Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA - Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

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

smiga

New Jersey

4.61/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12oz Green and Gold labeled brown bottle with freshness date. A for available! Best mass produced American IPA?

A: Clear, copper-mahogany hue, excellent head, great lacing, looks like the west.

S: Why I miss the West. (now living on the Jersey Coastal cliffs)
Sage, herbs, jam, bread, caramel, tobacco, pear, esters. A walk on coastal cliffs.

T: Smooth, excellent crispness, piney, with hop bitterness, citrus, grass, toasted bread, jammy fruit, herbal, drying finish. Lovely finish. A hike in California.

Feel: Medium bodied, good weight. Great tongue tingle and finish. Like a well balanced friend, between sweet and bitter, and a clean, sunny finish. Alcohol is very subtle. Be careful because you dont notice it!

Overall: Let it warm, let it come to 55 degrees. Try it with different foods and friends.

Great with most foods. Tonight with Pasta & meatballs, but fish, cheese, sausage, lamb - all work.

Sierra's best?
In the line of great American Extra IPAs.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2013 23:25:40 | More by smiga

JimKal

North Carolina

3.3/5  rDev -20.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

This is a really nice looking beer as it is poured into a tulip. Dark amber with a nice two inch or more head. Nice lacing as you drink it.

Nice hoppy aroma.

As for taste, I will qualify this by saying taste is, admittedly, subjective. This just doesn't work for me. I do prefer balance in my IPA but can still appreciate a really hoppy IPA. This one, while very popular, just doesn't work for me.

Medium mouthfeel.

Overall, I've picked it u before and realized it wasn't the IPA for me. I picked it up by mistake this time and decided to review it. I know there are many who love it but it just doesn't work for me.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 00:14:50 | More by JimKal

MisSigsFan

California

3.95/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Pours a slightly cloudy amber color with a white head that leaves a lot of lacing. Smell is mostly of pine and citrus, your usual West Coast IPA flavors. Taste is mostly of pine as well with a good amount of bitterness that lingers for a while. A bit underwhelming when it comes to flavor though. I wish there were more citrus and floral notes in there, but the flavor seems to pass pretty quickly. Mouth is smooth, maybe a bit too heavy, but with just the right amount of carbonation. Overall this is a pretty good IPA, but nowhere near the best I've had. I've always been slightly disappointed with Sierra Nevada's offerings, and this isn't an exception. I always find myself comparing different IPAs to Stone's and this is one that just doesn't come close. The balance seems slightly off compared to other IPAs I've tried, most notably Green Flash Imperial IPA, Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA, and of course Stone IPA.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 00:44:16 | More by MisSigsFan

sam_bliss

Washington

4.25/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

A little off-white head covers a visibly carbonated, rich, deep copper brew. Smells of pine and soapy hops, caramel malts, and some red fruity yeast scent. It tastes of ruby red puckering grapefruit. A few sips in, the circular lacing is spectacular. There's a bitter-sour hop aftertaste, but malts in the mid-mouth adequately balance out this extra IPA. Some earthy and roasty flavors ground soaring scents of an excellent hop mix. The carbonation is milder than I expected, just a little tingly and perfect for the beer and style. Medium, pleasant mouth feel.

This is a great IPA, with a fuller and stronger version of the Sierra Nevada signature, most brilliantly displayed by SNPA. Love it.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2013 01:39:14 | More by sam_bliss

standardcherry

Massachusetts

4.2/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

On tap at some weird bar in Miami. This was surprisingly fresh though.

A: Nice amber color. A bit hazy but not much. Nice white head that lingered for a while.
S: Fresh pine, citrus, and spiciness dominates. A nice malty aroma to back it up as well.
T: Excellent tongue bashing hops. I get the first huge hope bite that later balances out with the sweet malts. A nice pine and citrusy taste followed by some grassiness and malty sweetness. A bit of an alcohol bite as well.
M: A bit heavy. Syrupy. Reminds me of fresh 120 minute. Sticky, resinous and a bit dry. Carbonation was great for the style.
O: A great beer that was only hindered by the syrupy mouthfeel.

