Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale
2004 Celebration Ale printed on the neck of the bottle. Appearance: A hazy deep copper color with a crusty, light tan head. Nice lacings throughout the beer. Smell: "West coast" hop oils, pine, and a floral citrus aroma definitely dominate. There is some carmel sweetness noted but it's definitely in the background. Taste: Grapefruit, oily pine, and orange are the first things that jump on my palate. There is a subtle honey flavor that peaks through and then a warming alcohol finish. Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, multi-dimensional, and very complex. Drinkability: Suffers a bit just because I can't see making a session out of it. But a very nice beer. Tasting notes: I have no other years for comparison and from what I've read, this isn't the best year. As far as I'm concerned, this is a solid IPA and dead-on for the style. I would definitely recommend it and if you have other years to compare it to, consider yourself lucky.