Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA - Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

Pahn

New York

3.95/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

16oz can into Duvel tulip. "2040721:04" printed on the bottom of the can, and the box said something like "best by 9/12" (threw it away already). The beer just came out in cans, so it's obviously fresh.

Appearance: Free pour yields a 2 inch frothy white head that dissipates slowly and leaves a few spots of lacing. Pours an almost translucent gold and leaves small, irregular lacing.

Smell: Greenhouse-y pungency, orange, some melon, and a lot of herbal aroma. Very fresh smelling, but not very bold. Gets more assertive with time and warmth.

Smells good enough that you're doing yourself a mild disservice if you drink it out of the can.

Taste: Herbal hops, some pine, with a toasted grain finish. Mild bitterness, clean finish. Smooth overall impression. A little citrus and tropical fruit, but mainly a very pleasant interplay of herbal, woodsy hops and pale malt. Very nice.

Mouthfeel: Light side of medium bodied. Moderate carbonation. Neither dry nor sticky. Occasional wateriness (not juicy but *watery*) is the only overt flaw in an otherwise excellently crafted beer.

Overall: Great beer, great price. Particularly happy about it coming in cans; this beer needs to be shielded from light and oxygen as much as possible, as freshness increases the enjoyment exponentially.

As a sidenote, I really like the "softness" of the bitterness, belying the sort of "every beer punches you in the face," reputation that Sierra Nevada occasionally seems to have (perhaps due to SNPA being so many people's first exposure to beer other than macro lagers or sweet Belgians). Despite the bravado in the beer's description, its delicate flavor balance is the real story here.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2012 01:26:49 | More by Pahn

bluestar0828

Virginia

4/5  rDev -4.1%

05-18-2013 21:11:14 | More by bluestar0828

jbarletto

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +7.9%

05-18-2013 15:05:46 | More by jbarletto

mattsucks

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +1.9%

05-18-2013 14:02:48 | More by mattsucks

megamass

New Jersey

4/5  rDev -4.1%

05-18-2013 05:51:57 | More by megamass

inanity

Massachusetts

5/5  rDev +19.9%

05-18-2013 00:09:32 | More by inanity

Aric

Texas

4.5/5  rDev +7.9%

05-17-2013 22:18:38 | More by Aric

FrancisT

Vermont

4.25/5  rDev +1.9%

05-17-2013 18:01:17 | More by FrancisT

eliz108

Wisconsin

5/5  rDev +19.9%

05-17-2013 15:43:59 | More by eliz108

Xzfgiimtsath

Texas

4.5/5  rDev +7.9%

05-17-2013 12:46:15 | More by Xzfgiimtsath

Kreko7

California

4.25/5  rDev +1.9%

05-17-2013 08:09:29 | More by Kreko7

kguard

Iowa

4.25/5  rDev +1.9%

05-17-2013 03:07:36 | More by kguard

HarryPotHead

Maryland

4.5/5  rDev +7.9%

05-17-2013 00:19:10 | More by HarryPotHead

AL89BR

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +1.9%

05-16-2013 23:04:29 | More by AL89BR

linnymtu

Michigan

3.75/5  rDev -10.1%

05-16-2013 21:47:33 | More by linnymtu

mverity

Florida

4.75/5  rDev +13.9%

05-16-2013 21:43:19 | More by mverity

russwilliam

New York

4/5  rDev -4.1%

05-16-2013 05:35:41 | More by russwilliam

Roberto11232

New York

4/5  rDev -4.1%

05-16-2013 04:36:20 | More by Roberto11232

HarmonMW

Michigan

4.25/5  rDev +1.9%

05-15-2013 19:51:55 | More by HarmonMW

tnbeatty

Vermont

4.25/5  rDev +1.9%

05-15-2013 19:12:52 | More by tnbeatty

CoreyClark

New York

3/5  rDev -28.1%

05-15-2013 17:46:06 | More by CoreyClark

Kyrojack

Indiana

4/5  rDev -4.1%

05-15-2013 14:07:06 | More by Kyrojack

LaChupacabra

California

4/5  rDev -4.1%

05-15-2013 03:45:45 | More by LaChupacabra

SmellsofMahagony

Texas

3.75/5  rDev -10.1%

05-15-2013 02:13:41 | More by SmellsofMahagony

zonker17

Illinois

4/5  rDev -4.1%

05-15-2013 01:41:16 | More by zonker17