Sweetwater Motor Boat - SweetWater Brewing Company

blackie

Virginia

3.3/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

a: poured into a curved lager glass, the beer is a leafy orange-amber in color, capped with a well-retained layer of off-white carbonation

s: dominant aroma of moderately toasted pale grains, very crackery, with a slight caramel sweetness, good herbal hop presence

m: carbonation around light-moderate, soft but appropriate, body a light medium

t: light to moderately toasted pale grains, sweetness light with just a flash of caramel, herbal hop flavors, crackery cereal, finishes dry with toast, dried herbal hops, and a milder bitterness

o: an okay beer, nothing particularly special about it, the flavor is fine but just leaves me looking for a little more substance

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 20:00:48 | More by blackie

Jadjunk

Georgia

3.74/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

"Out titillating version of an ESBBB! These babies are build for speed and comfort. Hit the throttle and dive in with your eyes wide open, you old sailor you! Sweetwater Motor Boat is brewed in the style of an Extra Special Bitter. The fall seasonal beer was introduced in 2008, possibly based on SweetWater's original ESB which was discontinued in the early 2000's. Date on bottle is 10/30/12.

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle to a SweetWater pint glass. Served north of 52º Fahrenheit.

(Appearance) Pours a creamy dirty white head. Nice retention, a notch above average. Body color is a very hazy copper-orange. Lacing is thin and webbed. With a decent head quality and an appealing lacing, it makes for a very pleasing appearance. 4.5

(Smell) Caramel and pale malts blend with a grassy and floral mild bitter hop aroma. Mild buttery notes, nothing overpowering or droning in the diacetyl. The aroma is fairly well balanced. Potency is medium. Enjoyable overall. 4

(Taste) Clean bready caramel front with a balance in earthy hop flavor and bitterness. Mild, yet full flavors with a growing buttery malt and sharper earthy hop finish reminiscent of English medium alpha blends. Flavor is filling. The balance is about perfect, but the bitterness and hop flavor is a bit muddied and could manage to be a touch brighter and crisper. Overall it's a pretty solid ESB. 3.75

(Mouthfeel) Creamy texture, very mild carbonation with a mild buttery slickness. Body is medium/heavy for the style, medium bodied overall. Alcohol presence is low. I actually found the carbonation a bit too low on this one, just a notch shallow of where it should have been, for either a creamier flavor or a crisper one, either way it was too low. Body a bit higher than anticipated, makes for lower drinkability. 3.25

(Overall) An enjoyable beer with a good balance. My biggest complaints are in regards to a heavier body, a low carbonation and a shallow, albeit plentiful hop profile. The common diacetyl tones are also on the low. Amongst my very few local choices for ESB options in Georgia. In fact, it's the only Georgia-brewed ESB. Despite my lack of options, I wouldn't mind picking up a six pack of this each season. 3.5

SweetWater Brewing Company's
Motor Boat Ale
3.74/5.00

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 00:42:15 | More by Jadjunk

Mojo

Alabama

4.1/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This offering pours a slightly hazy amber with a one finger off white head, decent retention, and excellent lacing. The nose is primarily citrus, especially oranges with some pine, and resin there too. Taste delivers the bitterness upfront and the sweetness on the finish. Mouthfeel is good with no aftertaste to speak of. A pretty decent beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2012 04:32:51 | More by Mojo

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.85/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a clear dark amber in color with some reddish highlights and moderate amounts of visible carbonation. The beer has a finger tall off-white to light beige head that slowly reduces to a very thin film covering the majority of the surface of the beer with a thin ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate to significant amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate notes of caramel and toffee malts with some some earthy and light citrus/pine hops.

T: Moderate flavors of caramel and toffee malts with light sweetness and earthy, citrus, and pine hops. Light notes of brown sugar and a little bit of spices.

M: Medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation.

O: Enjoyable and well balanced, pairs well with many different foods. While it has an American twist with the use of the pine and citrus hops, this still keeps a somewhat authentic British feel to it. Definitely worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2012 01:56:33 | More by dbrauneis

jjanega08

Minnesota

4.35/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Best by 12/05/12

A= Pours a nice hazy amberish brown color with a solid finger of off white head that holds great retention and lacing on the side of the glass.

S= The smell is nice and pungent expessially for an ESB. There is a nice hop punch to it in the nose that is followed by a caramelly sweetness that makes it mouth watering.

