Sweetwater Dank Tank Wookie Down Imperial Red Ale

This is another beer with the word "dank" on it. I read up on what that is supposed to signify, and I am not seeing anything that has to do with any aspect of beer. Instead, it appears to have a lot to do with cannabis. This particular can actually says that it was brewed for "420 Fest" which I assume has to do with the popular Sweetwater beer of that name and not necessarily of the marijuana enthusiasts' battle cry, but I could be wrong.

This beer is red, but it is a really, really deep red. It's not the "ruby red" that some black beer like Guinness is, as this is clearly red, but it is like arterial blood red. The very full and puffy head leaves a fair amount of Jackson Pollock-like lacing on the sides of the glass before forming pillows of foam floating on the top of the beer. The aroma is fairly mild, but I get grainy malt and citrus hops, which is nice.

First sip is significantly stronger than I had anticipated. It is sweet caramel and toffee malt with a definite graininess to it. The citrus and some floral hops are making a very good effort of coating the malt and adding a lightness to the depth of the malt. The sip is big, but good. Will it translate when the gulp is just as big?

Tip-in is sweet toffee and caramel malt with almost no hint of the hops. The middle is pine hops up top with citrus mixing into the malt right in the middle of the mouth - the sensation is quite good. The finish is a little nutty and a little bitter with the pine making a curtain call.

Bottom Line: Definitely more intense than your average red, but not a bad way to go.

3.5/5