Sweetwater IPA - SweetWater Brewing Company

metal850

Maryland

3.65/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A: Light amber, tan two finger head, fluffy, nice lacing, clear.

S: Strong citrus and pine American hop aroma with slight caramel sweetness.

T: Good bitterness, piney hop flavor, slight caramel malt profile, hops dominate.

M: Medium body and carbonation.

O: Nice craft IPA.

Serving type: growler

08-28-2011 22:22:13 | More by metal850

PDXHops

South Carolina

4.45/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Growler poured into a Duvel tulip. A huge frothy head tops the glowing orangish amber body. Nice retention and plenty of soapy lacing.

I've lived here close to 2 years, and this is the only east coast beer that's earned a permanent spot in the beer fridge of this west coast hophead. A grapefruit bomb; loads of it in the nose, even more awesome citrus flavor. Equal parts toasted and lightly sweet malt remain in the background where they belong. The steady stream of bitterness hurts so good, but a wave of juiciness keeps you coming back for more.

Overall impression: Awesome IPA at the peak of freshness. (And it's certainly worth noting that they date their bottles as well- kudos for that.)

Serving type: growler

07-15-2011 19:18:41 | More by PDXHops

MacQ32

South Carolina

3.93/5  rDev -3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Pours a nice fairly hazy lighter copper color. Little head that quicky dissipates into nothing. Good carbonation by eye, tiny bubles make me think its going to be fairly light on the mouthful.

S - Really nice! Smells of fresh hops, both earthy and citrusy. Malty sweetness makes an obvious appearence as well. A seemingly nice balance. This hop aroma is pretty appitizing

T - Sweeter than the nose, the hops aren't as tasty as my nose told me they would be. A little bitter and a little sweet, bummer.. just noticing that the aftertaste is pretty good (hoppy smells actualize a bit), + .5. After letting it warm up a bit (guessing 50 degreesish) the hops start to develop some character + .5 more. My initial impression has changed drastically in timeS

M - Not as light on the body as I had expected, maybe a 4 out of 10. As much carbonation as I'd hope for

O - Great aroma, pretty decent taste after letting it warm a bit. Pretty good, and 7.99 a growler is tough to beat..

Serving type: growler

06-05-2011 01:45:45 | More by MacQ32

dmbsteve

Tennessee

3.75/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours light copper color with a big 3 finger head. Dissipated to about 1 finger and stuck around for the ride.

Big citrusy aromas - grapefruit & pineapple, a little grassy.

Taste is bitter right up front, not much malt backbone. A little out of balance for me. But nice layering of the hop bitterness and the citrusy flavors. Wish it just had a little more malt character to back it up.

Mouthfeel is light, with medium carbonation.

Overall a pretty good IPA, I would classify this as a Southern Summer IPA, if there is such a thing.

Serving type: growler

05-06-2011 23:58:26 | More by dmbsteve

branimal9

South Carolina

4.43/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a growler procured at Total Wine in Greenville into my bro's Ommegang tulip glass...

appearance - clear, light gold with a sizable white tight-bubbled head.

aroma - bright, citrus hops hit you, and you can smell some malt in there as well.

taste - hops immediately, just as you thought they'd taste. nice, bitter & like biting into a juicy grapefruit. the malt follows, balancing the bitterness and giving a bit of sweetness that makes this beer stand out from others.

mouthfeel - full bodied & flavorful.

drinkability - as it is deceptively full bodied, this beer is super easy drinking, but packs full flavor behind the sweetness of the malts.

this beer has become my go-to inexpensive IPA. very underrated, it's got some of my favorite characteristics in this style, citic hops, a bit of sweetness, and, to borrow a phrase, "superior drinkability". keep making it and i'll keep drinking it, sweetwater.

Serving type: growler

05-15-2010 00:42:08 | More by branimal9

Mavajo

Georgia

3.55/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a crystal-clear amber body with a relatively frothy white head. Light lacing. Good appearance.

Aroma has notes of grapefruit and floral/pine -- also has a dinstinct sweetness there. At one, I would almost describe the taste as "candied hops". Very nice aroma.

Taste doesn't quite live up to the nose. Strong grapefruit hops, with what I can only describe as a sulfur-like character. The sulfurish bitterness lingers on the palate for a bit.

Mouthfeel is good. Medium body, with brisk tingly carbonation.

All in all, this is drinkable, but I'm not a big fan. The sulfurish taste really does it in for me.