Serving type: on-tap

03-21-2013 04:58:14 | More by standardcherry

christIPA90

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I cannot think of one IPA that can be purchased at a gas station or local convenient store that brings such quality, flavor, aroma. The torpedo is well balanced, brewed with delicious hops, and is available at an affordable price. Citra Hops are the best. The balance between the bittering hops and tasty subtle citra flavors make this IPA almost perfect. Against any other mass produced IPA the Torpedo towers over all. This beer gave me faith that a quality brew can be made affordable and readily available.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2013 02:54:58 | More by christIPA90

Hopinista

Nevada

4.44/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 4.5

Poured from 12 oz bottle into pint glass.

A: Pours a nice honey amber color, just a touch cloudy, nice head that stays a while and leaves a nice abstract pattern.

S: It has a delicate piney hop aroma, the smell is really subtle compared to the taste.

T: The smell gives no indication to the massive amount of hops you get right up front. Very nice and fresh punch of hops, followed by a good amount of bitterness that's balanced well by the slightest bit of sweetness at the end. This is probably the most refreshing IPA I've had in recent memory.

M: Light and nicely carbonated, but a little cloying and syrupy, this is the only downside to this beer.

O: I really enjoy this beer, I love the excessive amount of hops SN is accustomed to using. The ABV is at 7.2% which is right around where I like my beer. The only thing that keeps me from absolutely loving it is the syrupy feel on the palate, keeps it from being truly sessionable in my opinon.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2013 07:22:57 | More by Hopinista

joeseppy

Illinois

4.4/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A few years ago I was in search for a brew that matched a seasonal by Two Bros. Brewing, Hop Juice. I thus came upon Torpedo and my search ended.

Pours an orange/red and somewhat cloudy. Big frothy head. Lacing and head continued as I drank, even to the last sip--impressive!

Floral, piney and sweet malt.

Just enough grapefruit, resin and sweet malt. Hop aroma is vibrant in every sip. Maybe some sharp fruitiness.

A thick resinous, bitter, malty libation that covers well.

This is a perfectly balanced IPA. Hops, bready malt and a sweetness that works. This is a Sierra Nevada classic I've been going to for the past few years, over and over. This needs to be had fresh. I've had Torpedo six months out and it does lack, thus poor review scores I'm sure. Again drink it fresh-drink it often.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 01:49:32 | More by joeseppy

tonton

Hong Kong

2.31/5  rDev -44.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.25

After trying the amazing Sierra Nevada Stout, this was a total letdown. Strong lagery yeasty smell, bitter pine cone taste, ugly clumpy head. Worst IPA I've tried.

I won't be coming back to this one, in fact I'll avoid it and stick with English IPAs.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2013 13:04:35 | More by tonton

MaineBrewing

Maine

4.49/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A - poured into pint glass a massive 3 finger head, beautiful golden with amber hued body, clear with some debris in suspension. Head was very soapy and stiff, reluctant to dissipate, left light lacing.

S - aroma of delicous fresh hops dominates, pine, citrus, and slight fruity, a nice malt aroma is present as well, overall though the aroma is a little subdued.

T - delicious, massive fresh flavoring hops up front with a more than adequate bitter finish. hop profile in the taste is on par with the smell, nice pine, citrus and fruity taste. Malt character is there in the back ground lending some sweet support. There is also a nice fruity yeast character that creeps up as it warms adding to the mix. Freshness is very tangible here, the finish is bright, and each refreshing sip reinforces his freshness, superb.

M - the mouthfeel is medium for the style, a little syrupy. The malt is more present in the feel than the taste, finishes a little sweet despite the Bittering hops, making it interesting and very enjoyable.

O - Sierra Nevada never lets me down with their egregious use of hops. Their ales are always fresh tasting, easily attainable and fairly priced. Although IPA/DIPA is my favorite style of beer that I'm always chasing down new examples I haven't tried, at the moment this would be my goto IPA to just buy a 12 pack of and have around the house. This has everything i want: great head retention, beautiful color, great mouthfeel and an outstandingly unique hopcentric taste.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2013 02:11:17 | More by MaineBrewing

OBeerMeGreatOne

California

4.11/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Fresh can into a pint.

