Tasting Sierra Nevada Celebration ale '08, help me out here.

[Zymurgrafi]

all kidding aside..

Is this years Celebration pretty sweet? Or are my tastebuds well and truly F*ucked?

 

[Saccharomyces]

Yes, it's quite sweet.

I still like it though. Seems to be the trend in winter warmers this year to use a pile of crystal malt.

 

[schupaul]

Had one the other night at a tasting and thought it was horrible as did the 8 other people at the table. The initial flavor is good but finish was another thing.

 

[Weizenheimer]

I wasn't impressed. It tasted very close to their Pale Ale to me. Like they just stuck a celebration ale label on the pale ale, although I didn't have a pale ale to taste it next to.

 

[Hammy71]

Quite frankly, I've never really understood the fasination with Celebration anyway. Don't get me wrong....every year I buy a six-pack (including this year....) just for sh**s and giggles and every year I just don't get it. It's just an IPA..... what's so Christmasy about that? I mean....I love Sam Adams Winter lager and alot of other companies 'winter' brews. I love the heartiness and the spices... but an IPA? I can buy that anyday...almost anywhere....just MHO

 

[Saccharomyces]

It's a high enough gravity it is pushing the limits of an IPA. That's about it though. Nothing Christmas-y about it other than getting the in-laws .

It isn't like Widmer Brrr with a pound of simcoe in it or anything. So yeah while I like it I don't really think it's spectacular as a seasonable beer. It's just a decent IPA.

 

[Zymurgrafi]

I have enjoyed it in the past. I think an IPA is a great holiday beer. I am not fond of froofroo spiced beers personally. I just remember it being dryer. Though I am not sure anymore theses days. My taste buds are funked up.

 

[korndog]

Hmm.... I had my first pull last nightand it was awesome on draft. My two drinking mates were loving it too. I rather like the balance this year. Go figure!

 

[Saccharomyces]

It is definitely better on draft than in the bottles.

 

[-TH-]

I like it but only because I'm a new fan of IPA's in general (I'm still searching for the perfect one). Also I don't care for spices or other adjuncts much so again I'm happy. But I can see why people wonder why it is considered a "Christmas" ale.

 

[ArcaneXor]

I wasn't impressed. It tasted very close to their Pale Ale to me. Like they just stuck a celebration ale label on the pale ale, although I didn't have a pale ale to taste it next to.

I was thinking that the other day when I finished my sixpack od celebration ale... I am not sure that if I did a blind side-by-side tasting of the Pale Ale, Anniversary Ale, Celebration Ale and maybe even the Wet-hopped Ale that I would be able to identify them correctly. I like their house flavor, but they are really quite similar to each other.

 

[farmbrewernw]

I had on tap up in Seattle a couple of weeks ago and it was pretty good, not my favorite but not bad.

 

[dontman]

I just tried one. I really liked it but I can't say that I'm objective because it tastes like it is cloning my APA. Same hops influence, same crystal malt on the tongue, and same slight fruit esters.

I did not do mine as a Holiday Ale, however, and I don't see any "holiday"ness to it.

Then again, my holiday favorites are Duvel and Westmalle. And Chimay, one of which I am going to crack right now.

Oh yeah, can't forget the old Apfelwein as a true "celebration" classic.

 

[Homercidal]

I had one for the first time this season, and was very impressed. I got the initial, Jee, this tastes a lot like the other beer, but then I could taste a bit of spices not present in the regular SNPA. Nice little change. But I really like their other beers anyway, so I had hoped they were not too far off on this one.

 

[Zymurgrafi]

Well, since this thread came back up and I have a new take on things as of tonight I figured I would post an update.

I have been craving something hoppy and I have no ready homebrew that fits the bill. So, I went out to get a 12 pack of something hoppy. Celebration was my best option so I got another 12.

Ah. That hit the spot. Either the last one I got was slightly "off" in some way (under attenuated maybe) or my taste perception was off. The latter is most likely. It tastes perfectly balanced and lovely now. As I remember it.

Oh hoppy day.

 

[dontman]

Well, since this thread came back up and I have a new take on things as of tonight I figured I would post an update.

I have been craving something hoppy and I have no ready homebrew that fits the bill. So, I went out to get a 12 pack of something hoppy. Celebration was my best option so I got another 12.

Ah. That hit the spot. Either the last one I got was slightly "off" in some way (under attenuated maybe) or my taste perception was off. The latter is most likely. It tastes perfectly balanced and lovely now. As I remember it.

Oh hoppy day.

I'm glad to hear this because I know I am tooting my own horn, but this APA batch of mine that I am working through is to me the best beer I have ever brewed and quite possibly in my top 5 Servicable Beers ever(this includes commercial beers.) Oh, did I mention that I find it hard to distinguish between SNCA and my APA. Very hard.

Freakishly, Special beer drinking experience is another category of mine. Drinking a trappist ale in a cellar from a cask with a silent man in a robe would be an example for the freakishly special beer drinking experience. Otherwise known as kharma beer and it is rare on this astral plane.

I also have a "Love me beer giving experience" beer list. This list is odd in that many people think thay have many more entries on this than they actually do. These come about when you bring a selection of your hb to a gathering and the stars align and everyone present truly does understand beer and its flavor nuances and you chose well for the group and basically all that is left to do after drinking the beer is to parade you around on their shoulders cheering your praises. I thought I was close on New Years. Everyone was loving everything and it really was shaping up I warming my buns so as not to be too cold on my supporters and then . . . then the host of the party said "well heck I'll think I'll put down this corona and try one of those. He tried it, he said mmm!,this is really good! (The exclamation point was his. I'm not lying. )

But he was. He wandered off towards the kitchen and came back 5 minutes later with a Corona. aaah. I just wanted a little respect, was that too much too ask.

 

[tmoney1224]

I just tried this for the first time, it was on tap at Old Chicago so I figured I should give it a whirl since I had heard great things about it.

I got it in a frosty mug, and it was way to cold. It tasted really unbalanced like I got punched in the face at the beginning and then it smoothed out and was okay at the end. So I let it warm up a bit and it definitely was much better after that. Not my favorite, but still good. I think the same thing happened to me with there stout. When it was really cold it tasted terrible, but after it warmed up it seemed to be much more balanced. I just wonder why this is.