Tag: Sierra Nevada

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Review – Rhizing Bines from Sierra Nevada and Dogfish Head

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Count me as a fan of Sierra Nevada hop bombs and also count me as one who isn’t super fond of  Dogfish Head IPA’s.  But I love that these two big regional breweries can collaborate from time to time.  Life and Limb part one and it’s cousin Limb and Life were both really solid beers.  So how does Rhizing Bines fare…..

Well it pours a light orange color.  I get a big alcohol hit in the aroma and some dankness.  I will have to compare it with the recent Celebrator beer magazine 25th Anniversary Imperial Pale since they both use the experimental 644 hop.  The Celebrator beer was super boozy but the blueberry and citrus notes popped more.  This beer was much more on the Dogfish Head side of the spectrum than the Sierra side.  Uber malty with a slickness that coats the tongue.  The hops are there and their fruit notes are underneath but I would prefer them in the forefront.

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Celebrate the 25th of the Celebrator

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Anyone who knows the history of craft beer in the U.S. understands the heralded place that the Celebrator beer magazine holds. It truly does celebrate beer all over the country. And now they get a special beer for a special anniversary.

Take it away Tomm Carroll (a good friend and the Celebrator L.A. beat writer)
“Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. invited all of us writers for The Celebrator up to its acclaimed Beer Camp in Chico, Califronia, last November to brew a beer to commemorate The Celebrator’s 25th anniversary this February.

That’s right, the country’s oldest “beeriodical” is a quarter century old, and is celebrating (as always) with an anniversary party on the closing day of San Francisco Beer Week (February 17, 2013), when our draught-only brew will make its debut. This year, the festivities will be held at the Oakland Convention Center Marriott Hotel.

Now, about the beer. Dubbed “Celebrator Beer News 25th Anniversary Double Pale Ale” (see tap handle art, attached), it’s basically an imperialization of Sierra’s classic flagship Pale Ale, the brew that not only launched the brewery over 30 years ago, but arguably kick-started California’s obsession with West Coast hop-forward beers.

Here’s a description of our anniversary beer from the forthcoming Celebrator article (February-March 2013 issue; out next week) on our adventures at Beer Camp #93:

“We landed on the idea of taking the original Sierra Pale recipe, doubling the malt bill and adding some newer hops for a beer that we thought of as an Imperial Pale Ale. The grains used were pale malt in copious amounts, Caramel 60 and Golden Promise for a little something extra. Bravo and Cascade hops went into the boil while the dry-hop addition was to include more Cascade, symbolizing Sierra Nevada’s past, Citra for the present, and Hop #366 — a new experimental hop — for the future. Dry hops were added to the tank with the help of a hop torpedo, a large cylindrical tube filled with hops and shot directly into the solution for full effect. Of course, we used Sierra’s house ale yeast for fermentation.”

The abv for 25th Anniversary Double Pale Ale should be around 8.6%.

If you can’t get to SFBW to try the beer, don’t worry. Like most Beer Camp brews, it will be available on tap at beer bars in the city of the campers, after the anniversary party. So that means you can expect to see it being poured at a couple of L.A.-area drinkeries..” Which as of now are T.H. Brewster’s at the Four Points Sheraton LAX, The Surly Goat and Beachwood BBQ (the Seal Beach location).

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Narwhal & Brown Shugga’ reviews

In addition to my monthly video reviews, I plan to do some plain old photo and text reviews as well and this month, I compare a returning Lagunitas favorite with a new stout from Chico, California.

Brown Shugga’
The light amber color of this beer belies it’s strength. The booze is present as is a boatload of brown sugar. (Go figure). This gets a little cloying at times and it is a bit slick on the tongue but it pulls together and balances out as it warms up and as the palate get’s accustomed to the sweetness. I still prefer Lagunitas Sucks though.

Narhwal Imperial Stout
Pours jet black with an espresso head. Big roasty notes. Coffee and burnt toast dominate with a bit of hops at the far back. A touch of milk chocolate / cocoa powder. Really lingers on the palate for awhile. Great label artwork too. A campfire beer.

If I had to choose, I would go with the Narwhal. Primarily because Brown Shugga’ is just wicked sweet and the alcohol is really prevalent.

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2 Beer Books on the horizon

There are two books on the near and far horizon that will appeal to craft beer fans and especially to the lot who have been bitten by the home brewing bug. And though the Amazon site has been glitchy with me. I have ordered one in Kindle version to arrive next year. But first…..

