Sierra Nevada Harvest

Brewed by Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Chico, California USA

Bottle. 2008 offering aka 12th release. Pours a clear orange amber color, which is surprising given the bit of sediment I saw floating throughout the bottle, with a hefty off white head which deflates quickly to about half of the original volume. Ample pine hops on the nose and a bit of malt. Body is a little bit thin at the start but turns a bit thicker as a creamy sweet maltiness comes through. Finish is overflowing with a quinine like bitterness which is wonderfully long lasting.

Aroma - A great citrus pine hop aroma Appearance - clear copper color with a creamy tan head Flavor - hop forward flavor, with a solid malt backbone... Palate - hop flavor is coating but not unpleasant, mouthfeel is a little thin. A great hoppy beer and easy to drink!

24 oz bottle from Binnys South Loop (Chicago, IL). Poured a slightly hazed deep dark copper with big billowy tan head. Cereal and carmel malts mixed with a very nice floral hop bouquet, citrusy grapefruit. Initial starts with a nice carmel malt backbone leading to a bitterness: body is pretty malty with a nice floral and citrus hoppiness. Very well balanced if not a tad underhopped. finished bitter grapfruit and floral. More bitterness reinforced in the finish and sticks to the palate with a piney resinous quality. Yum. Pretty good, upper middle of the pack IPA.

24-ounce bottle as "12th Release Harvest Wet Hop Ale". This has a good aroma atypical of a usual IPA. That is, of honey, malt, and caramel. Flavor also falls within those parameters.. There are also intangibles here that make this a world-class contender in the realm of IPA. Overall delicious, excellent.

12th Release Harvest Wet Hop Ale. Pours dark amber from a 24 oz. bottle with an enormous, tight, long-lasting, light-tan head; super lacing. Copious pine and citrus hop aromas. Carmel backbone dominated by a powerful hop bitterness. Extra dry and long-lasting finish. Good beer, but might benefit from a bolder/sweeter palate entry and bump in ABV. Very similar to commodity IPA offering, but with a more intense hop profile.

From a 24 oz bottle purchased locally. Aroma is full of American hops, piney spicy and citrus. Color is an orange amber, very clear with a khaki colored head. Flavor is forward on the hop flavor with caramel and toasty malt coming through. Bitterness balances well and there is not much sweetness. Clean, dry and easy drinking. I love this beer. Too bad I have to wait till next year to have it again.

Bottle from Total Wine. Pours a brown/amber color with sticky lacing and 1.5 inches of tan head. The nose displays notes of citrusy hops and subtle sour yeast. Flavors embark with pine resin, sublte citrus and pear, biscuit, bread crumbs, grains, and a malty backbone. Solid balance of hops to malts. Medium carbonation and full body. A great example of an IPA.

On Tap - Poured a crimson color with large frothy head. Aroma - Just like fresh harvested hops. Most wonderful scent a beer lover could imagine. Flavor - Balance between malt and hops is fantastic. Palate - Sticky hops and spicey sweet malt. A real joy to drink. Overall - This is a top notch brew and I am surprised that this beer is not rated higher. I could taste the sticky hops on my lips far after I finished this tastey brew!!!! RERATE - 3/03/09 - Had a bottle of this beer and was not as good as the draft. This is still a great beer but crisp hopflavor is lost in bottling.