Category Archives: Sierra Nevada Brewing Company

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

Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA

Friday, 14 August 2015 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Country: USA
ABV: 7.2%
Style: American IPA
Other Notes: 65 IBUs

Brewer Description: (from bottle) At Sierra Nevada we take hops seriously. Torpedo Extra IPA starts with the world’s finest whole-cone hops and intensifies their flavors with a little magic from our “Hop Torpedo”. The torpedo is a revolutionary method of dry hopping that brings this beer alive with a rush of complex hop aromas and flavors not found in any other beer.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.12
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 12 fl oz bottle with a packaged date of 14th May 2015 and poured into a Spiegelau IPA glass.
Appearance: The beer poured a very nice deep clear copper colour with a one and a half finger slightly off white head that dissipates slowly to a thin soapy layer while leaving some nice stringy lacing.
Aroma: Pine and citrus grapefruit dominate with a hint of orange.
Taste: Sweet malts, caramel to start followed by citrus grapefruit and pine and hints of tropical fruits.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with medium to high carbonation.
Overall: A nice IPA that is crisp and refreshing. I would buy this again.

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

Sierra Nevada Southern Hemisphere Harvest Fresh Hop IPA

Thursday, 6 August 2015 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Country: USA
ABV: 6.7%
Style: American IPA
Other Notes: Brewed with southern hemisphere hops, 100-day IPA, drink fresh, don’t store. The second of five beers in the 2015 Harvest series.

Brewer Description: (from bottle) We’re devoted to whole-cone hops, and we’re always on the hunt for rare and exciting hop flavors. Mirroring the fall US harvest, New Zealand hops peak during our spring. Southern Hemisphere, the second in our five-bottle Harvest series, highlights floral, citrus and fresh fruity aromas from fresh hops picked, dried and shipped halfway across the world and into our brew kettle in one week. Drink this IPA fresh and watch for the rest of this series that explores diverse hopping methods: single hop, fresh hop, wet hop and wild hop.

My rating: 2
My beeradvocate.com rating: 2.53
My ratebeer.com rating: 2.5

Intro: 2015 version. A 22oz bomber with a packaged date of 27th April 2015 i.e. day 99 for this 100-day IPA and poured into an IPA glass.
Appearance: The beer poured a clear amber ice tea colour with a big three finger off white cream head that lasts a long long time and leaves lots of lacing.
Aroma: Its all quite light as nothing stands out. Just some light caramel malts and maybe just a bit of apple, pear and pine.
Taste: For an IPA, this is rather malt driven. Initially sweet caramel and candied sugar followed by slightly bready, buscuity malt. It finishes with some floral hop bitterness.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: I prefer SN’s other IPA offerings over this one as the malt is overpowering here. The aromas were also a little light for me.

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

Sierra Nevada Ovila Abbey Saison – Mandarin Oranges and Peppercorns

Saturday, 11 July 2015 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 7.5%
Style: Belgian Saison
Other Notes: 24 IBUs. Specialty Ovila series brewed in collaboration with the monks of the Abbey of New Clairvaux in Vina, CA.

Brewer Description: (from bottle) An homage to the monks’ noble work, this unique farmhouse ale is incredibly complex with notes of lemon, pepper, straw and herbs balanced by the tang of Mandarin oranges and a spicy kick of pepper. The Mandarin oranges used to make this beer were locally grown, including a portion grown on the grounds of the Abbey of New Clairvaux and picked by hand by the community of monks living there. We hope you enjoy this collaboration ale.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.7
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.6

Intro: A 12.7 fl oz corked and caged bottle packaged on 5th February 2015 and poured into a Duvel tulip glass.
Appearance: The beer poured a clear orangey copper colour with a one finger white head that slowly dissipates resulting in a thin soapy layer and stringy lacing.
Aroma: Orange and honey aromas, some Belgian yeasty notes and ginger.
Taste: Sweeter than I expected but not too sweet which is good. I get citrus orange and lemon upfront followed by honey and caramel. There is some spice in the finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, medium to high carbonation, dryness.
Overall: Of the SN Ovila series that I’ve tried before (the other two being the Tripel and Quad w/ plums), this was the best one. Its unlike the other saisons that I’ve tried, but still a solid beer.

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

Sierra Nevada Hoptimum

Monday, 29 June 2015 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 10.4%
Style: American Double IPA
Other Notes: 100 IBUs, yeast (Ale yeast), hops (German Magnum, Chinook, Simcoe, plus an experimental variety), malts (Two-row Pale, Munich, Wheat)

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Hoptimum is the biggest whole-cone IPA we have ever produced – a 100 IBU, whole-cone hurricane of flavor. Aggressively hopped, dry hopped AND torpedoed, Hoptimum delivers ultra-intense flavors to hop fanatics everywhere.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.93
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 12 fl oz bottle packaged on 10th April 2015 and poured into a Duvel tulip glass.
Appearance: Poured a clear copper colour with a one and a half finger white head that slowly dissipates into a thin foamy layer that lasts throughout.
Aroma: Strong piney hops and a light citrus grapefruit aroma. There is also some caramel malts.
Taste: Mainly pine hops and grapefruit citrus flavours along with some slight caramel malt which is sweet and sticky. There is also some alcoholic booze aftertaste.
Mouthfeel: Full bodied, medium carbonation, creamy and sticky.
Overall: I really liked this beer and its hoppiness. It’s very close to a must buy for me. I think the two things that hold it back for me are that the caramelly flavours make it a bit too sweet and the booziness that comes through towards the end is stronger than I would have liked it. But having said that, I would buy more from time to time.

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

Sierra Nevada Coffee Stout

Thursday, 25 June 2015 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 6.2%
Style: American Stout
Other Notes: 53 IBUs

Brewer Description: (from bottle) A cup of joe and a bold beer can thwart the winter cold, so we blended them for the ultimate warmer. Our Coffee Stout is a fusion of dark roasted malts and rich, cold-brewed coffee for layers of bittersweet, fruity, dark chocolate and caramel-like flavors.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.71
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.8

Intro: A 12 fl oz bottle with a packaged date of 28th October 2014, and poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: The beer poured opaque black with a nice one finger light mocha coloured head that dissipated in about 2 minutes leaving nice spotty lacing.
Aroma: Strong vanilla aromas with dark chocolate, roasted malts and coffee.
Taste: Dark bittersweet chocolate, roasted malts, coffee and some light caramel.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, mild but prickly carbonation, creamy and smooth.
Overall: This was less than 8 months old but I’m thinking the coffee in it may already be less pronounced. The problem is that it’s not that easy for me to find it fresh in Hong Kong. It doesn’t have the crisp fresh coffee bean bite like that of Founders Breakfast Stout that I really enjoy. Having said that, if I could find it again (fresher of course) then I would be sure to give it another shot.

words of another dreamy traveller