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You are here: Home / Food & Recipes / Beer Blogging / Beer Blogging: Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale

Beer Blogging: Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale

by Michael D.|  November 9, 20077:39 pm| 31 Comments

This post is in: Beer Blogging

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Yeah, I sorta quit drinking – sorta, but I need to try this one. People have told me it’s a good holiday ale. Here’s the Sierra Nevada description at Beer Advocate (a great place to go for advice, BTW)

The long, cold nights of winter are a little brighter with Celebration® Ale. Wonderfully robust and rich, Celebration® Ale is dry-hopped for a lively, intense aroma. Brewed especially for the holidays, it is perfect for a festive gathering or for a quiet evening at home.

My opinion? I like it as an occasional beer. I would buy a 6 pak, but not a dozen. (even though I bought two 6-paks tonight.) If you like beer and you like WHITE grapefruit, you will love this beer. I like pink grapefruit – not white. But it is up to you. I’m liking this one as a nice diversion.

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31Comments

  1. 1.

    Chris Johnson

    November 9, 2007 at 7:45 pm

    Then you haven’t quit drinking, but surely that’s your affair?

  2. 2.

    Michael D.

    November 9, 2007 at 7:50 pm

    Oh shut up. :-)

  3. 3.

    dreggas

    November 9, 2007 at 7:59 pm

    he quits drinking…when the bottle/six pack is empty/gone

  4. 4.

    STEVEinSC

    November 9, 2007 at 8:13 pm

    I hope this shit is better than west coast wines. All that “a hint of truffles with a soupson of ripe plums boiled in hot motor oil” bullshit. I was in Portland oregon a couple months ago. First time in Oregon, first time in Portland. Land of west coast pinot noir. Portland and Oregon are beautiful and clean, but everyone smokes. Toured the wine district south of Portland. Tried a few pinots including some of the 5 to 6 year old ones ($60+ per bottle.) Jesus what shit. These wines can’t touch a $10 a bottle of Louis Latour pinot noir vin de table. What a fraud. Preening west coast blowhards. Sangria, that’t it. Add some fruit and juice to the oregon pinots and they might be drinkable. Vive la France! Over-oaked chemically matured fraud.

  5. 5.

    Michael D.

    November 9, 2007 at 8:39 pm

    I love PINK grapefruit. I do NOT like WHITE grapefruit. However, I like this beer. I don’t LOVE this beer. But I do like it.

  6. 6.

    chopper

    November 9, 2007 at 8:39 pm

    All that “a hint of truffles with a soupson of ripe plums boiled in hot motor oil” bullshit.

    “Most interesting. Plump, soft white flesh of vanilla and melon yields as a firm hand of chocolate and clove gently pulls the tropical decolletage from her shoulders…it’s a forbidden combination, culminating in an explosion of heat and musk.”

  7. 7.

    Blake

    November 9, 2007 at 8:50 pm

    Celebration is a fantastic beer, but you have to be a real hop-head to love it. Your reaction is pretty typical.

    On the other extreme, there’s a group of people in Portland who track the delivery truck on the web as it makes its way up from Chico with the first shipment every holiday season.

    SteveinSC, I can understand your feelings about the price of west coast Pinot. Most of the Oregon wines in particular are outrageously high, and frankly not good enough to justify the price. There’s still good stuff coming out of the area, but you have to know what you’re looking for. The price on the bottle is no indicator at all as to what’s decent.

  8. 8.

    douglasfactors

    November 9, 2007 at 8:53 pm

    I bought a six-pack of Celebration and a six-pack of the Anchor seasonal.

    Came back for another six-pack of the Anchor.

  9. 9.

    laneman

    November 9, 2007 at 9:38 pm

    Celebration is always brilliant. And different from year-to-year.

    That grapefruit comes from the shit-load (I think that is a real brewing term, too ;-) ) of cascade hops that are in it.

