Every time I find another Sierra Nevada beer that I haven't previously tried, I get excited. I thought I might have cleaned the cupboard bare, but here we have the seasonal 'Celebration Ale' which is brewed with the first hops of the season. Some 'Christmas' beers have strange qualities to them, often dark fruits, but I have a feeling this is going to be more of a hopfest. I am not disappointed by this in the slightest. In fact I am in somewhat of a state of arousal.
The ale pours a magnificent reddish caramel colour, with a generous head that laces the glass and leaves trails of wonderfulness on the surface of the beer. This is undoubtedly one of the most attractive looking beers I have ever seen. I have never wanted to consume a glass full of liquid as badly as I do right now. You can smell the hops from a Yao Ming's arm length. The opening feel is creamy, with toasty malts shining through before a wafting wave of bitter hops trample everything in a rampant stampede. The finish is mildly warm, with the AHV at 6.8%, but still very subtle given the fact.
BRILLIANT beer. Most likely the best seasonal beer I've ever drunk, and amongst one of the best beers flat out. It's a shame you can't get this year round, but then again, it is likely a wise decision. This needs to be a controlled substance. If this were available on every street corner then it would likely eclipse the drug and sex trades, thus robbing politicians of their livelihoods. While nothing in this world is perfect, there is conversely nothing I can fault in this beer.
9.25/10
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