Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale

draft @ redlight redlight for Christmas in July, so the keg is about 6 months old. Smooth citrus hops with sweet bread-like malts, traces of sweet pine as well. Pours golden amber with a thick white head. Smooth malts with still quite a bit of hop character, i can tell the hops of mellowed somewhat but its still got great hop flavor, smooth pine flavors, with traves of caramel, with quite a lot of citrus hops as well. Its held up very nice. Very nice to drink.

Bottle. Been awhile but this was a pretty good winter brew, ipa a nice change from most beer brewed for the winter.

2008 bottle. Pours a dark amber orange with thick off-white head. Aroma mostly of floral hops, slight citrus, lots of malt, and a bit of caramel. First few sips didn’t impress, but the more I drank it, the more I apprecated its complex character. This is not a hop bomb or even a plain IPA. This is a heavy hoppy, malty, beverage with a lot of character. Pretty nice.

2004 12 oz. bottle. Murky brown, looks a bit like iced coffee. Small ivory head, a bit of lacing. Much lighter than I expected, with subtle spicing. An excellent IPA example that ages very well.

Poours a copper color with a thin but lasting off-white head. Very hoppy aroma with grapefruit and pine. Flavor is appropriately bitter with some sweet caramel malt. In this case, the malt and hop profiles don’t compliment each other the best, but it’s still a decent beer. Moderate mouthfeel with good carbonation and just a bit of alcohol burn.

Enjoyed from a 12oz bottle in a pub glass. This classic pours a nice copper with some red overtones. The smell gives one the sense that he is walking through a hop farm in Yakima or the Willamette valley; splendid citrusy character abounds. Hop flavors and bitterness also attack the palate up front, although "attack" may not be the best description, as the bitterness is as smooth as any I’ve tasted in beers of this ilk. Malt notes on the mid-to back of the palate add a really nice richness and fullness, ending with a dry finish. Wonderful!

i was surprised to find a slightly red tinge in the light. good aroma and great taste. sorta like their anniversary ale but with a more assertive maltiness. i look forward to this years!

2008 12oz. Bottle. I grew up on this beer and consider it a cornerstone of the craft beer industry. Has been around a long time and has remained remarkably consistent. Pours a coppery and slightly hazy orange with a heavily lacing white foam. Lots of pine in the aroma and a bit of earthy mustiness. Flavor has a bit of caramel and bread, but is dominated by a mean bitter streak. Hard to pinpoint other than as a grassy kick, but it has the flavors of the original California IPAs that were made predominately with Chinook and Cascade hops. Carbonation level is pretty high and gives it a bit of a sharpness. Finishes with a bitter sizzle and a pervasive dryness.