Serving type: growler

11-15-2009 20:10:07 | More by Mavajo

danielharper

Michigan

4.25/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

(Had this years ago in bottles, reviewing the growler I purchased at Riverside Beverages in Chattanooga.)

Appearance: Dark red-yellow body, almost brown, with a thin white head that dissipates quickly. Nice presentation. I'm not taking any points off for the smaller head than the bottle, as that's almost certainly an artifact of the growler.

Smell: Nice crisp dry hops, strong citrus backbone.

Taste: Very sweet, fruity, with a dry hop finish that lets you know this is a nice IPA. Much more grapefruit than I remember from the bottles, but still delicious.

Mouthfeel: Moderate thickness, coats the tongue, low carbonation.

Drinkability: This is a very different beer than I remember. Whether this is due to my changed palate since October 2005, or whether the brewery has tweaked the recipe, or whether it's just an artifact of the growler vs. the bottle, I can't say. In any case, this is a very good IPA, although the characteristics seem to vary widely between the bottle and the growler.

Serving type: growler

08-26-2009 01:58:29 | More by danielharper

HopHeadRyan

Pennsylvania

4.59/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Picked up at the A-Plus Sunoco of all places in Mt Plseasan, SC. In SC they apparently know what they are doing...6 beers on tap at a gas station for growler fills and reasonably priced.

Picked up a sixer of Sweetwater IPA based on BA reviews...very good choice...

Great hoppy aromas, delicious hop flavors and malt sweetness, superbly balanced, a great example of an American IPA.

Try this one if you are ever in the Southeast. Would love to visit the brewery in Atlanta.

There APA is also excellent! Give sweetwater a try! Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 18:26:32 | More by HopHeadRyan

Roman5150

Michigan

4.05/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.25

bottle best by 6/30/13

appearance: a semi darker amber orange, with a huge white foamy head that last for awhile.

smell: citrus, subtle grapefruit, lemon (perhaps accentuated by the yellow label?), earthy hops, wheat, hay

taste: hops are very smooth and earthy, very balanced and not a "super hoppy" ipa. smooth malt backbone, and i got notes of citrus, some grapfruit, and wheat. it tasted like a summer IPA, very refreshing but not much for the hop head.

Mouthfeel: not much carbonation at all, could really use a boost. a bit watery....

Overall: While I would prefer more hoppiness, this is just a single IPA and Sweetwater succeeded in making a well balanced drinkable summer IPA. Very subtle earthy hops, smooth malt backbone, and it's very drinkable. I like it better than most of Terrapins IPA offerings.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 03:38:33 | More by Roman5150

garuda

Pennsylvania

4.14/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

A - Golden body, white head has decent retention and lacing.

S/T - Tropical fruit hop character with grapefruit flesh, orange, some pineapple. Pine hop finish. Sweet caramel malts stay underlying throughout the drink.

M - Medium body, medium carbonation. Smooth, finishes moderately bitter.

O - Fine libation to find at an airport bar. I'd be happy if all airport bars had something this good on tap.

Serving type: on-tap

04-18-2013 13:59:42 | More by garuda

harrymel

Washington

3.81/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Best by 23APR13

Hazed tanned leather with a solid fine sheet of light tan foam. Smells like mangoes, light malt, some bits of bubble gum, and more mango. Although pretty one dimensional, the fruity character of the nose is really nice. Flavor follows through a bit more malt balanced with some light bitterness, hints of wood and still plenty of fruity sweet mango with a touch of grapefruit pith. Medium on full bodied for the style with a light, fine carbonation and a wet finish. I bet this hits the spot on a hot southern day.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2013 04:56:42 | More by harrymel

Billolick

New York

4.1/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

12 ounce bottle, best before 4-23-13 faintly printed on the label. Purchased and enjoyed on a mini vacation to Florida

A. Pours lightly hazed orangey amber. Lite tan head nice looking scattered sheeting

S. tropical fruit nose, with resiny hop undertones

T. Pleasingly loaded with pineapple and grapefruit notes. Hop resins present but not overwhelming things

M. Smooth and pleasing

O. High quality IPA. This is a fine example of the American version of the style.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 03:10:55 | More by Billolick

csparace

Illinois

4.29/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

This isn't my first time with this beer. I've had it on tap and bottle before and just got a sixer. Its a tad old but still pretty fresh. It pours a hazy orange brown with a two finger head of large bubbles. There are hints of carbonation rising to the top. Nice lacing. Head fades within a couple of minutes. Right from the start you get a combination of sweetness and hops. The hop bite isn't quite as large as other times I've had it, but has a large body to it. Hints of lemon and grapefruit. The finish has more of the hop bite. It has a very refreshing feel to it and should be best enjoyed after a lot of man sweating. Overall a seriously good IPA.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 01:55:23 | More by csparace

bsp77

Minnesota

4.1/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Serving glass: Poured from bottle into wine glass.

