Celebration Ale from Sierra Nevada

OK, let’s get this out of the way first off. If you see this bottle and think you are going to be buying a traditional festive winter warmer or Christmas ale, you will be sadly mistaken. If you know anything about Sierra Nevada, you will know they specialize in hoppy beers. Their Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is the primary exemplary style example for an American Pale Ale. Their Harvest Ale is one of the top 5 IPA’s that has ever crossed my lips. So it goes without saying that Sierra Nevada’s Celebration style would be nothing less than a celebration of hops. And it is, this American IPA style will work well for the hop heads, but those seeking spicy Christmas beers, or malty winter warmers will need to look past this one.

The aroma is classic cascade hops, with the white grapefruit citrus character. There is some pine and floral aspects to the beer as well. Although the malt does not take the center stage, it is also not off the stage. There is some mild bready malt, a little toasty malt, and small amount of caramel. All in all the aroma is fairly well balanced with a bit of leaning towards the hops. Some DMS is detected as the beer warms, small amount though. (A quick note about balance: Balance in beer does not mean that the malt and hops are equal, but rather balance refers to how the two support each other. A beer that is in balance may have more hop character than malt, but if the malt stands up to the hops well enough to prevent the beer from becoming unpleasantly hoppy, the balance is there. Same hold true for the reverse and other flavor characteristics. Balance refers to overall interplay between ingredients. ) (8 points)

The color of this beer is a thick copper with some haze. The haze is probably due to the dry hopping process which is where the brewer adds hops to the fermentor after primary fermentation has taken place. The hop oils can cause the haze. The long-lasting head is dense and rocky. (3 points)

The flavor is soft and malty, yet pleasantly bitter. The rounded softness from the malt is toasty and slightly sweet. There is also a nice caramel edge to it. The hop flavor is grapefruity up front and full of sticky resinous pine in the center. This gives way to a lasting bitterness that fades away slowly, the whole while you not only feel the bitterness but taste the hops. For an IPA, this flavor is full and quite honest. There is a lot going on, but nothing real subtle. I like that. (16 points)

The mouthfeel is medium and creamy. There is enough carbonation to work the palate and leave you wanting a  bit more. There is some mild astringency, but I attribute that to the hops. (4 points)

Overall the beer is quite good and worth picking up for the hopheads. However, there is nothing special about it that would lead me to tell you that you just have to go out and try this one. It is a well put together American IPA with a simple and honest (yet pleasing) flavor profile. I happily drink this beer, but yet wish there was a bit more about it to get excited about. After all, this is the Celebration Ale, they only offer it at this time of year. Give us a bit something special. (7 points)

39 points falls into the B+ or even A- category for me. Although a very good IPA, I wish for a special season offering it had a bit more appeal to set it apart from the rest of their beers. One things for sure, this beer is much better than Torpedo.