Celebration Ale 2012

The Beer Stats: 

• Beer Name: Celebration Fresh Hop Ale 2012

• Brewery: Sierra Nevada Beer Company (California)

• Style: IPA

• ABV: 6.8%

• IBU: 65

• Pour Color: A nice amber orange color, Easily see through.

      The pour looked great on this one. The head was nice and fluffy and stayed that way for awhile. The color was a shade of amber. The scent off the top was strong and full of hop aroma. The pine and citrus hit you hard like most sierra beers. You only get a slight notes of the malts in it. The taste is a explosion on every follicle. The hop flavor is strong up front and bitter. The malts are there the whole ride and balance out that bitter well. Slightly dark bread flavor to those but also a slight sweetness. All and all one of my favorites for the holiday season.
      Sierra has a few seasonals that just make the year. This is one of em. A nice fresh hop beer that has a lot of hop character without being over bitter. The fresh hop flavor is there to. Bright and crisp making this one of the most refreshing beers ever. Being a hop loving mustache, like I am, this is a special Christmas season treat for me!

Rating: *****

Southern Hemisphere Harvest

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Southern Hemesphere Harvest (2012)

• Brewery: Sierra Nevada (California)

• Style: American IPA

• ABV: 6.7%

• IBU: 66

• Pour Color:A nice bronze color that has a hoppy haze through out!

      This beer poured a hazy bronze color. The head came up fluffy and high at least two fingers. That would hang out as a film most the glass. The scent off the glass is a sweet biscuit malt and a real grassy scent to the hops. The taste has a mix of malt and hop that is hard to declare a winner. The malts come through as a slightly sweet bread taste and the hops come through as a grassy citrus mix that is hard to beat. This one has a nice familiarity since I've tasted there pale ale but the hops on this one near more of a torpedo in taste. Amazing beer that you really get a fresh taste of hops off of. 
     This beer I heard about and had to get some. My follicles have been lucky enough to be bathed in a fresh hop beer that the Face crafted. Never have I had a fresh hop beer from a big name. The fact it's a IPA from Sierra Nevada got me even more excited. What a great beer and a great concept. Hope to be talking it up for a year before getting it again next summer!

Rating: *****