Dark Horse Crooked Tree IPA

Brewed by Dark Horse Brewing Company
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Marshall, Michigan USA

Light, bright citrus and pine aroma. Nice citrus and bitter flavor, if a bit watery. This actually makes it very drinkable. Not a lot of aftertaste. This is one that friends and family who generally don’t like well hoped beers could still appreciate this, so am rating it just a bit higher to remember to have some on hand.

Bottle. Finally we have this beer in SW Ohio. I had this beer in ’04 at the brewery during a Michigan brewery tour, best beer of the trip. Pours darkish amber, nice head. Unfiltered cloudiness is beautiful to this homebrewer! Aroma of citrus and floral hops over a bready slight sweetness. Flavor begins grainy/bready/malty, but there is a hop bitterness that sort of sneaks in there, more than first realized. The hops are not as pronounced as many IPAs, but they are there along with some spiciness that really ties everything together. The mouthfeel is somewhat heavy, with the hop flavor lingering and a nice long finish. This could be a daily drinker/session beer for me. Draft at Sheffield’s. Much better than bottle. Almost glowing opaque orange color. More aroma and flavor, more of everything, mmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Pours an amber color with an off-white head. Aroma is pretty strong of the citrus and pine hops with only a hint of caramel malts. Flavor is pretty much all hops, not much else underneath. Slightly bitter finish, but not what I thought it was going to be. Overall, not too bad.

12 oz bottle. Another beer in the rating adventure. Pours a hazy golden color with a finger high white head that is fairly full-bodied and stays for a while, with an immediate smell factor to it (the hops I believe). Smells of fresh hops, citrus, floral arrangement, and some pine. Very crisp smell. Tastes of hops, some pine, and a hint of floral. Very interesting flavor. Fairly smooth going down. Not my favorite IPA, but decent nonetheless.

Had in bottles. We finally get them in Dayton, OH at Belmont Party Supply. First had this beer at a SW Mich. Brew tour, and as it turned out, it was the best beer on the trip and this included Bell’s and New Holland. This IPA is dark amber, darker than most ipa’s and the taste profile is sweet, well balanced and finshes with a floral hop presence that ends a tad on the dry side. Not overly hopped, unfortunately, but still a very tasty, different IPA. Even better on draft.

Thin and hoppy, fair to midland. Needs more booze and hops. Etc. Etc. Etc. Etc.

Pours a hazy orange with full head. Nice hops flavor with a bit of spice. Just enough bitterness to make a nice IPA. Finish is bitter and dry. It’s a nice clean beer. Will definitely have this now and then. Update: Tap at Dark Horse...very solid IPA in every way. Easy, flavorfull drinking.

Cloudy golden-amber. Big fresh hop nose is spicy, woody with light orchard fruits. This just drips with hops. Pithy, dry, herbal bitterness. Clean. Very dry in the finish. Minimalistic maltinesss and brash hoppiness.