Thomas Creek Brewery - Up the Creek Extreme IPA; Class Five IPA; Deep Water Dopplebock; Appalachian Amber Ale; River Falls Red Ale; Pump House Porter; Octoberfest Lager

The Thomas Creek Brewery is in Greenville, South Carolina. "Don't Be Typical"  "Sink the Status Quo"

Up the Creek Extreme IPA - This is a whopping 12.5% ABV.  It pours an very dark brown, barely translucent, with hints of red.  The aroma is hop forward, like a dark tropical fruit punch with some cantaloupe, and slightly sweet.  The flavor follows the aroma and is massive.  There is some alcohol apparent in the taste.  It is fairly sweet despite its hoppiness.  You can take a sip, exhale out your nose, and again smell and taste a wave of this intense beer.

Class Five IPA - This beer pours a dark, shiny copper/amber in color.  The aroma is surprising for an American IPA.  It is not at all hop forward.  It smells of fruit, tea, malt and tobacco.  The taste is malt forward as well, following the aroma.  This is an interesting beer, and good, but a failure as an American IPA.

Deep Water Dopplebock Lager - This 6.25% ABV beer pours jet black.  The aroma is slightly sweet, and lightly roasted and of coffee.  The taste has deep, dark roasted malt flavor, with bits of coffee and cocoa.  There is a slight, sharp bitterness on the finish.

Appalachian Amber Ale - This beer pours medium brown to amber in color, and is fully translucent.  The aroma is slightly sweet and fruity, dark fruits, plums, dried fruits.  The taste is plain cracker with dark fruit jam.  The finish is crisp and light.

Dockside Pilsner - This pours golden in color with a half-inch of foamy white head.  There is really not much aroma.  The taste is ever so slightly sweet, some malty grain, and then hop bitterness.  It feels crisp and has a bit of a bite on the finish.  This is a refreshing lager, would be sessionable, but does not stand out in any way.

River Falls Red Ale - This beer pours a dark copper to amber in color with red highlights.  The aroma is of light malt with toffee notes, a hint of spiciness.  The taste is fairly light, with a nice rich maltiness and a bit of nuttiness.  If the taste it has was more full-flavored, this would be an excellent beer, as it is, the taste is good, but there is not enough of it.

Pump House Porter - This beer pours dark black with a high and thick head of light brown foam.  The aroma is of dark chocolate, light coffee and just a touch of sourness.  The taste is dark, roasted, coffee and mocha with a sharp sour note and then a fade to a lingering, dry coffee finish.  If they could lessen that sharp, sour note that hits and then fades, this would be an absolute winner.  As it is, it is still pretty good.

Octoberfest Lager - This 6.0% ABV beer pours a copper-orange-amber in color with a short head of off-white foam.  The aroma is malty, caramel and fruit.  The taste is a rich, nutty malt, with some caramel and fruit and a moderately bitter finish.  A pretty decent Oktoberfest beer.