Fat Tug IPA - Driftwood Brewery

dcloeren

Texas

3.73/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Split a bomber with JayAre46. Thanks son

A: poured a hazy burnt orange with a finger of eggshell white foamy head. The carbonation bubbles slowly make their way through the syrup to the top. Head slowly made it's way to a thin film and left some spider webs along the way

S: orange juice, caramel covered grapefruit, pineapple and floral hops dominate. Subtle malt and pine background

T: floral and pine off the bat complimented with orange peel and grapefruit. Not alot of malt to speak of... I wish the caramel scent would be more present on the palet

M: medium to light bodied, alot thinner than I was expecting... Prickly carbonation attacks my taste buds with every sip.

O: this was a good IPA but nothing special. The scent was alot more pleasant than the taste... I woulnt turn down another one of these.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2011 01:07:48 | More by dcloeren

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

650ml bottle poured into tulip april16 2011

A clear orange copper with decent carbonation feeding a solid two fingers of off white that retains quite well and leaves lots of scattered lace

S citric hops are very apparent, pineapple, grapefruit, tangerine, lemon, lime and the list goes on in terms of tropical fruit. There's also a little spring forest both pine and just a little spruce, zero booze and just enough malty toffee to keep the hops from having complete control

T thankfully it mimics the smell quite well but with more citric rind opposed to the fruity flesh, pretty solid IPA going on here and I'm proud of the fact this is from my preferred side of the border because it could hold its own against anything from state side

M medium bodied and has a nice bitter bite without stripping the enamel off my teeth, flavors linger and the carbonation's just right

O zero flaws and close to perfection in many areas, I could drink myself stupid with this beer without thinking twice if I only had the chance here in Alberta

this really is a kick ass IPA from "our" West Coast, an IPA and 1/2 perhaps and oh so worth seeking out. An entire bomber went down in no time flat and if I had regular access to this I'd be drinking it daily. If your an agent reading this DO WHAT EVER YOU CAN TO GET THIS BEER/BREWERY IN YOUR ALBERTA PORTFOLIO, if your just a geek off the street drink this every time you get the chance. Did I mention chickenm is the man for getting this bad boy into my filthy hands?

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2011 06:19:32 | More by wordemupg

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

4.13/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle sampled at Volo, poured into a flute glass.

Poured a golden yellow, filtered with a great fluffy and sticky offwhite head. Webbed lacing and solid retention. Nose is big on the citrus hops, orange, tangerine, grapefruit, with some understated pineiness in there as well. Sits atop a solid caramel malt base. Great nose. Taste is quite bitter initially, more pine and less citrus than the nose suggested. Really wasn't expecting this given the nose, but was pleasant otherwise. Prickly carbonation, and good drinkability. A nice IPA, wish I could've had a bigger sample of this.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2011 16:25:53 | More by liamt07

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.85/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours slightly cloudy grapefruit with hige white foamy head that leaves lots of spider web lacing down the glass. Wafts C-hop. Tangerine and orange citrus taste, very drinkable. Not astringent but a little numbing of the tongue. Carbonation is right there, this is a very fresh bottle. A little funky in the finish, but this makes it all the more interesting.650 ml, thanks Brian, and thanks Derek for the recommendation.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2011 03:08:01 | More by northyorksammy

chickenm

British Columbia (Canada)

4.4/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a slightly hazy orange color with a huge lasting fluffy white head. Aroma is pleasant but somewhat subdued with malt and citrus hops. Taste is hoppy but balanced with pine, bready malt, and citrus. The body is a bit light but this has a really nice smooth mouthfeel. The carbonation is almost perfect. Another great beer from Driftwood!

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2011 05:04:33 | More by chickenm

canucklehead

British Columbia (Canada)

4.83/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Step up to the top of the IPA class in BC . An IPA that delivers all the hoppy goodness that we expect but with a complex piny , grapefruity finish that is backed up with tons of malt. I found it very balanced but not shy on the hops. Central City , Phillips and Tree are all available in Government stores in 6 packs making them more accessible and easier to consume but this may be my favourite BC IPA

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2011 18:43:03 | More by canucklehead

grub

Ontario (Canada)

4.2/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

another bottle that Viggo brought over. thanks eric!