T= The taste is just as nice as the smell. A nice hop punch to it that offers a little pine and citrus up front before a caramel sweetness comes over it. The finish is nice and buiscuity with a little lingering hop bitterness. This is a very nice ESB. There is a little bit of a watery flavor in there that I acutally kind of like in an ESB.

M= The mouth is great. Not overly carbonated.

O= This is a solid beer from a style I don't think is done enough. An easy drinking ESB is the cure for whatever ales ya. This baby is the cure that's for sure. Makes me wanna go motor boat.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2012 03:45:18 | More by jjanega08

mattsdenney

Tennessee

3.88/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours light amber/brown with one finger of off-white head.

S: Creamy malt, fresh hops, toasted biscuit, and dried fruit.

T: A nice balance of bready malt and grassy hop bitterness. Finishes with tones of dried cherry, tobacco and pine.

M: Medium bodied with a decent amount of carbonation. Frothy with a lingering coat in the mouth.

O: Overall a nice well-balanced fall beer. Always look forward to this one.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2012 02:40:40 | More by mattsdenney

thagr81us

South Carolina

3.73/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Had while out and about at my buddy’s bachelor party! Tick all day, every day! Served from tap into a Samuel Adams sampler shaker. Poured yellow-orange with a minimal white head. Maintained nice lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, spice, earth, earth hop, spicy hop, and bread. The flavor was of sweet malt, spice, earth, spicy hop, earth hop, bread, and floral hop. It had a light feel on the palate with high carbonation. Overall this was a pretty decent brew. I have to say that I was quite surprised that I have not reviewed this one yet. There was a really nice few things going on in the flavor of this one with the bread and floral hop notes that kept my palate looking for what was going to happen next. This fact definitely made it rather easy to drink and enjoyable throughout. Definitely worth your time trying if you get the chance.

Serving type: on-tap

09-14-2012 11:45:42 | More by thagr81us

Amalak

New York

4.48/5  rDev +18.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A. Hazy brown color that is basically opaque. It has a good tan foamy head with lacing. Bubbly.

S. Very strong, hoppy scent.

T. Odd lemony-hop taste. A bit of caramel in there. A nice floral taste. Really beautifully balanced. A minor bit of smokeyness.

M. Tingly with an acidic aftertaste.

O. Very well balanced. Smooth but refreshing. Not over the top with hops. Mild acidic aftertaste is only drawback.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 01:06:02 | More by Amalak

bucklemyshoe

Georgia

3.68/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle. Pint glass.

A: Rustic orange with two fingers of peach-colored head.

S: Noble hops, caramel, citrus, and some floral notes.

T: Some metallic flavors, strong pilsner-like hops, sweet grains, and caramel.

M: Medium-light body with strong carbonation.

O: Very hoppy for an ESB.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2012 14:57:21 | More by bucklemyshoe

MTNboy

Missouri

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

Appearance: Dark amber with an average amount of white head and lace.

Smell: A malty aroma with biscuit tones but the hop presence in the smell can’t be denied.

Taste: Herbal and floral like hops with that biscuit malt taste that seems to be a mainstay in their beers. Don’t get me wrong that is a quality that I admire in a beer. There is some roasted caramel to it as well.

Mouthfeel: I would say light with some bite.

Overall: I enjoyed it and I would definitely get it on tap again.

Serving type: on-tap

01-21-2012 05:08:04 | More by MTNboy

vfgccp

New York

4.35/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A – Deep, jeweled amber body. Nice off-white head with nice lace and ok rentetion.

S – Brown sugar, toffee, and soft caramel malt manage to share the stage without rendering the nose overly sweet.

T – Smooth with a pleasantly heavy-handed dose of caramel malt backed by a resiny bitter backbone. Lightly dry finish.

M – Surprisingly refreshing for the amount of flavor in the profile. Medium full body.

O – A stellar session brew. The flavor profile is simple and clean, but well defined and delicious.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2011 23:27:37 | More by vfgccp

gerite

Alabama

3.28/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle poured into a glass mug initially produced a good 3 finger light tan colored head that slowly dissipated to 1 finger head and left plenty of lacing. The color is a dark amber that is not quite clear and somewhat cloudy. There was slight carbonation and fine bubbles. The taste is a definitive ESB with a slight bitter aftertaste. I my opinon, not as good as the Red Hook ESB, but still a good ESB. Worth another try.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2011 03:15:00 | More by gerite

beerman207

Kentucky

4.18/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Found a bottle of this in the supermarket during a recent trip to Tennesee.

