Thomas Creek Up The Creek - Thomas Creek Brewery

CampusCrew

Florida

3.85/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

We had a rare beer night and we all brought some stuff over I'll be reviewing on memory for this one as we had alot of smaples that night. Nearly 10 I beleive.
Poured really dark for an IPA categorized beer. Lots of sweetness, molasses, dark fruits. Lots of hops kick and oine aromas and falvors. Overal, a confusing beer, but since it was powerful and drinkable at the same time. I enjoyed it.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2010 01:41:29 | More by CampusCrew

SaCkErZ9

Florida

4.47/5  rDev +19.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Served on draft at Nicks in Clemson, SC.

This beer is kind of a catch-all beer. It is listed at 12.5% abv, called an "Extreme IPA", yet has the characteristics of a Strong Ale.

The look, smell, and taste are close to a Double Bastard. However, one glaring, obvious, and awesome difference is drinkability: I have never had a touted 12.5% abv beer taste so smooth and non alcoholic. This beer will really knock you on your ass. The server at Nicks said this was extreme, but, being as this is the beer void of the south, I thought she meant "strong IPA". This beer was not that.

Pours a dark amber, almost brown chocolate with a creamy white head. Loads of lacing as well. Aroma was a heavy dose of hops followed by the sweetness of the malts. Some chocolate is present as well.

Awesome flavor. Perfect balance of sweet caramel malt, chocolate malt, citrus hops, and alcohol. Full bodied and dangerously drinkable. The most drinkable <10% beer I have ever had.

I have had several TC beers in the past and was generally unimpressed. However, this was a dangerous beer. TC is coming up in this world I believe.

Serving type: on-tap

04-27-2009 23:45:20 | More by SaCkErZ9

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.45/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Looks super dark for the style. Caramel brown in color. Not much head. Looks okay. 3.5

I smell roasted malts and earthy hops without much vigor. Caramel, grapefruit, and pine. 3.5

Total candy DIPA with rich toffee malts and notes of fig and orange and grapefruit. Sweet and very malty, like a barleywine. Not particularly hoppy. Light chocolate note. Heaps of alcohol. 3.5

Sticky with sweetness. Light-to-moderate carbonation. Pretty boozy. 3.0

Okay DIPA. Enjoying the strength more than the flavor, at this point. 3.5

Serving type: on-tap

11-17-2012 13:11:04 | More by thecheapies

thain709

Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A big thanks to Deuane for supplying this bottle.

A - From the bottle, the beer poured a semi-clear, chestnut colored body...it had a few ruby highlights...two fingers worth of tan head held very well and left great lacing...slow carbonation bubbles were visible

S - The nose indicates this is a very big beer...it was bold in both the hop additions (juicy, resiny) and the malt bill (sweet caramel)...both came across in a nice balance

T - First sip shows the beer is actually a little more tame than the nose suggests...a heavy malt bill comes across first...deep flavors bring forward very sweet caramel and toffee...the hops come in towards the middle and finish the beer...they are oily and really show some piney bitter notes...the combination of hops and malts in this beer actually bring out some coffee and chocolate notes towards the finish

M - Medium/thick bodied...chewy and oily...sweet yet the bitterness lingers

O - This was an interesting beer to say the least...it's very big in ABV and flavor...just when you think it's becoming too sweet/malty for an IPA, the hops come in full force and leave your palate wiped

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2011 16:01:29 | More by thain709

koopa

New Jersey

2.73/5  rDev -27%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

Bottle received as an extra in a trade a month or two ago.

Appearance: This is the first IPA I've seen that pours crimson to burgundy red. The body is fairly clear and the crown is a light khaki. At 2 fingers deep, it shows some retention and lace.

Smell: Much more malt presence than hops. Light caramel malt, hints of stone fruit, some floral hops.

Taste: Caramel covered garbage. Seriously it's not terrible, just not an IPA. Deep caramel notes, stone fruits, and a slightly bitter hop finish that is fairly enjoyable. This is more like a strong ale to me. I'm marking it low because it's a poor representation of the style.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with a touch of heft, moderate carbonation, and a touch creamy.

Drinkability: Tastes bad and has a really strong abv

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2010 23:01:40 | More by koopa

mntlover

Tennessee

4.1/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a nice rich clear deep copper color with a thumb sized tan head that falls to scum and leaves some sparse lace.

Aroma is nice rich caramel malts, molasses, ripe fruits mingled together. Hops seems mellow in comparison citrus and pine resin. Aroma is nice sweet smelling brew not an I2PA per say but very good.

