Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale - Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

Jason

Massachusetts

4.22/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz brown bottle with a vintage 2010 date on the label.

What an impressive head, very few beers show a thick lacing like Celebration does. Brassy amber color shows a bright clarity. Sharp citric and minty hop notes in the nose with some toasted grain in the back, a pretty big aroma. Medium bodied with a deep crispness. Hop bitterness is pretty sharp as it easily cuts through the malt from sip to sip. Hop flavors range from tobacco to mint, grapefruit peel to green tea. Toasted grain and a mild caramel maltiness lay deep beneath the hop character. Warming alcohol pokes through with a quick fume and clean fruitiness. Finishes bitter with a quick kiss of malt. This is the typical veteran hophead's first pick for winter seasonals and a great pick at that.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2010 02:10:34 | More by Jason

Todd

Massachusetts

4.47/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Balanced? No way. But who gives a rat's ass? 2001 is something to kick the Winter into gear, with its incredible raw hopped character and warming alcohol. A beer to look forward to, regardless. I do recall previous years being more pronounced in the malt dept. and more balanced. But hey, whatever. Drink a few of these and nothing will really matter.

To give this year's a perfect 5 is a little extreme. Everything was great overall, the drinkability ... like crack. I'm off to the pawn shop ...

Notes from 2000:

Presentation: 12oz short brown twist cap bottle. Lovely little X-mas scene on the label. Bottled on date, on neck of bottle.

Appearance: Rich, deep amber/copper. Excellent slightly off-white head ... very creamy, sticky and retains like its fighting for its life.

Smell: There's an absolutely incredible aroma on this beer! A nose full of big herbal hops and fruity esters. Some yeast aromas are also present, but very minimal.

Taste: Dreamy. So smooth. So rich. So fortified with malt goodness. So hoppy. At first there's a creamy feel on the palate, that then opens up to toasty, sweet malt flavours. A bold herbal hop runs rampid on the palate with a semi-prickly, puckering, lemon-rind quality. After a few more mouthfulls the brew begins to warm the body, and you can really feel the alcohol kick in. Finishes a bit dry with grain/husk flavours, and some breadiness as it warms.

Notes: At 6.8% this is one hell of a Winter seasonal! Warms the body and soul. A brew for hop heads too. One of the best Winter Seasonals that I have ever had, and one of the best Strong Ales. Drink with caution as this brew will kick your ass.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2001 18:33:41 | More by Todd

KyleMA

California

3.5/5  rDev -16.3%

06-17-2013 23:59:36 | More by KyleMA

TargaFlorio

Indiana

3.75/5  rDev -10.3%

06-17-2013 23:45:22 | More by TargaFlorio

spw109

New York

4.5/5  rDev +7.7%

06-17-2013 07:11:09 | More by spw109

TheBeeraholic

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev -4.3%

06-16-2013 15:33:27 | More by TheBeeraholic

chrishiker1409

New York

5/5  rDev +19.6%

06-16-2013 01:19:43 | More by chrishiker1409

blt2646

New Hampshire

3.75/5  rDev -10.3%

06-14-2013 21:43:14 | More by blt2646

His_Royal_Hoppiness

United Kingdom (England)

3.75/5  rDev -10.3%

06-14-2013 14:41:43 | More by His_Royal_Hoppiness

djre4orm

Virginia

4/5  rDev -4.3%

06-13-2013 18:46:49 | More by djre4orm

pajonkunz

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -4.3%

06-13-2013 16:41:45 | More by pajonkunz

ChalupaBatman

California

4/5  rDev -4.3%

06-13-2013 02:28:46 | More by ChalupaBatman

teamwiggum

Wisconsin

4.25/5  rDev +1.7%

06-13-2013 02:17:31 | More by teamwiggum

Jas45678

Michigan

3.75/5  rDev -10.3%

06-12-2013 23:35:31 | More by Jas45678

PortlandSunDevil

Oregon

4.25/5  rDev +1.7%

06-12-2013 22:15:31 | More by PortlandSunDevil

JMUbrewz

Virginia

4.25/5  rDev +1.7%

06-12-2013 19:33:49 | More by JMUbrewz

s35keith

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +1.7%

06-11-2013 20:02:04 | More by s35keith

Matthewpakula

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +1.7%

06-11-2013 19:00:19 | More by Matthewpakula

DrDaves49

Oregon

4.75/5  rDev +13.6%

06-11-2013 17:12:52 | More by DrDaves49

MooseBoose

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev -4.3%

06-11-2013 13:21:21 | More by MooseBoose

neckbeered

Montana

3.5/5  rDev -16.3%

06-10-2013 03:43:28 | More by neckbeered

firstlighthiker

Tennessee

3.5/5  rDev -16.3%

06-10-2013 00:36:40 | More by firstlighthiker

zrab11

Indiana

3.75/5  rDev -10.3%

06-09-2013 16:53:02 | More by zrab11

thehappybelgian

Ohio

4.75/5  rDev +13.6%

06-08-2013 03:44:49 | More by thehappybelgian

Matt_Rodgers

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -16.3%

06-07-2013 05:22:05 | More by Matt_Rodgers