Sierra Nevada India Pale Ale

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

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass. The aroma is nutty and sweet. The flavs are oranges, grass, and nuts. The sugary and pine tree flavors come out as it warms. The alcohol is present in the finish. This was a nice malty IPA from a classic brewery.

Rated 5/11/07: Nice standard IPA, nothing shocking. Bitter aroma light on the malt. Copper pour mild head, decent lacing. Crisp and quenching, a tad light on the palate which works well. Resinous and piney in the flavor, a touch of citrus but very faint. Medium malt content rather downplayed when compared to the hops. Decent but nothing to get too excited over, I’ll take the Pale Ale over this 7 days a week.

Pours a clear copper with a frothy, off-white, diminishing head. The aroma is piney, citric and slightly floral hops with a faint caramel malt background. The mouthfeel is medium-bodied, dry and bitter. The flavor is a sweet caramel front with an astringent piney/citrus bitter finish. Not a particularly well balanced IPA and much too dry on the finish for my tastes. I like the SN Pale Ale, but will pass on this one for better IPAs, in the future.

Bottle. Pours a clear golden color with a small white head. Sweet malty and hoppy aroma. Sweet malty hoppy bitter flavor. Sweet malty finish with a dry bitter aftertaste.

This pours a slightly-hazy, copper tea color into the glass, with a nice frothy suds head, well-retentive and leaves a nice sticky webbed lacing. The aroma is very earthen and of slightly tart caramel. This is quite drab on the palate... It lacks any real body, via the absence of malty substance and the implementation of such dry-hopping. There does exist a sour hue underlying a tiny biscuit contingency. A long, peppery bitter finish coats the tongue well, just a bit unilateral and underwhelming (did I stress it was long....?). Unfortunately, I’ve been on a strict medicine schedule, and have been away from the community for about 4 months.... I honestly wish I’d have picked a better starter to whet my whistle. Just ok, I guess. Certainly not a prime IPA.

2007 bottle. copper, rising bubbles to frothy off white head. moderate lacing throughout. earthy hops, rich malts, piney, mild citrus aroma. flavor follows aroma. lively palate. well balanced but a bit light. peppery bitter finish. solid

Initial impression was of bitterness rather than hoppiness that you usually associate with this style. Sharp, stimulating and refreshing it still strikes me as a strong bitter rather than an IPA. Very pleasant though.

Like most IPAs, this one has the aromatic hops but unlike most, there is an astringent bitterness that is more like an APA. Not my favorite Sierra Nevada brew.