Sierra Nevada India Pale Ale

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

Beer is a clear, pale amber with an average, frothy, white, mostly and quickly diminishing head, nice spots left clinging to the sides of the glass.<P>The initial impression made by the aroma is pretty good. There’s a pretty pinapple ester that foils the hearty helping of hops. As the beer warms, that fades and the aroma becomes average. It’s malty with light notes of toasted grain and caramel; hoppy with moderate notes of resin/pine; yeasty with moderate notes of bread dough; miscellaneous note of pineapple, trace note of vanilla.<P>The flavor is moderately bitter with a hoppy grip, lightly sweet with a long, light-to-moderately bitter finish with more of that hop-grip.<P>The body is light, the texture is watery and the carbonation is lively.

Who’s high here? Far too good a rating. The regular Pale and Celebration have better hop notes than this alleged IPA. Put out to sell because IPAs are hot, no other reason. Not an IPA in the least.

I didn’t have to go to Chico for this. It’s available here in stores. Nice bite, a bit too effervescent. The hop profile is unremarkable considering other beers in this class. Not much more to say about this one.

A great courtesy bottle from Beer World in Largo. Given the way their Pale Ale has gone south over the recent years I was a bit apprehensive about this one. What a pleasant surprise. Pours your basic translucent amber color...whitish head. Light aromatic hoppiness in the nose....wish there was a stronger presence. Flavor is nice..with a nice malty balance. Bitterness is adequate...but not up to the best in this class. Tasty but not exceptional.

2006 bottle pours a translucent orange amber with a medium rocky off white head. Aroma was light. More malty and a grainy grassy aroma than I was getting hops. With the flavor I can see more of the hops coming in with a light bitterness and some citrus. Mouthfeel was also nice.

This is, by far, the worst IPA I have ever had. The hops were not very floral and aromatic at all, they were harsh, non-distinct, and bitter.

Nice amber colour with a thick head and nice lacing. Aroma is hops and citrus with a slight soap aroma. Flavuor is hoppy with a nce citrus tinge. Finishes bitter and hoppy.

bottle courtesy of Saarlander in a recent trade.
color is a clear amber with a minimal head after a vigorous pour. was expecting more hops in this one, but the aroma and flavors are a balance of mild caramel and some grapefruit and pine hops. a medium bodied drink with a bit of a dry bitter finish. hops tend to creep up a little more near the end of the glass, but still not hoppy enough for the style.