As threatened at the start of the month, I will be reviewing ALL 13 of the special Sierra Nevada Beer Camp collaborations in August. I had my non-drinking wife randomly select the order and we start here with 3 Floyds and the Chico King.
“Chico King is a mash-up of our mutual passion for hoppy pale ales and combines a uniquely robust malt body with intense citrusy and fruity new school hop varietals.”
The King pours a dark but still luminous orange color with quite a bit of foam and lacing to it. The aroma is split between a toasty malt note and grapefruit pith with the toast coming out more and more as you smell it.
The taste is bright and carbonated. Lot of bubbles rising in the glass as you watch it. Bitterness sticks everywhere and, for me, primarily on the front of the tongue. I keep coming back to toast but this is almost like having good bread with a tart marmalade on it. The peel note isn’t there but this has that type of flavor mix going on. The beer tastes heavier than the 6.5% noted on the label.
I have not had a pale quite like this though I would guess you could call this an IPA without anyone batting an eye. Good start to my randomized journey through Sierra Nevada’s Beer Camp.