22oz bottle. sampled jan 9/2011.

pours nearly clear deep gold with a big dense cream coloured head. the head drops slowly and leaves plenty of lace as it falls.

aroma is great. resiny pine. grapefruit and orange. bit of tangerine. honey and caramel. bit of toffee. white bread and cracker. bit of biscuit. hint of alcohol. lightly spicy.

taste is good. just over medium bitterness level. resiny pine and grapefruit. orange. bit of tangerine. slightly powdery. light alcohol. white bread and cracker. bit of biscuit. spicy and slightly earthy hop character too, a neat blend of english and american traits.

mouthfeel is good. just over medium body, but with a nice dry finish. medium carbonation level.

drinkability is great. nice balance. good hop depth. a tasty ipa!

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2011 18:00:39 | More by grub

LazyL

British Columbia (Canada)

4.2/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nothing special about the colour, a very pale orange, but nice off white head that stook around for a while.
The nose has honey and grapefruit notes, subtle pine, orange maybe vanilla.
The taste is great. The label says shwack o' hops, and they are right, but at 80 IBU's they arent over the top. Creamy, well balanced, bitterness is pleasing and not overpowering.
This is a good beer. Red Racer might have just gotten a little more competition.
Driftwood is definately becoming a player. Recomended next time your craving a little hop.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2011 23:05:35 | More by LazyL

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

4.78/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

First BA review :-)

Bomber bought from Brewery Creek. Recomended by the lovely, friendly girl behind the counter after asking about the sold out Deschutes Hop Trip which I intended to buy more of.

Appearance: After a somewhat (anxious?) agressive pour, light orange with beautiful off-white, two finger head which dissipates after a couple minutes. Nice lacing.

Smell: Piney, grapes and lemon.

Taste: Hoppy indeed!! Pine-tree sap, crisp underipe grapefruit. Slight caramel and lemon.

Mouthfeel. Oily bitterness that last just long enough. Medium carbonation. Alchohol present but very well hidden

Drinkability: Went through this too fast and wished I had another!! Looks like this will be added to the regular rotation for at least the next while.

Overall: First Driftwood product for me and not a moment too soon. Will be keeping my eye out for this bad boy of a hop fix. Looking forward to trying more from these guys!!

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2011 00:36:46 | More by Rutager

hoser

Alberta (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A low SRM and a nice spicy hop finish from Driftwood. One of BC's up and comers and I have been enjoying what they are doing so far. I never would have guessed 7% for the ABV it drinks a little lighter than that. Maybe having a DDC Chaman first wasn't the way to go in drinking beers tonight. I would have to try again to be fair to this brew. I like what this brewery is doing and hope some day we can by their products in Alberta. The hops slightly winning the battle with malt and that is not a bad thing.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2010 02:39:42 | More by hoser

mfaulk

California

3.95/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served a bit too warm - which I'd guess brought forward the malt
sweetness.

Clear gold color. Good slightly off-white head; bubbles on the coarse side.

Smell: citrus, piney, and spicy.

Taste: Hop presence is distinctly spicy, maybe grapefruit rind, or grapefruit with orange rind. Feels a bit hot for 7%.

Mouth feel: initially a little thin, but then some creamy bubbles
form. Maybe too many bubbles? Swallow leaves a back-of-the-mouth oily film.

This strikes me as pretty drinkabie for 7%, 80 IBUs. A little one-dimensional, but over all I like what they've done with the spicy hops. Its biggest flaw is mouthfeel: too light and foamy ( this might be the result of the serving temperature, but if not it would still be great with a burger and fries).

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2010 01:14:57 | More by mfaulk

BDTyre

British Columbia (Canada)

4.4/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Yum! A little bit more tame than Sartori, but a very powerful and hoppy IPA. Orangery-copper with a white head that is very chunky and clingy. Rich, hoppy smell. There is an initial hoppy blast followed up a sweet, bready malt. Citrusy, grassy fruit flavours. Malts are not dominant at all.

