Thomas Creek Up the Creek Extreme IPA

Brewed by Thomas Creek Brewery
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Greenville, South Carolina USA

Name: Celebration Ale
Date: March 22, 2008
Mode: Draft
Source: Tasting, Cellar Party
Appearance: cloudy dark red, fine beige head, bits of drippy lace
Aroma: sweet dark caramel malt aroma with piney sweetness and light fruityness, earthy balance
Flavor: sweet caramel malt flavor, lots of piney character, earthyness for balance, light bitterness
Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 14/20
Rating: 3.4/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: **4

Cask Stillage from the Jug at the GABF, Colorado Convention Center 26/09/2009 Big hop aroma. Small white head. Copper coloured and hoppy with a pine fruit flavour. A little bitterness in a crisp malt finish.

(Draught) Pours a clear amber body with a medium beige head. Aroma of citrus, resiny pine, and caramel. Flavor of hops (citrus, resin, earth), caramel malt, and light toasted grain with a dry finish.

@Knoxville Brewers Jam-12 oz bottle-pours an off white head and deep copper color. Aroma is sweet medium malt, medium/dark fruit, secondary earthy hops. Taste is sweet medium malt, medium/dark fruit, secondary earthy hops. Smooth.

Sampled from a 5 gallon keg thanks to ATLBeerDog: Pours a hazy bright copper ruby with a well-lacing off-white head. Aroma of semi-sweet toasty caramel malt and light fruity esters with a nice fresh grapefruity hoppiness. Body starts semi-sweet and earthy citrusy hoppy with a crisp grapefruity hoppy flavor before a drier, bittersweet finish. A nice double IPA.

Pours copper with a white head. Smells of citrus, some earthy hints, peppery. Tastes spicy and bitter with a metallic finish.

12oz. Bottle: Aroma of hops, malts, slight alcohol, toasted caramel, light wood, light evergreen, and slight alcohol. Poured brown/very deep amber/ruby in color with a large, creamy, dense, rocky, beige head that diminished but lasted throughout. Clear. Lightly sparkling. Excellent lacing. Flavor is medium bitter and light to medium sweet. Tastes of hops, toasted caramel, malts, light resin, light wood, and a little pine. Medium body. Oily, then dry texture. Average carbonation. Hops, toasted caramel, and malt finish is dry. 12.5%ABV is dangerously well hidden.

This was probably the surprise of the taating - Very rich and full bodied, lots of rich, malty caramel and toffee, plus vanill and maple. I would’ve thought this was a Barley Wine instead of a DIPA, but still an impressive beer. Sampled at lithy’s Septemberfest.