Dark Horse Double Crooked Tree IPA

Brewed by Dark Horse Brewing Company
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Marshall, Michigan USA

pours dark amber with minimal head. bready nose with raisen and molasses. taste is smooth and not too much an alcohol kick, especially at 13.6%. i’m not convinced this is an ipa, more like a barley wine. either way, it’s scary delicious one i would stick with if it wasn’t for the heavy price tag.

12oz bottle via trade thanks to deliriumfest on BA. I don’t know how the hell this is my first beer from Dark Horse, but it is. Pours reddish-amber with a minimal head, just some bubbles. Aroma is really malty with caramel, citrus, and wood. Just a little booze. Flavor is very barleywine-like. Lots of sweet caramel and toffee with wood, vanilla, earth, and piney and citrusy hops, as well as a touch of alcohol. Medium-full and somewhat smooth of the palate with low carbonation. Not at all boozy despite the 13+% ABV. Overall a solid barleywine. Yes, barleywine.

There’s been a lot of buzz about Dark Horse in recent months. Maybe longer, but I have just caught wind. The Crooked Tree was the hoppy beer of the lot and the one we finished our tasting with, as it is an Imperial India Pale Ale. From Marshall Michigan, this is a true double. According the the label on the bottle, all of the ingredients of Dark Horse’s standard IPA were doubled, save for water. It isn’t a groundbreaking brew by any means, but crafted perfectly for hop heads who want an imperial with a nice ratio of bitterness to aroma. Dark amber bodied with a frothy cream-colored head. I haven’t been drinking a lot of DIPAs lately, but this is one I am glad I tried. End of palate. Good night.

A: Pours a nice orangish hue with a medium head. There is lots of sediment in the bottom of the glass, and no lacing to speak of. S: Big aromas waft from my chalice. Tons of brown sugar and sweet fruits. There is an underlying citrus tone noted but it is not overwhelming. The alcohol is also present; I can tell this is going to be one big brew. T: I really like this one. It is a big beer there is no doubt about it. It starts off with a nice honey malty sweetness. The piney hops are noted but they are in the background. The alcohol is present. You can taste it and feel a slight burn as it oozes down the throat.... Very Nice! M: This is a thick full bodied beer. That being said it is very smooth.

Pours a clear but dark ruby-amber with a small beige head. Sticky lacing. The aroma is comprised of mega malty caramel and toffee, figs, maybe a hint of cherry, and faint alcohol, not much at all in the way of hops. I assume this was at least a year old. The huge malt aroma gives way to a full, complex, array of malt flavors that are bold, but not overpowering. Chewy caramel, toffee, biscuit, and earthy resin. The finish has a bit of citrus and pine, and is only a touch alcoholic {which is surprising considering the abv}. This aged version reminds me of Devil Dancer, which I also had post hopbomb. Lots of Barleywine-esque malt, and a considerable amount of complexity mixed with a high abv that is misleading to the senses, make this an enjoyable, but dangerous drink. I really would like to try this number fresh.

Pours a deep amber color with a moderate head. Aroma is of citrus and pine notes with hints of caramel. Taste is remarkably bitter to begin, but balanced by a slight caramel or molasses sweetness. Excellent mouthfeel with a medium finish.

12 oz bottle from Princeton’s. Pours a caramel color with a fluffy white head. Aroma is citrusy, piney hops. Flavor is sweet, caramel, malty, hoppy wonderful goodness. Finish is sweet and malty.... this is a wonderful beer.

Pours cloudy amber with lots of sediment. (was that a whole hop flower I saw floating to the bottom of the glass?) The aroma is heavy on the caramel, toffee, pine and peach. The flavors are the same. Mostly honey, sweet plums, caramel, toffee, pine and peach. The 98 IBU’s are hidden very well under the huge alcohol presence. I think I would have enjoyed this more as a barleywine.