Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA - Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at American Flatbread. A good Ipa and drinkable good bitternes. The c-hop in the aroma, the foam on a darker colour.Works for me.Nice balance, with each aspect working. Representative American IPA. Not Celebration.Carbonation could have been mre perfect and could have been served not as cold, but hey this ain't SR fault.

Serving type: on-tap

05-16-2008 22:02:25 | More by northyorksammy

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

4.08/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

"Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!"

--Admiral David G. Farragut (and Tom Petty)

Radiant pumpkin with bumblebee yellow borders. The liquid looks good and the crown looks great. The foam is a beautiful shade of pastel orange-tinted pearl and has a rich, milkshake creamy texture. There's a ton of gorgeous lace as well.

The aroma is solid without being special. Keeping in mind that IPA noses are all about the hops, this brew uses an rather unconventional combination of Magnum, Crystal and Citra (a new variety). It's a little citrusy and is also herbal and faintly funky. In the end, I much prefer the Chinook, Cascade and Centennial excellence of Celebration Ale. Having said that, I understand Sierra Nevada's need to change things up a bit.

Torpedo Extra IPA is wonderful beer that manages to distinguish itself from the rest of the brewery's lineup. Compared to Celebration, Torpedo is less caramel malty, less hoppy, less deliciously hoppy (personal opinion) and slightly stronger with respect to ABV. Although I'm not blown away, quality IPAs aren't easy to come by in this state, so we'll take what we can get.

The malt tastes modestly toasted and borderline caramel-like. Again, hop flavor doesn't stand out because none of those three hops are among my favorites. A little grapefruit zest (from Citra, presumably) helps. Pine makes a brief appearance, as does an herbaceousness that I can take or leave.

The mouthfeel is pure Sierra Nevada, which the same as saying pure quality. It's at least medium for the style and is full of rounded edges. I like a little rawness in some IPAs, but this one has either too much malt or not enough hops to get there. Perfect carbonation... as always.

I'm amazed that Torpedo Extra IPA is the first year-round IPA in the long, storied history of Sierra Nevada Brewing. I would have much preferred year-round Celebration Ale, but then anxiously anticipating that iconic brew and then tasting it change over the next few months is half the fun. Bottom line: this is a solid addition to SN's lineup that I'll come back too now and again.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2009 13:09:04 | More by BuckeyeNation

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.47/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Had the pleasure of being able to finally try this one at Barley's last night. I had been tracking this one down forever. Went upstairs and got a glass on tap right away!

Appearance - The pour was nice, your typical IPA pour with a deep brownish amber, with great clarity. Nice streams of carbonation could be seen streaking up toward the top of the glass throughout the session, letting me know this one was definitely not going to be dull in anyway. A nice two finger head of white foam had graced the top for a quick while, but faded down to just a thin veil of lace, but not before depositing the nice web like side glass foam.

Smell - The aroma was rich with pine like hops. A nice bit of fresh resin like aromas coming off of it throughout. But as it warmed, it turned a touch biscuity, showing that there were some underlying malts that were causing it to be a bit more of a balanced offering then what I was expecting. Still though, this was a solid IPA, with a classic west coast aroma.

Taste - The flavor was spot on, and exactly what I had been looking for. The first flavor to hit my mouth was a deep pine resin freshness. Sticky, bitter, and sweet all at the same time, it had a nice refreshing quality to it as well. Virtually no alcohol present, so I cannot imagine this one as coming off too terribly strong, it was a nice solid IPA. Some nice tangerine and orange hints whirling around in the back as well, letting you know there was a nice mix of west coast hops. The finish was strong, very dry and bitter, with the long lasting taste of pine coming through quite nicely.

Mouthfeel - Very nicely carbonated, this came off very smooth, and at the same time, quite refreshing and light. I really enjoyed how nicely this all came together here as it was quite lively and crisp and really the nice way to start an afternoon.

Drinkability - This was an outstanding session ale. Crisp, clean and with fresh hop bite, I could have continued to drink this one all day long. Every sip left the mouth dry, and left you waiting for one more.

Overall this was definitely as good as I wanted it to be. The most solid offering yet form Sierra Nevada it really was very well done. Too bad this is not a regular item, as this would be fantastic to have on a regular basis.

