Day 7 of the 3rd Annual Advent-ure Calendar
Day 7: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Celebration IPA
Ahhhhh, Sierra Nevada, easily one of the best craft breweries in the country in terms of quality and consistency. This is a staple we purchase every year. The label design also happens to be one of our favorites. From the website: “First brewed in 1981, Celebration Ale is one of the earliest examples of an American-style IPA and one of the few hop-forward holiday beers. Famous for its intense citrus and pine aromas, Celebration is bold and intense, featuring Cascade, Centennial and Chinook hops—honoring everything we have at Sierra Nevada.” They definitely chose the hoppy route, in typical Sierra Nevada style, over a traditional holiday spiced ale. But these tend to be a great way to break up what would otherwise be a string of 24 spiced beers. Let’s see how it stacks up this year!
REFLECTIONS
Beard & Broad
Beard: I look forward to this beer every year. At the peak of its freshness, it’s one of the best IPA’s out there. Sure, it’s not the typical spice bomb that’s become the go to for winter beer drinkers, but these beers should be whatever a brewery feels is good enough to share with family and friends around the holidays . It’s one of Sierra Nevada’s best, and I would happily share this beer with anyone and gladly accept it in return.
Broad: This is one of the best beers ever. I could drink this all day. It’s hoppy, smooth, citrus-y and refreshing but something about it is still wintery. Sierra Nevada makes very hoppy beers so I was a little nervous but there is no overload of hops in this one. I wish I had more of these in the house right now!
Adam & Alex
Adam: It’s crazy how tastes change over time because I did not ever like hoppy flavors but through Beards relentless efforts and my adulting I now really enjoy them. This beer is a perfectly balanced mix of malt and hops. Finishes very piney. It’s a honey of a tree Clark.
Alex: I agree that I never would have liked this beer a few years ago. Now I find that it tastes refreshing and citrusy with a good level of hoppy-ness, aka tastes like pine. Did you bring a saw?
Scott & Christa
Scott: LOVE THIS BEER. The Sierra Nevada Celebration has become one of the must buys of our holiday season. I’m not as big of an IPA fan as Joy, but I’m on board with this one. The flavor has a nice mix of malty, warm flavors and that IPA complexity. This is a winner, worthy of a celebration.
Christa: This beer has been in our fridge already this holiday season. It’s one Berry and I throw in our cart while we grocery shop. It’s perfect for a week night after a crappy work day (or a usual one, even a good work day is still a work day). It’s an IPA which has become my favorite type of beer over the years. I am sucker for citrus and hops. This pour promises pine…I am still searching for it after multiple purchases. But, that’s okay. Pine or no pine, Sierra Nevada knows what they are doing. It’s definitely a crowd pleaser, perhaps your opening act…not the headliner. To revisit my dating analogies from last year: the guy you know you’re not going to marry, but still contemplate when he hits you up for a booty call. A good time, if you will.
Tony & Megan
Tony: I don’t normally go for IPAs but I like this one. Maybe its a bit of sweetness or that little twist of citrus that helps tame the hoppiness a little bit. Its got good flavor, doesnt scream “holidays” to me but you do get some of that. Spices, citrus, hops, and a touch of pine. Overall solid beer.
Megan: A fresh and crisp IPA and enjoyable to drink. It’s not too bitter for my pallet. I can see the citrus coming through but I’m lost on the pine, but hey, they can’t all have pronounced spruce tips, ammiright? I’m not a fan of IPAs but I like this one.