Sierra Nevada Anniversary Ale

12 oz bottle - 2008 Anniversary Ale. I love the hops! Another great IPA from Sierra Nevada believe it or not. Piney aroma with hints of lemon. Has a nice bite to it and finishes delectably bitter. Great beer.

On tap at Bull McCabe’s in Durham. Hey, it’s Sierra Nevada doing another hoppy ale! This one is simply a slightly more hoppy and slightly less malty take on the standard SNPA in my opinion. Crisp, citrusy, piney, tasty. Easy to drink and easy to drink a lot of. Hooray.

Bottle. Pours a clear amber with medium off white head. Aroma is citrus and pine, clean and faintly malty. Flavor is lightly malty with large amount of grapefruit and citrus along with pine and wood leading to a fairly dry and bitter finish. It’s good, and I’m glad I bought a 12 pack on sale, however not really all too different from the pale ale. I was hoping for something a little more special.

2009 edition: Copper amber color, thick off white head and very solid lacing. Lots of cascade hops in the aroma and flavor, balanced with sweet caramel malt and a tea like character more evident in the finish. Finish and palate are mild overall. 2008 edition: Pours a medium copper with a creamy off-white head. Lots of citrus and floral hops in the aroma. Taste also has plentiful hoppiness, with a nice corresponding bitterness.

Dont know if this should be a new rating, the original was for the ’07, I’m drinking the ’08, is there a difference? Anyway, this is what an ale to me should be! once i warmed it up slightly to pour, it really opened up! I mean in several way. one the aroma was mouth watering! two, had nice head and awesome color-silky copper, nice lacing, texture was totally refreshing! Very drinkable- would be a perfect beer to have with close friends!

Bottle. Orange light brown color. Grapefruit, toffee and marshmallow in the aroma. Nutty bitter, citric, perfumed flavor with hints of raspberry. Too perfumed to be really enjoyable, lacking in balance, but still an OK beer.

Poured a dark amber color with an off white head. Aroma was of some citrus hops, and metal. Flavor was a bit off, some citrus hops and a bit metallic and watery.

A quality IPA in unoffensive, moderate fashion exactly as one would expect from Sierra. Pleasant on the palate and throat, but nothing unique. Their regular IPA is a little better in my opinion; This one’s a little less hoppy, lively. Still good for a go though by just about anyone, regardless of beer prejudice.