Serving type: on-tap

05-13-2008 10:13:42 | More by mikesgroove

womencantsail

California

4.2/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: The pour is a beautiful amber color with a nice fluffy white head.

S: A huge hop aroma to this beer. Lots of citrus and pine, with just a touch of malt.

T: Unfortunately, the flavor falls a bit short of the nose. Good grapefruit and pine flavors providing bitterness with some sweet caramel malt.

M: Medium body with substantial carbonation.

D: This is a nice standby IPA that is quite affordable as well as good tasting.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2009 17:23:42 | More by womencantsail

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

G: Poured into an imperial pint glass.

A: Beautiful cherry-amber beer with a creamy white head. The head is maybe two fingers thick with plenty of bubbles. A little bit of visible carbonation. Great lacing.

S: Strong. Sweetness and hops galore.

T: Lots of hops, although it definitely has a solid backbone to it as well. Generic citrus without any one fruit-type flavor dominating others. Quite balanced.

M: Medium bodied with a decent amount of carbonation. No real taste of alcohol--goes down smooth.

D: Definitely drinkable, although not as much so as SN Pale Ale, or as much so as some of the truly great IPA's.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2009 20:49:27 | More by Thorpe429

UCLABrewN84

California

3.15/5  rDev -24.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - Pours a clear pale orange color with a chunky 1 inch head that fades to a small 1/2 inch cap. Most excellent lacing all the way down the glass.

S - Smells of fragrant pine/citrus hops. I get no other smell from this beer.

T - Tastes of fragrant pine/citrus hops only. Very hoppy.

M - Somewahat flat and this one left an acid/oil quality in my mouth from what I can assume are the hops.

D - Fair drinkability. I wouldn't buy this one again, but I might have another at a restaurant or a BBQ.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2010 04:46:26 | More by UCLABrewN84

brentk56

North Carolina

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

Appearance: Pours a crystal clear amber color with a fluffy head; great retention and plenty of lace

Smell: Pink grapefruit; incredibly sweet and floral

Taste: The sweet and tart flavors of pink grapefruit battle one another to a crescendo by mid-palate; and then contrast with one another as the flavor goes into a lengthy fade; although I was rooting for a bit more attenuation, the sweet flavors wind up persisting long after the bitter ones have faded

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: Although the residual sweetness limits the drinkability, this is one fine entry into the world of the West Coast IPA for a neophyte; and not a bad refresher for one who has tasted more than their fair share

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2009 23:22:16 | More by brentk56

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.88/5  rDev -7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 ounce bottle - $1.99 at Total Wine & More in Kennesaw, Georgia.

Appearance: Pours a faintly hazy, deep, dark amber body with a thin, white head.

Smell: Herbaceous, fresh-cut grass scent with a touch of citrus blanket the bolstered pale malts with a meager note of toasted caramel.

Taste: Pale maltiness with a light caramel sweetness and just the faintest bit of toastiness to it. Generous hop flavors of citrus, pine needles, and peppery, grassy herbs with a bright, medium-high bitterness. A final acknowledgment of all the hop flavors for the bittersweet finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation.

Drinkability: For me, it came across as a dialed up version of the SNPA, but that's just me. Overall, it's a solid, reasonably well-balanced IPA.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2009 18:00:37 | More by ChainGangGuy

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

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

Bottle: Poured a clear copper color with a large foamy head with good retention and minimal lacing. Aroma of dry and citrusy hops. Taste is also dominated by some citrus hops with a nice clean bitter finish with some dry caramel malt. Hops are easily discernable but well balanced with great overall drinking factor. Body is about average with good carbonation. Nothing extreme about this one but very well balanced and easily drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2009 02:57:38 | More by Phyl21ca

BEERchitect

Kentucky

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

You can imagine the delight on my face as I saw this beer on the shelves of the Lexington-local Liquor Barn. Of course I'm rushing home to drink this beer. Now that I've had a few... too many, I'm going to attempt my review...

The pour gives me something that lands somewhere between the standard SN Pale ale and the Celebration ale. The color is deeply golden, but not quite amber. Not brilliantly clear, but glowing. Good head formation retains well throughout the session and leaves memories of lacing on the glass. A standard Sierra Nevada look.

