Celebration (Sierra Nevada) 6.8%Abv

Made with the fresh hop harvest, an IPA for the holiday season.

Pours with beautiful snow drift foam, a gorgeous toffee brown. The aroma is not big dry hops, but a lovely fresh spiciness, think candy apples.

The malt is sweet and welcoming, no tanginess or dry bitterness, flooding into a tidalwave of caramel and toffee, coating the sides of the mouth. The finish is a mix of gentle bittering, mixed with some beautiful spice notes, cinnamon, nutmeg, before leading to a balanced but noticeable dry hop bitterness, it's not Torpedo, but it's close.

8/10 A winter treat, sweet warming malt with lovely gentle spiciness. It's their Torpedo relaxed in a Christmas jumper.

Porter (Sierra Nevada)

Pours as close to black as you can get, only narrowest waves of light pass through. The aroma is shy and unassuming, hints of toffee and roasted malt, but no big coffee or hop aromas.

The initial taste is dominated by a big malt, roasted to the edge of stout, delivering bitterness without sharpness and gentle sweet undertones. A rather smooth middle leads to a finish that refuses to assert a dominant claim on the beer, mellow hop bittering mixed with the slightest of toffee sweetness.

5/10 A capable balanced porter, but lacks anything to distinguish it from even the most average rivals.

30th Anniversary Imperial Helles Bock (Sierra Nevada)

A unique beer brewed as part of the celebrations for the 30th Anniversary of Sierra Nevada. This is Charlie, Fred and Ken’s Imperial Helles Bock.

It pours a golden light brown with a beautiful foamy snow white head. Bountiful aromas of wet grass and light fruit, specifically cantaloupe melon and satsuma’s.

The initial malt is distinct, flooding the palette with a sweet but dry rounded flavour. No big ripe fruit in the middle, no biscuit crunch, you are left with a moment consolidate as the big alcohol builds like a heartbeat towards the showpiece finish.

The ending is sweet and rich, like gin soaked raisins, with an authoritive stamp of bitterness. Strong notes of cracked black pepper on the finish linger on the tongue.

8/10 A beautiful beer, well crafted and critically well balanced. Brewed to match a traditional style, but falling slightly short of expectations for such a special occasion.


A note of Thanks : This beer arrived as a gift from a friend in California, it kindly travelled in his luggage all the way over to the UK, sadly two bottles of Tumbler didn’t. This review is devoted to his stained suitcase, his soaked clothes, and the frantic dry cleaning he had to do on arrival in the UK. Thanks Bushy!

Torpedo Extra IPA (Sierra Nevada)

Took a gamble and picked up a 6 pack of these in Austin, TX.

Pours a lovely tan colour, huge aromas flood out, full of powerful but delicate fresh hop smells.

Rich warming malt, perfect sweetness following through to one of the best hop finishes I've ever had. So much flavour, a psychedelic mix of fresh grass, juicy citrus and lovely lingering bitterness.

Leaves the palate begging for another sip! Its 7.2%, but you would never know, so perfectly balanced is the malt and hops.

10/10 Wow, one of the best beers I've ever had, a mind blowing American style IPA

Pale Ale (Sierra Nevada)

Another American brewing legend, it pours a beautiful bright orange, like morning sunrise, instantly drawing you to question “how come there aren’t any English ales like this?”

It has a beautiful smell of freshly squeezed fruit, the first taste fills the mouth with juicy citrus flavours, hints of Oranges and Satsumas burst through. Following comes a more gentle and subtle biscuity malt. The finish is a gentle linger of citrus, trying to underline the initial fruit burst and punctuate the middle malt.

Where to enjoy : In a quiet moment on your own, a hundred delicate flavours that need to be smelled and explored.

7/10 A beautifully crafted beer