Barrel House Boss Cox Double Dark IPA

Brewed by Barrel House Brewing Company
Style: American Strong Ale
Cincinnati, Ohio USA

Bomber. Dark amber pour with lasting thick and foamy tan head. Caramel and sweetness on the nose. More caramel in the flavor, followed up with some dark fruit, chocolate, and hop bitterness. Medium/full mouthfeel, a little chewy. Chocolatey/bitter finish that makes me want another pour. Great beer for a $3.99/bomber.

This poured a dark copper color with a moderate head. The aroma is citrus, chocolate, and caramel. The flavor contains caramel and some citrus in the background. This one is not very similar to the typical IPAs. Overall nothing fantastic but it was pretty good.

Poured into snifter glass. I can’t smell much, but a hint of alcohol. Very malty, deep almost chocolate malts balance well with the hops. Many different flavors, but it works well. Very drinkable. Tasty brew.

In short: A drinkable but unmemorable glass of buttery caramel and fruity hops.
How: Bottle 22oz. Tasting session with Montreal crew
The look: Clear amber body with a very small beige head
In long: This one is not lacking in malt. A whole lot of creamy and buttery caramel. Earthy notes. Fruity hops take the back seat. For a beer calling itself an Double Dark IPA this one doesn’t feel much like an IPA. Medium fruity bitterness. A Boss with that much character doesn’t make it to president, assistant-manager in the shoe department at most.

Clear ruby color with a thin offwhite head. Average aroma and flavor of hops and caramel malt with a bitter finish. The body is light with a liquorous texture and medium carbonation. Not impressive at all and doesn’t really feel like a dark IPA.

My Bottom Line:
Modest caramel maltiness swirls around the growing piney, green hop discourse in this otherwise tame American Strong Ale.

Further Personal Perceptions:
-A ring of foam circles the clear copper red.
-Munich malts stand out somewhat, which is surprising to me in such a beer.
-Mouthfeel is healthy, but not rich enough for this beer’s gravity; it remains drinkable though.
-Earthiness seeps from the hops as well.
-A French toast character is built by the grain bill.

Bottle.

Objectively speaking: A good idea, imperial IPA meets brown ale, but executed with no finesse and oriented much more toward the imperial IPA side of things. Blind, I’d have thought IPA.
I like: Rusty colour. 2cm yellowy head. Toastiness. Juiciness. Orangey. Biscuit. Fitting carbonation.
I dislike: Caramel syrup blended with IPA. Little dark malt character. Globally dull, light bodied. Unpolished.

22 oz bomber. Deep brown colour with a creamy tan head. Big, bright hop aroma with loads of grapefruit, pine and a spicy resinousness as well. Soft chocolatey maltiness in addition to some rich cookie-dough and caramel malts. A it warms, the chocolate and caramel become more apparent. Flavour is excellent, sweet toasted caramel, toffee and dark chocolate. A bit of stewed fruit mid-palate with more rich spicy hops on the back. Moderate bitterness with a lingering alternation of chocolate and hops. One of only a few of these "india dark ales" I’ve had, and just like the last one, it’s a combination that I really enjoy.