Sierra Nevada Chico IPA

Brewed by Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Chico, California USA

Serve in Shaker, Snifter

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UPDATED: MAR 1, 2013 chico ipa is more piney than the harvest ale, and more resinous than torpedo... hitting at very nice sweet spot A: Rich amber body with a monstrous fluffy off white head, great retention before settling into a excellent skim... leaves behind dense lacing which grips the glass and does not let go... only down side is the lacing doesn’t just wash right away, a little scrubbing is necessary, but i won’t hold that against the beer! S: Resinous. Lots of floral and pine cents are a welcome treat. Dense and vibrant hop character like this is always welcome in my book. The hopping is certainly present in the nose and lends to a very nice aroma profile. T: Matching the nose note for note, it starts with a blast of pine and floral hop bitterness, followed by the creamy malt backbone working its way forward before banging out a nice resinous finish. M: Medium bodied with a healthy amount of carbonation. Super dry on the finish. O: This is a fresh tasting beer for sure. Garden fresh pine and floral hops make this a delicious treat... Now I just need to get back to finishing this growler off... which will not be a problem.

Pale golden pour. The nose is quite resiny and quite chewy. Fairly bright and fruity with a distinct blackberry aroma. A soft spiciness and a fairly sweetish malt base. A little bi tof light soft spiciness as well. Earthy and a little bit chewy. Lingering hoppiness gives it a long chewy, resiny finish. I quite like it. Unique.

Amber with good, creamy, tan head / Nose of citrus, brown sugar, and dry hops / Medium body, somewhat sweet and creamy, balanced with some biting hops on the good finish / Flavors of orange, grapefruit, brown sugar, dry hops, and toast / Very nice although alcohol only qualifies this as a double.

On draft at Toronado, San Francisco. Poured clear, deep amber with a soft white head. Nice lace. Flavor of sweet citrus, resinous pine, and caramel. Medium to full-bodied. Almost a bit too chewy for an IPA. Solid but nothing spectacular.

tap at Blind Tiger SN event - orange pour. caramel malts and really hoppy, bitter with a slightly boozey finish. Great balance.

Sampled at the Bistro IPA fest back in August. I think this placed second or third. Anyway, it was one of my favorites. It pours gold with a nice head. The aroma is dense with lots of citrus and caramel. The flavor is pine, caramel, and spicy hops. Very balanced and very nice.

Tap at Blind Tiger. Ha- big west coast DIPA? I dont think so. More like an average to pretty good example of a East Coast IPA. Pours a mostly clear copper amber with a thin lasting sticky head. Aroma is good citrusy and piney hops, but there is definite caramel malt in there. Flavor shows more caramel malt, a touch too sticky sweet, but still nice resinous piney and citrus hops all around. Good for an east coast, but not even close to good west coast. Still I enjoyed drinking this.

cask at GBBF 2010 ... copper ... sweet woody toffee malt nose ... dry toffee malts ... light fruit.

Tap at Blind Tiger. Poured a rich dark amber with a fluffy head. Nose was floral and piny hops. Flavor does follow the nose with nice balance and a solid malt base. Not a hop bomb, but a classic and delicious IPA with everything right about it. Not too anything and not lacking in any way either. Really great beer.

Tap at Blind Tiger, NYC. Pours a mostly clear copper with a moderate, off-white head. Holds a ferocious hop aroma with earth, pine and light citrus. Flavor begins with mild caramel malts before the hops take hold. Reasonably balanced and not over-the-top. Medium in body with average carbonation. Finishes with strong bitterness that lingers. Delicious.