Thomas Creek Up The Creek - Thomas Creek Brewery

Viciousknishs

Virginia

3.88/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- pours a deep red garnet with a Lucious two fingers of khaki tan head. Very good retention. Pale ale?!?! Not exactly.

S- very malty aromas of toffee and burnt caramel. Slight oily nut aroma which reminds me of walnuts. Spicy phenonlic alchohol with a very rum like quality and a hint of sugar cane gives the nose a good kick. Aged dry pine aroma on the finish. The aroma is more akin to a high ABV barleywine then a IPA.

T- rich malt flavors of toffee and burnt caramel hit the palate at first. There is a definate alchohol presence yet it doesn't overpower the other flavors. It gives a great warming hint of rum. The finish is turbinado sugar and oily walnut with a doughy bready quality that flushes out in the aftertaste. A smidge of dry pine is barely percieved on the finish as well.

MF- syrupy chewy mouthfeel with a heavy body and soft carbonation.

D- one 12 oz and you are good. A really nice sipper that goes down at the appropriate rate!

Overall I would not place this in the realm of IPA. Barleywine seems to fit much better. Nice complexity with a good structure. Very good beer!

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2011 04:29:56 | More by Viciousknishs

elgiacomo

Georgia

3.53/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle, served at around 45F.

Pours dark red/copper with a good sized brown head, leaves good spotty lacing and recedes to a light cap.

Aroma starts with citrus and pine hops then a bunch of dark fruit, caramel, some bread and earth. Good strength.

Flavor is citrus hops up front, then moves to strong caramel and dark fruit with moderate sweetness, finishes with good pine bitterness. Some alcohol but really not bad at all considering it is 12.5%!

Mouthfeel is full bodied, creamy, sticky, good carbonation.

Overall pretty good stuff, but ultimately comes across more as an Imperial Red or Barleywine than a Double IPA.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2011 03:24:10 | More by elgiacomo

emerge077

Illinois

2.65/5  rDev -29.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 1 | overall: 2.5

"2021" julian date code on the bottom, june-july 2011 apparently.

Dark tawny copper, sticky cap of fluffy, creamy foam that leaves copious lacing inside the glass. Transparent, high clarity. Head retention is strong, as it's long lasting, maintaining a stiff meringue froth for the duration of the glass.

Sticky toffee and caramel aroma, more appropriate to an old ale or aged barleywine. Very sweet with a bit of pine resin and spun sugar notes.

Ugh. Sticky sweet, syrupy and very astringent. Cheesy smoked gouda notes? Wtf is going on in here >_> I like me some cheese, and toffee too, but not together getting friendly in my beer. Fusel alcohol, sickly sweet, reminds me of cheap schnapps or liqueur. Earthy herbal hop resin in the aftertaste that seems to build incrementally after each sip. Oh...there's the hops. Unfortunately they can't save this beer, especially this late in the game. A flash of an afterthought of hops and a ton of residual sugar does not equal a DIPA. This crosses the threshold into old ale/barleywine for sure. The sweetness and high level astringency are the dealbreakers here.

"Up the creek" generally means "you're screwed" and sadly, so is this beer. Glad it was only a single, i'd never buy this again.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2011 02:16:17 | More by emerge077

julian

Washington

2.9/5  rDev -22.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A: Near crystal clear, deep amber and crimson in color with a nice foamy light tan head. One of the darkest DIPAs I've seen.

S: Smell is a mix of toffee, syrup, alcohol and sweet raisin. This smells more like a Scotch ale or barleywine than a DIPA. I don't get any pronounced hop bitterness on the nose.

T&M: Sweet, and syrupy with the taste of raisin and toffee and some fruity bittering in the background which mostly takes a backseat to the malt and alcohol. Carbonation might be a bit high, and the finish leaves a sweet, almost cloying coating on your palate.

O: High ABV, very sweet, lack of hop aroma and overal just not very well balanced or representative of the style it claims to be.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2011 02:38:19 | More by julian

BeerBeatnik

North Carolina

3.98/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into pint glass from a bottle. A deep brown red body with a medium khaki colored head. The nose has lots of caramel and some pine. There is also grapefruit. It smells good. The taste is malty and piney. As I drank more I got the grapefruit. The finish is strongly citrus. There are also tobacco hints. Pretty well done with a big ABV

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2011 20:16:48 | More by BeerBeatnik

bramsdell

Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from bottle to Imperial pint glass.

