Brewery: Sweetwater Brewing
Location: Atlanta, GA
Brew: Whiplash
Merchant: Kroger
Service: 12oz bottle | Dogfish Head Signature Glass
Style: IPA
Color: Gold to Amber (7 SRM)
IBU: 55
ABV: 6.2%
Temp: Chilled
Look: A crystal clear golden brew with a pure white head like this evokes an instant and audible “Oh, that looks good!”
Smell: A very light aroma with yeast and some citrus. A bit of a surprise here as I expected more. Both Belgian White and IPA styles tend to be quite aromatic.
Taste: This is a light to medium bodied beer with medium carbonation. They do a great job of balancing the sweet Belgian yeast and wheat flavors with excellent hop character. The fruit and spice you would normally get with this yeast is subtle. As is the sharp citrus bitterness from the Centennial hops lingering in the aftertaste. It’s very refreshing and, like I said, very well balanced. Lastly, the head laced the glass all the way to the bottom.
For Whom:This is a fantastic gateway beer for Blue Moon fans with an interest in going local but fear the IPA style.
Pair with: Stone crabs or haddock sandwich. (Something about this one made me want to eat at 6 Feet Under.)
2 Caps
Wayne Pelletier
September 1991. I drew from a tall, golden, hazy glass of a fresh and local hefeweizen in Bamberg Germany. Since then I've tasted more than a thousand brews. Here in the Greater Atlanta area we're pretty fortunate. Our local heavies: SweetWater, Atlanta Brewing and Terrapin all do world-class work. But the scene goes much, much deeper. That's where I like to find fresh pints. The goal is to draw attention to those finds on a 3-cap scale. Three seems simple but that isn't to say everything is great, average or terrible. Quite the contrary is the reality. I have come across very few craft/micro beers that are just no good. I assume these are all good beverages brew by good people with good intentions and you should as well. If I cross paths with a local brew that is truly terrible I won’t waste your time, or mine, writing a review. 3 CAPS: Hurry. This is a rare brew worth going out of your way to find. I swear it. 2 CAPS: A very good beer. Stands out as great in the style. 1 CAP: A decent brew that is average for the style. Prost!