Taste is big on malt caramel, molasses toffee even mingled with grapefruit rind not in your face but under neath it all. Rich full bodied malty treat with enough hops to balance the sweetness. While this brew is bitter its more malty not sure where the extreme ipa labeling comes from but its good beer none the less. Alcohol is 12.5 and very well hidden could be dangerous beer as its tasty and easy to drink.

Mouthfeel is almost full nice chewy malty treat with good carbonation level.

Drinkability is good enjoyable goes down easy and is tasty wouldn't have more then two at 12.5%

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2010 23:12:57 | More by mntlover

rajendra82

Georgia

4.03/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The burnt umber color, and the smallish head made me let known that this was not your typical DIPA. The aroma was very mild for something billed as an "extreme IPA". I could detect some chocolate, toffee, and a tinge of spruce via the nose. The taste was closer to a mild American Barleywine than a DIPA, with toasted malts, woody hops, and drying finish. There was none of the grapefruit and pine prevalent in most DIPAs. It was a pretty balanced Barleywine, but not at all like any extreme IPA. The alcohol content was jacked up to 12.5%, but there was not much burn. The finish was very dry, and somewhat medicinal. A pretty solid Barleywine.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2011 04:26:37 | More by rajendra82

peabody

Kentucky

3.53/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours out a darker see-through brown with reddish tints. Two fingers of tan suds adorn this smelly brew.
Aroma is wonderful here. Very strong caramel malt with a resiny hop then the alcohol comes in there. Hops or the yeast is burning the nose a bit.
Taste is strong malt, mabey charred a bit, with sugar and alcohol finising this one off. Not a lot of hop flavors are coming through though.
Mouthfeel is a bit dirty and quite sticky. I like it.
Drinkability can't be great because of the 12.5% but this drink does hide some of the excess alcohol!.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2010 18:17:15 | More by peabody

Urbancaver

Ohio

3.65/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

General notes...
A beautiful beer... This one is definitely one of the prettiest beers I've had. Small bit of head with great lacing sticking around
Smells strongly of hops and a great malt profile. Hints of booze on the smell as well which is not surprising at 12.5%
the taste is actually more strongly of malt then hops but fairly well balanced. Strong with alcohol but really quite tasty! Too strong to be easily drinkable but overall a pretty solid beer

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2010 03:29:42 | More by Urbancaver

shand

Florida

3.68/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a snifter!

Alas, I have been hoodwinked! My typical "pick up anything new that says IPA on it" strategy has fooled me! Actually, there's nothing pale at all about the muddy brown color that this pours, with little head to speak of. The aroma is sweet and alcoholic, denying any of the hops I might have expected. The taste does do a bit better on this front, delivering a hop presence akin to a hoppier American barleywine along with some sweet fruits and malts. The finish is sweet, but a drying sensation stops it from being too cloying. A sipper. The mouthfeel is full and lightly carbonated, and the drinkability is about what you'd expect from such a 12.5% alcohol brew. It's a pretty good beer, but don't be fooled by the "Extreme IPA" moniker plastered on the bottle. This one's a barleywine through and through.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2012 05:21:45 | More by shand

Docer

Washington

3.95/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

12oz. extra in a trade from PDXDhops who really outdid himself w/ the fantastic extras...

- Pours a very dark brown, copper, rather clear brew.... big light mocha head... down to lacing all over and light scattered foam...

- Molasses.. huge caramel malt... bitter pine and earthy hops.... brown sugar.... really a malt forward brew...

- Wow.. candy sweet malts, molasses, fig, candy... toffee notes... thick caramel.... bitter pine, herbal, grassy hops... but not really a big hop bomb by any means.

- Syrupy sweet sticky... medium bodied... slightly chewy and drying...

- Overall it is a treat... a sweet barleywine of a treat.... smooth, and actually does a rather good job of masking its strength....

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2010 02:29:13 | More by Docer

PDXHops

South Carolina

3.7/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle of "Extreme IPA", poured into a Duvel tulip.

Pours a very dark amber with a finger of tan foam that threatens to disappear, but can be revived with a gentle swirl now and then. Even with the minimal head, nice lacing is left behind.

I've had UTC a handful of times. It's a challenging and interesting brew that sort of defies style restrictions, beginning with the powerfully sweet aromas of massive maltiness, dark brown sugar, a bit of sorghum, candied fruits, just loads of sweet stuff. Some charred wood and a pine character that becomes quite pronounced as it warms up.

A substantial pine punch to the tongue from the first sip. Stinging bitterness from start to finish, but also a powerful sweetness that almost tastes like a lot of dark brown sugar tossed in on top of the malts. Lots of woodiness, almost like there's a barrel aged portion added in. Cocoa, caramel, orange zest- man, there's a lot going on here. Medium-thick bodied with moderate carbonation and a long finish that alternates between sweet, citrusy, piney and woody. The sugary sweetness distracts from things a bit, but the overall flavor profile is quite complex and enjoyable.