  10. 10.

    rms

    November 9, 2007 at 11:42 pm

    This beer has usually been one of the bitter-est beers
    on the planet- Inspired I recollect by the old Anchor Steam
    Christmas ale, which turned into Liberty ale. Now the
    anchor steam christmas ale is full of cloves and whatnot.

    With these mega bitter beers, you are tasting them for
    10 minutes after you drink them. You have to like bitter
    to like this stuff.

    It will put hair on your chest if you dont got none (like me)
    or will burn it right off, if you do. Which is why I still
    dont got no hairs on me chest, as I always drink an even
    number of these beers. ( Beer #1 == Austin power chest hair, Beer #2 burns it right off, so Bald I stay.)

  11. 11.

    incontrolados

    November 10, 2007 at 12:40 am

    Perhaps Tom in Texas remembers the ice house across from Rudz. They sold Sierra Nevada and Shiner for $1 back in the day. A SN six pack will get you there.

  12. 12.

    laneman

    November 10, 2007 at 12:51 am

    Texas and beer. I have issues.

    It may not really be about texas; but Miller bought out a Belgian brewer, Celis (a belgian who decided to base his brewery in texas), in an attempt to glom on to what the craft brewing liking people like and want.

    And promptly killed Celis because the big, main stream brewers, don’t get it.

    /rant

  13. 13.

    MobiusKlein

    November 10, 2007 at 12:54 am

    Well, I’ve already had two tonight, so it can’t be all that bad.

    6.8% ethanol by volume, so you don’t need a whole six pack.

    I can’t comment about Oregon wine – plenty of decent California wine, once you figure out what brands you like.

  14. 14.

    diakron

    November 10, 2007 at 2:21 am

    Pfft. SN Celebration is always a learning experience, and therefore is always a positive. Here in PA, the only way to (sensibly) purchase it is by the case. My first case of the season went in the fridge last night. It’s wonderful.

  15. 15.

    Media Glutton

    November 10, 2007 at 3:02 am

    I haven’t tried the Sierra seasonal yet — just finishing a regular Sierra actually — but one of the BEST seasonal beers I have ever had is the Sam Adams Winter Lager. It’s got a strong kick (it’s 5.8%), it’s a little hoppy, but it’s still smooth and also has a sweet tinge to it. Brilliant. Anyone who doesn’t like this beer is dead to me.

  16. 16.

    Michael D.

    November 10, 2007 at 3:28 am

    Incontrolados: “Perhaps Tom in Texas remembers the ice house across from Rudz.” Everytime I hear Ice House in a beer post, I die a little. And where the fuck is Tom in Texas anyway?

    Diakron: “SN Celebration is always a learning experience, and therefore is always a positive.” Agreed. I love it. I’m not sure I could drink much of it in one sitting.

  17. 17.

    Michael D.

    November 10, 2007 at 3:33 am

    6.8% ethanol by volume, so you don’t need a whole six pack.

    Ooooops! Way ahead of ya, you baloney!!

    Are you telling me I can put this shit in my car? :-)

  18. 18.

    Dennis-SGMM

    November 10, 2007 at 3:48 am

    Texas and beer. I have issues.

    Spent ’68-’70 in a Dry County in South Texas. Pearl, Lone Star. Still shudder when I recall Texas A&I pseudo-cowpokes calling out “Gimme a LSD (HAW! HAW!)” when ordering a Lone Star Draft.

  19. 19.

    Libby Spencer

    November 10, 2007 at 8:20 am

    I don’t usually like the holiday brews. They get too artsy with them and I don’t like fruity overtones in my beer. The only one I’ve ever really liked enough to drink every day was Catamount Christmas Ale in 96. That was a delicious ale. Heavy on the barley but no spicy or fruity weirdness. I was sorry when that run ended.

  20. 20.