A: Dark brown with a deep ruby hue when held up to the light. A very small - maybe a finger - head of a tan color. Certainly not the light, fluffy head of an IPA. Head recedes to a thin line over the beer. Lacing is decent.

S: This is the least remarkable part of this beer. It's 12.5% and bills itself as an "Extreme IPA," I rather expected an aggressive aroma. Instead, there is a malty sweetness of no specific nature and a piney scent from the hops. Not a whole lot of smell, and really no indication of its ABV.

T: This beer is a huge surprise, and a pleasant one for this reviewer. The first flavor to hit the palate is a very manageable malty sweetness. It's all caramel, this one; its a thick, syrupy caramel. After the initial sweetness resides a bit, the hops come out. Honestly, this beer is really more malt than hops. Truly, this is a head-scratcher of a beer. The hops leave a bit of bitter on the tongue, but the malts come back to balance out the flavor for an overall sweetness. A quick sip will yield only a slight warm feeling, but to let this sit in the mouth for a moment brings out the warmth of the high ABV. Let it sit there long enough, and, sadly, the alcohol will overpower. However, in moderate sips/gulps, this beer really belies its 12.5%.

M: A great feel, but not the typical DIPA feel. No, the syrupy consistency and low-ish carbonation are more reminiscent of a stout. Again, let it sit too long and the only flavor left is booze. Just avoid that and this beer feels great.

O: Well, I'm giving it high marks for enjoyability and for being bold. Not due to the ABV, its boldness comes from its billing itself as an extreme IPA yet being a seriously malty beverage. Might incite some hardcore hop-heads, but I love it. Overall, this is a good beer, one that I would like to try fresh and on tap.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2011 00:33:54 | More by bramsdell

Sunnanek

Sweden

3.55/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours dark brown with red hues. The brown thick head sinks slowly into great lacings.

S: Sweet, sweet malt, roasted and syrupy. Dark dried fruits. This is the first DIPA (or perhaps TIPA) I've ever had, where the malt overpowers the hops.

T: Tastes just like the smell. Molasses and dark dried fruits. The hops are, if possible, even more anonymous.

M: Body is full and creamy while carbonation is held back. Aftertaste is long and sweet. Lots of alcohol-precense.

O: Wow, how I loved this beer. But to review it as a DIPA is so wrong. If it was classified as a Barleywine - top grade, but as a DIPA, way too much sweet malt, and way too little hops.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2011 17:55:19 | More by Sunnanek

azdback

Arizona

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

Appearance- Dark caramel color. Cloudy, large three finger head that is tan in color. Retention is long and lace is very sticky and a patchy pattern.

Smell is very sweet malts. Much like a Barleywine. There are some citrus smells and some burnt sugar. Alcohol is also present.

Taste is very sweet, and malty. There is some citrus bitterness of a yellow grapefruit mixed with the sweetness of a pink grapefruit. There is some burnt or caramelized sugar I detect too. The alcohol is very noticeable as this warms.

Mouth is extremely rich and velvety. I once again point to a Barleywine. The maltiness stays rich and full all the way to the end. There is quite a bit of alcohol warmness all the way to the belly.

Overall I really enjoyed this. Like many high ABV Double or Triple IPA’s, as they age they turn into a Barleywine. IMO. Not at all a bad thing and I won’t grade against this for it. A very aggressive beer that must be sipped and enjoyed over...like.... an entire half of a football game.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2011 17:39:40 | More by azdback

dcloeren

Texas

3.65/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured a dark, yet transparent, mahogany brown with two fingers of frothy tan head

I could smell this beer as soon as I poured it but it mellowed slightly shortly after. Toffee notes dominate with possibly some molasses and brown sugar. Some pine hops make their presence known, but are over shadowed by the malt characteristics and the booze.

taste follows the nose. Not alot of hops presence at all... Great brown sugar, roasted malt and molasses notes. Definitely gives off some heat. Probably one of the least hoppy IPA's i've ever had....

Medium to full body. Thick and slightly syrupy. Drying aftertaste with some boozy heat.

