Sweetwater Variety Pack

On a recent business trip to the Atlanta area, I decided to buy a Sweetwater variety pack. I have been to downtown Atlanta before and tried their flagship 420 Pale Ale. I know it is the largest craft brewery in the area (and possibly the only one). Prior to my trip, I browsed their website and realized that I would be unable to attend any brewery tours. So a variety pack I figured was the next best thing to try a few of their brews. I went to the local Target across from my hotel, and that is where I found a 12 pack with 4 types of different Sweetwater beers. After paying nearly $20 with tax for this I went back to get them ice cold. I admit I pay craft beer often and this was the most expensive 12 pack I have ever paid for.

IPA
The first bottle I pulled was their India Pale Ale. I was looking forward to tasting something hoppy after some hard work. The label indicated a 6.3% of alcohol by volume which is a plus. I didn't have any glasses, so I just popped the cap off the bottle and smelled. It had a lovely citrus and pine smell. I could only imagine how intense it would be in pint glass if I could detect such an aroma from a longneck. The taste did not disappoint. Overwhelming hop flavor (citrus and pine)balanced with a sweet malty middle. The mouthfeel was great until the end when it left dry with just a hint of hoppy bitterness. All and all a very good IPA and I would recommend it to anyone.

Sch'Wheat!
This unfiltered wheat beer was the second pulled from the fridge. I could instantly see the extra bits of flavor settled at the bottom of the bottle. Normally this does not bother me, it is to be expected with homebrew, but with commercial craft beer I frown upon it. Why you ask, commercial breweries have the equipment and technology to properly filter beer that homebrewers struggle with. It is purely an esthetic quality. Anyway, off comes the cap. Again glassless, I try to smell through the longneck which us difficult. I was only able to pickup on a grainy rustic farmhouse type of aroma. I know for some beer drinkers wheat beers are an acquired taste, but not for me (to be honest the only beer styles I am extremely biased against are sours and lambics). The taste was very earthy and floral with wheat undertones. Something just rubbed me the wrong way with this beer. Every sip I took I was trying to find a redeeming quality, but just could not. It is difficult for me to put into words what I didn't like about this beer. I understand everyone's palette is different, but I would not drink this beer again.

Motor Boat
A creative name usually adds points in my book, so I was pretty optimistic when I cracked this bottle open. The aroma was mild, but I could detect some floral hops. The taste starts off well with a toffee malt and citrus flavor, but ends with an unlikable bitterness. This ESB did not impress me, that is not to say it was a "bad" beer. As with any beer, state of mind and atmosphere (including scenery and weather) play a role with your perception (this also applies to beer tasting). I may not have been in the most positive state of mind when tasting this brew, but I wouldn't write it off completely.

420 Extra Pale Ale
This is Sweetwater's flagship beer and I have had it once before. It is a nice change from the BCM crowd, but overall it did not impress me. It is light bodied and typical yellowish hue of a pale ale. I was drinking this in 90 degree weather and when cold it was extremely refreshing. With that being said, anything cold in that temperature is refreshing. It's aroma was very fruity with a slight citrus background. The taste is well balanced and almost mirrors the smell. Mouthfeel is great and there is barely an aftertaste. This is an enjoyable beer and I would recommend it to the 95% of beer drinking americans, however for the remaining 5% it falls flat and lacks the complexities that we all love.

Second Chance

While waiting for my flight I decided to wander around Concourse B of Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and find Sweetwater's Airport Brewpub. Discouraged with the variety pack, but irritated with Delta Airlines I needed a beer before my flight and decided to give them one more shot. I grab a seat at the bar and see 4 styles on tap. I already had the 420 Pale Ale and the IPA, so that left the GA Brown and the Blue. I order the GA Brown, only to find that the tap broke five minutes prior to me sitting down. I decide on the Blue using the process of elimination.

Blue

Poured into a custom Sweetwater pint glass the head quickly disappeared and the aroma was almost nonexistant. The taste was similar to every other light beer, water with very little beer flavor. It is just another blueberry beer that fails to deliver on blueberry taste and complexity.

The biggest problem that I have with the beers I mentioned above is that they lack complexity and appeal to the common beer drinker in the greater Atlanta area. Each beer finished dry and was easily forgettable.

The Best of Hotlanta is the Worst I've Had in a While!