    STEVEinSC

    November 10, 2007 at 8:52 am

    Was in a restaurant in Hawthorne area of Portland, Two Doors Down. Great little place in what appears to an exotic section of town. Food great and wines great, by the caraf. Told the waiter that it was a pleasant surprise to find such good wines after a number of disappointments. He said, “Well, the owners are from Connecticut and won’t serve anything but European wines.” Ah, the ancient and civilized East! Breeding shows. (Exception, the moldy, corked, and madeiraized (sp?) Joementum. Nothing but Manischewitz for him and only one glass, lest he become giddy.)

  21. 21.

    Bob In Pacifica

    November 10, 2007 at 12:16 pm

    I understand the grapefruit analogy perfectly, Michael.

    When I have breakfast I prefer pink grapefruit. When there isn’t any in the house, I drink the Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale. If there isn’t any in the fridge, I go for the white grapefruit.

  22. 22.

    Face

    November 10, 2007 at 12:58 pm

    I like pink grapefruit – not white.

    Racist.

  23. 23.

    Psycheout

    November 10, 2007 at 8:51 pm

    Lush.

  24. 24.

    Jess

    November 10, 2007 at 11:26 pm

    Mmmmm…love Sierra Nevada beer. Usually the Anchor seasonal is better though–more spicy. I lived in Belgium for awhile, but never really like the beer that much; most of it was too sweet and hoppy for my taste. And one of the ingredients in Hoegaarden causes truly nasty hangovers if you’re not careful.

  25. 25.

    laneman

    November 11, 2007 at 7:50 am

    I don’t usually like the holiday brews. They get too artsy with them and I don’t like fruity overtones in my beer.

    Fair enough. But, there is no fruit in Celebration as many seasonal beers do have.

  26. 26.

    Gus

    November 11, 2007 at 1:56 pm

    This is one of my favorite beers, and one of the only things I like about the holiday season. Lots of hops!

  27. 27.

    Billy K

    November 11, 2007 at 2:17 pm

    I bought a six-pack of Celebration and a six-pack of the Anchor seasonal.

    Sierra Nevada is not even close to the same league as Anchor.

    Celebration is a fantastic beer, but you have to be a real hop-head to love it. Your reaction is pretty typical.

    True. All their beers are real hoppy. I really don’t get what people see in Sierra Nevada’s beers. They seem pedestrian to me, but they have a strong following. I guess I am not a “hop-head.”

    It may not really be about texas; but Miller bought out a Belgian brewer, Celis (a belgian who decided to base his brewery in texas), in an attempt to glom on to what the craft brewing liking people like and want.

    And promptly killed Celis because the big, main stream brewers, don’t get it.

    Man, I miss Celis White.

    .02

  28. 28.

    laneman

    November 11, 2007 at 6:15 pm

    Billy K, yore a hop-head or not. And we are freaks on the edge.

    The fact that you like Clelis White proves you know good beer. And I mourn he death, too.

  29. 29.

    Tom Shipley

    November 12, 2007 at 7:59 am

    I like Celebration Ale. Reminds be of Goose Islands Demolition Ale (though, the latter is a bit more potent and better).

    New favorite is Fat Tire 2 Below. A good, not-too-heavy winter beer.

  30. 30.

    laneman

    November 12, 2007 at 10:13 am

    Try dogfish head’s various 60, 90, 120 minute IPAs.

    The time frames denote how long they add hops, per minute, through the boil.

    a deleware based brewery

  31. 31.

    robertognome

    November 12, 2007 at 11:36 am

    Sierra Nevada was my regular beer from about 1985 until a few years ago. They used to leave live yeast in the bottle, a practice known as krausening. It made the unique flavor all Sierra beers were known for. It worked in all their beers except the stout. Now it’s just another average pale ale. Nothing special anymore. Having said that, ALL, I REPEAT, ALL seasonal ales suck balls. ESPECIALLY Sierra Nevada. If you want truly good beer, try Anderson Valley Brewing Co. Boont Amber, Hop Ottin’ IPA (not for those who don’t like hops) or the second best stout in the world, Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout. This beer is second only to Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout, which just might be the finest of all malt beverages.

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