Over all, this was not a bad beer by any means but I just dont think that this needs to be classified as an IPA based on what I tasted... more like a strong ale. Would have liked to have seen more hops. Pretty disappointed and having a hard time letting the hops problem go...

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2011 19:42:35 | More by dcloeren

DesMoinesMike

Iowa

3.73/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Wow, this is a complex brew, lots of flavors and smells. The dark ruby color denotes some depth, The aroma almost knocks your socks off. The hops are present but are overshadowed by plum and what seems like aging in wine barrels. A bit woody with notes of grape and cherry. The body is hella thick, a bit hard to swallow, this beer lets you know who's in charge. After about 1/4 of the bottle I was feeling the alcohol.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2011 00:06:17 | More by DesMoinesMike

LiquidBread219

Indiana

3.05/5  rDev -18.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A= Dark in color like a dark auburn color, nice head and lots of lacing.

S= The smell is what threw me off because it's listed as a Imperial IPA but has a barleywine nose to it huge carmel notes, maybe some chocolate, or other dark fruits almost not what a Imperial would smell like really.

T= In the taste you get a strong carmel backbone the alchol is hidden pretty good with a abv of 12.5% I don't really pick that up but again when I'm thinking Imperial Ipa I'm thinking hops and this just doesn't have it at all.

M= Thick and chewy has the feeling of a barleywine.

O= Overall a good beer I just feel that it's labeled wrong I would consider this almost a barleywine instead of a Imperial Ipa. That's why it got a lower ranking for me because I don't really think this is a Imperial IPA would have been higher if it was labeled a barleywine.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2011 05:33:37 | More by LiquidBread219

GregSVT

Texas

3.63/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into a snifter

A: Pours a very dark brown with a huge tan head that slowly fades to a ring leaving a ton of sticky lacing. The color is not consistent with a DIPA but the head and lacing are nice.

S: The nose is mainly caramel, toffee, and roasty malts with hints of earthy hops. This is shaping up to be more like a barleywine than a DIPA.

T: Yeah this is definitely an American Barleywine. Huge notes of caramel, toffee, piney/earthy hops, and bready malt. It tastes great but not exactly what I was expecting.

M: The feel is sticky and a bit chewy with a big amount of carbonation. Alcohol is definitely present on the finish.

O: If this was labeled differently I would have scores it higher. It's got huge flavors and would rival Bigfoot as one of the biggest barleywines I've had.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2011 03:43:19 | More by GregSVT

gigaknight

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A- This brew pours a deep mahogany brown, much darker than expected, while the approximate finger of eggshell head and sticky lacing are more indicative of an IPA than the color of the body lets on. A bit of a swirl doesn't kick up much carbonation; it's becoming evident that this isn't your average double india.

S- Loads of toffee and caramel start you out, and are enthusiastically followed by piney hops. Somehow, though, there doesn't seem to be as much hop aroma as would be expected of the style. If anything, the hops blend with the ample malt to approximate some bitter coffee aroma. No complaints, though, this brew smells very inviting.

T- Indeed a delicious offering, but I have to agree with.the consensus that this is more of a barleywine, albeit a hoppy one. That being said, it offers a masterfull mix of dark malt sweetness and ample lupulin oiliness. Of course there's some booziness, but that's near impossible to avoid at this abv.

M- This is another strong point of the beer, the ideal middle ground of body and carbonation. Just enough 'fizz' to keep it refreshing, but a round and full oiliness to make it a sipper on its own.

O- Barleywine, DIPA, whatever you want to call it; serious beer drinkers will throw their oars to the wind going up this creek. If only I could find this stuff back home...

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2011 23:12:37 | More by gigaknight

Netdigger2

South Carolina

4.68/5  rDev +25.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

I am reviewing this as an American Barleywine, as a DIPA to style it is awful. Tom Davis is pretty persistant with calling this an IPA, and it's a shame, really. It'd get great Barleywine marks, both here and in competition methinks.

It pours deep, cloudy brown with a full one inch head. Some of the most outrageous, sticky lacing I have ever seen, and it will glue itself to your glass.

The smell is sweet crystal malt and maybe some low aroma bittering hops, but more caramel than anything. Inviting.

The taste is sweet caramel malt, but not cloying. It has a good hop balance, but not hop forward. The Amarillo flavors play off the malt, giving this great depth and complexity. Very refreshing

The mouthfeel is medium to thick, carbonation is great, head lasts all the way through.

