Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA - Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

Siriusfisherman

Montana

4.49/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Deep Amber/Gold with a touch of haze and very good lacing. Nice frothy white head as well, two and a half fingers with a semi-aggressive pour.

Smell: Pungent, spicy, fruity citrus, herbal notes, with a crackery, sweet malt back. Very clean and sharp.

Taste: Very similar to aroma, a big bite of bitterness hits first and then come in pungent notes of herbal spice and fruity citrus, as well as some pine on the finish. The malt makes a nice appearance as well, giving a nice toastiness to the beer that balances out the abrasiveness of the hops.

Mouthfeel: Well carbonated and a slightly oily, medium bodied mouthfeel. Very smooth.

Overall, a great hoppy ale! Not the typical pine/grapefruit character you get from the swarms of other west-coast ipas on the shelf. This boasts a pungent fruity citrus character with big amounts of hop spiciness, as well as some very nice toasty malt notes without getting to sweet. Take into account the ease at which one can find this beer, and that it now comes in 16oz cans, you have a real winner.

Serving type: can

05-11-2013 01:25:18 | More by Siriusfisherman

JuicesFlowing

Kansas

4.39/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a shaker pint glass.

Look: Almost hazy amberish orange. Foamy cream colored head calms to a film with sheets and sheets of lacing.

Aroma: An almost grassy, herbal kind of hops carry the smell. Very faint pine.

Taste: Really good woody base underneath a layer of piny hops. Some more tropical fruit notes come through adding sweetness. A bright citrus finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, dry.

Overall: An extremely well made brew that doesn't have many flaws.

Serving type: can

05-07-2013 15:42:57 | More by JuicesFlowing

emmasrue1

Michigan

4.54/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

One of the best beers I have had. The IPA pales (LOL) compared to it. Bought in a 16 oz. can and placed in a nice 16 oz. pilsner glass. Delicious. Great beer. Will taste great in the Summer if you are out on a boat. Tastes great in a stubby old fashioned beer glass also.

Serving type: can

04-16-2013 17:32:01 | More by emmasrue1

YardmanFTB

Maryland

4.56/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I've tried this beer in both can (tall) and bottle (12 oz) servings. The 7.2% ABV is hidden/blended very well for a smooth finish on the malt/alcohol end. While the IBU level is not off the charts (65), it finishes very hoppy due to the abundance of aromatic and dry hopping via the "Hop Torpedo". This beer is extremely pleasant for a hop head like myself.

Serving type: can

03-26-2013 11:21:46 | More by YardmanFTB

trxxpaxxs

New York

4.14/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a wonderful translucent amber with one full finger of tan head. The foam fades in a decent amount of time, leaving frothy ring along the edges of the glass and a few larger bubbles sitting atop the beer.

S: The nose is citrus, pine, a medium amount of malt, and a bit of vegetation. It actually reminds me of a wet hop ale. The main scent is pine, but it has a nice floral bouquet.

T: It starts off sweet with a mild bit of lemony citrus. As it moves to the middle, I get that vegetation flavor (leaves, grass, a bit of dirt). As it move tot he finish, the pine notes come on strong really bitter this beer up.

M: Medium bodied beer. Sweet and coating to start, high carbonation with an effervescent quality at times. It finishes smooth, bitter, and a but dry from all the hops.

O: Very good beer. This would make a great default beer in non "beer-geek" bars. I would drink this again. Yet again, Sierra Nevada makes a wonderful beer. I be hard pressed to object to something that they make.

Serving type: can

02-16-2013 23:50:46 | More by trxxpaxxs

Chaney

District of Columbia

3.79/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Ticking through the "Beers of Fame" list. I used to drink a lot of this stuff, but have not had it recently.

Poured from a can into a DC Brau tulip.

A: Massive head on this gal... about 2-3 fingers at least. The brew was a toast brown-orange color, extremely murky, and kinda dangerous looking.

S: Sorta had the same fresh clean linen scent as the standard Pale Ale which suited me fine. Still, lots of zippy citrus (orange in particular) came through as well.

T: I tasted VERY similar to the Pale Ale on the front end, but teeth-stainingly bitter at the end, which is certainly a hophead's dream. I wouldn't categorize the hop profile as piny though. Yeast with liquified plant stems might be a better descriptor.

M: Like I stated, bitter, but the drinkability is fine if your used to a lot of the hop bombs out on the market. Ridiculous lacing left on the glass.

O: This one is quite good, but I don't like it nearly as much as a lot of peeps on here. Celebration Ale, which is a COMPLETELY different beer is much more satisfying to my mind.

