Fat Tug IPA | Driftwood Brewery
Brewed by:
Driftwood Brewery
British Columbia, Canada
driftwoodbeer.com
Style: American IPA
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 7.00%
Availability: Year-round
Notes / Commercial Description:
Fat Tug is a northwest style India Pale Ale that is characterized by an intense hop profile of grapefruit & melon and restrained malt notes. At 7 % alc/vol and 80+ IBUs this beer delivers layers of aroma and flavor that is sure to satisfy anyone with a thirst for all things hoppy!
Added by ericj551 on 10-26-2010
Ratings: 636 | Reviews: 168
3.98/5 rDev -7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
From a 650ml bottle served almost straight from the fridge at 10 degrees Celsius into a stemmed IPA glass. Best before date Dec.6.2017 which makes me think the bottle has been sitting at the LCBO shelves for a while. Out of the two dates I found this one was later in the year. Fingers crossed.
Look: The beer pours a slightly veiled amber with 6cm of moussy, rocky, tan head that settles into a craggy though solid cap within 5+ minutes. Good lacing with persistent retention. Great-looking beer.
Smell: Leaning towards mild intensity and sharp balance. Dominating hops with a faint, supportive pale malt. Pungent with resinous pine, citrusy grapefruit, and a faint, perfumy floral character. I really like it but I wish it hit me slightly harder. I'm also noticing a faint, fatty, cheesy off-note that makes me suspect a form of contamination. Since the bottle is only a few months away from expiry, who knows what the beer has gone through at this point.
Taste: Moderate strength and bitter. Very much in line with the aroma. Hop-forward with notes of resinous pine, citrusy grapefruit, and tropical fruit. The finish is of medium length and bitter with moderate intensity and a minute mineral character.
Feel: Medium body with moderate carbonation. Creamy and round with smooth alcohol warming that is light in character. The beer has quite a presence in the mouth.
Overall: A very good, clean American IPA with decent complexity and strong bitterness. Great value - try it if you're into the style. As I mentioned under the aroma, I suspect something is gone wrong with this sample. I'm looking forward to trying the beer fresh and possibly rating it even higher.
1,673 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
From a 650ml bottle served almost straight from the fridge at 10 degrees Celsius into a stemmed IPA glass. Best before date Dec.6.2017 which makes me think the bottle has been sitting at the LCBO shelves for a while. Out of the two dates I found this one was later in the year. Fingers crossed.
Look: The beer pours a slightly veiled amber with 6cm of moussy, rocky, tan head that settles into a craggy though solid cap within 5+ minutes. Good lacing with persistent retention. Great-looking beer.
Smell: Leaning towards mild intensity and sharp balance. Dominating hops with a faint, supportive pale malt. Pungent with resinous pine, citrusy grapefruit, and a faint, perfumy floral character. I really like it but I wish it hit me slightly harder. I'm also noticing a faint, fatty, cheesy off-note that makes me suspect a form of contamination. Since the bottle is only a few months away from expiry, who knows what the beer has gone through at this point.
Taste: Moderate strength and bitter. Very much in line with the aroma. Hop-forward with notes of resinous pine, citrusy grapefruit, and tropical fruit. The finish is of medium length and bitter with moderate intensity and a minute mineral character.
Feel: Medium body with moderate carbonation. Creamy and round with smooth alcohol warming that is light in character. The beer has quite a presence in the mouth.
Overall: A very good, clean American IPA with decent complexity and strong bitterness. Great value - try it if you're into the style. As I mentioned under the aroma, I suspect something is gone wrong with this sample. I'm looking forward to trying the beer fresh and possibly rating it even higher.
1,673 characters
4.6/5 rDev +7.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.43/5 rDev +3.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.34/5 rDev +1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
A really nice surprise. Pours golden hay with decent head that lasted fairly well. Very good nose! Fruity florals and a solid presence. Tastes true IPA solid bitter and solid body. Heavy sedimentation so didnt pour all and would recommend a slow pour for those for whom sludge is a turn off. Does pour clear with slow, staggered pour into tulip glass. Sediment will be contained this way. well done B.C!
403 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
A really nice surprise. Pours golden hay with decent head that lasted fairly well. Very good nose! Fruity florals and a solid presence. Tastes true IPA solid bitter and solid body. Heavy sedimentation so didnt pour all and would recommend a slow pour for those for whom sludge is a turn off. Does pour clear with slow, staggered pour into tulip glass. Sediment will be contained this way. well done B.C!
403 characters
4.19/5 rDev -2.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
650 ml bottle from Newfoundland Liquor Corporation: Pours a slightly misty straw yellow with a huge head that dissipates slowly leaving generous lacing. Aroma is intense grapefruit some pine notes malt sweetness almost indistinguishable at these hopping rates. In the flavour the hoppiness adds a slight grassiness. Citrus still dominant but the bitterness is pretty clean through the mouth and now some sweetness appears - mostly melon and honey. This is a beer for hopheads without doubt but that does not mean that it is uncomplicated. This beer is strong and hoppy but not overwhelming. I am a little surprised to see it called a Northwestern IPA because its malt profile and appearance seem to me to be closer to a New England IPA.
736 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
650 ml bottle from Newfoundland Liquor Corporation: Pours a slightly misty straw yellow with a huge head that dissipates slowly leaving generous lacing. Aroma is intense grapefruit some pine notes malt sweetness almost indistinguishable at these hopping rates. In the flavour the hoppiness adds a slight grassiness. Citrus still dominant but the bitterness is pretty clean through the mouth and now some sweetness appears - mostly melon and honey. This is a beer for hopheads without doubt but that does not mean that it is uncomplicated. This beer is strong and hoppy but not overwhelming. I am a little surprised to see it called a Northwestern IPA because its malt profile and appearance seem to me to be closer to a New England IPA.
736 characters
4.95/5 rDev +15.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
4.73/5 rDev +10.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
4.19/5 rDev -2.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.41/5 rDev +3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.24/5 rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.51/5 rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
This is a local IPA for me. It's an intense hop-heavy IPA with a bright nose and strong malt backbone. It's like eating a grapefruit dipped in caramel. I admire Driftwood for putting something so hoppy out there for those of us who really enjoy our hop flavour.
261 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
This is a local IPA for me. It's an intense hop-heavy IPA with a bright nose and strong malt backbone. It's like eating a grapefruit dipped in caramel. I admire Driftwood for putting something so hoppy out there for those of us who really enjoy our hop flavour.
261 characters
4.25/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.68/5 rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
4.25/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.25/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
3.71/5 rDev -13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
4.02/5 rDev -6.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Fat Tug IPA from Driftwood Brewery
Beer rating:
95.1% out of
100 with
636 ratings
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4