Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale

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

I have had this one a few times in the past but not recently so I decided to try it again, especially as I am rather fond of their regular pale ale. sampled from a 12 oz brown bottle this beer poured a caramel color with a medium sized tan head. There was a nice flowery hop aroma. The flavor was nicely malty, a bit sweet and had a strong flowery and grapefruity hop presence. There was a light hop bitterness on the finish. A nice IPA overall with a good malt balance.

Thanks Rate Beer! I would have tried this ages ago, but I avoided it thinking it was some spiced up winter beer. Then I found Rate Beer and it said it was an IPA! And a very nice IPA too! This has a beautiful hazy amber color that supports a fine thick head. The aroma an flavor are well balanced providing hops and malt in abundance. Smooth with a lingering finish. I'll have another one.

Fall/Winter 2002 release. Aroma is very spicy and citrically hopped, with some toffeeish, bready, lightly sweet malt to balance out. Medium orange color with some suspended haziness (bottle conditioned, swirled and poured) and a large-bubbled, whitish head. Largely hoppy, bitter flavor up front followed by still more citric hops and ending with a brief glimpse of dextrin and caramel malt sweetness before the unmistakable Chinook bitterness drily reins you in. Definitely worth a try to help satiate your winter hop needs.

Poured an sharp and deep amber body with a one-fingered off-white creamy head. Nose of fresh hops and choice grains. Crisp and complex. Alcohol is well masked and palate is quite divine. Finishes bitter and fruity with a nice malt spine. Amazing brew! Why doesn’t SN do more like this?

Bottled. Pours a bright orange amber with a lacy off-white head. The aroma is amost perfumy, with floral and citrus notes. Medium body and lively carbonation. The taste has some toffee and citrus, but the bitter (and slightly soapy) finish is the most noticeable aspect of this beer, and seems a little out of scale with the the rest. Just tried a 1986 bottling of this beer in November 2007, courtesy Hogfodder. It’s a little long long in the tooth, so the hops have dropped out and the taste is a little dusty, with some toffee, apple, and what seems to be a slight influence of Elmer’s glue but this mofo is still completely drinkable. Damn!

A great seasonal IPA. Bottle from Bev Mo La Mesa. Very nice hop aroma with some citrus in the nose. This brew tastes a lot sronger than it really is. I didnt like there standard IPA.....but this one kicks ass!!

Pours copper with a medium, lasting white head. Big hop aroma, heaps of grapefruit, bit of cara toffee, touch of orange peel too. Dry all the way through, wonderful hoppy fruity flavour. Quite woody (pine), nutty too. Medium bodied. Decent beer, alcohol completely disguised.

Draught 2001 edition 7/31/02: reminded me very much of their pale ale but with a much deeper reddish amber gleam...still extremely grapefruity..However...the slightly bigger hops are more evenly balanced by malty sweetness than the pale ale’s hops..but for the most part..I think its no better-no worse than the pale ale..which is a mighty fine beer in its own right Re-Rate Bottle 2001 edition 8/12/02: I found this even better from the bottle..it displayed a more pronounced creamy mouthful!! Re-Rate 10/28/02 2002 edition: scrumptious..creamy head and creamy pink grapefruit aroma..if only this beer was available all year..