Torpedo Extra IPA
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

Serving: 12oz bottle
A: Actually, most of this beer was consumed from the bottle since it was at a frat party and my gf was drinking it but decided she didn't like it a couple of sips into the bottle. Oh well, so much for being a beer advocate haha.

S: Heavy scent of pine cones, pine resin, and some faint hint of citrus fruits. Just the faintest hint of a biscuity malt backbone, but only after the beer warms to room temp.

T: This is a pine bomb - the first blast of flavor is all pine cone and pine resin. This abundance of pine is followed by a faintly bitter grapefruit note. Thankfully, a fresh bread/biscuit note perks up mid sip. Finish dries and brings out more biscuity malt. Not very balanced - the piney/resiny hops overpower here, and what malt backbone there is seems timid and mostly an afterthought.

M: Carbonation is decent; overall mouthfeel is fairly crisp, with the slightest hint of creaminess.

D: In terms of ABV and drinkability, I thought it was comparable to DFH 60 - alcohol remains well in check.

DISCLAIMER: I'm not a huge IPA drinker, so take this with a grain of salt. SN Torpedo is a decent IPA, but I must admit that I'm not overly impressed given all the hype surrounding this beer. In KY, it's just as readily available as DFH60 or Stone IPA, but if I want an IPA, I would actually prefer both of those choices to a Torpedo. In all fairness, I did want to try it to see what the hype was about, but I think I would rather pick up IPA that focused on more than just intense pine/resiny flavors, and one that had better balance from the malts.

 

 

One of the best out of SN's extensive family of IPAs. Only rivaled by Celebration, and sharing similar characteristics. Excellent full bodied pour, pine and extra pine sap in flavor with some orangey notes versus other lighter citrus that can be found in other SN WCIPAs. Proper drying bitterness in the back end. Not overly complicated, just outstanding in old school WCIPA sensibilities. Hard to beat

In a world of hazy IPAs, here is a legitimately good west coast IPA that can be found nearly everywhere.

Is it as good as fresh Piny the Elder? Not quite. But this and Bell's Two Hearted are the two best piney bastions of old school IPAs available near me. Thank you, Sierra Nevada. Some of us old heads just don't want mango and grapefruit haze bombs 24:7. Grab a sixer of this and then watch The Cranberries Live in Paris 1999 on YouTube. I promise your life will improve immediately.

 

For a macrobrew IPA / DIPA... The look of this beer is literally beautiful. Amber / dark amber look with an off white few finger head (depending on the pour) . Active carbonation and lovely head retention make this a real pleasure to look at. On the nose, piney, little bit of citrus-y grapefruit maybe? 65 IBU's , so it's not going to knock your socks off on the hop scene, but it is solidly piney. Slightly dank, just a lovely offering from Sierra Nevada, probably my favorite of theirs. Cheers!

RB transfer

Dark orange pour, exploding toffee colored head. Citrus & pine hops jump at your nose. Thick malty sweetness is tempered with steady hop bitterness. Carmel malt and hops finish in a nice balance. Good Beer|8/21/2012

Rich pillowy head well off of white color. The brew itself also has that ‘darker than’ single IPA look. Satisfyingly rich mouthfeel with hop and malt both expressing themselves fully and in a not overly bitter balance. A great beer for many years.

Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA

I’ve been a fan of original West Coast IPAs since they first appeared decades ago. Classics like Sam Adams Rebel IPA and Redhook Longhammer IPA set the standard bold hoppiness, assertive bitterness, yet still surprisingly drinkable.

The Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA hits all the notes that longtime IPA enthusiasts crave. It delivers that bright, piney hop character and balanced bitterness that defined the original West Coast style, while remaining smooth enough to enjoy over a few rounds.
For anyone who remembers the first time they tasted a true West Coast IPA, this beer feels like home.

Here’s hoping it remains in production for years to come.

Been drinking a lot of Dogfish 90, a wonderful beer. Torpedo is similar but with bright hops and a little more refreshing. These are the two best strong IPAs out there. Sierra started it all. Hats off...

Pours a translucent amber color with a 1/2F head and light lacing.

Smells and tastes of lightly sweet malt and resinous hops with a lightly bitter finish.

Medium body and carbonation. Crisp and dry mouthfeel.

This brew sets a standard for West Coast IPA's.

It has been around for ever. I am surprised that I have not reviewed it before.

 

Another gold standard from SN, this one being the west coast ipa with great mouthfeel, aroma, huge hoppiness and a big piney/malty/resiny flavor & lingering aftertaste.

Overall refreshing and improves upon their standard IPA.

 

12oz can, produced on June 30th, 2025.

On the pour, 2 fingers of off white head forms on top of a decently hazy amber body.

Aroma is classically hoppy with a nice aroma. Seems quite clean, and perhaps a bit sweet with fruity notes.

Flavor follows the aroma, and is surprisingly bright. There is however a nice and solid malt backbone that balances it out nicely.

Feel is actually very drinkable and not all that heavy for the abv. There is a slight astringency again balancing out any heavy malts.

Overall this is a good textbook double IPA with West coast flavors. Not nearly ad bitter as someone might imagine.