Tropical Disturbance
Swamp Head Brewery

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From:
Swamp Head Brewery
 
Florida, United States
Style:
Imperial IPA
ABV:
8.7%
Score:
91
Avg:
4.12 | pDev: 10.19%
Reviews:
12
Ratings:
53
Status:
Active
Rated:
May 24, 2018
Added:
Feb 14, 2014
Wants:
  2
Gots:
  11
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by fmccormi:
Photo of fmccormi
Reviewed by fmccormi from California

4.31/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Straight pour from a 32oz twist-off “howler” filled earlier today at the brewery to a nucleated can-glass. Been refrigerated as soon as it got home a few hours ago, so these constitute more or less ideal conditions in every regard.

Appearance (4.25): The pour yields three very full fingers of a slightly yellowish, custard-colored head that dies down slowly, capping a clear, rich, honey/golden-colored body with a steady stream of bubbles rising to the top. The head shows much better than average retention, taking its sweet time to die down while leaving wide, fat, arcing legs of lace loosely connected to equally fat, sloppy, foamy collars.

Smell (4.5): A pungent mixture of dank resin, passionfruit liqueur, overripe pineapple, booze, and zested lemon peel sits atop and almost masks a slightly toasted, biscuity, rustic white bread malt aroma. There’s booze in there, sure, but the boundary between it and the hops is well-blurred so it’s all good by me.

Taste (4.25): It maintains a lot of the elements in the nose, but a smooth, juicy, tangerine fruitiness easily balances the weird harshness of the weedy, resinous component—though that is still sitting pretty, underpinning the whole affair and again blurring lines with the booze and toasted aspect of the malt body. (Doing so earns major points in my book.) There’s a juicy red grapefruit push towards the back of the palate, but other than that it’s mostly tangerine sweetness and resiny dankness going back and forth over a solid but low-profile malt base, which as in the nose is mostly pale and bready, a little toasted, and a little biscuity. Some booze, but again, it blends with the hops.

Mouthfeel (4.25): This has a full-side-of-medium-weight body and a viscous feel, facilitated by a smooth, modest, but lush carbonation that foams up gently and richly before washing out. And yet, the bitter underbelly of the beer still allows it to finish a bit on the dry side—way too easy to drink, the feel is great for a medium-full DIPA.

Overall (4.25): This is a really, really enjoyable DIPA with really no negative aspects that I can think of, at all. It’s full, it’s a little boozy and a little sweet, but it’s all pulled together nicely to make a juicy, modestly dank, well-executed and way too easy to drink DIPA. Definitely recommended—I’d love to see it in cans!
Feb 28, 2014
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.94 by elopezh from Florida

May 24, 2018
Photo of Tdnarba
Rated by Tdnarba from Florida

4.33/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
Refreshing double IPA, right mix of citrus and hops
Mar 09, 2018
 
Rated: 5 by Rachael5 from Florida

Feb 20, 2017
 
Rated: 3.81 by PhineasMcClintock from Massachusetts

Nov 21, 2016
Photo of larryarms847
Reviewed by larryarms847 from Illinois

3.94/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Pours a bright and semi chill hazed golden orange with a pilloy finger of white foam that dissipates but leaves a thick ring around the edge of the glass.

Orange and lemon rind, mango, caramel malt sweetness, and pine.

Strong piney bitterness right up front. The caramel sweetness, citrus, and tropical fruit notes are also there, but very muted due to the noticeable abv and piney brashness.

Full-bodied, medium carbonation, piney, bitter, dry.

Overall, a very gorgeous and quaffable brew, but it falls apart at first sip. The bright citrus and tropical fruit notes that dominate the aroma are overpowered by a dry, piney, bitterness. Good, but needs some touching up.
Nov 15, 2016
 
Rated: 3.79 by KingforaDay from New Jersey

Nov 11, 2016
Photo of HiWire
Reviewed by HiWire from Florida

3.25/5  rDev -21.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Pours a clear amber with a fluffy 2 finger head and great lacing. Smells of tea leaf and sweetness. Tastes of earthiness, mild hop bite after drinking turns to medium bitterness aftertaste. Tastes very smooth for a double. Not much of a flavor profile to go with this beautiful looking beer. Would be a one glass and done.
Jun 09, 2016
Photo of rickrem
Reviewed by rickrem from California

3.58/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
Not too sure here about this review since it looks like the bottle date is about 9 months ago. Not really sure if I'm getting the correct representation of this beer or an old or 'aged' version? ?

Pours a murky coppery orange color with a big slightly off white large bubbly head. End of the bottle has a fair amount of yeast sediment.

Smell has the tropical fruity aroma with some mustiness.

Taste is quite easy drinking. Has some tartness to it which is not what I was expecting nor maybe what I should be expecting? If I'm getting a correct interpretation of this beer, It somewhat misses the mark of a DIPA, but if they were going for a brett IPA, they might be on to something. Picks up the tropical, bitter taste and has a slightly heavy mouthfeel with a fair amount of carbonation.

Overall, I would love to give this another try, especially if it were fresh on draft. I might then have a better idea of what to expect so you Floridians might have a better opinion.
Apr 24, 2016
 
Rated: 4.25 by ejohnson654 from Florida

Apr 17, 2016
 
Rated: 3.5 by Hendrick24 from Wisconsin

Apr 12, 2016
Photo of rbenitez25
Rated by rbenitez25 from Florida

4.46/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Mouthful of a beer. Mangoes and citrus on the nose with a very bright hoppy front end.well balanced as well. Fantastic beer
Mar 04, 2016
 
Rated: 3.81 by jbwimer from Kansas

Feb 23, 2016
 
Rated: 3.25 by BeerTest from Florida

Feb 07, 2016
 
Rated: 3.93 by scottspencer from Indiana

Jan 21, 2016
 
Rated: 3.95 by StevenMilligan from Florida

Jan 17, 2016
 
Rated: 3.88 by jaydoc from Kansas

Dec 07, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by Hohnbaum from Kansas

Dec 06, 2015
 
Rated: 4.27 by InfragilisBrew from Illinois

Nov 14, 2015
 
Rated: 4.11 by cambabeer from New York

Nov 04, 2015
Tropical Disturbance from Swamp Head Brewery
Beer rating: 91 out of 100 with 53 ratings