Very citrusy in the nose with orange rinds, ruby-red grapefruits, pineapples, and maybe a pine cone or three. Sweet ginger-bread malts blend with caramel for a grahm cracker crustiness that leads to a well attenuated yeasty and cracker-like flavor.

The feel is supurb. Aside from a slight nail-polish-like taste and feel, the alcohols are well hidded, leading to a dry finish that accomodates the resiny hops well. Highly attenuated for a very palatable, clean, refreshing citrus finish.

Do IPA's taste better? Sure. But do they finish as well? Doubtful. Does the drinkability fare as well? Doubtful. This is a beer where the mouthfeel and palatability fares even better than the signature-quality taste. Thumbprints of Sierra Nevada are all over this beer... keep up the good.. (er) great work!

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2009 05:06:50 | More by BEERchitect

oberon

North Carolina

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

Poured into a standard pint glass a slightly hazed amber/copper color with a tight formed 1/2 finger head that stuck around for awhile leaving broken shotty lace behind.Fresh aromas that were heavy in the citric hops,mainly grapefruit with underlying lemon pith with a bit of overripe pineapple,a light but noticeable caramel note shows thru as well.Flavors well were alot like the aromas,citric hops blast out up front with a bit of white pepper-like spice wich was odd but not a bad thing,the caramel sweetness holds up well but is obviously over taken by the big hops.You would never know the ABV. of this beer it just goes down easy and is rather refreshing,kick ass.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2009 13:35:04 | More by oberon

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

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

Each year I go to New York and find the Torpedo on tap somewhere, but I've never seen it in Philly! Anyway, it's kind of like a bumped-up version of SNPA. It's bigger (it's not huge), but it's not really any more caramelish (it's certainly not like Celebration ale). And it's a little more hoppy, but it's certainly not a brash and bitter IPA. Just like the regular SNPA, it's very well balanced and refined. It's kind of like the IPA, but I don't think it's as piney and dry. Maybe it's just Sierra Nevada IPA with a different hop bill.... ?

Anyway, it's a bright, clear amber beneath a thick-fingered head that holds well. It eventually drops, but leaves a complete surface covering, and the glass is ringed with splatters and smears of lace as it goes.

The aroma offers bright, fresh, floral & citrusy hops over a light maltiness. Cascade immediately comes to mind, but I think it's more complex than that. Perhaps some Chinook, but just a touch. Most likely dry-hopped.

The body is medium with a fine, crisp carbonation that awakens the tastebuds.

The flavor is a combination of tangy, fruity, citrusy hop flavors over a lightly caramelish & biscuit-like maltiness. There's also a touch of pineyness to it as well, but it's very limited. It's solidly backed by bitterness, but it's not brash (I'm guessing around 50 IBU's). It finishes dry with a short lingering hoppy bitterness and a bready/biscuity maltiness.

Well balanced. Refined. Full flavored but not over-done. Highly drinkable. A decent cross-over between an American pale ale and an American IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

08-06-2008 23:18:32 | More by NeroFiddled

metter98

New York

4.03/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: The beer is slightly hazy light copper in color and has a light amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a finger high dense beige head that quickly died down but for the most part left a thin layer of bubbles covering the surface as well as lacy rings down the sides of the glass.
S: There are moderate aromas of pine resin hops in the nose along with some hints of citrus.
T: Like the smell, the taste is very hoppy and is filled with piney flavors and a moderate amount of bitterness; it also has some hints of caramel malts. The bitterness really stands out in the finish.
M: It feels medium-bodied and a bit sticky on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation. There is a light to moderate amount of dryness in the finish.
O: The beer isn’t that difficult to drink considering its strength because the alcohol is well hidden from the taste and the bitterness from the hops does not overpower your palate.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2011 01:23:27 | More by metter98

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

3.68/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Clear bronze/amber color, nice 1/2" creamy, rocky head.

Faint aroma,lightly hoppy, lemon peel, creamyorange and tangerine..and something I haven't put my finger on, quite yet....but none too bitter. More muted than I expected for an "extra IPA" though.

