Sweetwater Motor Boat

Brewed by Sweetwater Brewing Company
Style: Premium Bitter/ESB
Atlanta, Georgia USA

Bottle best before November 23, 2008. Pours a dark copper with a decent head. The aroma is rather hoppy. I get quite a bit of American leaning notes in the nose such as grapefruit, but everything mellows out to a certainly English vibe with hints at toffee and biscuits, maybe some wooden bitterness. The palate is a little thinner than I was expecting, but it’s smooth and pleasing nonetheless. Definite English malts on this one with toffee, burning leaves, and buttered biscuits. The hops are much more apparent in the aroma, though they add a decent level of dryness to the flavor. Sweetwater is awesome. They have the right attitude, the right names, and the product to back it up. This take on an ESB really reminds me of a tasty homebrew of Joe’s. U.S. meets U.K. in a very tasty fashion.

Bottle courtesy of Springslicker. (Best by 12/07/08) Poured cooper with an off-white head that settles to a ring. Nice orange peel and caramel aroma. The flavor finds a grapefruit and caramel balance. Medium body, medium bitterness throughout. Smooth and enjoyable.

Bottle in trade from RustyDiamond. Thanks!
Pours a nice amber clear color with a beige head. Smell is mildy nutty, dusty, fruity and tea like malt, all nicely balanced with none overpowering another. Taste is the same lightly nutty and dusty malt with some lightly bitter fruitiness to balance. Fruity gummy flavor as well. Very drinkable and a nice clean ESB. Thanks for this one!

Bottle from Jay. Pours out a brown color with a nice tan head on it. Smell is fruity, malty, and then all of a sudden there is a nice smack of hops right in there. Really this beer smells way better than it tastes. Taste is sweet and fruity, easy to drink even for the 6.5% - I would consider this a session beer. Flavor has some grass and citrus notes which is awkward for an English Strong Ale. Good beer though, one of the best of our lager starts.

Draft at Taco Macs Kennesaw location, and a 12 oz. bottle a few days later. Mostly clear, dark copper with a nice two-finger head that leaves nice lace. Earthy orange-resin and caramel nose. Hoppy flavors of tea leaf, orange-grapefruit and resin are almost balanced by some caramel, roasted nut and cocoa. Medium body is smooth and slightly dry with a light hop tingle. Excellent ESB.

Oxidationfest Tasting at illinsmitty’s. Pours a reddish hued clear, with big bubbled, fading white head. Earthy and floral hop nose, piney, reminds me of simcoe without the cat piss. Flavor balances out toward the malty but a hop bite in the finish. Didn’t think as highly of this as everyone else apparently.

Bottle from Springslicker. Pours a nice copper amber with a light beige retentive head. Nice fruity ester nose, sort of orangey. Lighter side of medium bodied. Flavor of caramel and grains, with some citrusy accents. Very moderate balancing bitterness.

Pours a stunning reddish/orange with a thick white/yellowish head. Smells of strong hops just adds to my anticipation. First sip is bitter and clean – surprisingly not as hoppy as the lovely aroma would indicate. Mouthfeel is good but this puppy could use a stronger malt backbone. A fine showing from Sweetwater.