Sierra Nevada Anniversary Ale

Bottle. Completely surprised by this one. Pours a robust yellow golden color and a large white head. The aroma is pronounced and hoppy and citrusyly refreshing. The flavor is great, crisp, clean, bitter, and complex. Very enjoyable and drinkable beer. Taste is very fresh and clean and light. One of the better IPAs I have had.

After having lots of great IPAs over the last couple of weeks, I am just not feeling this one nearly as much as I’d hoped. Tastes a whole lot like a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale with maybe a little more hops added in. Not bad, but it’s a second-tier IPA, I’d say. The kind of beer you don’t feel bad about throwing down a couple of, because it’s not too expensive and is actually pretty decent.

(bottle, 2009 Anniversary Ale). Clear copper color. Medium off white, frothy head. Strong citrus hop aroma and flavor. Long duration. Light bitter finish. Thin/slick texture. Moderate carbonation. Good lacing.

Slightly hazy copper pour with good retention and nice lacework. Some citrus and a little grass on the aroma. Nothing standing out too much. Flavor starts out slightly sweet and leads to the hoppy bitterness. Kinda lacking in the complexity department. Medium light body, medium carbonation, no alcohol warming. Average.

aroma is of light grassy notes. appearance is half dark amber. flavor is mild bitterness, more grassy notes, little resin, pine or citrus. palate is decidedly wet. good session beer and little else. im not sure where yet another IPA, at least one of this caliber, fits into a roster overflowing with variations on the style.

Nice entry in the IPA landscape. Some good citrus notes, a nice dark orange color. Aroma is citrus hops and some malt. Flavor is similar. Nice drinking beer.

I get this every year to try, but am never totally blown away. It’s almost like a moderately hopped IPA with no huge malt there... a bit like a super overhopped light beer or an IPA made with a light recipe.

Pours dark yellow/orange with a large foamy off-white head. Nose is grapefruit, pine resin, apricot and sweet caramel malt. Flavor is a very nice balance btween toasty caramel, oranges, citrus bitterness, grapefruit rinds. I forget how much I like this beer every year until it comes out.