Sierra Nevada Brewing Company has just recently added two ales to their lineup of year-round brews. Sierra Nevada already has a stellar catalog of year-round beers, but in the last five years, the masterminds at the brewery have added Nooner, Hophunter, Otra Vez and most recently these two:
TROPICAL TORPEDO
IPA - ABV 6.7% - IBU 55
According to Sierra Nevada, this is, “A tropical take on the American IPA.” This one was brewed with Mosaic, Citra, El Dorado, and Comet hops. This is a brew that goes down easy and pulls its punches. 6.7% and 55 IBUs sounds like a lot, but this beer left me feeling awfully underwhelmed. I caught some notes of mango and passionfruit, but couldn’t help but feel that this was a missed opportunity to try something a bit bolder. There might also be grapefruit. I’m on the fence about that one. The aroma is certainly stronger than the flavor and features passionfruit and pineapple. Definitely a brew for a snifter glass. Let this baby breath. This beer probably goes down a bit too easy. It doesn’t really leave any lasting impression. Doesn’t linger at all. The beer is incredibly refreshing and drinkable, but I really was hoping for something a little more. That said, the label kicks ass.
SIDECAR ORANGE PALE ALE
Pale Ale - ABV 5.3% - IBU 35
Labeled as, “A pale ale with a twist,” this is a fantastic introduction into the cult of craft beer. SN (Sierra Nevada) Pale Ale was the first widely available craft beer and thus it has long been considered the "gateway drug," into the ever expanding rabbit hole of craft beer. I first tried Sidecar Orange Pale Ale last Summer at the SN employee party (I am not employed by them), and I knew that day that I loved this addition to their catalogue. Its finished with Cascade, Equinox, and Mandarina hops, but you won’t catch too much of those over the in your face ORANGE. They really pack it in there. In fact, it was brewed with orange peel in it. I did taste a bit of piney hop flavor towards the end. The aroma is exactly what you would expect from an Orange Pale Ale, zesty orange and lemon. This is just a very drinkable, and hopefully, widely available beer. The Sidecar label was originally a rotating series made available only in Northern California, but with SN’s decision to take the Orange Pale Ale year-round they have also decided to release to a wider audience.
