Sierra Nevada India Pale Ale
Eye: To the eye this brew is very appealing. Color is golden with orange/tangerine tones. Head retention is excellent, hasn't receded at all since I poured it into the glass. Lacing is also great. Head is a creamy egg white in appearance. Label on the bottle says 2007. Nose: Strong hop aroma right up front on this brew supported by a strong sweet malt backbone. Hop aroma is floral and grassy. Smells good overall but the aroma could be a bit stronger. Tongue: Strong hop presence right up front. Bitterness and hop flavor make up the flavor profile of this brew. There is also a bit of alcohol upfront with the hop flavor. Overall grassy flavor from the hops. Hop flavor could be fuller, its less than I would expect from an IPA. In my opinion this brew is somewhere in between an APA and an American IPA. The bitterness is there, but the hop flavor isn't quite as pronounced as it could be. Mouthfeel and Drinkability: This is a light bodied brew. It drinks easily and is quite a nice brew. All in all this is an alright IPA however, there are other IPAs that I prefer to this one. However those I would prefer to this one are American IPAs as opposed to English IPAs. Gotta wonder if SN brewed this specifically as an EIPA or if their attempt at an AIPA just turned out this way. All in all a good brew, but I much prefer Stone, Two Hearted, Celebration Ale, Hop Devil, or Hoppin' to Heaven by Hoppin' Frog.