Happy Trails
Sweetwater Tavern
- From:
- Sweetwater Tavern
- Virginia, United States
- Style:
- Winter Warmer
Ranked #154 - ABV:
- 6%
- Score:
- 84
Ranked #31,702 - Avg:
- 3.58 | pDev: 11.45%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 5
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Dec 14, 2023
- Added:
- Nov 29, 2004
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 1
SCORE
84
Good
84
Good
No description / notes.
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Reviewed by VABA from Virginia
4/5 rDev +11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a clear amber color with a slight head and lacing
Aroma has ginger and spice hints
Taste has ginger and spice flavor
A medium bodied decently carbonated beer
A good Winter Warmer
Dec 14, 2023Aroma has ginger and spice hints
Taste has ginger and spice flavor
A medium bodied decently carbonated beer
A good Winter Warmer
Reviewed by Kegatron from Pennsylvania
3.69/5 rDev +3.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
3.69/5 rDev +3.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
On tap @ the Merrifield location on 12/11/09. Served in a pint glass that was initially garished with a bunch of "ginger cookies and sugar sprinkles" as the board stated. I asked for a non-garnished pint as I don't need candy coating in my beer.
Pours a fairly clear coppery amber, with a thin covering of foamy off-white head. This fizzles out very quickly, leaving almost zero retention or lacing behind after only a bit. The aroma is mostly malty sweet, with notes of roast and bread. Some fruity sugars and some spicy floral character give this a festive feel in the nose.
The taste is similar, with sweet toasted malts and a good bit more of that fruity character running through the middle. A moderately aggressive tingle of spicy hops drys the back of this out nicely. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, maybe a bit lighter, with a solid firmness to the carbonation that makes the spice and hops jump that much more.
Take all of the junk off the rim of the glass and this wasn't bad at all. Plenty of festive spicing and roastiness to this plus the crisp body kept this nicely drinkable.
Jan 13, 2010Pours a fairly clear coppery amber, with a thin covering of foamy off-white head. This fizzles out very quickly, leaving almost zero retention or lacing behind after only a bit. The aroma is mostly malty sweet, with notes of roast and bread. Some fruity sugars and some spicy floral character give this a festive feel in the nose.
The taste is similar, with sweet toasted malts and a good bit more of that fruity character running through the middle. A moderately aggressive tingle of spicy hops drys the back of this out nicely. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, maybe a bit lighter, with a solid firmness to the carbonation that makes the spice and hops jump that much more.
Take all of the junk off the rim of the glass and this wasn't bad at all. Plenty of festive spicing and roastiness to this plus the crisp body kept this nicely drinkable.
Reviewed by Traquairlover from Virginia
3.37/5 rDev -5.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5
3.37/5 rDev -5.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5
This was the 2008-2009 version and this year the ABV is 6.2%, higher than in 2006 when it was added to the database.
A = Reddish amber, clear, too much carbonation which looks almost like a soft drink the way they burst at the surface, no head at all, nor is there any lacing. Note this is served with some spices on the rim of the glass like salt on a margarita -- spices are sweet like brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg.
S = The spices on the rim interfere somewhat, but the smells are pretty light with some floral hops, very light nutmeg and biscuit notes.
T = This has decent balance but is a pretty simple tasting beer. There is a medium bitterness, simple malt flavors of sugar cookies and very light Winter spices.
M = The carbonation stings unpleasantly, the body is light and there is very little mouthcoating.
D = Fair drinkability. It goes down easily and has a pleasant enough flavor that it is easy to have a couple at a sitting.
Dec 20, 2008A = Reddish amber, clear, too much carbonation which looks almost like a soft drink the way they burst at the surface, no head at all, nor is there any lacing. Note this is served with some spices on the rim of the glass like salt on a margarita -- spices are sweet like brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg.
S = The spices on the rim interfere somewhat, but the smells are pretty light with some floral hops, very light nutmeg and biscuit notes.
T = This has decent balance but is a pretty simple tasting beer. There is a medium bitterness, simple malt flavors of sugar cookies and very light Winter spices.
M = The carbonation stings unpleasantly, the body is light and there is very little mouthcoating.
D = Fair drinkability. It goes down easily and has a pleasant enough flavor that it is easy to have a couple at a sitting.
Reviewed by RBorsato from Virginia
4.42/5 rDev +23.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
4.42/5 rDev +23.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Clear golden color with a full light tan head and very active carbonation. Spicy festive gingerbread-like aromas and flavors; Tasty malt flavors... Very nice with the spices (suppied in a tiny ziplock banded around the growler) added to the rim of the pint glass. Light-medium bodied with a nice toasty malt finish (light brown, red, and green festive spices).
Much nicer by itself than the Ghost Town Pumpkin Ale sans spices.
Per Chalkboard at the brewpub: 5.7% ABV.
Note: This review was based on a growler from the Sterling, VA location.
Tasted: 12/14/06
($8 / growler)
Dec 27, 2006Much nicer by itself than the Ghost Town Pumpkin Ale sans spices.
Per Chalkboard at the brewpub: 5.7% ABV.
Note: This review was based on a growler from the Sterling, VA location.
Tasted: 12/14/06
($8 / growler)
Reviewed by ManekiNeko from Virginia
3.25/5 rDev -9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
3.25/5 rDev -9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Brought home in a growler from the Stirling location. Served chilled in a pint glass. This version was spiced with "orange peel, hibiscus, chicory, rose hips, blackberry leaves, and more..."
Appearance: Clear, iced tea brown topped by a light beige frothy head. A small film of bubbles is all that is retained after a minute or so. Scanty webs of lacing.
Smell: Spicy aromas of cinnamon, sweet glae and some chicory. Slightly floral character. All overlaid on some caramel malts.
Taste: Caramlized and bready malts and earthy, smoky chicory (somewhat coffeelike in the Cafe du Monde sense). Bitter finish from the same. The chicory is rather prominent.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium in body with somewhat lingering aftertastes.
Drinkability: If you like Cafe du Monde coffee, you might like this. Decently enjoyable, but not all that wowing.
Jan 06, 2005Appearance: Clear, iced tea brown topped by a light beige frothy head. A small film of bubbles is all that is retained after a minute or so. Scanty webs of lacing.
Smell: Spicy aromas of cinnamon, sweet glae and some chicory. Slightly floral character. All overlaid on some caramel malts.
Taste: Caramlized and bready malts and earthy, smoky chicory (somewhat coffeelike in the Cafe du Monde sense). Bitter finish from the same. The chicory is rather prominent.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium in body with somewhat lingering aftertastes.
Drinkability: If you like Cafe du Monde coffee, you might like this. Decently enjoyable, but not all that wowing.
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