Taste: blast of hops, smack of bitterness, then fading back, ...sweet, caramel malt-y...a little chocolate meeting citrus hops...there's orange in my cocoa.
A bit maltier than I'd like, not sure if those particular malts were right with these particular hops.

Balance is great, but this is over-balanced. A bit too much sweet, and not enough bitter.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2009 10:23:30 | More by feloniousmonk

WesWes

New York

4.2/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The beer pours a beautiful dark golden color with a thick frothy offwhite head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is great! It has a solid pale and Carapils malt scent along with an outstanding citrus hop nose. It's not overly done, but you can tell this is borderline DIPA territory. The taste is good. It has a tremendous hop bitterness that resinates in the finish. The malt character is good, although it's surprisingly thin. The mouthfeel is fine. Again, I was thinking it would be fuller, but a thinner, more drinkable hop bomb is certainly good with me. This is a tastey beer. Sierra Nevada is really coming out with some great new beers. They're bold and full flavored; very nice.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2009 22:43:29 | More by WesWes

drabmuh

Maryland

4.28/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bottle into a conic pint glass. No visible born on date or "best by" date, but the beer is copper / orange, really good color. Holy head batman, the head forms a thick layer of yellowish tiny bubbles three or four fingers thick on the top of the beer. Head falls away slowly leaving a ton of lacing on the glass. carbonation is medium and the beer is slightly hazy.

Aroma is less than I expected, kind of a muted soapy pine hop smell. Not much else there. I was expecting the smell to burn out my nose for the night with hop aroma, just not there. It definitely smells like hops, just not as strong as I expected.

Pretty sweet for an IPA. Its interesting, almost too sweet. The hops are pushed so far back in the flavor and palate they show up as an aftertaste. The aftertaste of hops fades quickly but not what I was expecting at all. AT ALL! Second taste: hops were a lot more obvious in the second sip, the head has fallen to barely cover the top of the beer. Tastes great. Lots of pine in the back. Clean finishing.

Mouthfeel is great. There is a lot of midpalate connectivity, lots of good medium to full body, finishes cleanly. Drinkability high. I love IPAs and this is a great example. Not the best but its up there.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2009 06:11:10 | More by drabmuh

Mora2000

Texas

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

The beer pours a nice orange color with a cream-colored head. The aroma is very fruity. I get a lot of papaya and mango, but I also get some bready malt notes.

The flavor is also very fruity. In addition to the papaya, I get some orange citrus. The beer is very juicy tastings. There is a little bit of bready malt. Low bitterness. A nicely balanced IPA that has a ton of fruit flavor, but not too much bitterness of malty sweetness.

Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2010 03:58:18 | More by Mora2000

zeff80

Missouri

4.3/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Poured out a clear, copper color with scattered, small bubbles. It had a foamy, off-white, two-finger head that left great looking rings of lace.

S - It smelled of tons of pine notes with citrusy tones. It had a subtle malty aroma.

T - It tasted of bitter hops and burnt toast maltiness. It balances out more as it warms up.

M - It was crisp and sharp with a slightly dry finish. A medium-bodied beer.

D - This is a very good IPA. I am glad it finally made it out our way.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2009 01:28:32 | More by zeff80

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

4.6/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured from a 12oz. bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a deep golden brown color, with a short off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is a good blend of fruity citrus, grassy hops and caramelized malts.

T: The taste starts out with a strong burst of floral hops bitterness and fruity citrus sweetness. Both flavors remain dominant the whole time you're drinking the beer. There's a hearty malt character and a background flavor of caramel. The after-taste is likewise slightly hoppy and slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and very smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

D: Very tasty, goes down quite easily, not too filling, good kick, very good representation of style, this is definitely an excellent beer with a lot of flavor and substance that is worth drinking for a whole evening.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2009 02:43:58 | More by TheManiacalOne

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

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

This beer poured out as a hazy looking yellow color. The head was big white and sticky. The smell of the beer had a great nose full of hop aromas. The taste of this beer was also very hoppy, with some elements of pine and tropical fruits. The mouthfeel is tingly and refreshing at the same time. Overall this is a damn good brew from Sierra Nevada, there are only a handful that I enjoy more from them.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2011 00:55:23 | More by Knapp85