Overall impression: A beer that doesn't fit neatly into style guidelines. Not a great DIPA, but really nice as a barleywine or strong ale, and an easy recommendation as such.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2009 03:12:17 | More by PDXHops

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

buschbeer

Ohio

3.55/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle
Served in a tulip glass

A - It is mahogany in color with bronze highlights. Two inches of mocha colored froth capped it.

S - I get lots of sweet, caramel malt and alcohol. No hops to speak of.

T - There's a battle going on in my mouth between caramel malt, alcohol, and bitter pine hops. It starts out sweet and finishes bitter from the hops. I get a growing warming sensation from the alcohol.

M - It has a pretty full mouthfeel.

O - It has a lot of sweetness for an IPA. If it didn't say "India Pale Ale" on the bottle I would have thought I was drinking a barleywine. If I were rating this as a barleywine I would say it's pretty good. As a DIPA, not as good.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2013 20:39:12 | More by buschbeer

ThreeWiseMen

California

3.78/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Got this as an extra in a recent shipment from hopsleeroy. Thanks Lee!

Poured into an 8oz. snifter.

Appearance: Most definitely dark and syrupy-looking. A small, sticky, tan head immediately forms on top, and then decays to a creamy halo. Body is a dark cedar color that shows brilliant shades of crimson when held to light. Lots of web-like lacing.

Smell: Caramel, maple syrup, moist pine, sweet red berries, and candied orange. Lots of residual sugars in here. I can certainly pick out the hop presence, but this smells like the making of a malt bomb. Oh yeah, alcohol is completely masked.

Taste: Sweet wood and toasted malt start things off, caramel and piney hops follow. Finishes prickly, dry, and bitter; however none of those aspects are overly pronounced. Caramel throughout.

Mouthfeel: Syrupy, prickly, very lightly carbonated, and dry. Not too heavy though, and the alcohol is hidden well. For what it is (a 12.5% Imperial IPA), it's quite smooth.

Drinkability: I expected this one to be a very slow sipper. However, it was actually a pretty easy drink. Not that hot, not that dry, and not very bitter. While I would have preferred a citrusy hop-bomb, this definitely got the job done.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2009 00:43:37 | More by ThreeWiseMen

kawilliams81

Illinois

3.45/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a Alesmith Horny Devil snifter.

A- pours a garnet with a 1 finger light beige head. Small waves of lacing remain on the glass.

S- sweet candi sugar, dark fruits, tobacco, some citrus bitterness.

T- dark malts, dark fruits, candi sugar, slight citrus, citrus rind bitterness. Caramel, tobacco, and leather characteristics similar to a Barleywine.

M- full body, medium carbonation. Abv is noticeable but the beer is not hot.

O- very peculiar beer. No resemblance of an ipa, except some bitterness, not even a American Barleywine. Resembles a English barleywines hopped up. Lower rating due to the lack of resemblance to the style.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2012 23:34:03 | More by kawilliams81

FreshHawk

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Dark amber color, very dark for the style. About an average sized, foamy, slightly sticky, toasted marshmallow color head. Settles pretty fast leaving a thin, foamy lace.

S - Smells much more like a Barleywine or an American Strong Ale than a DIPA. Strong caramel malt mixes with a grapefruit and citrus hop aroma. Pretty sweet aroma. Alcohol is not really showing up for a 12.5% beer.

T - Similar to the nose, definitely taste like a strong ale. Sweet caramel and toffee malt along with grapefruit and other citrus hops. Big sweet and bitter flavors. Alcohol is present, but just with a slight warming on the finish. Sweetness lingers after the sip.

M - Full body with a bit above average carbonation. Pretty full feeling with a creamy and smooth feel.

D - Gets a little too sweet and cloying to be all that drinkable. Alcohol is pretty well hidden with only a little warming aftertaste. Plenty of sweetness and bitterness, but it just seems a little too much. Probably wouldn't drink more than one.

Notes: Definitely didn't taste like a DIPA, more like a strong ale or maybe a barleywine. Strong flavors with big bitter and sweet flavors coming out. Nice big, thick body is good though. Pretty good beer, but it is definitely a sipper and would just get every now and then if the price was right.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2010 23:35:40 | More by FreshHawk

biggred1

Indiana

4.15/5  rDev +11%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Deep cherry brown, really dark for a DIPA with a thick, creamy dollop of mocha colored foam with nice retention. Spicy, piney hops and caramely malt notes in the aroma. This beer is big and malty with flavors of raisin, caramel slathered toast and pine sap. Up the creek certainly skews the line between a barleywine and a DIPA, probably closer to the former. A slight alcoholic warmth in the finish is detectable but not what I'd consider "hot" for such a big beer. Full bodied, slightly sticky and silky smooth with medium carbonation. This is a dangerously drinkable beer, I look forward to trying the other offerings from Thomas Creek.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2010 01:03:17 | More by biggred1

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

Spider889

Ohio

3.23/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Shared at a tasting. The bottle states, "Sink the status quo, extreme IPA."