Serving type: can

02-03-2013 21:42:30 | More by Chaney

kojevergas

California

2.73/5  rDev -34.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2.5

16 fl oz can served into a conical Samuel Smith's pint glass in me gaff in Los Feliz, California. Acquired as part of a four pack at a local Von's grocery store. I'm not big on Sierra Nevada, so expectations are average. I don't recall the cost.

Served straight from the fridge. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

Paired with salted hard pretzels.

A: Pours a five finger beige colour head of nice cream, pretty good thickness, and very good retention for the high ABV (~5-6 minutes). Body colour is a clear translucent textbook copper. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show. Pretty typical of the style; there's nothing unique or special here. Standard fare, though the head retention exceeds expectations.

Sm: Evocative floral hops, nectary hop character, dominant grapefruit citrus, and hop bitterness. Pale malts. A bit too assertive and seemingly imbalanced, but conventional for middling examples of the style. A fairly strong aroma. I'm excited to try it.

T: Floral hops, messy grapefruit citrus, and overwhelming hop bitterness. Lacks balance; it's really off. A slight nectary touch on the climax is the best attribute of this beer. Light hop oil notes. The grapefruit is rather poorly executed. Lacks complexity and subtlety. The entire third act is just plain bitterness, irritating the palate. I'm not a fan. No yeast character or alcohol comes through, however. Whatever hops were selected for this beer were a poor choice; that or it's just poorly brewed. Pale malts form the foundation.

Mf: Smooth and wet. A bit nectary. Overcarbonated. Independent of that wretched bitterness, the mouthfeel is actually quite pleasant. Decent presence on the palate.

Dr: A horridly imbalanced IPA that represents exactly what the problem is with American brewers of IPAs; IPA brewing is not a dicksizing competition with hop content and/or IBUs - it's process that requires balance and planning. Another underwhelming beer from Sierra Nevada. I continue to think that Sierra Nevada is incapable of brewing a solid beer - at least on their own. I wouldn't get this again.

High C-

Serving type: can

01-31-2013 04:38:34 | More by kojevergas

CommanderOfAwesome

California

4.04/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

2013 16 oz can poured into a snifter.

A: Pours a golden caramel amber with nice 2 finger head. Tons of lacing on the glass and fantastic head retention.

S: Sweet malt aroma is first thing I smell followed by nice hop bitter back bone. Really biscuity bread aroma is present as well. Some slight citrus on the nose, this is an almost 3 month old can and that is obvious on the aroma. Losing some of the hop bite.

T: Malty, sweet with a nice bitter finish. Not getting much citrus which you get a bit of on the nose. Really bready.

M: Medium bodied with a fluid like feel. Bready and malty on the feel. Residual sweetness that feels like it coats the mouth . Not a very bitter finish.

O: Pretty damn good ipa and sets itself apart from most West Coast IPAs in that its not a hop bomb, has a bit of an east coast malty flavor in there as well.

Serving type: can

01-08-2013 23:11:33 | More by CommanderOfAwesome

chinchill

South Carolina

3.9/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

16 oz can poured in plastic pint glass.

A - clear amber with beige head.Exceptional head for style left a long-lasting surface coating.

S - piney and citrusy (grapefruit) hops with subtle herbal notes and caramel malt in about a 65/35 ratio (hops/malt).

T - Predominately hoppy with a strong hop finish. Nice level of bitterness given strong hop content. {SN says IBU = 65}.

M - Medium body with lively carbonation. Crisp

O: excellent American IPA that fairs fine in a can.

Serving type: can

12-23-2012 16:39:10 | More by chinchill

SFGuy187

California

4.1/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 16oz can -- love these 4-packs!

Pours a hazy straw with strong carbonation and fluffy white head.

Aroma of piney citrus and a slight backbone of sticky-icky.

I really enjoy the balance of this IPA -- it's up there in my top 10 single IPAs. Malt backbone of cereal and grains help support this floral and resiny hop-forward brew.

Sticky and tart in the mouth. But in a good way :)

Serving type: can

12-08-2012 02:37:48 | More by SFGuy187

OSUBeerStudent

North Carolina

4.18/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Good old Torpedo. So glad this is in cans now as it makes for a perfect camp/pool beer. Poured into a glass for the review.

A - pretty glorious actually. Nice copper color but fairly opaque. Fairly large off-white head that sticks around ok with excellent lacing.

