Thomas Creek Class Five IPA

Brewed by Thomas Creek Brewery
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Greenville, South Carolina USA

This was purchased at the local Kroger’s. I was expecting an IPA and only got a modest Pale Ale. The ale poured a nice copper with a frothy head. The aroma was faint of hops. The alcohol for normal IPAs is on the low side. I purchased a six pack so I will comment further on this IPA.

12 oz bottle. Small carbonation in an amber pour with a medium white head. Quite a malty aroma with a touch of citrus. Pine like flavors with a touch of spice. Malt is there just to make the hops less bracing. Fairly good. Medium body dry finish.

12oz bottle from total wine in greeville. pours a medium, orange-copper with a thin, white head and solid lacing. aroma is nice with orange citrus, herbal, and slightly floral hop notes and sweet, toasted caramel malts. flavor is solid as well, not overly hoppy like most IPAs but has a nice balance of grassy, earthy, herbal hops, some mild orange citrus, and woody pine with toasted, brown sugary malts on the finish. palate is medium bodied, well carbonated, and nicely bitter. overall, a solid IPA.

Bottle. The blushing gold beer leans towards copper. Short soapsud head. Intruiging hop aromas of orange and chamomille, piney grapefruit, and… cocoa? Unmistakable musty Fuggles leap out but don’t overpower. Crackery malt flavor abounds with sharply citric lupulin goodness. A bit of toffee. Light-bodied. Crisp finish and lingering bitter resiny/earthy aftertaste. A straightforward American IPA. Thomas Creek joins the short list of craft brewers that aren’t afraid of hops. Well done!

On draught at the High Country Beer Fest, it pours orange-amber into the glass, with a nice head that leaves cascading lace. Floral aromas mix with some nice cutting citrus. The flavors are a touch drier than expected, with some toasted malt, pepper and pine dominating overtop some muddy citrus and light caramel notes. The dry woody pine finish closes the pull. Active carbonation resides inside a smooth texture and medium-light body. All-in-all, not a bad IPA. There isn’t one particular aspect of the brew that really shines through to draw my attention past "run of the mill", though.

Pours an amber color with a foamy tan head with plenty of lacing. Aroma of hops, malt, caramel and faint citrus. Nice balance of malt and hops with some grapefruit, pine and sweetness. Solid IPA from this SC brewer.

Decent, but more fizzy and peppery than an IPA should be. Hoppy, lightly bitter, with some earthy malts. Too much grainy and toasty malts with out enough hops for the style. Reasonably drinkable, but certainly not great.

12 oz. bottle from SSJuly09. Pours a clear deep amber color with a medium creamy beige head. The aroma has some caramel malt with mild sweetness and a blend of herbal and earthy hop bitterness. The flavor has more toasted malt than the nose, light caramel, earthy, citrus, grainy, with a fair amount of bitterness in the finish. I could see drinking this if it were local, but nothing to seek out. Rating #80 for this beer.