Pours a bright orange with a frothy, two-inch head. Wonderful lacing.

Strong caramel, pine and citrus are joined by a hint of flowers.

Caramel and bread are quickly overtaken by pine, lemon and fresh cut grass. Slight alcohol warmth and a hint of minerals at the finish. A touch high on carbonation.

Solid IPA. Glad it's readily avalible!

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 01:54:59 | More by OBeerMeGreatOne

MichaelRabdau

Virginia

5/5  rDev +19.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I've always been and always will be a Dogfish Head fanatic, especially the Dogfish Head 90 and 60, and the first time I tasted Sierra Nevada's Torpedo, I was taken aback a bit, a little arresting on the palette; but alas, the tides of time have shown favor on these shores, and I have to say, you cannot buy a better beer for the money. This beer F'ing rocks, an amazing buzz that's so ethereal, it's like an hour in a floatation pod...

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 22:58:10 | More by MichaelRabdau

GuzzLah

Illinois

3.63/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A yellow-orange beer with a short and quickly disappearing white head. Soft carbonation.

Aroma is mostly herbal, mild citrus and soft malt. It has some faint notes of diesel that thankfully disappear after a few swirls.

The flavor is pine, herbal, earthy, mild tropical from Citra and soft malt. The bitterness is low-medium for an IPA with a short sustain.

Overall, this is a decent IPA and a good value. The ABV is well hidden. The bitterness is not extreme or too soft. There is nothing really objectionable here, but I can't say great things about it.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 22:25:02 | More by GuzzLah

Omnium

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

A - Golden orange color, two finger head, medium lacing.
S - Very earthy, floral and herbal hops, spices, lots of pine, malts
T - You get the bitterness right off the bat, some of the spice and more earthy flavors, definitely has a strong malt backbone as well, but there's plenty of hop punch to go around.
M - Moderate, a fuller feeling IPA, with the IBU's tingling the mouth.
O - As much as I do like most SN brews, I really never could love this beer, its a decent IPA, nothing worth calling "extra" about though. For a run of the mill IPA, there's better out there, but its by no means bad.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 01:26:09 | More by Omnium

Jetulio

Spain

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

350 ml bottle poured into a Pint glass
Appearance... amber beer with head colour white/beige of 2 fingers
Aroma... lemon, hops. Fresh and not too strong smell with a little touch of malty aroma
Taste... citrus, bitterness punch appears soon lasting all the time, little touch of alcohol but not disgusting at all
Mouthfeel... medium body and medium/soft carbonation
Overall... a very nice ale, bitterness is present in a nice style, refreshing beer too.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 19:32:10 | More by Jetulio

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

Beerandboards

New Mexico

3.85/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Straight from the bottle, so I've got to assume on the appearance. Given its SN, safe to assume its better than average.

S - grassy hops. Very much a vegetable type aroma mixed with some citrus oils.

T - solid punch of medium hops. Not much In any particular direction, but little elements of citrus oil, grassy note, then solid medium bitterness on the end. Slightly sweet malt backbone carried things through.

M - high side of carbonation, thin side of thickness.

O - cant complain a bit. A little more assertive than SN's regular IPA. Closer to pretty good than anything else. Solid.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 06:39:57 | More by Beerandboards

MickeyBeer

Illinois

4.08/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into a pint glass

A- A slightly cloudy orange/amber color that had a generous amount of foamy white head. Left some beautiful lacing on the glass and had some active carbonation.

S- A very hoppy and earthy aroma that is prominent. A slight sweet and malty smell is also present as well as citrusy aromas.

T- Great hop flavor with a little bit of maltiness as well. I am also picking up on a more fruity aftertaste, maybe lemon peel.

M- Medium bodied with a good amount of carbonation. Alcohol is pretty well covered.