S - a nice citrus and pine nose. Fairly sweet citrus (hi there citra) and resin gives it a pretty sweet nose but the pine balances it nicely.

T - balanced. Plenty of the sweet citrus here again but that leads into a grassiness that's not so present in the aroma. The grassiness heads off and is followed by piney, resinous bitterness. A little bit of backing malt but this is a hop show. The bitterness is fairly resilient. Tasty.

M - on the slightly thicker side. Carbonation is nice enough to give it a slightly creamy mouthfeel. It's a bit juicy but not in the extreme. Quality.

O - a good, solid IPA. I'm a big piney/grassy IPA fan, so this is right up my alley, and the citra gives it some nice fruitiness to balance that out. More malt backing than some of the typical "west coast" IPAs. This is pretty unique. For the crazy low price, convenience of cans, and basically nationwide year-round availability, it's hard to do better than this for a quality IPA.

Serving type: can

09-11-2012 23:14:24 | More by OSUBeerStudent

Fusion_Pirate

4.7/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Poured vigorously from a cold 16oz can into a weizen glass, Torpedo Extra IPA yielded a massive 2 and 1/2 fingers of rich, cream-colored head which died very gradually, leaving extensive, elaborate lacing on the glass with almost glue-like retention. The color is a dark, opaque almost rusty burnt orange. One of the best-looking beers I've ever seen!

S: A fruity, robust magnum hop scent hits your olfactories immediately, along with notes of pine needles and a faint caramel malt back end. What a righteous smell...

T: A true marriage of bitter, citrus hops and caramel-candy maltiness with a vaguely boozy finish. Balance is the theme of the day here...carbonation is extremely mild, barely tickling the tongue as a functional vehicle for the hop/malt dynamic duo to do their thang. Poetry in motion!

M: Although mild in carbonation and very balanced in flavor, that tiny bit of lingering booziness tends to cause of a bit of 'tongue jumping' that accumulates gradually as you drink the beer. Hell, I don't even know if it's a good or bad thing...it just 'is'.

O: Torpedo Extra IPA blew my sensory doors off...while it's not quite the smorgasbord of perfection that their 'Hoptimum' Imperial IPA is (not a fair comparison, after all), it's probably in my "Top Five" when it comes to medium gravity, moderate microbrewed IPAs.

A little over halfway through this beer and my weekend has improved immeasurably because of it. Thank You, Sierra Nevada!

Serving type: can

09-09-2012 17:37:05 | More by Fusion_Pirate

Scotchboy

Idaho

4/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

16oz tallboy poured into a mug.

A: Dark gold color with a huge rocky egg-shell colored head with good lacing...pretty clear and filtered.

S: Spicy orange and pine with a bready backbone. Hop profile is pungent and zesty.

T: Taste follows the nose with sweet orange and pungent pine needles, grapefruit pith...a bit herbal with some resinous and oily hop characters.

Small amounts of malt presence shine through, cutting the bitterness a bit and lending to the overall body of the beer.

MF: Bitter and creamy medium body, moderate carbonation, a bit oily.

O: Decent enough IPA in a great format. Signature SN stuff but still enjoyable.

Serving type: can

08-30-2012 15:19:30 | More by Scotchboy

mlazzaro

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

4 pack of 16 oz cans labeled 03/08/12.

Smells of fruits like pineapple and grapefruit. Some pininess going on. Nice smell but honestly quite mild for an IPA. Being 5 months old, I hope this isn't due to age. These can were just released here in Mass.

Appearance is a clear amber color. Pillowee off-white head that has decent retention.

Taste is bitter dominant. Flavor hops are mild by comparison. Hop flavor comes off as more of a piney resinous flavor. Body is thin. Sweetness in minimal, and kicks in right at the end of the sip with a little caramel. Bitterness lingers afterwards.

I think the "extra" of the extra IPA is found in the bitterness. Magnum is an intense hop, even though it is of Nobil decent. It could be my palate, but this beer is just not balanced. And I typically love bitter beers. Its all about how the bitterness communicates with the rest of the flavor profile.

NOTED- It's really interesting they can condition with sugar and yeast. I confirmed this as the second pour was significantly cloudier.

Serving type: can

08-15-2012 21:59:53 | More by mlazzaro

dontpanic5

4.65/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

The appearance is a straight up red body below a large white head. It has a musky malt smell that betrays the intense hop taste! Even though this beer is loaded on hops, it is never overbearing, just hugely present. No small task considering hops are present in every stage of the taste, from when it first hits your lips to the aftertaste. It's light bodied which lets it go down easy besides the strong taste. The mouthfeel is understated, which is fine. Overall I really like what Sierra Nevada has done here. They've made a double IPA that delivers on the hops, but presents that in a package that's suited and interesting.

