Sierra Nevada Celebration Fresh Hop Ale 2011
from Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Chico, CA
ABV 6.80%
This year, I first had this on tap at the Hilltop Tavern in Sacramento, CA.
I enjoyed this on tap much more than the six pack I bought on my bike ride home the same night. This review is for the bottle.
Appearance - poured a medium blonde/amber color with high carbonation. A great 3/4 inch creamy colored head that dissipated rather quick due to the carbonation and leaving good lacing.
Smell - generous pine aroma with spicy hops.
Taste - I'm growing into the IPA trend here in Ca it seems. I never really liked the hoppy brews until recently. I like the carbonation of this ale and the clean finish. Much lighter on the Winter spices than expected (a good thing in my book), but there's some darker fruity spices involved in this.
Mouthfeel - you get the hop flavors up front and then rolls to the spicy flavors. I was expecting the hop hit at the end like most, but not this one.
Overall - Ok, my secret is I never cared for the OG Sierra Nevada brew. I know....it seems like a crime, however it was too hoppy for me. My roommate at the time drank enough of it for the both of us and local support reasons. With that said, I like this because it's not too complex on the taste for a Winter brew. I'm a big foodie and want my beer to complement my eats, not overwhelm it.
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