Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale

Brewed by Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Chico, California USA

Brown ale. Tinted foamy head. A rustic bitterness with a real bite. Expected a sweeter beer, but this was a pleasant surprise. A strong good bitterness blended with lots of malt and fresh aroma of needletrees and northern wetlands. Imagine they made this in California!?

Bottle to cup. Dark amber. translucent. good lacing with white head. hoppy flavor with an apple / fruit twinge? Very good.

Bottle - The label always scared me off. I always thought this was a spiced Holiday beer. What a pleasant surprise to find this very malty and hoppy well done IPA. Very bitter but help up well by the malt.

Like a holiday IPA, except not so pale. Dark reddish brown with an off-white head. Aroma is hops, spices, and caramel malt. Same on the flavor - really heavy on the west coast hops for a winter ale. Bitterness is too much for some amateurs, but not me of course! I eat it up like Rosie O’Donnell eating an entire cheesecake. What else could you ask for Christmas ? (and don’t say a pony - it’s NEVER happening!!!)

Bottled (2008 version) from Bierkoning, Amsterdam. Hazy copper coloured, lasting off-white head. Hops, pine and caramel in nose. Initially a caramel malty flavour, later the hops take over. Very bitter finish. Lacking complexity in finish, but otherwise a pleasant brew.

Aroma of pine, citrus fruits, herbal and hoppy. I detect flavors of juicy citrus, herbal bitter hops, and playful toffee. Some sweet, yet reserved, caramel malt shows up at the end. Finishes fruity and bitter and a touch acidic. A mild tasting beer despite it’s alcoholic strength. A solid beer and fun for the holidays.

Thick off-white head over a nice amber body. Aroma is peach and mint. The resiny, minty fresh hops hit right away but they’re backed with nice, smooth malt to fill things out.

Pours reddish amber with mostly lasting white head with some lacing. Aroma of citrus and grapefruit. Lots of bitter and citrusy hops in flavor with some caramell and a faint grassiness. Bitter long lasting aftertaste. A great beer.