Sweetwater The Creeper

Brewed by Sweetwater Brewing Company
Style: Abbey Tripel
Atlanta, Georgia USA

Name: The Creeper
Date: December 12, 2008
Mode: Draft
Source: Porter Bar, L5P Atlanta
Appearance: cloudy dark gold, fine off white head
Aroma: sweet candy malt aroma with lots of spicy phenolics mixed with lots of hops
Flavor: big hoppy flavor, lots of spicyness, plenty of bitterness rolls out of the spicyness, sweet candied malt underlies all the hops and spices
Overall: decent take on the style
Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 13/20
Rating: 3.1/5.0
Drinkability: 6/10
Score: **+/4

Has that distinct sweetwater hop character and profile with lots of grapefruit and pine. Oh wow, this is a 10%er as well. Definitely cannot tell that here. Definitely a hopped up tripel but has that full bodied malt profile to remind you you are drinking a belgian style beer. Pours clear golden and has a bit of a syrupy texture to it.

On tap at Taco Mac (the one near Marietta...I’m not from Atlanta so I’m not sure which exact location)...pours clear golden yellow with a 1 1/2 fingers foamy white head...sopy lacing streaked the goblet all the way down to the last sip. The aroma consisted of citrusy hops, cloves, and sweet, bready yeast. The flavor was pretty intense IPA like bitter (for a Trippel) followed by a soothing, sweet, malty finish. The beer was well balanced and was very distinct/unusual in a good way. The alcohol was well hidden (so much in fact, I thought it was more like a 6.5 - 7% beer) and I’m assuming this is one reason behin the name. If you get a chance, I’d seek this out before it’s gone. Best Sweetwater product I’ve had...(I’ve had most of them, but have yet to rate them...I’m lazy cut me some slack)

When Dogwood closed a few years ago, I was worried the production brewery scene would go stale. Do not get me wrong, Atlanta Brewing had turned their act around and started making very good beer and Sweetwater was always a reliable source for good craft beer, but neither brewery did much to shake up their lineup. Their offerings were pretty much the same every year. Luckily, both breweries moved into different digs and apparently the change in scenery spurred some new bursts of creativity for both breweries. Sweetwater has dedicated an entire tank just to experiment with new recipes. I was happy to see that The Creeper was still available at the Kennessaw Taco Mac when I visited over Christmas. The beer pours a clear gold with a small head (possibly the product of the bars pouring practices). There is a sweet honey malt, slight yeasty funk, and a mild American hoppiness. It covers the alcohol content well and is probably a little TOO drinkable for its size. This does not match up to the best of the style, in my opinion, but it is definitely a welcome change of pace for the decidedly American-style brewery.

on tap at Taco Mac - Perimeter. A very light yellow color with a quarter inch white head. really nice sweet and somewhat bitter aroma. a touch of yeast and banana as well on the nose. medium body, even over the palate with some hops, light fruits, and yeast. pleasant finish with a touch of bitterness ... glad I got to try this one as it will go quickly.

Straw colored. Aroma is hoppy. Strange blend of a tripel with American hops. I liked it, but it was an odd beer. The finish is amazingly smooth, probably my favorite part.

The first run out of Sweetwaters Dank Tank. This tripel IPA pours a magnificent clear golden, very appetizing, with a very thick and exceptionally persistent buttery offwhite head. You could practically use it for insulation! Aroma is mainly malty with some hoppy hints and touches of spices and caramel. Flavor is predominantly malty with a lemony overtone and a hint of hard cider. Texture is tingly and very smooth, leaving a sour and sweet aftertaste.