O- Another solid brew by Sierra Nevada. They never disappoint and this IPA delivers. The price and availability is right so I will be purchasing it again.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 02:03:07 | More by MickeyBeer

dougfur

New York

4.45/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This one is under-rated because it's so easy to get and reasonably priced. I can't think of any other IPA out there that is as easy to get, as cheap and also as consistantly great! This is a world class IPA from California that I can get in a random grocery store in upstate NY for less than 20 dollars a twelve pack. 'nuff said.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2013 19:37:08 | More by dougfur

DenverLogan

Colorado

3.95/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured from bottle into chalice.
Pours a light copper...modest head of various size bubbles.
Aroma of grassy hops, slight sweet malt and melon.
Significant carbonation and moderately bold mouthfeel.
Flavors of grassy hops, slight malt sweetness, slightly mouth puckering bitterness, oak, cream of tartar. While this description does not sound like a delicious IPA, it is in fact very tasty, slightly challenging, and one of my regular house brews. It's not wimpy, overly off with melon or chalk bitterness, but also not as piney or grapefruit as many (flavors I like). Still, for the price and regular availability, this is a solid and satisfying brew.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2013 03:45:59 | More by DenverLogan

mfnmbvp

Illinois

3.18/5  rDev -23.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

24 oz. (1 pint 8 fl oz.) bottle, with code on the side reading 2349205:34. No idea when that was. Bought from the local Jewel Osco. Poured into a Firestone Walker pint glass.

A - Pours a somewhat murky amber color with about one finger's worth of head hanging out on top. Some fairly significant lacing.

S - Very fruity peach hop smell. Some dry malts, but faint and far away. Smells kind of like a Peach Faygo or a dirty sock, if you ask me.

T - Initial blast of hop bitterness. A very bitter IPA and very malty also. Fairly well balanced. Floral tasting in the beginning, and then finishes off with somewhat of a spicy hot, wet-hopped kind of taste. Fruity sugars are present, but they are placed well in the background, away from the potent hop bitterness. Some honey makes itself known near the end. Not a bad beer, but simple.

M - Sticky, dry, resinous mouthfeel. Some sweetness & green apple sugars present in the near end, just a pretty dry aftertaste. Nicely bodied, and well-balanced.

Not overly carbonated, and with a nice 7.20% abv it is definitely drinkable, although I have had this beer and the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, and I do feel that these brews are somewhat overrated. A good beer for being a year round offering, but there are far more interesting brews to be had. Glad I gave it a shot, and I am looking forward to some of Sierra Nevada's seasonal beers to see how they fare.

Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA ---3.5/5

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 05:37:24 | More by mfnmbvp

pezoids

Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

from the bottle. Pours well. Nice and spritzy with a lively carbonation and shows a slight haze. Orange-copper color with an eggnog colored head. Head dissipates relatively quickly into a film. Definite fresh citrus aroma from the hops. Lemons prevail, along with grapefruit and maybe a touch of sweet Kiwi fruit.

Body is perfect for an IPA - Not too malty and not thin either. very balanced.

There is an aftertaste that lingers in the throat for awhile. This is pleasant and leaves me wanting more. I'm glad I decided to try this one. It was a perfect pick for the Superbowl party I went to!

Overall, this is a highly drinkable and a very tasty beer overall.

Chance of a Revisit = 100%

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2013 07:13:09 | More by pezoids

JaredM

New York

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

A: Copper in color with slight haze. Huge frothy head, 3-4 fingers. Took a long while to dissipate. Lacing was great.

S: Fantastic smell. Huge amounts of citrus. In particular orange and pineapple. Not getting a lot of the pine. Malt is slight but sweet.

T: Just like it smells. Hops up front not much malt going on. Definitely leaning towards the hop side. Bitter? Yes but for a comparison it's not even close to Ruination which I just got done reviewing. I'm tasting a little of the alcohol too.

M: Light feel. Crisp, refreshing.

O: Solid beer. Didn't blow my socks off but I got this as a 6 for a decent price. I would definitely have this or the Pale Ale as a session beer. Where I am they are both readily available. I loved the citrus smell and flavors.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2013 03:50:25 | More by JaredM

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