A: Pours a dark orange almost brown color with about 2 fingers head that leave nice lacing behind

S: Nose is zesty with citrus. Good malt coming through as well.

T: Bready tones with a good bitterness that lingers in the finish. Hoppy but well balanced

M: Creamy and mild carbonation

O: Great offering here from Sweetwater. Glad I got a chance to try this one.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2011 02:46:16 | More by beerman207

warnerry

Michigan

3.53/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours a clear amber/brown with one finger of head. Head has outstanding retention and leaves a sheet of lacing.

S -- Slightly bitter hops aroma, and a bit of malt. Subtle aroma.

T -- Nice bitterness initially followed by a somewhat watery middle. Finish is a nice dry earthy bitterness. Has a dry bitterness, but I can't identify the hops.

M -- Somewhat thin mouthfeel, but a good dry bitter finish.

O -- Unfortunately the outstanding appearance only led to a decent beer. Not bad, but not memorable either.

Serving type: on-tap

11-19-2011 21:48:12 | More by warnerry

Brez07

Maine

3.18/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12oz bottle from abeerlvr (via the Locals Only BIF). Served in a pint glass. Label says best enjoyed by 11/17/11

A: Pours a reddish-orange color, translucent. Leaves a 1 finger bubbly white head with limited retention

S: Sweet malt up front. Some caramel comes out form this. Bread crust. Slightly herbal and grassy

T: Still fairly sweet, but not as much as the nose would indicate. The bitterness is there, but lacking a little for the style. Somewhat citrusy, grassy

M: Light to medium bodied. Good amount of carbonation

D: Decent drinking, but not exactly what I think of for the style. Seems more like a pale ale to me

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2011 21:05:49 | More by Brez07

wcudwight

North Carolina

3.83/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Georgeous copper colored beer with a massive, lasting lightly tanned colored head. Subtle aromas of caramel, biscuit, herbal and just a touch of grass. The flavor follows the aroma in it's subtleness but is a bit more complex. Caramel and sweet with just enough spicy herbal hops to make it interesting. Light mouthfeel yet crisp and slick. This is a flavorful beer and an easy drinker. I wish I had more.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2011 01:50:52 | More by wcudwight

DCon

Missouri

2.83/5  rDev -25.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Received a 12 FL.OZ. bottle of this in a trade w/ CurtisMcArthur & enjoyed before STL vs. TX (Game 2 of the World Series). Poured from the busy looking bottle with people fishing for a green bass & a life saver on the front into my 0,47l New Belgium "Oversized Snifter" Glass & has on the side "Best if Enjoyed By: 10/06/11".

Aroma- Has tons of malt from the beginning of the smell. Very light hop aroma if any and can tell this is going to be a sweet and malty brew.

Appearance- Pours a .5 finger head that dies quickly. Has an amber colored body with a bit of cloud to it. Has good lacing afterwards.

Flavor- There are tons of malt and sweet flavors hanging around but no hops... The bitterness factor is VERY low and not sure there is anything special with this one. The malty sweetness overpowers everything! Bummer.

Mouthfeel- Medium Bodied, Medium-High Carbonation, and then has a sweet finish. Nothing much else.

Overall Impression- First of all, what style is this? The sweetness is way to strong and way to overpowering... Needed to be more balanced with hop. I probably won't be even giving this one another chance and not sure if you should either... Sorry Curtis but this one wasn't my favorite.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2011 15:35:41 | More by DCon

Mississipping

Mississippi

4.25/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours an almost completely clear amber color with some extremely fine sediment suspended throughout.  A small off-white head rises and falls quickly, leaving behind a wispy film and a tiny ring.  Almost no lacing to speak of. 

S: Malty up front with some caramel, a subtle nuttiness, and a touch of bread.  Bitter, earthy hops linger throughout each waft, but there's a better balance between sweetness and bitterness than I expected.  

T: Sweet malts come out first mainly with caramel malts.  A nice earthiness from the hops, is side-by-side at the beginning.  The middle and end are a bit hopper with some nice citrus fruits coming with a subtle nuttiness and a hint of roasted malt.  

