Day 1 of the 7th Annual Holiday Beer Advent-ure Calendar
It’s finally time for the best beer event of the year: our annual Holiday Beer Advent-ure calendar. If you’re new around here and have no idea what we’re talking about, check out some of our past inaugural posts (here and here) to get all the information on how this works.
This is our 7th year doing this and we haven’t really changed any of the rules. We did not put parameters on the types of beer to buy other than they had to be winter/Christmas/holiday ales. Our crew remains the same, except this year, Megan is pregnant so she will not be chugging any of the beers. She will offer her notes on smells, can design etc. We have a lot of new beers to try this month and some very well known ones are missing from the list, so it should be interesting. Let the countdown to Christmas begin!
Day 1: Sierra Nevada Celebration IPA
We’re starting off strong with a classic holiday ale that is found in many of our fridges when the snow starts to come. Sierra Nevada’s Celebration IPA is different than traditional winter and holiday ales because it’s an IPA. Fresh hop beers generally start hitting the shelves around mid-October, and this one comes soon after. Their website notes that its brewed to “capture citrus, pine, and floral notes at their absolute peak.”
Reflections
Ben: Seeing this beer hit the shelves marks the beginning of the holiday season every year for me. It’s generally the last of the fresh hop beers to be released, but dammit if it isn’t one of my favorite Christmas beers. It may taste slightly different each year based upon the hop harvest, but it’s always stellar.
Julia: I think it’s a bold choice we decided on starting with an IPA. I’m not mad about it because I’m a huge fan of this beer. I typically don’t think of IPAs when Christmas Ales come to mind but there’s definitely room for them on the calendar. Anyways, this beer is crisp, citrusy, a touch piney and very smooth. There’s nothing particularly wintery or Christmasy about it but I still very much enjoy it
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! The beer advent-ure calendar is back! Kickin’ it off with the Celebration IPA from Sierra Nevada. It’s hoppy, as you would expect from an IPA but balanced and crisp. It doesn’t necessarily have bold “holiday” spices but its a good, refreshing IPA. It’s like walking outside in the cold winter air; crisp and refreshing
Adam: Forest-y | sharp | lemon rind | deep caramel | toasty | easy drinking
Alex: Happy Holiday Beer Advent-ure Season! The first beer on the list is Sierra Nevada Celebration Fresh Hop IPA. It definitely tastes hoppy to me, but full disclosure my beer intake has been way down this year. I can also taste the pine and a hint of caramel, which gives it a holiday vibe, but not too much of the citrus. It’s an easy beer to drink, and I wouldn’t turn one down. Huzzah!
Scott: I’m shocked to say this, but this year’s Sierra Nevada Celebration IPA is just not working for me. I’m not getting a lot of strong flavors and I’m finding it slightly bitter compared to the other times I’ve had this one. I’ll chalk this up to a bad batch.
Christa: First beer, guys! So excited to be back here again. What a moment. Okay, first beer: it’s an IPA and off the bat, I’m going to like this more than other Christmas beer varieties. It’s good. It’s crisp and hoppy, a little spruce-y for the season. But, in an IPA line up, this beer is just…fine. Nothing special, nothing awful. Just, fine. Nothing in particular stands out to me but guys, I drank it. It goes down quick and easy. Sometimes that’s all you need.
Tony: Its the most wonderful time of the year! The beer advent-ure calendar is back! Kickin it off with the Celebration IPA from Sierra Nevada. Its hoppy, as you would expect from an IPA but balanced and crisp. It doesnt necessarily have bold “holiday” spices but its a good, refreshing IPA. Its like walking outside in the cold winter air; crisp and refreshing.
Megan: Here we are, back at it again! My favorite time of year. This year, I will be participating from afar as Tony Tinsel Toes and I are expecting, but I expect I’ll have some fun critiques of aromas and overall designs!
Today’s selection smells like a fine crisp IPA. Not being a huge fan of IPA, this doesn’t smell over the top or too hoppy. It’s a nice amber color and I’m getting notes of apple. The design of the can and name don’t shout holidays to me as much as just a festive fall IPA. It’s a good beer to transition from fall into the Christmas season.
Brad: Oh yes, my favorite beer month of the year has arrived! I’m very happy the team chose Sierra Nevada’s Celebration for the kickoff beer. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is probably the most frequently bought beer at my house. I love what they do with their brews. This Celebration Fresh Hop IPA is wonderful and very well-balanced. I get a nice pine flavor and great finish.
“Fresh Hop” means the hops were freshly harvested to make this beer, duh. As someone who loves fresh pow (ski slang brah) and fresh hops, this beer is perfect.
Heather: Ahhh, my first sip is a reminder that it’s that time of year when I drink way more IPAs than the rest of the year combined: Calendar Season. And I still don’t like IPAs. Everyone else probably will dig this kickoff beer, but to me, it’s too hoppy for my taste. It just sits at the back of my tongue like an angry pinecone stuffed into a smelly, wet sock. Ugh, and the burps are worse.