A Cause for Celebration Ale
Written: Dec 16 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Hugely hoppy, big and robust
Cons: Only available during winter
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| Teykaerts's Full Review: Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale |
Well, it is finally official; I am a certified, card-carrying member of the Beer Snobs club. Although obviously I have a passion for high-end, well-made beers, I hadn’t really considered myself a beer snob until two nights ago, when a friend called me up and invited me to a party up in Chico, CA. If you live in California, then no doubt you have heard of Chico: it is your prototypical college town, complete with tons of bars, parties, and drunk college students wandering the streets until the wee hours of the morning. I didn’t go to Chico State, but my brother did, so I have something of an affinity for this school and this town, and so when a buddy of mine invited me up for a kegger, I was quick to jump at the opportunity to let off some steam.
Arriving at the apartment complex, I was greeted with the familiar sight of a gaggle of college kids standing around shooting the bull with plastic cups full of beer; I had definitely come to the right place. Imagine my chagrin, then, when I discovered that the beer enshrined within the keg was not a microbrew. It wasn’t even Bud Light. No, gentle readers, my friend had, in his infinite wisdom, shelled out $39 for a keg of Red Dog! Now, if you haven’t had Red Dog, then you are a very lucky soul. This is the essence of bad beer, on par with Natural Ice and that kind of $3.00-for-a-18-pack-beer. It is flat, weak, lame, and just about any other derogative adjective you can think of. And yet everyone was drinking it away happily, oblivious to the fact that it was horrible. Upon further questioning, it turned out that most of the drinkers knew that they were drinking swill, and would definitely prefer to drink a beer of higher quality, but were simply unwilling to pay for the increase in quality.
Amid jeers and jests about me being “too good for the keg,” I stomped off to liquor store on the corner and surveyed their microbrew selection. If you don’t already know, Chico is the home of the legendary Sierra Nevada Brewery, and their beers are obviously well-distributed through-out the town. Thinking “When in Rome, do as the Romans do,” I elected to purchase a six-pack of Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale, which is their winter seasonal offering. Boy did I make a good selection.
Sipping Brewskis on a Chilly Night in Chico
The Sierra Nevada line of beers is, along with Anchor and Samuel Adams, one of America’s best-known and best-loved libations. Sierra Nevada was at the forefront of the “microbrew revolution” of the early eighties, and have remained one of the most popular and award-winning breweries ever since. Visiting the brewery itself is a jaw-dropping experience; it is classy and elegant, yet eminently friendly and warm. With only one exception (the porter), I have found all of Sierra Nevada’s beers to be excellent and well-worth drinking. My absolute favorite S.N. beer is their Bigfoot Barleywine, but a close second would be their Celebration Ale.
Stan Sessor of the San Francisco Chronicle called Celebration Ale “the best beer ever made in America.” I wouldn’t go that far, but I would certainly say that this beer is a fabulous India Pale Ale.
The aroma is the familiar aromatic hoppiness that is trademark of Sierra Nevada ales, but beefed up and even more assertive and powerful. The dominant flavor in this beer is, surprise, hops. I am talking about a lot of hops here, folks. Centennials and the familiar Cascade hops are showcased in a major way, but not to the exclusion of a strong malt balance.
This is a very hearty, robust ale that I would call a bigger, buff version of their regular pale ale. It is dry-hopped, so it is very aromatic and dry, but generous malting gives it the big body required for a good winter warmer. Truly a treat to drink.
Conclusions
If you are a fan of hoppy beers, then this brew is going to rock your world. Even with all the ridiculous hops, though, the beer is very balanced and drinkable. It also happens to be close to 7% alcohol this year, so watch out. For food, I would recommend this beer with hearty meals like beef-dishes, and also with spicy Thai food. Thankfully, Sierra Nevada beers are sold in all fifty states, so anyone can sample this amazing IPA. This is a classic in the American brewing tradition, and no beer lover can afford to miss it. Cheers!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
Teykaerts
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Member: David Teykaerts
Location: Sacramento, CA
Reviews written: 120
Trusted by: 60 members
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