M: Medium-bodied with a moderate level of carbonation that works very well for this beer.  Really nice smoothness on the palate that makes this go down very easily.  Starts out somewhat sweet and ends a little hopper.

D: This is one of the better Sweetwater beers that I've had to date.  Well balanced and tasty from start to finish.  Not overly bitter at all, and possibly a bit out of style, but really an easy drinking beer that I'd love to get more of.  

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2011 04:53:59 | More by Mississipping

rebel1771

Florida

4/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a slightly cloudy amber color with a decent head that leaves a nice lace around the glass.

S: Sweet caramel malt aroma up front with a decent amount of bitter hop aroma.

T: Sweet toffee like flavor right off the bat but quickly balanced with a palate cleansing hop blast. Slight biscuity aftertaste.

O: Over all a pretty solid ESB here. Wouldn't mind visiting this one again.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2011 21:45:42 | More by rebel1771

Luigi

North Carolina

3.93/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Hazy amber color with a two finger head at the start, then settling down to nice blanket over the beer. Great head retention and lacing.

The aroma is a nice toasted malt blended well with a citrus hop.

The first thing I noticed is the delicious malt flavor. Toasted with a bit of caramel and a touch of sourdough. The hops are present but are blended so well with malt.

The ale has a medium almost slick on the tongue feel. Still easy to drink and would make a perfect session beer. Most ESB's I have had do.

Probably not as bitter as the style would suggest, but it nice just to have a well crafted balanced ale. I am happy I picked this brew up.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2011 03:40:14 | More by Luigi

thehooksman

North Carolina

4.28/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

The beer pours a hazy amber color with a foamy tan head. The nose gives a piney hop profile. As to flavor, it really is an ESB as the label suggests, but with the hop character of an American IPA. It has a medium body that originally covers the tongue with malt sweetness before changing to a bitter and dry hop finish. The bitterness lingers nicely for quite a while.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2011 01:19:55 | More by thehooksman

msnow34

South Carolina

3.83/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Purchased in a six pack on sale from the Pig at the Market Common,
Pours a reddish brown with a thin head that disapates immediatly.
Smells earthy hoppy with a slight malty sweetness. Reminds me a lot of the smell from the lattiude 48 deconstructed series.
Has a very light feel too it, a little sweet with good hop flavor, but low bitterness.
Very drinkable. Doesn't explode with flavor, but a decent option when I am looking for something sessionable and malty thats not a malt bomb

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2011 00:26:48 | More by msnow34

Kromes

Georgia

3.95/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: a hazy light brown color with a thin tan colored head.

S: Toasted malts and herbal hops. Some molasses and caramel.

T: A nice malty flavor with a nutty toasted flavor and a molasses flavor. Herbal hops round out the beer and provide a good balance.

M: Medium body and lower carbonation. Good mouthfeel for the beer style.

O: I enjoyed this beer. Well crafted and easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2011 20:59:10 | More by Kromes

oline73

Maryland

3.8/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a standard pint glass.

Appearance: Pours a mildly cloudy amber with a half finger of off white head that fades to a ring around the glass.

Smell: Citrus hops with strong apricot notes. Bready malt background.

Taste: Strong citrus notes up front. As in the smell, I'm picking up what reminds me of apricots. The malt balances things out well. Citrus hop bitterness in the finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with tingly carbonation and a dry finish.

Overall: I really enjoyed the citrus notes in this one. More hops than I expected from an ESB. I would have another.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2011 03:01:27 | More by oline73

AgentMunky

Alabama

3.9/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 ounce bottle into a cervoise glass. Best by 24 October 2011.

A: A finger of fizzy head has mediocre retention. The beer is a hazy orange-brown, barely transparent. Pretty and promising. Some nice lacing.

S: Slight citrus or bright fruit amidst a a malty background. Crisp, with a touch of 'beeriness'.

T: It is crisp. Also pleasant and drinkable. The bitterness seems to come from American hops, because there is a touch of pine and strong dash of lemon peel. Fairly balanced. Hoppy but clean aftertaste.

M: Well-carbonated, well-bittered, and medium-bodied. Nice.

O: Good beer; recommended. Drinkable despite the bitterness. Refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2011 01:09:42 | More by AgentMunky