Sierra Nevada Anniversary Ale 2009

I've been buying more of this stuff than I should. It is really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, good.

EDIT: Ignore that, I was thinking celebration ale.

I've now tried it, and agree with the original post

it is, by far, the best beer available at my local supermarket.

Picked up a pack of this at a Woodman's back home around Chicago before going up to my folk's cabin in northern WI. Gave all my friends a sip of this stuff when we got up there and the next day, we brought back five 6-packs from the liquor store up there.

I'm not even the biggest fan of IPAs but this stuff is awesome!

+1 A very good beer....SWMBO loves it, too.
I'm looking forward to '09 Celebration, it should be on our grocer's shelves in a month or so.

you can't go wrong with the SN specialty/seasonals. They never fail.

Is it a straight-ahead IPA, or is it spiced in some fashion? How would you compare it with their Torpedo?

Picked up a sixer last night. It is just OK to me, not bad but not great. I much prefered their 08 celebration.

I'm no longer sure which one we're talking about.

Not Celebration Ale, Anniversary Ale.

I just tried this last night and I read part of the label before buying it. It said they used a lot of cascade hops, and I said Sold!

Got home and tried it and thought, "this tastes like an IPA! I guess a beer can be hoppy and not be considered an IPA."

Then I read the rest of the label. It's an IPA! :cross:

But I really like it, I need to go get some more. I'm assuming this is a limited quantity beer?

Been waiting since last Xmas for this stuff to roll around again.

This may get me flamed but Sierra Nevada is the best beer you can get in a bottle.
Celebration
Torpedo
Big Foot
Pale Ale.

Wow. This is good stuff.

I've never had an IPA before and usually don't like beers that I thought were "hoppy," but this was a different. Now, I'm still developing my beer palate and learning what the different flavors are, but this one through me for a loop.

I've always thought that hoppy beer = bitter beer, but this did not seem to be the case with this beer. I've only done 3 batches so far (2 x Mr. Beer and 1 x 5-gallon extract New Castle clone, with my 4th batch - a Fat Tire Clone - this weekend) so I'm still learning what different tastes are derived by bittering hops versus aroma hops versus dry hopping. Now, I'm assuming, since the piney, citrusy flavot I got from the anniversarry ale were new to me (I've tried SNPA and just thought it was bitter) is that the hop flavor I got was a result of aroma and/or dry hopping, or is it just a cascade thing? How do I get a flavor profile like this into my beers? Who's gonna clone this one?

I give you all a lot of credit as I learn to tell the subtle (and sometimes drastic) differences among beers and am able to tie them back to ingrediants thanks to what I've learned mostly lurking here. I enjoy beer 10 times as much as I did 6 months ago and find myself really savoring ever sip, like some folks do with wine (which I hardly drink anymore).

I've gone through 6 cases of this stuff! Since july.

beerkrump said:

I've been buying more of this stuff than I should. It is really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, good.

Click to expand...

+1

I'm trying to brew this with a partial mash. What do you think?:

Anniversary Ale
14-B American IPA

Size: 5 gal
Efficiency: 70.0%
Attenuation: 75.0%
Calories: 201.21 kcal per 12.0 fl oz

Original Gravity: 1.060 (1.056 - 1.075)
Terminal Gravity: 1.015 (1.010 - 1.018)
Color: 14.7 (6.0 - 15.0)
Alcohol: 5.95% (5.5% - 7.5%)
Bitterness: 42.3 (40.0 - 70.0)

Ingredients:
6.6 lb Unhopped Plain Light
1.25 lb Munich 10L Malt
1.25 lb 2-Row Caramel Malt 60L
.5 oz Chinook (13.0%) - added during boil, boiled 60 min
1 oz Cascade (5.5%) - added during boil, boiled 10 min
.5 oz Chinook (13.0%) - added during boil, boiled 10 min
1 oz Cascade (5.5%) - added dry to primary fermenter
1.0 ea White Labs WLP001 California Ale

Results generated by BeerTools Pro 1.5.3

suhornet84 said:

+1

I'm trying to brew this with a partial mash. What do you think?:

Anniversary Ale
14-B American IPA

Size: 5 gal
Efficiency: 70.0%
Attenuation: 75.0%
Calories: 201.21 kcal per 12.0 fl oz

Original Gravity: 1.060 (1.056 - 1.075)
Terminal Gravity: 1.015 (1.010 - 1.018)
Color: 14.7 (6.0 - 15.0)
Alcohol: 5.95% (5.5% - 7.5%)
Bitterness: 42.3 (40.0 - 70.0)

Ingredients:
6.6 lb Unhopped Plain Light
1.25 lb Munich 10L Malt
1.25 lb 2-Row Caramel Malt 60L
.5 oz Chinook (13.0%) - added during boil, boiled 60 min
1 oz Cascade (5.5%) - added during boil, boiled 10 min
.5 oz Chinook (13.0%) - added during boil, boiled 10 min
1 oz Cascade (5.5%) - added dry to primary fermenter
1.0 ea White Labs WLP001 California Ale

Results generated by BeerTools Pro 1.5.3

Click to expand...

With as little info as is out there for this brew, I think that's a worthwhile shot! Let us know how it comes out.

This years Anniversary is way better than last years :rockin:

humann_brewing said:

This years Anniversary is way better than last years :rockin:

Click to expand...

What was last years? The style changes every year doesn't it?

I picked up a 12 pack at the store the other day. Great beer!

Such a good beer. Blows new belgiums hoptoberfest out of the water. I am a huge fan of an IPA, and actually prefer a double like victory hop devil, but dang this one makes my tongue tingle and at under 6% ABV doesn't floor me either.

That being said, I have this problem with it. The aroma from the cascade hops are so darned good that I continue to swirl up my beer to release more cabonation and more aroma. The last half of my beer is pretty flat....this is my problem because the beer is so good.


FYI...I am drinking one while I type this

its good, but torpedo is better