Terrapin Big Sloppy Monster

Brewed by Terrapin Beer Company
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Athens, Georgia USA

Date: June 07, 2008
Mode: Draft
Source: Brewery
Vintage: 2008
Appearance: muddy dark rusty red, wispy beige head
Aroma: sweet dark caramel and vanilla aroma with lotsof bourbon, touch of balancing earthyness, light fruity tartness
Flavor: sweet caramel and vanilla flavor, plenty of earthy hops along with the oak for balance, bourbon sweetness comes back to balance the oak, aparent peppery alcohol

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 15/20
Rating: 3.5/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: **4

Date: October 10, 2009
Mode: Firkin
Source: Brick Store Pub
Vintage: 2009
Appearance: muddy dark brown, frothy beige head
Aroma: sweet malt aroma, sweet vanilla and light whiskey, touch of chocolate and brown sugar
Flavor: rich malt flavor, lots of oak, sweet vanilla and whiskey, touch of alcohol, long bitter finish
Overall: a bit muddier this year with the flavors not blending as well

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 15/20
Rating: 3.6/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: **4

[2006 Draft @ UJ’s Manatawny] Hazy dark amber color with a small, off white head that left nice lacing on the glass. Aroma of vanilla, bourbon, citrus, floral hops, grass, pine, toffee, and caramel malts. Taste of vanilla, caramel malts, resiny pine, tobacco, grapefruit, citrus fruits, wood, and bourbon in the finish.

Tap at Union Jacks. Pours a hazy deep red amber with a medium creamy off white head. Aroma of caramel malt, toffee, oak, and vanilla. Flavor of toffee, vanilla, oak, raisin, dark fruits and malty sweet. Hops are gone in this 2006 brew.

Appearance: Opaque, brown body with an inch of lasting, off-white foam. Smell: Caramel-scented maltiness with full bourbony accents smelling of vanilla, toasted coconut shavings, and wood. That wood note grows a bit upon warming. Taste: Caramel maltiness with a rich, heavy sweetness. More coconut, vanilla, and oak. As with the aroma, the oakiness intensifies as it warms. Slight underlying bitterness, but the hop flavors are long gone, traded in for Jack Daniels, it would seem. Warming, bourbony taste lingers beyond the finish. Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium-low carbonation. Drinkability: Quite good! Certainly won’t be pleasing any hop heads, but fans of bourbon barrel aging should enjoy it.

Pours a deep ruby with red orange highlights and a very well formed and well retained head. Two finger creamy light tan head. The aroma starts off with mild notes of oxidation which quickly dissipate with warmth, nice whiskey/oak character, caramelly sweetness, vanilla for sure, and some sweet bread character. Flavor has a very well integrated barrel character, mellow, caramelly notes, nice development of vanillins, woody, no alcohol heat, background piney hop character. Palate shows no heat or bitterness, very full and smooth with some tannic feel. Very very enjoyable.

Pours a hazy deep brown color with a brown head. Aroma is bourbon, oak, vanilla, brown sugar, molasses, caramel, and some citrus hop notes. Flavor is bourbon, oak, vanilla, caramel, molasses, alcohol, and a sweet sugary bourbon finish.

Sampled on draft at Capital Ale House Terrapin Release Party with maniac and Maltdawg. Big wisky presence on this one. In the nose and flavor. The hops are either masked or completely faded out. I’d say this is more of an american strong oaked aged. Massive caramel maltiness. Way higher abv than 8.3%. Still, extremely enjoyable. Nice medium creamy body. I’d like to try this again once it cools down for a year or two.

Draught at Tylers. The beer this has become is certainly not a double ipa. Its more of a barley wine now. Nose is sweet and heavily barreled with notes of caramel, vanilla, whiskey. Flavor is similar with some light hoppy bitterness. Very nice integration of the barrel and like Duck Rabbit Milk Stout, I think this is better than its base beer (even though i may have rated the other one higher in 2005).