12.5%? Hmm, we don't get stuff like this in OH so I am curious, but also a bit weary, too.

A - Dark, nearing close to black once collected in the glass, wasn't expecting that. Very dark head as well.

S - Really malty. Toffee, leather, and oak aromas. Also a ton of hop bitterness.

T - Weird... black roast and char-type bitterness. Then comes the hop bitterness, it's a lot of stomach alongside all the alcohol.

O - Too harsh to drink in quantity (even as 12oz bottle to oneself).

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2011 07:29:33 | More by Spider889

n2185

North Carolina

3.45/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a surprisingly dark mahogany with red light coming through when held up to light. There's about a finger of off-white head which recedes into a small ring but leaves decent lacing.

S: A strong malt presence on the nose at first followed by some pine and resin aromas from the hops.

T: There is some sweetness up front but then the hops kick in for a huge blast of pine and resin, leaving the tongue tingling. There's some bitterness in the aftertaste along with a light alcohol burn.

M: Medium-heavy body with a good amount of carbonation which goes well with the piny hops.

D: For such a big beer, this does go down pretty easily. You won't want to drink many, but it avoids being cloyingly sweet like many beers of its caliber.

Overall, I would have rated this beer higher if it had been classified as an American Barleywine or Strong Ale. There's definitely a strong hop presence, but it's too dark and malty to be a DIPA. As a barleywine or strong ale, I'd say it's in the B+/A- region.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2011 22:07:51 | More by n2185

daledeee

Iowa

3.85/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This beer poured a very dark brown with a copious head. The lacing was good at first.

The nose changed significantly from the beginning. Hints of floral and hops with nutty malt.

Taste reminds me of a barleywine. Not really very hoppy. It is sweet and malty with a slightly astringent finish. It is very high alcohol and not overly "hot" tasting. An interesting beer but I would call it a barley wine.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2010 02:17:57 | More by daledeee

jzeilinger

Pennsylvania

2.73/5  rDev -27%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

A - Pours a medium to dark ruby color with a thin tan lacing ring. This looks more like a strong ale than an IPA.

S - Subdued dark, ripe tropical fruit, some carmelized candy malt, and some alcohol.

T - Carmelized toasted candy malt and warm alcohol and if I REALLY reach, there's some tropical fruit buried about 12 feet under if I really concentrate.

M - Thick, full bodied and velvety on the tongue.

O - It would benefit the brewer to start dating their bottles because the first experience leaves me with the impression that's it's either poorly brewed, an old bottle, or label it a "Barleywine" instead. In any case, my first experience with a Thomas Creek beer leaves me hesitant. In its current state, it's not an "experience" and more like "get drunk and wreck sh*t in a glass". Had the label not been marked as "Extreme IPA", I would have called this one a Barleywine that sits somewhere between the U.S. and the U.K. style. I will convince myself of that so it doesn't go down the drain, this is nothing close to an Imperial IPA, not even in the ball park.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2012 23:57:22 | More by jzeilinger

JerzDevl2000

New Jersey

3.45/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Picked this up in Jersey City recently, along with the Class Five IPA. While that beer was weaker than I anticipated, this turned out to be the other way around. Not only in the alcohol department, but in the sweetness. Like so many others have alluded to, this felt like a Barleywine from start to finish. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy this but this felt like it was categorized wrong and not hoppy enough to be a true Double/Imperial IPA.

The pour to this was a fairly deep brown with a mild tan head, and hardly any lacing to be seen. Not a lot of carbonation to be seen here and the aroma was a bit weak as well. Lots of Barleywine sweetness and caramel in the nose to balance out a strong and somewhat balanced mouthfeel. there was a hint of citrus and earthy hops underneath the booze but this felt quite strong from the first sip and the warming aspect of the booze never let up. There was just a hint of papaya in the back to help ease the molasses and alcohol that dominate the taste of this beer.

Yes, this was strong but it never detracted from how I felt about this beer or the mouthfeel of it. Hopheads will be disappointed at this since there wasn't any strong bitterness or dry-hopped notes to this but on its own, this was fine. If this was re-categorized as a Barleywine, I'd edit my ratings and moved it up a notch, since I certainly wouldn't mind having this again!

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2013 08:33:17 | More by JerzDevl2000

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