Beer of the Week - Fresh Sticky Nugs

Ever have your anticipation for a brew alter your experience drinking it, even a little? Maybe a friend explained a beer in a certain way that lead to some expectations that weren't there when you tried it. Or something on the label led you a certain direction before the beer redirected the route.


To some degree that was my experience with Sweetwater's November release of Fresh Sticky Nugs from their Dank Tank series. I had read some about it for about a month and figured I better grab a bomber before it was gone. When I came across it I read the label and immediately fell into the sensation of thick hoppy goodness that puts your tongue into a position of submission. I was eager to try it, but I had to wait for the beer fridge to work a little magic first.


Once it was ready it poured out a brownish red with a thick head. The smell was deliciously malty and had a hint of citrus. I dove in and it was really hoppy. A brewer can't use super cascade without giving the finished product some bittery goodness. That being said, the malt overpowered the taste eventually. A lot at first, before it became really balanced, both sweet and piney. I REALLY liked this. So much it might be my favorite libation to stir into existence from the tank that is dank. The label alone was practically worth the price of admission.


Sorry for posting this BotW so late. I hope you can find one of these near you. But if you can't, perhaps the guys at Sweetwater might make it again one day. You can't really go wrong with a Sweetwater in your glass. They know their stuff. So try something else...here's their 2012 lineup that came out yesterday. 


And to cross reference (that's blogging 2.0 if you're keeping track at home) my earlier post on the podcasts I thought I'd also throw in this video I found of the HopCast guys visiting Sweetwater a couple years ago where they talk to marketing director Steve Farace and head brewer Nick Nock. Good stuff.

Hop Cast - Episode 86 from Hop Cast on Vimeo.