and hops.

Nice amber color with a head that wouldn't quit. Hazy due to yeast. Taste was mellow but with a noticeable hops presence. Very good drinkability. However the beer feels very watery and a little too mellow for an IPA. Better than the normal version, so make sure you get this as real ale.

This was a staple of mine while living newr King of Prussia would have have at least once or twice a week,pours a medium amber with not much head to speak of,aroma is resiny and pretty citriusy.I liked the flavor of this beer a load of citriusy hops on top a firm dry malt backbone with a caramel tinge in the finish.I also had many times on cask and seemed to like it more than the others who reviewed this one.

Served as part of a sampler tray at their brewpub. This one poured out a very clear copper/amber color. The aroma tends to be a bit citrus with lemon coming out. The taste is pretty light in body. The hops are strong in this one and they leave a harshness in the throat. Bitter grapefruit that’s been pushed over the edge of bearable. Too much for the light malt body to handle. Mismatched a bit, I guess. Not that bad – overall an ok IPA with the emphasis on bitter hops.

On tap at the brewpub (Boston Theater District)...

Murky tea color, thin head but adequate collar-fringing lace, marks dots down the glass. Hoppy, mostly light citrus aroma, good. Slightly overcarbonated in the mouth. Malts are sugary but lack character. Hops are definitely apparent but slightly funky and stale to my tastes, resinous in character. Could be juicier in impression. Not a tasteless IPA but emphasis on a slightly off hop impression.

Double IPA: Rock Bottom Chicago, Pete Crowley’s stab at an Imperial IPA, and I think he hit the nail on the head with this one. Although this has the same name as the listing, the abv is higher than shown. The brewer told me that this comes in at 86 IBU’s, and I can state that each and every one of them is flavorful, floral, and delicious.

Bought in the growler (6 bucks for a refill, and there is no better beer deal I have seen since I left Milwaukee 15 years ago). Slightly hazy, amber color, I poured the hell out of it, and got a great head, that left wonderful Irish Rings. Aroma is fresh hops, lightly floral/citrus. The taste is terrific. As already implied, this beer is hoppy as hell, with oily hops flavors that dominate from the first sip to long into the aftertaste. But what makes this beer is a nice base of malts, providing the foundation for the hops. Think John Entwistle playing the bass for The Who on Tommy or Who’s Next, and you get the drift.

Does this equal Dreadnaught or Double Bastard? Blind tasting, maybe not. At $1.50 a pint, hell yes.