Appearance: Clear amber with decent off-white head and lacing wisps.

Smell: Grapefruit, orange, pine and toasted malt. Standard but good IPA aroma.

Taste: Just like the aroma, it is a standard mix of grapefruit and orange with a toasted malt backbone. Finish has pine, spiciness and some bitterness.

Feel: Moderate carbonation, hop oily medium body, nice dry finish.

Overall: My first beer from Georgia, and a damn fine one at that. Fairly straightforward IPA, but execution matters the most, and this is well done.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 23:53:45 | More by bsp77

buschbeer

Ohio

3.45/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle
Served in a perfect pint glass
Acquired in trade. Thanks sommersb

A - It is amber colored and hazy. This beer is highlighted along the edges with a sunset, golden color. Two inches of off-white head rest comfortably on top.

S - At first I smelled some skunky weed. As it warmed some citrus and caramel malt come through.

T - The taste consists of some weak citrus and a watered down pine finish. The flavors grow as I consume it.

M - Thin to moderate

O - It's a slightly above average beer. Maybe I am spoiled by big flavored IPA's, but this one seems a little weak to me.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2013 23:53:22 | More by buschbeer

StJamesGate

New York

4.2/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Fast-fading white head that laces, speckles and sheets over rusty amber body.
Mango, resin and clementine nose - real zesty.
Apricot danish with huge canned orange chunks hops.
Lemon Italian ice finish and long orange peel linger.
Medium, chewy, crisp.

A champion, citrussy IPA - very surprised to see that this is EKG and not something like Centennial. Malt is there and the IBUs are not huge - very East Coast that way. I could sit with this one all day.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 10:23:09 | More by StJamesGate

kangarooAdam59

Maine

4.21/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Thanx Damian74Shensky:

Enjoy by April 7, 2013:

A: hazy orange/amber colored body with a one finger white head that dies fairly quick, clingy lacing is left in rings

S: citrus, pine and floral tones combined and are up front, ever so light malt in the background, the smell stays that way all throughout the brew

T: bittersweet through the previously mentioned flavors and combined thoroughly

M: light to medium, carbonation is felt just right, very sessionable, dry bitter aftertaste and finish

O: this is a very good American IPA that I would definitely come back to as it is simple and didn't change throughout

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2013 21:07:50 | More by kangarooAdam59

AmitC

Indiana

4.29/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A very good IPA once more for me.

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a snifter. Had passed this brewery the first time around shopping in Atlanta. Went to their brewery, it was not yet open and i did not have much time so had to come back as is.

Very good overall appearance. Hazy Orangish amber color. A good one finger thick off white colored head with good persistence. Receding head leaves an excellent looking head. Sticky yes. Some bubbles are seen through the haze.

Wow citrus and flowery hop aroma. Full of life. Pervasive. Strength is good to strong. A decent malt backbone with very slight hint of sweetness. A lot of citrus type - grapefruit or orange aroma come through. Very near to Hopslam aroma just a tad low.

A nice mix of citrus hops that impart a lemony, grapefruit or orange peel like flavor. Punches the tongue for a little while more due to carbonation than bitterness. Decent malt presence. End and finish is bitter with a slight lingering and fading malt. More like a well balanced pale ale than an IPA.

Mouth feel is medium bodied. Moderate carbonation. No astringency. Punch packed IPA with no alcohol to speak of.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 23:16:44 | More by AmitC

Immortale25

Florida

4.06/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a Dogfish Spiegelau glass. There's supposed to be a Best By date but it's blank.

A- Pours a dark amber with a 1/2 inch off-white head that retains for quite a bit before decaying to an 1/8 inch head. Thick, foamy lacing is very adherent to the glass.

S- Smooth, citrusy hop aroma brings to mind grapefruit, pineapple and Starburst candy. Malt is a distant afterthought but still there to round out the profile.