Easy drinker for 12.5%, very good BARLEYWINE (Tom, get the hint, please!)

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2011 12:10:36 | More by Netdigger2

1Adam12

Indiana

2.33/5  rDev -37.7%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Such a weird beer. If I rate to style, this gets horrible marks, as you can see. Pours crazy dark, brownish red. Smells malty, sweet, and thats about it. Taste is malty, sweet, maybe fig? There are some hops there, but not close to what I was expecting. This has barleywine taste all over it. Mouthfeel is creamy for a DIPA, not very carbonated, just weird. Overall, how this is classified as a DIPA I will never know. This tastes, looks, and feels like a barleywine. If I were rating a barleywine, it would've gotten higher marks, but rating as a DIPA, this was awful.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2011 22:16:10 | More by 1Adam12

theboozecruise

Louisiana

3.98/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served from a 12 oz. bottle into a snifter, it's a very deep red color with a small tan head. The retention on the head is great, though, and very nice pooling and lacing.

The nose is very alcoholic and warm, with hints of toffee and then bold hop flavors. This is almost a barleywine to the nose, but that's a good thing. It's fantastic.

The taste is also very barleywine-esque in nature with a little more hops but still a warm alcohol kick and definite toffee notes. I really like it, but this isn't quite spot on for the style.

Delicious, just a little misleading to me.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2011 03:52:46 | More by theboozecruise

tdm168

North Carolina

4.4/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a brandy snifter.

Appearance is a light amber with a 1/4" of head. Smell is amazing; hops, alcohol, and caramel. The nose and the palate agree. Perfect balance here. Hops are evident but do not dominate this DIPA giving the caramel malt a chance to come through. Alcohol brings a great warmth to the finish. The mouthfeel is warm and boozy, but pleasant. Overall a great DIPA. This will keep the Barleywine vs. DIPA debate alive. I look forward to coming back to this one in the winter.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2011 18:40:48 | More by tdm168

JayAre46

Texas

3.58/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - 12oz, black and yellow label with childish print "up the creek" pours a deep reddish brown, close to black, khaki colored head that falls leaving flamed lacing down the glass.

A - big brown sugar aromas, burnt caramel malt are abundant and dominating subtle hops if any. not the first time i've had this one and the aroma frightens me bringing back memories of the last time, this time im alone....FML

T - HOLY SHIT!!!big sweet caramel and chocolate malt, hops sprinkiled in that provide a subtle bitterness that just cannot compete with the big malt flavors, alcohol laughs in your face.

M - full creamy, moderate carbonation, coats the palate and doesn't leave, leaves the lips sticky icky.

O - just overdone, huge beer, that is as refreshing as utopias. now i have to decide how im actually going to slay this cloying beast

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2011 03:01:53 | More by JayAre46

jera1350

Minnesota

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

A deep and dark amber color with a thinner tan head. Has to be the darkest DIPA I've ever seen.

Very barleywine like smell. Very sweet and very hoppy. The hops smell juicy and fruity with pineapple and citrus notes.

The taste is very barleywine like as well. Huge malty sweetness with an equally huge hop presence that adds some solid bitterness and juicy citrus and pineapple hop notes. A bit boozy and piney as well. Tons of flavor going on here.

Full bodied, soft and smooth. Quite nice feeling.

Really digging this huge DIPA. I guess it's more of a barleywine, but sometimes, who cares. Really quite drinkable and goes down easier than it should. Could be trouble. I recommend giving this one a serious try, I was impressed.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2011 01:26:21 | More by jera1350

merc7186

New York

4.13/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this beer from a 12oz bottle poured into a pint glass.

The beer poured very well with a nice creamy light head to it that clung to the sides of the glass, well carbonated. The beer has a nice brown/reddish hue to it almost like a brown ale. The smell comes off early with a bourbon smell, then leans into a slightly fruity/citrus and carmel smell. The taste is the best part of the beer (which is good because I dont buy a beer on its smell only). I get a slight bourbon flavor to it then it leads into a nice Imperial IPA (almost Dopplebock) with some carmelly hoppy flavor, which blends well. The mouth feel afterwards sits with you, slight heavy with a bourbon and carmel flavor to it. Overall, this beer is a great beer but not right for the summertime, it would fit perfectly around October-December. It is something that I would seek out the next time I am in Charlotte again.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2011 20:02:38 | More by merc7186

MrOH

Pennsylvania

2.53/5  rDev -32.4%
look: 1.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

Dark brown with orange highlights. Thin light tan head. Doesn't look much like an IPA, more like a brown ale.

