We are only halfway through American Craft Beer Week, which means you still have over three days to appropriately cheers plenty of pints in honor of the beer-loving celebration. Side Bar, who has been premiering a top-notch selection of draft and bottled craft beers, recently announced that they now have a cooler stocked with specialty (and rare ’round these parts) Sierra Nevada bottles just waiting for you to crack ’em open. Curious what they have in store?
The lineup includes the following (each listed with Side Bar’s briefing on each beer, too):
Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA
With 7.2-percent ABV, Torpedo is an assertive American IPA deep reddish-gold in color, with a smooth and bready malt presence and over-the-top hop aromas. The beer has a solid bitterness and a massive hop flavor, yet remains easy drinking with a pleasant dry finish.
Sierra Nevada Ghidorah Beer Camp #29
With 8.5-percent ABV and brewed by Chris and Joe DeCicco in conjunction with Sierra Nevada’s Beer Camp, this beer’s an American Double IPA that is as formidable as its Sci-Fi monster namesake. Ghidorah is golden-amber in color, with a pronounced hop-forward presence. Grassy, resinous, and citrus peel dominate the aroma. It has significant malt body, which adds balance to the beer, but the malt quickly subsides toward a firm bitter finish.
Sierra Nevada Juniper Black Ale Beer Camp #16
Made with 8.5-percent ABV, this beer’s black, a little viscous, off white head, nice lacing, nice retention… piney resin aroma, burnt, smells like burning foliage, roasty, nice… light piney hops, lively, roasty, burnt, light juniper/gin quality, creamy… good dry finish medium body
Sierra Nevada Common Beer Camp Beer #8
An 6.5-percent ABV Ale/Lager Hybrid with Pilsner and Munich malt, Cascade and Hallertau Magnums hops. Dry hopped with Southern Cross and Hop 393.
Sierra Nevada Weizenbock Beer Camp #37
6.6-percent ABV. Murky orange-tan with a steady off-white head. Fresh banana clove aroma. Doughy and rich, some pungent Bock tones, mild fruity flavors. Mostly the yeast shines, as it should for the style. Creamy and rich, yet very easy on the palate. Maybe a hint more hops than a typical German example, which just adds to the depth. Excellent, World Class Weizen Bock.
Sierra Nevada Southern Hemisphere Harvest
This 6.7-percent ABV ale marks our journey to the only place on the planet where fresh hops are harvested in our spring, the Southern Hemisphere. Our task was daunting-we needed to get the hops picked, dried, flown halfway across the world and into our brew kettle in a little over a week’s time. The result is a North-by-South fusion of fresh New Zealand hops blended with the finest North American malts. Its robust hop character presents an intriguing floral-citrus aroma leading to layers of fresh-hop spiciness.
For more on what Side Bar’s offering for Craft Beer Week, click here. Find Side Bar at 10 East Gay Street in West Chester.