Mitch Steele – IPA. It makes sense. Stone has a definite bitter style and this book which includes both history and recipes. As the liner notes to the book go on to explain, “Explore the evolution of one of craft beer’s most popular styles, India pale ale. Loaded with brewing tips from some of the country’s best brewers, IPA covers techniques from water treatment to hopping procedures. Included are 48 recipes ranging from historical beers to recipes for the most popular contemporary IPAs made by craft brewers such as Deschutes Brewery, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Firestone Walker Brewing Company, Pizza Port Brewing and Russian River Brewing Company.” And even if you are not a brewer but a fan of the style the recipes should be interesting from the vantage point of which hops are used and how much.


Ken Grossman – Sierra Nevada. I wish I didn’t have to wait until 2013 to read this one but I will. I hope this is a harbinger for more books on craft beer pioneers. I read a slim tome about the famous Bert Grant that did not meet expectations and I think there are quite a few newbies who can stand to learn about the old guard. I know the outlines of the Sierra Nevada story but I hope this book digs a little deeper.

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Put Your IPA into …..


Seems like the dynamic duo of Grossman and Calagione have more on their minds than just Life and Limb. They also want to build a better glass and just for IPA’s. They took time to taste Stone’s IPA as well as their own offerings in different glasses from the famed Riedel people. Sounded like a fun way to spend two hours.

Check out the story from The Philly Beer Scene HERE! Then look forward to a better way to celebrate the hop.

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New to cans

Coming soon (depending on your market’s thirst for beer), you might be seeing some beers you are used to seeing in bottles in canned versions.

1) “Kona Brewing Company has announced plans to offer its flagship Longboard Island Lager in 12-ounce cans, which are scheduled to hit shelves mid-March 2012. All Kona markets will receive Longboard cans, including the newest markets of Pennsylvania, Delaware and southern New Jersey.”

2) Sierra Nevada has been Facebooking it’s pale ale progress towards cans too.

3) Evil Twin Brewing will release its first beer in cans in 2012. Hipster Ale and Bikini Beer will be first up. Brewing will happen in South Carolina (North Carolina is probably too busy) It will be part of the Twelve Percent Import line.

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Ruthless Rye

I have seen this new Sierra Nevada beer advertised in all of the beer-y magazines that I subscribe to and I cannot wait to give it a whirl in a pint glass.

Apparently this will replace Glissade which never won me over. It should be in SoCal markets now. Pick it up along with Bigfoot barleywine. If I find one in time, I will attempt to do a video review this month.

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Repoterroir

Repoterroir is a mega-collaboration between:


“A distinct 5.5% ABV session-lager brewed with elemental, native terroir from the following collective of brewers: Sierra Nevada (wild rice, beets, cucumber, mint and carrots), Avery (Colorado alfalfa honey), Allagash (Maine purple potatoes), Dogfish Head (free-range Atlantic Ocean beach wood), and Lost Abbey (cage-free Pacific Ocean beach wood).

Born out of a backroom conversation in a Boulder restaurant and blooming into a full-blown cornucopia of a collaboration, Repoterroir is a coming together of like-minded craft beer compatriots. Brewed at Sierra Nevadas brewery in Chico, CA this sessionable lager beer reclaims the earthbound mantle of terroir from the grape-soaked, buttoned-down world of wine and repurposes it in a new sudsy sense. Featuring natural ingredients contributed by each of the five breweries, this unique and earthy beer is complex and layered but ultimately drinkable. Using the full repertoire of skills from more than 86 combined years of brewing knowledge and skill, this lager combines traditional (and not so traditional) ingredients into an ideal summertime brew.”

As with the first post of the day, I like the idea but it seems two ingredients too much just for the sake of equal representation. I can do without the carrots and beets. Color is the least of my beer judging worries.

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Republic of Tea and Beer


“Made in collaboration with fellow brew masters at Republic of Tea, Peach Pit ale is a truly unique beer. It is a light rosy-gold color and has a satiny malt background which works to display rich flavors and aromas of bright spices and fruit from the use of whole-leaf Ginger Peach tea in the brew. The natural sweetness of the malt and peach is balanced by a light dry spiciness from the ginger and black tea.”

For all of you session beer fans or flavored beer category judges this may be one of those beers that you will either have to determinedly seek out or luck into. And if you are one of the imperial porter crowd then this beer is probably not going to be for you. I have had a chamomille beer from Rogue (Many years ago) and was surprised by how well it worked. Tea and beer should work as well together as coffee and beer in my mind so let’s hope more examples head our way.

Expect to see it under the name Sierra Nevada Tea Ale and not Peach Pit.