Serving type: can

07-16-2012 01:31:07 | More by dontpanic5

korguy123

Ontario (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

16oz can into tumbler.

A- Slightly hazy burnt copper pour with a short lived, half finger, off white head. Lacing is decent.

S- Grapefruit, mandarin, a touch of mango and a bright, bitter floral and pine bitterness. There is a little bit of pineapple mixed with a sweet malt backing.

T- Bitter pine, bright citrus and a nice amount of sweet backing. It's more bitter that balanced, just where it should be. Tropical and floral absolutely wonderful.

M- Light to medium bodied, slightly chewy with great carbonation.

O- There is a reason why Sierra Nevada has been around so long. Their pale and and Torpedo are both staples in my fridge when I head into the states now.

Serving type: can

07-15-2012 16:49:45 | More by korguy123

viverlee

Ohio

4.43/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Now this is how you make a beer. No honey added, no orange twist, no shandy of lemonade. It would make an ideal complement to wedge fries and curry sauce.

STYLE: American IPA

ABV: 7.2%

LOOK: Let’s start with the head. Fluffy isn’t the right word. It’s more like one of those moon rocks with holes throughout. The volume is there facially, punctured though it is. The color — a creamy, mellow amber.

NOSE: Sunflower seeds, pistachios, sweet pine needles, black licorice, fresh mint. Unfathomably complex.

MOUTH: Predominantly lemon, fresh, black cardamom, buttered nuts. Strong malty backbone, pizza crust and English muffins. Maybe a tad astringent with the finish, my only real complaint, if you can call it that, is that I wish more of the nose came through in the mouth.

BA Rating: 92

Hayward Abbey Rating: 90

Serving type: can

07-02-2012 21:40:00 | More by viverlee

Jesse13713

Ohio

4.63/5  rDev +11%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

16 oz can poured into a Hoppin' Frog snifter glass.

Appearance - A delightfully springy and lively pour. A porous head that appears whipped at the surface. Huge ducts of carbonation. An amazing pale amber that is reminiscent of a fresh blood orange. Thick lacing. The carbonation allows a constant vortex of bubbles to twirl in the center of the glass.

Smell - The carbonation gives the aroma a huge lift. A throbbing forest of various pine notes. Excellent citrus qualities with a bit of lemon/lime behind the curtains. Fresh sage with a light sprig of mint added. This is one of the freshest beers I've smelled to date.

Taste - A beautiful marriage of strong hops and caramelly malts. The malt backing is sweet and very toffee-esque. Assertive hop bitterness accompanies tastes of pine, tangerine, lemon/lime, fresh mint, and pink grapefruit. A very well-balanced extra IPA that quenches the thirst. I am truly torn between giving this a 4.5 and a 5 in taste. While I have had Torpedo before, this is my first time reviewing the beer. I may upgrade to a 5 after drinking my 4th can.

Mouthfeel and Drinkability - This beer prides itself in presenting itself as a whole product. The whole-cone hops embrace the sweet, ambery malt perfectly. Medium bodied and a very consistent tasting beer no matter the temperature. Bitters are strong, but not in any way overwhelming. Everything is balanced to perfection; perfectly brewed.

Serving type: can

07-02-2012 03:35:56 | More by Jesse13713

ChiPool

Illinois

4/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured can into imperial pint glass.

Everything about this says "very good AIPA" to me. Can't say it has crazy aromatics, but you get some spicy hop notes on the nose. Taste offers such a great balance: complex hop profile with piney/bittering, and a respectable malt backbone. Just the right amount of lingering bitterness.

When one is just looking for a no-nonsense, predictably solid IPA, look no further than Torpedo. Great value as well.

Serving type: can

06-30-2012 00:01:41 | More by ChiPool

dbrauneis

New Jersey

4.13/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a very lightly hazy golden orange in color with some light visible carbonation along the sides of the glass. The beer has a two finger tall foamy beige head that reduces to a thick film covering the entire surface of the beer and a very thick ring at the edges of the glass. There is very significant lacing observed.

S: I detect notes of citrus, pine, and herbal notes from the hops which pretty much dominate the aroma of the beer. Very little malt presence but very inviting.

T: There is a bit of bready malts upfront in the taste but then the hop characteristics really take over. The primary flavors from the hops are pine and citrus though there are some herbal notes present as well. There is a very pleasant (not harsh) light lingering bitterness in the finish.

