Category Archives: Sierra Nevada Brewing Company

4 - Good (buy), American IPA, Beer Reviews, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, USA

Sierra Nevada Beer Camp (2016): Tropical IPA

Wednesday, 13 April 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 6.7%
Style: American IPA
Other Notes: Beer Camp is the perfect way for us to experiment with new flavor directions in beer. Each spring, we feature our favorite collaboration from camp. This year’s selection blends intensely aromatic hop varietals to create an IPA filled with fruit aromas of mango and papaya.

Brewer Description: (from bottle) This new equatorial IPA features intense hop varietals bursting with aromas reminiscent of island fruit, including notes of mango, papaya and bitter orange, for a tropical take on the IPA.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.77
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.6

Intro: A 12 fl oz bottle with a packaged on date of 13th January 2016 and poured into a Spiegelau IPA glass.
Appearance: It poured a clear copper orange colour with a tall fluffy three finger+ off white head with good retention and lots of sticky lacing.
Aroma: Orange candy sweetness with citrus lemon, lime and pine with maybe a hint of pineapple and bready malts.
Taste: Starts sweet-ish pineapple, before turning bitter orange peel, mandarin, lemon and grapefruit pith. I suppose there is a hint of mango there in the aftertaste, but its really lingering far in the background.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with medium carbonation.
Overall: This was pretty good. The lasting lingering bitterness is nice. However if I’m thinking Tropical IPA, this is completely not what I would think of. Yes there was pineapple and some mango here and there but they were mostly in the background. It’s an IPA for sure, but I don’t think it’s a Tropical IPA. Having said that, I’d give this another go.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgian Strong Pale Ale, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, USA

Sierra Nevada Ovila Abbey Golden – Pomegranate

Monday, 11 April 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 8.5%
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale
Other Notes: Specialty Ovila series brewed in collaboration with the monks of the Abbey of New Clairvaux in Vina, CA.

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Pomegranates have been treasured since ancient times and used as symbols of fruitfulness and prosperity. In the modern era, they are prized for their unique sweet-tart flavor and intense red color, which acts as a perfect counterpoint for the spicy Belgian-style golden ale. This collaboration beer features pomegranates grown at the Abbey of New Clairvaux.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.86
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.7

Intro: A 12.7 fl oz corked and caged bottle packaged on 9th September 2015 and poured into a Duvel tulip glass.
Appearance: It poured a hazy but bright copper colour with a one finger slightly off white head that dissipated fairly quickly but left nice lacing.
Aroma: Belgian yeast, banana, honey and fruity cherry tartness.
Taste: Sweet Belgian yeastiness, ripe banana and apple followed by some fruit tartness and only light pomegranate. Hint of pepper on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with light to medium carbonation.
Overall: This was the fourth of the Ovila series that I’ve tried and the best one so far. I think it would have been even better if I could taste more pomegranates though.

2 - Maybe (likely wouldn't buy, might drink), American IPA, Beer Reviews, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, USA

Sierra Nevada Celebration Fresh Hop IPA

Tuesday, 12 January 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 6.8%
Style: American IPA
Other Notes: 65 IBUs. Malts – Two-row Pale and Caramel. Hops – Chinook, Centennial and Cascade.

Brewer Description: (from bottle) We first brewed Celebration IPA in the winter of 1981. Each year, we use only the first fresh hops of the growing season to create this complex and robust ale. Layered pine and citrus hop aromas balance delicately against rich, malt sweetness to shape this bold wintertime classic.

My rating: 2
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.11
My ratebeer.com rating: 3

Intro: A 12 fl oz bottle with a packaged date of 19th October 2015. Poured into a Spiegelau IPA glass.
Appearance: It poured a clear dark copper colour with a two finger cream coloured head that had great retention and left lots of nice lacing.
Aroma: Citrusy lemon, apple, piney hops and sweet but slight biscuit malts. There was also some herbal and spice here and there.
Taste: Light citrus and hop bitterness before it kicks in with some strong maltiness and surprising booze but nice spice.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: This was definitely more malty and boozy than I expected (and not in a good way). However, I will retry this again to make sure, but at the moment, I definitely prefer Hop Hunter and Torpedo IPA over this.

4 - Good (buy), American IPA, Beer Reviews, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, USA

Sierra Nevada Hop Hunter IPA

Thursday, 10 December 2015 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 6.2%
Style: American IPA
Other Notes: 60 IBUs. Brewed with farm distilled hop oil.

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Hop Hunter IPA is the first beer to feature oil from wet hops steam distilled directly in the field, minutes after harvest. We use this pure, powerful hop essence in concert with whole-cone hops in our brew kettle and in our Hop Torpedo to create the ultimate IPA experience.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.32
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 12 fl oz bottle with a packaged date of 10th August 2015 and poured into a short stemmed wine glass.
Appearance: It poured a nice slightly hazy golden colour with lots of nice upward streaming bubbles and a one finger white head that dissipates fairly quickly leaving some spotty lacing.
Aroma: Fruity tropical aromas of peach, pineapple and mango. In the background, there is a bready, grainy maltiness.
Taste: Starts bitter, piney, with some citrus lemon and grapefruit and a nice lemon tea finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with medium carbonation
Overall: A very nice IPA that I could drink over and over again. Hopefully it will officially make an appearance in Hong Kong soon.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Czech Pilsner, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, USA

Sierra Nevada Summerfest Crisp Lager

Thursday, 27 August 2015 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Country: USA
ABV: 5%
Style: Czech Pilsener
Other Notes: 28 IBU’s. Malts – Two-row Pale, Pilsner, Munich. Hops – Perle, Saaz, Spalter Select.

Brewer Description: (from bottle) There’s something about a warm summer day that calls out for a cold glass of great beer, and this classic Czech-style lager is sure to fit the bill. Crisp, golden and refreshing. Summerfest is the perfect choice for soaking up the sunshine.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.33
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.4

Intro: A 12 fl oz bottle with a packaged date of 17th March 2015 and poured into a Duvel tulip glass.
Appearance: The beer poured a nice clear golden colour with a light one finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly but left some nice stringy lacing.
Aroma: On the light side, but its sweetish corn, grassy with hints of mineral notes.
Taste: Like the aroma, taste is a little on the light side, but its mainly sweet malt, honey and corn.
Mouthfeel: Crisp, light bodied with medium carbonation.
Overall: Its definitely crisp and quite nice to drink. Definitely wouldn’t mind a bottle on a hot summer day.

words of another dreamy traveller