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.08/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours an effervescent honey/amber color with copious amounts of sand colored head. Great lacing & head retention

S: Rich bready notes, grassy & piney notes

T: Grassyness, piney & bready notes as well along with a touch of grapefruit up front. Pineyness, grapefruit & a little caramel as this warms, plus lemongrass notes. Finishes grassy, grapefruitty & piney with juicy notes

MF: Medium bodied, fairly creamy carbonation balance

A solid AIPA that will be in my summer activities canned beer rotation. Not as tasty as say Dale's PA, but one I could never say no to

Serving type: can

04-28-2012 03:45:43 | More by russpowell

Gueuzedude

Arizona

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

A solid pour into my 25cl tulip glass nets me a four-finger thick, frothy, light tan colored head. The beer is an amber-copper color that shows a brilliantly clear, rich copper color when held up to the light. The aroma is nice and hoppy, but still has a light crystal malt edge to it as well. The malt lens some biscuit-like notes and a touch of caramel; this last melds with the citrus hop components that are the most noticeable part of the beer. Notes of grapefruit, lemon zest, a bit of herbal grassiness, spruce tips and a touch of pine seem to define the hop aromatics; actually this smells a lot like Meyer lemon, it is surprisingly lemony compared to many an American IPA.

The carbonation provides a solid fizziness, though this is not over-carbonated. The beer has a light crystal malt sweetness to it that is substantially dried out by the biting hop character. This has an ample bitterness to it that is noticeable from the biting through to the lingering finish of each sip. The hop flavor has quite a bit of sharp, herbal notes to it that leans a touch towards fresh pine needles; this is pretty well met by essential citrus oil notes that remind me of grapefruit, tart tangerine zest and orange zest. This has a nice biscuit like malt character to it that helps to dry out the finish just a little bit more. This has a touch of malt body to it, but is still quite quaffable and light enough to be a drinking IPA (though the alcohol percentage may tell you otherwise after a couple).

This is a solid IPA offering from Sierra Nevada. It is perhaps a little sharp, slightly astringent, and a little more herbal focused than I might prefer, but it is damn tasty. I still prefer the slightly more malt balanced Celebration as it brings out the fruity-citrus character from the hops a bit more than this beer does. Despite the noticeable malt presence, this is definitely an aggressively hopped IPA.

Purchased: Plaza Liquors, Tucson AZ

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2009 00:50:03 | More by Gueuzedude

emerge077

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Into a 12 oz. Rodenbach Grand Cru tulip, Torpedo swelled above the rim of the glass, and hovered there. It showed off a dimpled surface, creamy with a meringue sheen. Plenty of lacing, practically an unbroken sheet coating the whole glass. The orange color had a nice clarity to it, and little trails could be seen on the sides, just below the surface.

A fresh floral aroma, grassy hop notes. Earthy and herbal, but not overpowering. Firm dry bitterness in the back, pine and floral notes up front, grapefruit rind, plenty of caramel malt in the middle. Soft creamy feel, with lasting residual bitterness. A quenching IPA, it struck me as being nicely balanced with a moderate level of bitterness. Thanks to Chris for leaving this one at my house ;D

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2009 23:42:15 | More by emerge077

Halcyondays

California

4.03/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at the Beachwood BBQ,

A: Pours a dark amber, medium white head, good lacing.

S: Kind of lacking since SN usually gives solid noses, but Cascade hops dominate.

T: Defintely maltier than SN's usual brews, but certainly provides a good backbone to the hop taste which is dominated by grapefruit and citrus, overall very good.

M: Resiny, medium-bodied, solid for an IPA.

D: Another good beer from Sierra Nevada, just making continously excellent hop beers.

Serving type: on-tap

05-27-2008 21:14:25 | More by Halcyondays

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

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

This beer pours a hazy orange copper colour, with two fingers of chunky off-white head, which leaves an array of webbed lace around the glass. It smells, quite frankly, of pine trees dipped in caramel pudding. The taste is citrus and pine hops, caramel/toffee malt, and a bit of warming alcohol. The carbonation is moderate, the body sticky, and medium weighted, and it finishes dry, the leafy, bitter hops closing down shop.

A very tasty bridge between IPA and DIPA.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2010 05:08:32 | More by biboergosum