Sierra Nevada Hop Bullet

The Stats
Style: Imperial IPA
ABV: 8%
Current Ratings...
- Untappd: 3.81/5
- Beer Advocate: 3.97/5
- RateBeer: 3.61/5

"Hops are the name of the game with a Double IPA, but we knew we had to take it one step further. With Hop Bullet, we’re using a new technique, hitting the beer with a double-barreled blast of Magnum hops and lupulin dust—pure, concentrated hop flavor—directly into the tank to emphasize the intense pine and citrus flavors of classic West Coast hops."

Pours out rusty and dark orange in color with a moderately hazy body and two fingers of white head.

The aroma is fresh with herbaceous mint and green tea. Some subdued orange rind and faint garlic/onion are also here and it has a good malt presence.

There's a decent amount of pine on the taste, which I didn't pick up at all on the aroma. It is akin to a pine tree air freshener. The other big flavor I get is caramel (probably malts) and it adds a sweet element to the beer. Fruitier notes develop as the beer warms with sugar-sprinkled grapefruit adding flavor and some tartness and it is joined by sporadic moments of pineapple. There's a good shot of bitterness near the back and it has a dank sensation to it, but at the same time, it is a very clean-tasting hop presence with noticeable acidity. This leads into the finish as the back end and aftertaste have that lingering hop oil flavor.

Mouthfeel comes in a bit light for an 8% DIPA, but it's serviceable. Some alcohol rears its head from time to time, but is more spicy than stinging.

How effective would Hop Bullet be as actual ammunition? For comparison sake, I think this would have missed JFK from the book depository, but would have hit him from the grassy knoll.

VOICE IN MY HEAD: What the hell kind of reference is that?
ME: Like, you couldn't hit your target from long distance; you'd have to be in front of your target to be effective.
VOICE IN MY HEAD: Huh?

Hop Bullet may not be the strongest or most bitter Double IPA, but it still has classic elements of West Coast IPAs and still feels like a big beer at the right times.

VOICE IN MY HEAD: Your analogy still sucked.

Rating
7.1/10

Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest (2017)

The Stats
Style: Marzen/Oktoberfest
ABV: 6.1%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 3.98/5
- Untappd: 3.73/5
- RateBeer: 3.61/5

"Each year, we partner with a different German brewer to explore the roots of Germany’s famous Oktoberfest beers. This year, we’re collaborating with Germany’s Brauhaus Miltenberger, whose approach to the classic style we’ve long admired. The result is a festival beer true to their style—deep golden in color with deceptively rich malt flavor and balanced by traditional German-grown whole-cone hops."

Pours a dark, golden color bordering on copper with a mostly transparent body and a finger of white head.

It smells like the Fall. Leaves and grassy notes are big and then there's a citrus quality to the aroma too. A sweet malt flavor like honey or caramel is a nice touch and there's some bready/cracker flavors deep down.

Intense sweetness is immediately noticeable up front on the taste. This pops with a surprising amount of juicy mango and lemon peel. Not far behind are grassy hops to bring this one back down to an earthy feeling. A definite "outdoorsy" bouquet of fresh-cut grass and barnyard hay remind me of a sunny Autumn day. Not only grassy, but this has lots of floral character and the back end tosses in some herbal and spicy notes.

Mouthfeel is light, but never watery. It feels lighter than 6.1% and is very drinkable. Mouthfeel is calm with little carbonation and as flavorful as it is, it finishes clean.

This edition of Sierra Nevada's Oktoberfest was packed with flavor while retaining high drinkability. This seemed to run the gamut of hop flavors while containing just as big a contribution of sweet German malts. One of the better Festbiers I've had.

Rating
8.6/10

Sierra Nevada Barrel-Aged Narwhal

The Stats
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
ABV: 12.90%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 4.36/5
- RateBeer: 3.92/5

Sierra Nevada has taken their standard, seasonal Narwhal Imperial Stout and aged it in Kentucky Bourbon barrels. To the best of my knowledge, this marks the first year this beer has seen a wide (albeit limited) release to all of Sierra Nevada's markets.

Pours absolutely pitch black with less than a finger of a tan/light brown head.

Sweet bourbon greets you first on the aroma followed by vanilla and toasted marshmallow. In addition I get some black licorice, coffee, and wood from the barrel.

Once again the bourbon is first and foremost. It's very smooth and sweet with no alcohol taste. There's also lots of oak and wood and the barrel aging has really brought out some big vanilla notes. This is also incredibly roasty with big coffee flavor and maybe even a hint of dark fruits.

As I said before, this is incredibly smooth, but also very thick and viscous. It coats your entire mouth with a motor oil-like consistency with even a few carbonation bubbles to boot. At a whopping 12.90% I do get a warmth in my throat and chest on each swallow (oh, grow up!), but you'd have an easier time finding Bigfoot riding a unicorn than you would at finding any alcohol presence.

In regards to the standard Narwhal Imperial Stout, I remember that being heavy on the roastiness while being a bit too hot fresh off the line. Barrel-Aged Narwhal has smoothed out all of those imperfections while making other flavors pop. This version is significantly more complex with bigger, more robust flavors combined with a thick and luscious mouthfeel that remains highly drinkable and smooth.

Rating
9.1/10