Sunday 18 March 2012

Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA

Good evening all. It's time for another review this evening, with a beer from one of America's oldest and most influential "craft" breweries. That beer is Torpedo Extra IPA, an American IPA from Sierra Nevada. Nothing more to say about that really, so as usual the review is after the pic....


Torpedo Extra IPA (7.2% ABV) pours an amber colour with a white head that settles to a patchy covering over the surface of the beer. The aroma is surprisingly sweet, with candy floss/caramelised sugar, resinous hops, malt, citrus fruits and a slightly vinous quality. This vinous quality is very reminiscent of Mikkeller's barrel-aged beers, and works very well with the fruity hops. The taste is composed of malt, citrus fruits, resin/pine and a caramelised sweetness, with a pronounced bitterness in the finish. At first the bitterness was quite subdued, but as the beer warmed up it became more noticeable. The impact of the resinous hops was also more subtle than I was expecting from this beer style- it's still quite a hop bomb, but in the context of bitterness rather than fruitiness. The mouthfeel is not overly thick and the carbonation is quite low. Overall, a good American IPA from Sierra Nevada, although it was definitely not what I was expecting. The alcohol is well disguised and the flavours and aromas are rather moderate, with a significant bitterness but nothing significant beforehand to ease the palate into this sensation. Definitely not as well-balanced as it could be, but still worth a try. I wouldn't get it again though as there are much better examples of this style for the same price (Stone IPA, Bear Republic Racer 5, any IPA from The Kernel, etc).

Until next time....

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