Mar 16, 2015

Sweetwater Brewing 18

This past weekend, I was lucky enough to sample a bottle of Sweetwater Brewing 18 — a hoppy take on a Belgian classic style. And while, yes, it does contain an appropriate yeast strain for a tripel, the amount of fruity, citrusy hops the brewery is known for piling into each bottle pushes this big beer into another realm. This celebratory beer may have started out as a Belgian-style tripel, but drinks more like a Belgian IPA — and a good one at that.

Sweetwater 18 is a big beer, weighing in at a respectable 10% ABV and around 70 IBU. That amount of bitterness and soft sweetness pretty much take it out of the tripel region and into the hoppy depths of IPA. Regardless of style, however, the brew is still damn tasty with an overall character that is dangerously easy drinking.

Appearance

The brew pours a slightly reddish amber in color with a short-lived cap of white foam. It’s a bit dark for a tripel, but certainly inline for an IPA.

Sweetwater Brewing 18 photo

Aroma

Spicy yeast, stone fruits, citrus notes, soft caramel, light sweetness and a touch of alcohol mingle playfully.

Taste

If this is truly a tripel-style ale, which it’s not, then it’s the most hop-forward example with which I have ever crossed paths. The hop profile is fruity with plenty of citrus and pine, as well as a good amount of bite, that mingles with the peppery yeast and lingering alcohol fairly well. The level of sweetness is of a moderate level, and not enough to counter the bitterness. The alcohol content is masked pretty well which ends up giving this beer a deceptively easy drinking nature.

Overall

So, Sweetwater 18 isn’t really a tripel. As the craft beer world has gotten larger, more and more breweries are doing less and less in terms of traditional styles. It’s the nature of the beast as each one tries to stand out amongst the throng. I’m adaptable and have come to expect this type of style creep. Just as long as the beer is flavorful, I can manage. And that’s exactly what you’ve got here with this big beer. It’s not necessarily true to style, but it does taste pretty darn good.

Rating: 4/5

This is a review of a promotional sample.

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