Thomas Creek Up the Creek Extreme IPA

Brewed by Thomas Creek Brewery
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Greenville, South Carolina USA

Serve in Shaker, Snifter

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Too dark and malty for an extreme IPA in my opinion, but it was tasty and smooth for all of that alcohol. I'd have it again ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

This should be billed as an Abbey Quad Style / IPA hybrid. Before you actually taste, Abbey Quad is basically what this beer does. As it pours, sits in the tulip, laces, carbonates, and smells (at fridge temp) it’s Abbey all day. So much biscuit - also a ton of malt, maybe even a doppel bock sniff or two. Basically no signs yet of ’IPA’ OR hops. Once you let it warm to the right temp and take a sip... yea not so much IPA. I actually enjoy this, my second one (had the first 3 nights ago) and would still buy and enjoy under a more accurate heading - but can’t seem to find much of what you’d come to expect in strong IPA’s. Their non-traditional method for the beer explains the shift -

Bottle. The pour is a dark copper color with a nice steady head. The aroma is a nice nose full of hops. The taste has a lot of toffee throughout which pushes the hops to the back. A little bitter and boozy. Not as drinkable as they claim. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

One of my absolute favourites. I could drink this all day. To bad it’s so strong I’ll probably pass out after a couple.

Bottle:   Deep copper, large frothy off-white head, nice lacing.   Very dark for an IPA... interesting.   Strong biscuity yet hoppy nose.   Minor orange peel and pith.   Alcoholic caramel and pith on the tongue.   Oddly enough, a peanut butter and jelly sammich pairs well with this one.   One of those late night snacks when you have nothing left in the house.   Body and mouthfeel are moderate to full.   If this is 12.5%, I am really surprised as its well hidden.   Not a bruiser, not real dainty either.   Feels like a strong hoppy/pithy imperial Amber Ale.   Malt background is pretty hefty, which works well to carry this beer.   Towards the end of this bottle it gets a little cloying.   Certainly not a bright floral type of Imperial IPA.   Big malty and pithy example.   Almost moreso of an American Strong versus an Imperial IPA.   It really hides its ABV well.   Thanks Jason for the bottle!

12 oz bottle - pours dark brown-crimson with large, creamy tan head, excellent lacing and retention. Get some oaky orange notes with resiny hops and grassy aromas. Big, full bodied "IPA" with long finish. Taste is darker shade, with decent malt bill, lots of cool smooth candied fruit and piney resin hop notes. Like a small cousin to DFH 120. Great balance. Really good.

Pours reddish brown with quickly dissipating head. Malty, sweet aroma. Malty, hoppy, sweet barley wine type taste. Not a traditional IPA. Very smooth, well balanced taste. Excellent beer but is not exactly categorized correctly. This is a sweet, malty barley wine.

Growler. Large off-white head of fine and creamy bubbles. Leaves a thick sheet of sloppy lacing around the top of the glass. Lots of roasted grains, nuttiness, some piney hops and toffee. Color is a deep mahagony brown. Beautiful in color. Lots of roasted grains, sweet malts, a decent amount of piney bitterness which comes on strong late swallow and some burnt toast. Much stronger roasty and malt character than you would expect from a IIPA. Huge alcohol presence which does detract from the overall experience. Lingering cough syrup and thick chrewy malts. This is more in line with a barleywine or american strong ale than a IIPA. A decent beer but a bit over the top.

This one poured a dark red color with a beige head. With color like that, I already knew it was going to be too malty. Aroma was sticky figs and toffee, light citrusy hops. Flavor was bitter and very sweet, sticky caramel and toast, with not much hop flavor at all. Very candied and bad.

Heavy flavor and aroma with a very good taste. But this beer loses something special about the taste. Sadly.