Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale

Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale 8-3-9-4-18 Sample Tasting - Orange beer, white head. Strong hops aroma. Hoppy, citrus-grapefruit, orange peel, sour dough bread, chinook and cascade hops present. Dry / sour nice bitter finish.

Now this is exceptional. At BeerBistro I was proffered a well-priced bottle of this ’cellar selection’ that is quite ready to drink immediately for maximum hop fullness. Heavy pour with deep orange color and a sticky cap, releasing aromas of spicy hops and orange citrus. Heavy malt backbone but not sticky, the hops are a concert of dazzling aromas and tingles on the palate. I really appreciate SN for its lush style of hopping, and this big ale takes the whole IPA idea up a notch without getting lost in Pine Sap Land. Simply wonderful brew.

pours a great big head with some considerable lacing. smells almost like a pilsner and some bread. nice hop bitterness with some almost spicy flavor. leaves my mouth with a beautiful bitter aftertaste

Bottle from Tesco Whitstable. Huge piney pineapple nose that reaks of cascade hops. Dry, resinous mouthfeel with a hot bitter aftertaste capable of giving me stomach ulcers. Slightly unbalanced, so only hopheads need apply.

Pours orange/amber with a small off-white head. Aroma of hops and sweet malty caramel. Sweet citrus and orange flavors at first with some caramel in the middle. Smooth body until the bitter hoppy finish. Pretty good, but the finish is a little harsh.

07 bottle. Pours hazy orange with a thin white head. Aroma is citrus hops, orange and pineapple specifically. Flavor starts sweet and citrusy then moves to bitter hops. The sweetness isnt powerful enough to balance the bitterness however. Maybe this bottle needs some aging, but as of now there are much better IPAs out there.

Bottle in room at Holland House, Bristol. hay, floral, amber, hazy, aminimal head, light sweetness, medium body,

I’m not a hop head, but I love a good IPA. The aroma of spicy herbs and citrus was wonderful. However, I do wish there was a touch more sweetness along with the underlying toasty/bready/caramel flavors in the malt profile to balance a bit of the bitterness. Nonetheless, this is an extremely well crafted beer and a real pleasure to drink.