Dark Horse Crooked Tree IPA

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

Have had out of the bottle and on tap at the brewpub...this review is after pouring into a pint glass from a bottle. I think I actually prefer this to Bell’s Two Hearted Ale, but I’m not sure...I go back and forth. They are both great IPA’s, to be sure. The appearance is wonderfully hazy, with beautiful, unfiltered floaters dispersed evenly throughout the glass. Aroma is grassy and citrusy. Very nice balance of hops and malt. Full of flavor, very refreshing. This is a very nice beer.

Barely chilled:Hazy orange,copper. Big creamy,head. Nice lacework. Aroma is evident after popping the cap with the grassy,and piney,hops. Dry feel,while being a bit oily and creamy at the same time. Light bitterness up front with plenty of citric flavors followed by a good balancing mix of bready,toast,malt flavors. Finish is dry,with grassy and light citric flavors blending well with the bready malt. You can pretty much tell what you’re getting in the flavor with the aroma. Like the description says,crisp and dry. Very drinkable and well mixed flavors here.

Pours with an enormous fluffy white head, plenty of haze on this blonde ale. The aroma is grassy and piney hops, with a little bit of resiny aroma. There is a wonderful fruity flavor to this beer with some grapefruit, lemon and orange. Plenty of bitterness is aparent. Palate couldn’t be better, nice and full.

Pours a dark golden-amber with miniature flocculent deposits that are evenly dispersed. As a consequence the ale is cloudy. I can see the outline of my fingers if I hold the glass towards a light source. Highly evident and attractive aroma hops. Large off-white head with bearded Belgian lace. Medium body and nice texture with noticeable bitterness on the palate and bitter citrus pith notes in the lingering. Malt comes forth to balance the hops. Hints of baked bread. Makes me think of caramelized bread crusts. Notes of pine and spruce. The alcohol is not noticeable on the palate. Honey can be found if you seek it.

Bottle poured a cloudy amber with a small lingering off white head. Aromas of carmel, orange, pepper and light pine. Palate was medium bodied and smooth with a dry finish. Flavors of carmel, pine and earthiness with a smooth dry moderatly bitter finish.

Nice head - crisp and fairly dry with a sweet orange smell, mild orange flavor. Dryness means hoppy bitterness really comes through. Easy to drink a lot, but a little low in sweetness and alcohol for me.

Good IPA, hovering on the mild side and that’s just fine with me. Aroma of lemon, grapefruit, biscuits, and evergreen. Pours a beautiful burnt copper color with a frothy, light tan head and bountiful lacing. Medium bodied, dry, and contains a good bitterness. Assertive fruity flavor from the flowery hops. Biscuit and caramel with some spruce and pine.

Bottle. Nice solid almost-opaque amber color with a sudsy and firm top of thin foam. Tight aroma of woodsy pine accents, the flavor follows -- quite earthy with an underpinning citric bite to accentuate the piney hoppiness and solid caramel malt backdrop. Good. (#3569, 6/30/2009)