All About Beer Magazine

Beer Talk

Dark Horse Crooked Tree IPA

Available: MI, IN

• Stephen Beaumont

  Dry-hopped, you say? Unfiltered, you say? Big enough to knock over a Bud drinker at forty paces, you say? Yup, yup and yup. There’s nothing subtle about this Dark Horse, from the massive, spicy-leafy hop aroma to the big, chewy, citrusy hop in the body and the bitter, almost astringent finish. There’s also some fruity malt hanging in the background, although my hops-besieged palate would appreciate a little more. Steadfastly in the hophead camp and a candidate for my next plate of chicken vindaloo.

• Charlie Papazian

  (Reviewed by K. Florian Klemp) Pastel-orange and hazy, glinting pink and yellow. Authoritative hop nose, with grapefruit, spruce and a whispering watermelon ester. Classic American hop flavors dominate the palate without overwhelming the supple malt backdrop. The finish is an earthy citrus: warm, dry, and lingering. White lacing hugs the glass. This brew stokes my appetite, and is what I want in an American IPA. I’m thinking musty mushroom and blue-veined cheese burger right now.

• Garrett Oliver

  This amber beer is hazy to the point of opacity, raising a good rocky head. The robust hop aroma shows notes of mint and sweet oranges. The palate shows a quick flash of malt sweetness followed by a thin loud shriek of hop bitterness, which runs through the center and drops into a very dry finish. Bitterness lingers. I’d prefer more malt backbone to hold up that malt — the whole affair is rather one-dimensional. If you’re all about the bitterness, then step right up with some stuffed jalapenos.