What Sierra Nevada Says About It: The start of Celebration season is a festive event. Once the first fresh hops arrive from harvest, the party begins! We first brewed Celebration in 1981, blazing the path for American-style IPAs and offering a new take on holiday beers, which are often spiced and sweet. Famous for its citrus and pine aromas, Celebration is bold and intense, featuring Cascade, Centennial and Chinook hops—honoring everything we have at Sierra Nevada
Style: IPA - American
ABV: 6.8%
IBU: 65
Website: https://sierranevada.com/
To Better Know A Brewery: Turns out, good beer can do a lot of good. We shook things up in the ’80s, and it helped launch a beer revolution that’s in full force today. We keep pushing boundaries, whether that’s in the brewhouse, with sustainability, or in the great outdoors.
Note: No poll this time as this is the unofficial 24DOB+. Also, if you are not drinking a Celebration, feel free to share whatever it is that you are having today. I hope to have poll results to share soon.
Well, we've reached the end. Sadness. But I do enjoy the bonus day this year. Confession time. I have had this beer before. In fact untappd says I've had 11 of the 2020 version. Seems low. One of my all time favorite beers hands down. The internets says it was first brewed in 1981. I'm shocked at that. It definitely wasn't available in DC in the mid-nineties when I lived off Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. I'm sure all my stories about this beer have been told before, but since I'm old tend to repeat my stories and none of you have the energy to track down the links anyway, I'll hit the highlights.
ReplyDeleteI first had this beer in 1998. I remember the day well. I was at D&R, the place that Scott, Jeremy and I all used to work. It was the engagement celebration for my boss. This beer showed up. I had two and tried to head back to my cube for the hour I was supposed to still work. The guy in the cube behind me (let's call him Zartman), also under the influence of at least two Celebration Ales returned to his desk and cranked up Beck "Mutations". I've got a love/hate relationship with Beck (we do share a birthday and I did watch his ex-wife's best movie last night, although he's older than me and I'm not a scientologist). Let's just say that after a couple of Celebration Ales on a weekday afternoon, the last thing you need is "Mutations". So I fled the office. Just went home.
Ro and I had our first date the Friday after Thanksgiving in 1999 at the Big Hunt (a moment of silence for the Big Hunt as well). She underestimated the amount of time it would take her to get there so I was sitting alone at the bar for about 2 hours. I was nervous and alone at a bar so I drank much faster than I should have and I would estimate I was at least 4 Celebration Ales in by the time we got there. We had a couple of more, shut the bar down, and the rest is history. So I love this beer.
I'll double back here later and post my rankings. I give this one 5 out of 5 dive bars done in by the pandemic.
Uh-oh. That first date was 2000. I really should know that. And there is a 10% chance that the Beck incident was Midnite Vultures in 1999. I guess Beck put on an album every November for a couple of years there.
DeletePour a little out (very little) for the Big Hunt. It was my regular place when I lived near DuPont. Also where I drank upstair with Flogging Molly as the bitched about Sinead OConnor.
DeleteAlways a little melancholy to get to the last beer in the list. The extra day helps a little bit even so it has to come to an end. I’ve got nothing to add to the praise everyone has for this beer - it’s a perennial favorite for a good reason. Thanks again to the organizers for another great 24DOB, and happy holidays to all.
ReplyDeleteAh the end of the holiday 24DOB 2020. What a great ride! Like Bill (nut not nearly as much as Bill), I love this beer. I've 8 times just this year and know I missed a couple (and still have 5 in the fridge). Always a tasty beer, if a bit less piney than in the past. I prefer the pine. I give this 4.25 out of 5 Big Hunts.
ReplyDeleteThanks again to all for participating. I will pull rankings this week and share with the group. I am also already contemplating the 24DOB of summer 2021.
Greg -- I managed to track down a sixer of Celebration. So wonderful. So perfect (even after the Mad Elf Grand Cru). I would have awarded this one a 5 had there been a survey, and it would have been the only one I gave a 5 all season. That said, a very strong play list this year :-) I hope we can all meet again in similar circumstances this summer. Thanks again for a wonderful December!
ReplyDeleteAlright, better late than never, here are my rankings on a 5 point scale. Looking back, it seems we all have very different opinions of what makes a good beer. Which is probably what allows these freak of nature beers to be available in the first place. Love December because of this. Found at least two new beers that I will actively seek out in the future that I probably never would have found. And a couple to avoid. No surprise which beer is #1 and which is #25. So here we go. Feel free to mock me and I say we do it again in July. Or January.
ReplyDeleteSierra Nevada Celebration 5 (can I got to 6? Or 11? Because it's definitely one better)
Boulevard Tank 7 4.5 (another known winner)
Black Flag K Kapowski 4 (really enjoyed this and expected nothing)
Union Eruption 4 (definitely going to find this again)
Bell's Christmas 4 (wins the spiced beer category)
Troegs Mad Elf 4 (seemed especially tasty this year)
Heavy Seas Siren Noire 4 (I was clearly in the minority here)
Flying Dog Operation Breakfast 4 (wins the breakfast beer category)
Black Flag Steady Hoist 3.75 (another one I was pleasantly surprised with)
Silver Branch Sacred Table 3.75 (have had many of these)
DuClaw Sweet Baby Java 3.5 (sure, it's a novelty beer, but I liked it)
Two Roads Holiday Ale 3.5 (not bad for a seasonal beer)
Eagle Banana Bread Beer 3.5 (so exceeded expectations. Which were none.)
Hysteria 1996 3 (I liked the year better than the beer)
Troegs Troegenator 3 (just too heavy for me)
Monument City Early to Rise 3 (strong second in the breakfast beer category)
Anchor Steam Merry Christmas 2.9 (sure beats most year's versions)
Great Lakes Christmas 2.9 (spiciness)
New Holland Dragon's Milk 2.5 (just too much for me)
3 Stars Diamonds are Forever 2 (very disappointing. Couldn't even get to the brewery name)
Victory Merry Monkey 2 (over the top holiday attempt, but not bad straight from the bottle!)
Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout 2 (like Dragon's Milk but boozier)
Manor Hill Mosaic Splendor 2 (really should end this splendor series)
Jailbreak Van Dammit 2 (Way. Too. Much. Booze.)
Southern Tier 2XMAS 1 (but you already knew that)