It just dawned on us that we haven't reviewed a lot of Sierra Nevada: the Torpedo, the Celebration, and ill-fated (at least in my eyes) collaboration with Dogfish Head, Rhizing Bines. I still shudder when I think of that and my throat just clogged a little with Calvin Klein perfume. This is Estate by Sierra Nevada, an ale that is brewed with hops and barley grown on the brewery property. There seems to be some disparity between wet-hop and fresh-hop definitions. My understanding was that wet-hopped merely meant that the hops weren't freeze-dried, as most of us homebrewers are accustomed to using. Fresh-hopped meant that the hops were harvested and then made into wort within 24 hours. An article in "All About Beer" magazine seems to indicate that the two are basically interchangeable, and uses Estate as an example of fresh-hopping. Sierra Nevada's website states that wet hops are straight from the field within 24 hours, fresh hops are dried and used in under a week. I'm confused. The bleach must have seeped through my hair follicles via osmosis again.
So, let's get to the beer and see how this is. Let it also be noted that this was brewed once, in 2012, and was a one-time release. It's been a good six months since then, so I would expect some of the hop characteristics to have mellowed. We'll see. It pours a medium amber color with some chill haze and a decent sized off-white head. In the aroma I pick up a lot of orange, some mango or passionfruit, notes of biscuity malt, with just a hint of pine and grapefruit. Taking a sip, this isn't quite a hoppy as I expected, but it's really good. The malt structure really comes through and the hop notes are earthier, which can be expected when drinking a fresh- or wet-hopped ale. It tastes much as the aroma goes, with really earthy, yet not offensive, nuances throughout the taste. Long after the sip is gone, the earthy tones take on a tangible form of fresh-mown grass. It's quite lovely. It has a fairly large body for being an IPA, even with the healthy hop additions. It finished dry, even though the beer itself is moderately sweet from the malts.
All in all, I wish we had this closer to the time it was brewed, but aging it for 6-7 months hasn't denigrated the flavor too much. It's still tasty, and I love that they grew the ingredients for this brew on Sierra Nevada's brew-estate.
4.6/5 caps
-Jennie
Very well put, female partner in crime. This was discovered, and we had to try it. It was thoroughly dipped in wax around the cap and top of the bottle. No idea if this actually does anything aside from look classy (apparently it helps with oxidation problems when cellaring a brew), not many manufacturers we can obtain in Ohio do the waxing. Speaking of waxing, my back is getting hairy again... hmm.. awkward...
Jennie nailed the coloring, the carbonation was fantastic. It poured with tons of head, Jennie's glass almost running over with head. The aroma to me (after warming up some), citrus, mango, spice, earthy and piney in a full frontal assault on the nostrils. The flavor is interesting. There is what you got in the nose toward the front, then almost an black tea-esque flavor that lingers with some bitterness of the hops. Very interesting as this uses hops and grain that were grown at Sierra's brewery. According to Sierra's website- bittering hops are Cascade and Chinook, finishing hops are Cascade, Chinook, and Citra. 6.7% ABV, 67 IBU. Huh... 6767- breaks down to 6/7/67- Dave Navarro's birthday. I wonder if he's had this. I seem to be getting lost in my own head. It's a scary place, no one should try and delve in there. Maybe someday I'll create a short animated feature about the things that go on in my head- it pretty much starts off with a background of fire with a dwarf wearing a leotard, holding a pitchfork, free-style dancing to Thunder Kiss '65, while flying penguins, smoking cigarettes, shower the dwarf with old rusty metal buckets full of fire ants. And that's just the first layer. Analyze that, my dear Siggy Freud. Yes, I have issues, but this beer does not.
If you can find a bottle, do it, get it fast. It's worth the experience to say you've had a one off brew from a big name in the craft scene without losing a limb (it's inexpensive at $7.99 a bomber).
4.65/5 caps
-Nathan-
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