Good carbonation, very nice beer even in a 7% bomber.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2010 05:48:48 | More by BDTyre

Hornet2003

British Columbia (Canada)

4.47/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bomber purchased from Central City liquor store. Let's see how it compares to the coveted Red Racer IPA...

Appearance: Slightly orange. Poured smoothly to nice creamy head. Dissipates over time.

Smell: Pungent hoppy aroma. Not so much grapefruity like other IPA's. Green, piney hops with some biscuity notes.

Taste: Wow this is hoppy! Lots of grassy, piney hoppiness. Very indicative of a well balanced west coast IPA. Reminds me of Phillips Hop Circle and LaConner IPA.

Mouthfeel: Fat Tug definitely is a showcase for the IBU. All 80 (according to the bottle) come through strongly and boldly. Carbonation is spot on. Slight malty sweetness contrasts beautifully with the bitterness.

Drinkability: If this were available in 6-packs, it'd be dangerous stuff. The alc/vol is high yet subtle in the taste. And the bitterness keeps it interesting.

Overall: Another GREAT beer from Driftwood and yet another sign of the amazing BC craft beer scene. Tons of hops, and different enough from Red Racer to make it stand out on it's own as one of the great West Coast IPA's.

PS. Apologies to Driftwood for the constant comparison to Central City(however it's inevitable these days with Red Racer's reputation). Driftwood is truly an innovator and leader in the BC craft beer movement. This, along with their Sartori, definitely solidifies them as one of BC's best brewers.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2010 23:30:29 | More by Hornet2003

WalterWalter

British Columbia (Canada)

4.97/5  rDev +14%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I finally tried one of these today, and it is definitely my favourite IPA of all those I can remember by name, and equal to an excellent one I remember having at an American micro-brew pub (in Long Beach; Rock Bottom brewery perhaps). By far better than the IPAs from other local micro breweries which I have always found underwhelming - one is too malty, the other not carbonated enough for my liking.

The taste is very strong hops, with an amazing bitterness, and a delicious citrus-cannabis-bergamot aftertaste. No heavy malty flavours or anything to distract from this delicious hoppiness, and the hops taste fresh and, despite being very powerful, delicate. Nice carbonation; not too strong but not weak and syrupy either.

Three thumbs up.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2010 04:47:43 | More by WalterWalter

Derek

British Columbia (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The much anticipated IPA from Driftwood...

A: Clear gold with a white head, great retention and lacing.

S: Huge, perfumy aroma. Plenty of tangerine and grapefruit rind, floral, pine and a little cattiness.

T: Pine, grapefruit rind, nectarine, tangerine, assertive bitterness, candied pineapple, sponge toffee, mild alcohol, great stuff!

M: Moderate body is smooth, with a modest carbonation and a light hop acidity.

D: If you're a hop head and think 7% isn't sessionable, THINK AGAIN!

This is right up there with Red Racer... a hop lovers dream. I'm not sure if there's quite as much finishing (aroma) hops, but there's plenty of flavour and a bit more bitterness.

An all-around great brew!

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2010 03:49:59 | More by Derek

ericj551

British Columbia (Canada)

4.3/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I grabbed this at the local liquor store, only to realize it was just bottled today! You can't get much fresher than that, perfect for an IPA.

The beer pours an ever so slightly hazy yellowy copper with a nice foamy head that lingers. The aroma is like sticking your nose into a handful of fresh hop cones, resiny pine, citrus, pungent grassiness and bitter earthiness all meld together, with a nice background of malty sweetness. The freshness really shows, it smells like it finished dry hopping today!

Bitterness punches strongly upfront with plenty of citrus and piney hop flavor. More earthy, and harsh grassiness in the flavor. The finish is bitter and almost pungently sour. The malt is there, but it is well hidden, it only pops up here and there.

I look forward to seeing the beer on draft around Victoria, it is the most brutal IPA I've had from the Island.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2010 03:25:47 | More by ericj551