M: On the lighter side of medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Slightly thin for the style and slightly sticky.

O: This is a very good beer and certainly one that is easy to drink. I could easily see this as a session beer and a really good one at that. Not overly bitter though there is a great hop presence. Nice combination of flavors and aromas from the different hops used. I would get this one again - I think I prefer this in the can to the bottle but just slightly.

Serving type: can

06-23-2012 15:39:13 | More by dbrauneis

Jsteez

New Mexico

4.5/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I purchased a 4-pack of pint cans and poured one into an American pint glass.

A-Dark golden translucent orange with a two-finger head that dissipated into a white frothy/bubbly head. The head remained on the beer throughout the duration of consumption. Low carbonation. Excellent presentation.

S-Grainy, floral, citrus, heavy hops, pine, and hints of grapefruit. The smell was not as strong as the taste.

T-Floral notes,bready,grapefruit, very high hops, pine, and grains. Hints of sweet malt. Complex flavor and a very balanced taste. The aftertaste was dry, bitter, and black peppery. Nice warming effects from the 7.2% ABV. Quite refreshing for a high alcohol IPA brew.

M-Balanced and medium-bodied. Too complex to really distinguish everything about this. It was just smooth going down.

Overall, this is one of the best IPA's I have had. Nicely balanced flavor and aromas. This is a must have if you like IPA's. You will not be disappointed. It is one those types of beers you have to drink a couple of times in order to identify all the rich ingredients.

Serving type: can

06-16-2012 05:53:21 | More by Jsteez

FightingEntropy

Minnesota

4.5/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The awesome dry hopping technique used to create this IPA is from Sierra Nevada's hop torpedo. The hop torpedo is a cylindrical device that controls the hop contact. Normal dry hopping is inefficient because placing hops in a bag hides much of the hoppy goodness it the center away from direct contact from the beer. A quick search yielded this pic of the hop torpedo. More hop, less cost: everyone is hop happy.

Thick creamy off white head that continues to grow from the strong effervescent bubbles flowing up in the afternoon sun. Overflowing with grapefruit, citrus, a bit of lemon and clean, assertive spice in the nose. Sweet biscuit caramel notes support the Magnumb, Crystal and Citra hop combination. The promise of hops in the nose is fulfilled with a strong bite that spreads along the tongue. 7.2% alcohol points to a fairly large malt bill and it shows in the mouthfeel. Alcohol hotness is slightly apparent. Excellent IPA and it's a bit over the top for the style--which is perfect for me.

If you have any inclination to savor hops, try this beer. I love the 16 oz tallboy bans, but the packaging was terribly inconvenient. Hard to carry and no obvious way to hold on to it. A minor issue but not great marketing. Take home the awkward four pack and enjoy.

Pictures at http://pintsizedrevelations.blogspot.com/2012/06/torpedo-sierra-nevada-brewing-chico-ca.html

Serving type: can

06-14-2012 23:15:34 | More by FightingEntropy

schoolboy

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I previously reviewed this from a bottle and frankly I was generous. So I had to be even more generous with the can, because it is better.

It's cool because you can tell it's probably exactly the same, but everything works better from the can. On top of that, you get a huge can of a good, piney, citrusy AIPA. I will start buying this more often again now that we have an even better version. Recommended.

Serving type: can

06-14-2012 22:26:18 | More by schoolboy

tone77

Pennsylvania

2.4/5  rDev -42.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

A big thanks to woodychandler for this can. Poured from a 16 oz. can. Has an orange/brownish color with a 1 inch head. Smell is of piney hops. Taste is a hop bomb, extreme bitterness, wow, I like hops but this is the most bitter beer I have ever had. Feels medium bodied and very bitter in the mouth and overall is way to unbalanced for my liking.

Serving type: can

06-10-2012 18:02:50 | More by tone77

dirtylou

Washington

4.18/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

16oz can - pretty sweet canning job here

appearance: served in a great dane imperial pint glass, glowing orange body, 1.5" creamy white fluff with lovely retention

smell: fresh hop bouquet, fresh cut grass, pine, black pepper

taste: really nice IPA - fresh cut grass, notes of green tea, fresh grassy hops, pine needle, grapefruit rind, toasted malt. i look forward to consuming a can or two of this in the woods this summer

mouthfeel: medium oily body, full flavored

overall: really strong IPA

Serving type: can

06-08-2012 03:41:10 | More by dirtylou