Sweetwater The Creeper

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

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.

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.

On tap at The Porter. Pours a deep, cloudy gold. The aroma is floral and perfumey. The flavor starts with malt sweetness and perfumey hop flavor. The beer is dry with lots of ester, including notes of licorice (a lot like a beer I made using Wyeast 3276 - Farmhouse Ale Yeast). The finish is perfumey and peppery with a firm, hoppy, bitterness. Mouthfeel is full but vigorously carbonated to give it lightness on the tongue. Overall, an interesting, bitter, Belgian-style ale.

on tap at brewery. hazy orange under a medium sized white head. big hoppy aroma and flavor. honestly, i didn’t really notice much "belgian" ..just the 2ipa. good anyway.

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 (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)

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.

Appearance: Hazed, yellow-gold body with a small, white head. Smell: Lightly sweetish nose chock full of citrus, pineapple, and wind-blown grass. The malts player a minor role in the aroma along with a faint waft of peppery alcohol in the background. Taste: Delicate, light pale maltiness with a pinch of sweet table sugar and a few careful drops of clover honey. This is proceeded by a synthesis of American hop flavors, particularly tropical citrus fruits and a grassy herbacceousness. Bold moderate bitterness. Tiny pinch of clove. Small peppery hints at the tail-end. Finishes dry, bitter, and a tad warming. Mouthfeel: Medium-plus body. Medium carbonation. Drinkability: A solid, somewhat Americanized tripel. I look forward to trying more Dank Tank brews in the future, which seems to be Sweetwater’s answer to Terrapin’s Side Project series.