Hot Box
Indeed Brewing Company - Minneapolis

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From:
Indeed Brewing Company - Minneapolis
 
Minnesota, United States
Style:
Chile Beer
ABV:
9%
Score:
87
Avg:
3.89 | pDev: 14.91%
Reviews:
19
Ratings:
104
Status:
Retired
Rated:
May 28, 2018
Added:
Feb 28, 2013
Wants:
  12
Gots:
  20
Good friends. Good beer. They are what get us through these insanely long winters in Minnesota. That’s why we teamed up with our friends at Northbound Smokehouse Brewpub in South Minneapolis to bring you Hot Box Imperial Smoked Pepper Porter. This collaboration beer is brewed with hickory-smoked peppers and malt cold-smoked over alder, maple and apple woods. Sweet and smoky, with hints of dark fruit and coffee, Hot Box provides just enough heat to keep you thawed during the coldest winter months. This beer may not be for everyone, but then again, neither are Minnesota winters!
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Breyen:
Photo of Breyen
Rated by Breyen from Minnesota

4.59/5  rDev +18%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Apr 19, 2015
More User Ratings:
Photo of tomloops
Reviewed by tomloops from Minnesota

4.58/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Poured from a chilled 750 ml bottle. I think I bought this from the brewery 3+ years ago, and today was the day to open it. Beautiful, rich brown tone, per a porter, with a minimal head and some lacing. I had expected more heat from the poblano/jalapeño chilis used in the aging process, but you only get that in the finish. An excellent porter, nice balance overall.
May 28, 2018
Photo of spacecake9
Reviewed by spacecake9 from Illinois

3.85/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
A - Pours a murky reddish brown.
S - Smells like peppers!
T - Flavor is smoky, charred, some pepper but no heat.
M - Average carbonation and mouth feel.
O - I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this. Good beer Indeed.
Mar 15, 2017
 
Rated: 4.53 by Bwbrev from Pennsylvania

Feb 04, 2017
 
Rated: 3.75 by Beerdudenumberone from Indiana

Oct 16, 2016
 
Rated: 3.44 by Balvenie from Minnesota

May 25, 2016
Photo of soze47
Reviewed by soze47 from Massachusetts

3.79/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Really smokey. I actually think they should've picked either smoked malts or peppers. Not both.

Sweet smoked nose. Sweetness isn't too specific. Taste is really heavy of the smoke up front and some licks of spice toward the end. Some welcomed coffee bitterness comes out as it warms to make it a little more complex. Sweetness gets a more refined role as I drink it too - almost a bittersweet chocolate quality.

Mouthfeel is great. It is just fluffy and light enough to not be oppressive with very strong flavors.

It grew on me as I drank it - at first I thought it was a borderline drain pour, but it really opens up and presents some in expected nuance toward the end.
Apr 10, 2016
 
Rated: 3.1 by mattmarka1 from Minnesota

Mar 20, 2016
 
Rated: 3.14 by Dave2234 from Minnesota

Mar 08, 2016
 
Rated: 4 by Powderhornphil from Minnesota

Mar 05, 2016
 
Rated: 4.4 by B-Town from Minnesota

Mar 05, 2016
Photo of Czequershuus
Reviewed by Czequershuus from Minnesota

3.31/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
This beer pours a slightly red tinged black with a smallish head. The aroma of mesquite barbecue type smoke is the first thing to hit me, as well as some herbal and vegetal notes, like grilled asparagus and burned rosemary. There are also some musty, forest floor scents present. The flavor begins with big wallop of acrid campfire smoke, with eventually smooths out to rich espresso and bittersweet baking chocolate flavors. The smoek leaves a prickly sensation on my lips that is not entirely pleasant. The mouthfeel is medium thin, with low carbonation. Overall this was an interesting beer, but I did not find the smoke and spice worked well together. I will restrain my ratings a bit, as I feel it was served too cold at the bar I was at, but even as it warmed there ws something bit disintegrated about it.
Jan 27, 2016
 
Rated: 4.22 by Lucoli from New York

Dec 31, 2015
 
Rated: 4.29 by Chris-1911 from Illinois

Nov 29, 2015
 
Rated: 4.5 by a77cj7 from South Dakota

Oct 25, 2015
 
Rated: 4.81 by AGB from District of Columbia

Aug 04, 2015
 
Rated: 3.99 by Lupigrant from Minnesota

May 30, 2015
Photo of pat61
Reviewed by pat61 from Minnesota

4.13/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Had on tap at the Bryant Lake Bowl
L: Pours nearly black with a thin light tan head that leaves splotchy lace.
S: Smokey, pepper notes with a chocolate and light coffee background.
T: Smokey chocolate, dried fruit, hint of bacon, faint coffee, pepper. The malt character is moderate to moderately low, the yeast driven flavors are moderate, and the smokiness is moderate to a little above.
F: Creamy with medium carbonation and body O: An interesting beer that needs a touch more pizzazz in the base beer to shine.
May 18, 2015
 
Rated: 3.57 by BrandonEnriquez from Minnesota

Mar 26, 2015
Photo of beaversfan12
Rated by beaversfan12 from Minnesota

3.88/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
spicy, smokey taste. great mouth feel
Mar 01, 2015
Hot Box from Indeed Brewing Company - Minneapolis
Beer rating: 87 out of 100 with 104 ratings