Batch 300 Belgian Style Ale - Swamp Head Brewery & Tasting Room

kylehay2004

Florida

4.1/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Single finger head forms late after poor on a muddy golden with copper hues body. Aroma of pale malts, grains, orange peek, yeast and herbs mostly clove. Spicy, herbal, hits of grass, citrus is mildly tart and mostly of orange peel with nice yeast presence. Initially the finish was a bit medicinal but this was less prevalent as this one was enjoyed. Medium body and moderate to high carbonation with a semi dry finish. This one is not too bad. Would make an excellent base beer for barrel aging. Nice example of the style as well.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 01:13:55 | More by kylehay2004

maximum12

Minnesota

3.75/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to moose3285, who has since been upgraded to moose9998, since that's his trader score out of a possible 10,000. This here bottle arrived in our latest epic trade as an extra, my third Swamp Head, all courtesy of the moose. One was amazing, one sub-par. Is this the tie-breaker? 750 ML bottle split with my wife.

Pour has a vigorous, borderline annoying head that surges up out of the glass even on a gentle pour. I can actually hear the carbonation popping off like leprechaun firecrackers off the surface. Unclear golden, with yellow highlights, light. The nose is a heady belt of yeast, plus minor chords of grain & lemon. Very legit.

Batch 300 is a tripel with plucky depth. Big spicy notes from the yeast, combined with the over-enthusiastic carbonation, make for a tongue-tickling experience. I belch after only two or three sips....ahh. Nice light fruits, lemon, with an ending that's slightly bitter, or tart, my tongue can't quite tell the difference. There's an echo of mustiness that mutes the flavors as the beer warms, & it dings the flavor. Damn easy to drink, though, & I do like the spritzy, almost champagne-like experience.

This one feels...so close. One of those beers that is only a tweak here & crank there from reaching up into excellent. That mustiness...it really hurts the vibrancy of the flavors, which were really singing. But still a good beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2013 02:28:34 | More by maximum12

babaracas

Florida

3.98/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy gold with one finger thick dense creamy white head. Settles slowly leaving a thick ring and a few thick rings down the glass. Smell: sparse... grainy with background pale malt sweetness, whiffs of pear, metal, and lemon. Taste: while the nose disappoints, this does the opposite... starting with a mouthful of ripe pear, then spicy and grassy, sugary white grape, with candied lemon peel and a medicinal note hitting towards the end of the sip. Medium bodied, exceptionally creamy, leaving behind grassiness and pear. This was almost fantastic.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2012 04:41:41 | More by babaracas

MatthewPlus

Florida

4.46/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

picked up a couple bottles in Feb/March(?) from the brewery in Gville.

poured into a CCB snifter

a slight gusher, had a hard time keeping the head at a reasonable level. tight carbonation, straight white head, golden straw color with minimal cloudiness.

smells typical of a tripel, yeast spice and raw grains.

complexity in the malts, black pepper and a muted banana. spices abound, this has a bit more depth than what i had expected.

medium body, zippy carbonation, short to medium-short finish with yeast notes.

Overall i was pleasantly surprised by this one. I often consider Swamp Head a slightly below average FL brewery (though they do have some nice offerings), and while i wouldnt put this in the same league as Chimay white or some other trappist examples, it is very good. Had i the opportunity, i would have purchased more than the 2 i did.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2013 19:29:04 | More by MatthewPlus