T- Taste is a bit more balanced with the malt sticking in and bringing a bready characteristic to back up the mildly bitter hops. The hops are more grassy and piney than in the aroma. The flavor is also decidedly less sweet than the smell. Alcohol is masked as well as one would expect for the ABV.

M- Slightly sharp and oily with medium carbonation and a light-medium body.

O- A subtle, yet effective IPA. Very sessionable and enjoyable, like most of Sweetwater's beers.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2013 04:04:16 | More by Immortale25

BryanCarey

Texas

3.99/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sweetwater IPA pours to a slightly hazy orange hue with a nose that includes scents of citrus, tropical fruit, and a small amount of pine. The foam looks good and the beer manages to leave some lacing on the sides of the glass as you consume.

The taste of Sweetwater IPA is about what one would expect based on the nose. The flavors of grapefruit and light spice stand out, but there are also some tastes of caramel and a sweet maltiness that balance out the bitterness of the hops. The bitterness level is lower than most IPA but there is still enough present that you cannot help but take notice.

Sweetwater IPA is not over the top like other American IPA and this fact adds to its appeal. When I first sampled this beer, my initial impression was that it didn’t contain enough hops and wasn’t worthy of the IPA label. But the more I tried it, the more I appreciated and respected its unique flavor angle. The juiciness of this beer and the wide acceptability of its taste are two of its best qualities and it seems like a good beer for the uninitiated as well as the seasoned craft beer geek.

This beer is not as hop- infused as others of its style, but it does have many positive qualities. It offers a more unique twist on the style and makes a good option for the craft beer curious who want to like IPA, but cannot make the palate leap to the 90+ IBU level. Try it if you can find it- you should like what you discover.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2013 05:39:02 | More by BryanCarey

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.89/5  rDev -4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Moderate bottle-poured head. It leaves good ring/spotty lace on the glass. The liquid is copper gold in color. Mildly hazy.

Strong grapefruit rind aroma from the hop. In the background is some melon and caramel with a dash of sweetness. Some alcohol to the nose.

Starts with a neutral malt flavor, but the prickly and peppery hop kicks in quickly. The aftertaste is shorter than one might expect given the biting finish. The body is middle of the road as is the carbonation level.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2013 21:36:30 | More by smcolw

acsprouse

South Carolina

3.74/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

A: orangish pour/ cloudy in appearance. Soft pour produced thin white head. With some retention.

S: floral hops. Citrus. Some malt sweetness in there.

M: slightly resiny, Yet still on the more thin side.

T: everything From the nose is there. Its floral. The hops are straight forward. Its piney. Some citrusy.

O: pretty average beer. I suggest a try

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2013 06:51:17 | More by acsprouse

jackalish

Tennessee

4.1/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

If you love a citrus hop aroma, this is the beer for you. It's refreshing, not overly bitter and has a really nice feel.

The beer is unfiltered and has a cloudy appearance but not as cloudy as a wheat beer.

The citrus hop aroma is incredible and hits you right off. In fact, you don't get much malt aroma from the hops. Before the first drink you're going to expect an overwhelmingly bitterness with that aroma, but it's more bark than bite.

Like with all people, taste is a highly subjective thing, however, I think any seasoned beer drinker who enjoys diversity will enjoy this fine beer.

Now, with that said it could use a bit more diversity in the aroma, but otherwise, not bad.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2013 04:08:02 | More by jackalish

jucifer1818

Florida

3.55/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Dirty light amber

S: smells of fresh hops, right off the farm, with some earthy udnertones.

t: Light peach, with heavy earthy hops. Not too agressive, but a bit to light for my taste

m: heavy carbination bite, but a bit wattery for my standard. Average

Overall: slightly better than average, you can do better but for the price you could do worse.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2013 20:20:00 | More by jucifer1818

guityler83

Wisconsin

4.35/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A: Not sure its in a bottle.. i know i know

S: Sweet with a tropical/citrus fruit hop nose. slightly catty and grainy.

T: Strong piney bitterness that follows you all the way through. Modest doughy malty backbone that balances nicely. Catty and citrusy hop flavors that fatigue that pallet after the first few sips.

M: The amount of hop oils in this beer provide a mouth drying astringency like most late hopped IPAs.

O: As I drink this in a hotel room in rural Georgia I've got to say this a very enjoyable IPA. Definatly want to drink it before the date on the bottle since its dry hopped. Only my second beer from sweetwater and its a winner.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 03:11:24 | More by guityler83