Fat Tug IPA | Driftwood Brewery

1.18/5  rDev -72.3%
look: 4 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

I may have gotten an expired bottle. Not sure bc there was no date. This was undrinkable. Sorry. All I drink are ipa's. I know ipa! This was no ipa. Wish I could try a fresh one just to make sure. I had to pour this out.

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4.21/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

4.04/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

4.23/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

3.54/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

4.44/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

4.74/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

4.29/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

3.84/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

4/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

definitely one of the better hoppy beers i had in ontario last week, very west coast, which is a refreshing change of pace from the new school juice bomb wannabes and the overly english influenced examples of the style that seem far more common around the province. this is still pretty malty, with a light copper shine to it from the tap and plenty of body. its not sweet though, which is the key, and while there is of course a light crystal character to it, its simple and cleaned up well by the basically flavorless ale yeast. it would be bland or even dumbed down tasting to me if it werent for all these hops! huge aromatics of cut pine and tangerine rise up, something a little more tropical too, and a sweet oily freshness makes it sink in in the flavor, it comes early and stays late, and its backed up by fairly robust bitterness on the finish, still in nice balance, but this is more like a classic california ipa than anything else i found on my trip. drinkable for its strength and heft, felt kind of wintery to me, but its winter now, so that works. cool beer, maybe a little overrated as its not the most original thing out there, but its a darn fine beer. i wish i got my lips on more driftwood stuff while i was up there...

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3.71/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3

Decent west coast IPA. Hoppy and clean taste, a little bit of malt.

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4.61/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

the only IPA I'll drink

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3.93/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Appearance: Looks radiantly cloudy yellow.

Smell: Piney with citrus notes and sweet melons

Taste: Tastes of pine up front that mellows into a sweet citrus/grapefruit and melon backbone.

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4.3/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Clear golden color with white head. Aroma has some butter biscuits and resiny hops and some overripe tropical fruits. Taste follows with buttery notes but not in a bad way at all. Towards the finish it gets quite bitter with lingering grapefruit notes. Medium body and carbonation. Quite good overall, a more old school take on an IPA but I really enjoyed it.

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4.39/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

4.5/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

3.25/5  rDev -23.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

5/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

4.04/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

3.58/5  rDev -16%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

4.5/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

3.73/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

3.97/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

4.41/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

3.02/5  rDev -29.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 2.75

Reviewed from (long-standing) notes. Poured from a 22 oz. bottle into an unmarked pint glass.

A: Very hazy orange-gold, with a low level of visible carbonation after the initial blush fades. Forms about a finger’s worth of white head with good retention.

S: Citrus rind, sticky pine, and biscuit malts with significant amount of caramel sweetness. Smells like a standard of a bygone era of IPAs.

T: The bitterest of grapefruit pith, and caramelized malts with accompanying big malty sweetness. Resinous bitterness as well. There’s a weird vegetal flavor – I think it's coming from the hops, but it's unwelcome here...almost plasticky. A significant bitterness in the hang, but not completely over the top, with some citrus pith flavors.

M: Average body for style. The alcohol presence is low. Low carbonation sensation.

O: I was surprised to see the ratings this beer has. Maybe there was something wrong with this bottle, but this isn't good. It's not quite a drain pour to me, but it's an "actively avoid" in the way of advice. First, there are many better IPAs and DIPAs available wherever you live. Secondly, the hop profile is completely boring – or at least old-school – but not really well done even with that as a standard. Plus the caramel malts are my least favorite IPA character. Lastly, the weird vegetal/plasticky flavor is off-putting. I'm still not sure where it's coming from, but it's not good. Anyway, drinkable at best...but not by much.

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