..... MAN THE TORPEDO!...
The latest explosive offering from one of the great US Craft Brewers.
The reputation of a brewery is often established by one key brand that stands out from the rest. These are often considered to be ' exemplary ' examples of a given style, or in some rare cases ( such as Fuller's with their ESB, to North American brewers at least ) actually 'define' it.
Sierra Nevada Brewery in the USA is a case in point, with their modestly understated titled 'Pale Ale' considered by many as one of the finest beers in the world. It bears little resemblance to British beers that carry the same simple designation ( often signalling something bland and uninspiring) by being more assertive in both flavour and strength than it's British counterparts.
With an IBU of 37 Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale is pushing the envelope into the ' hoppy ' realms of IPA....if not quite getting there.
This is perhaps no bad thing, as a new beer from the brewery falls very much into this category - Torpedo Extra IPA . At 7.2% alc the brew fits solidly into the IPA criteria, but as usual with Sierra Nevada beers it is the subtle and careful use of hops, for both bittering and hop aroma that is so impressive.
The aroma is a truly heady mix of herbal, freshly cut green ' tea leaf' ' notes and beguilingly rich ' hop 'pocket ' resins, which are startlingly fresh and aromatic. The flavour is full and powerfully resinous with delicate citrus and ' orange peel ' fruit notes combined on the palate. Given the hop rate of 65 IBU's the beer is exceptionally balanced and drinkable, and at no point do the hops over-dominate the brew, which remains approachable, characterful and very stylish. On the finish the hops continue to linger tantalisingly on the tongue giving the beer considerable length.
So whilst the reputation of Sierra Nevada has been established due to the success of one beer in particular to date, it may now have a bigger brother in it's portfolio to contest its position. Even if this is not the case Torpedo Extra IPA can rightfully be called a ' Modern Classic ' setting a new benchmark for other brewers to aspire to as this fiesty brew may well be the dominant wolf in the pack!
For availability in the UK contact Vertical Drinks on: www.verticaldrinks.com
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