Orange, dried fruit, and caramel. Prunes, raisins, candied citron. Brandyish alcohol. It's like a well made fruit cake. Smells like an awesome young barleywine.

Bright orange flavor. Alcohol. The dried fruit shows up again. This must be one of those "double everything" DIPAs. Way more like a dark, hoppy barleywine than a standard DIPA. Good, in its way.

Slick, heavy feel. Low carbonation. Not incredibly drinkable.

Unfortunately, I went into this thinking it would be more of a standard DIPA. If it were labeled as an American barleywine, it would have gotten much better scores, because I do enjoy it, but it is not anywhere near my interpretation of the style.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2011 02:22:56 | More by MrOH

ShogoKawada

Rhode Island

4.25/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz longtime want thanks to the birthday BIF. Thanks! Into chalice.

A- Pours copper, dark dark, like an Am. brown ale. Sandy, khaki head builds and slowly settles into a nice thin outer ring of bubbles. Simply elegant, love the deep colors on this.

S- Wood, leather, brandy, overripe fruit. Boozy.

T- Heavy caramel malt, toffee, brandy-soaked biscotti. Lots of dark fruit. Hops are here, and provide a lot of powerful citrus fruit and some pine sap bitterness in the finish. Starts out like an old ale and finishes like a strong ale. High points for originality.

M- Heavy, slick in the mouth, a bit warming, but very enjoyable for the ABV. The heat intermingles with the bitterness quite well.

O- Unusual, one-of-a-kind, worth seeking out. Highly enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2011 06:02:05 | More by ShogoKawada

AgentZero

Illinois

3.63/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Dark brownish-red beer with a small, late-rising head that faded to a tight ring that lasted a really long time.

S - Lots of sweet caramel and dark fruits. Hops are present, but this is quite malt and sugar forward. Hops are mosty citrus and grapefruit, with a little bit of pineapple.

T - Dark fruits, caramel, brown sugar, some hops. It is a little hot, but at 12.5% the alcohol is very well hidden. Not particularly bitter or hoppy, but this is pretty flavorful.

M - Almost full bodied with soft carbonation. Creamy and smooth.

O - Not what I was expecting from a 'big' IPA, but this one hides the alcohol very well. Not a great beer, but not a bad one.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2011 05:30:43 | More by AgentZero

babaracas

Florida

3.03/5  rDev -19%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a dark ruby, half inch of khaki colored head fades quickly leaving a thin ring and then poof it's gone. Smell: a whole bunch of caramelized sugar, whiffs of black cherry, cola, date, and booze, a little candied citrus peel. Taste: dark brown sugar, caramelized, date, plum, earthy, candied citrus peel. Medium bodied, syrupy-ish but with enough carbonation to keep it interesting. This is NOT a double IPA, at least not as I'm experiencing it. A really nice barleywine though, but if I score it as a DIPA it's a bummer. As a barleywine or ASA: 3.5 / 4 / 4 / 4 / 4.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2011 04:26:00 | More by babaracas

salvo

Indiana

3.65/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Pours dark mahogany; head is a half inch if that (other report a huge head). Microbubbles float up in streamers from the bottom keeping the foamy head afloat. Laced glass more than etching.

Nose is caramel and honey with some darker burned sugar and blackstrap molasses; earthy. The hop pine is in the background and more like walking on fallen dry pine needles than fresh evergreen: resin.

Taste is sweeter and bigger that I expected, even at 12.5%. More barley wine character than DIPA, there's a deep fruit presence: raisins? dried fig? Boozy overtones with bread underneath; big, chewy, thick mouthfeel and a warming finish. The astringent warmth at the end is a nice ending to such a big, sweet beer. Hops assert themselves late as bitterness.

Not a really quaffable beer: it's extreme, and yet a really tasty occasional treat. A change of pace.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2011 01:46:33 | More by salvo