In this post, I dabble with the newest Sierra Nevada Beer Camp beer. This year, Sierra Nevada is releasing a Tropical IPA with an ABV of 6.7%. This IPA features Citra, Mosaic, and El Dorado hops. Lets dive in and see how this beer compares to the BJCP style guideline as an American IPA.
Judge: Ron Unz
BJCP ID: F0711
Rank: Certified
Beer Name: Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Tropical IPA
Category: 21A – American IPA
Special Ingredients: None
Bottle Inspection: Ok.
Comments: None
Aroma: 10/12
Moderate-high hop aroma with notes of orange, tangerine, pine, resin, with low levels of spice. Moderate-low malt sweetness with no distinct notes. No esters. No diacetyl.
Appearance: 3/3
Gold in color. Low haze, but ok for style. Off-white heat with small tight bubbles. Great head retention.
Flavor: 10/20
Moderate toasty malt flavor with low levels of malt sweetness. Moderate-high dank, pine, resin, and spice hop flavors. Very high bitterness. Low levels of citrus in the finish. No esters or diacetyl. Balance is very hop forward. The finish is dry. The dryness and bitterness produces a very astringent character that lingers for a long time that is harsh, unpleasant, and . The hop flavor comes across as soapy. More citrus and fruity hop character comes through as the beer warms.
Mouthfeel: 3/5
Medium body. Medium carbonation. Moderate-high astringency that lingers for a long time and is unpleasant. No alcohol heat.
Overall Impression: 5/10
The initial toasty malt profile was exceptional but was quickly over run by hop bitterness. Beer was also fermented well. After two or three sips my palate was destroyed and the malt character was barely perceived. The biterness was astringent and unpleasant. Try experimenting with different hop varieties, back off on the bittering hops, or shift more of the bittering hops to later in the boil. Also, if using tap water, blend with some RO water as some ions and brewing salts can boost perceived bitterness/harshness. More citrus notes do come through as the beer warms, which is nice.
TOTAL: 31/50
Comments: I stopped drinking this beer 10 minutes ago and I can still taste the bitterness. If you like tongue shredding IPAs, this one will do the trick. Just don’t plan on drinking anything else the rest of the evening. The hop aroma is great and I really enjoyed the initial toasty malt character, but that flavor quickly got smashed by the hop bitterness and astringency. Sierra Nevada uses Citra, Mosaic, and El Dorado hops, all of which have pretty prominent citrus/fruit character. For some reason I don’t get much citrus except in the finish and after the beer warms. Other reviews of this beer say the beer has an intense citrus and fruit character with a subdued bitterness. Maybe my palate is jacked today… well, it is now after finishing that beer.
