Sierra Nevada Celebration 2019

You’re talking to the guy who thought there was actual oak used in brewing “Oaktoberfest” many years ago.

Maybe I was serious? (Of course I had the winky face in there, so that’s kind of a dead give away)

 

My local store got some in yesterday. I picked up a 12 pack, bottled 10/8. If it’s like years past, it will be about the only IPA I drink until I can’t find it anymore.

 

I bought my six pack today. It arrived here fairly promptly. It seems like usually it takes quite awhile for SN products to arrive in my area after the first sightings reported on BA. $8 for a six pack, bottled 10/3. Perfect balance of bitterness, maltiness, sweetness, and hoppy flavor as well as the festive reddish color. Cheers!

 

I'm not 100% sure details with the ABI WOB buyout of Markstein San Marcos, I'll find out tomorrow. I know we had two distributors in SD County the last time I visited and I see that Crest Beverage in San Diego received two loads in the middle of last week and a bunch more on the schedule (3 loads this week)... So hopefully it will start showing up on shelves. Cheers

@JackHorzempa

Yes, subtle changes to align the flavor and specs year in and year out. One thing we notice more than anything is the contribution of Centennial hops... In my opinion, when it's a good year, the Centennial hops provide a great floral, rose character to the beer. Balanced with the pine and citrus of the Cascades.

 

Rose character! That’s a major flavor note I always get in this beer but could never place exactly what it was. That’s it for sure haha.

 

I've always called it "perfumy."

 

@SierraTerence --The rose essence nails it!

As a former rosarian, I agree this "rose character" is the essence of the basis for the "spice" character that folks get. Not the new ones but the old school tea roses with depth of fragrance and spice. Mister Lincoln, anyone?

 

To add, Stan Hieronymus has said that Centennial is about the only hop with cis-rose oxide, which gives that Roae/floral/perfume aroma. Centennial is not a favorite of the growers, as it has low yeilds, and is finicky to grow.

 

Picked two six-packs last night. Will be the first of many. There isn't another IPA that I enjoy more and this would definitely be one the beers in my desert island six pack.

I can't say that my palate is refined enough to pick up on the subtle year-to-year variances, but this year's batch is fantastic as usual.

 

Yet Bell's owes a good portion of their success to the Centennial hop

 

I've heard that Bell's is the largest purchaser of Centennial in the world... so the inverse is also true.

 

Did I say anything to the contrary?

The growers don't like Centennial, but the Brewers do! So the growers keep producing it for their customers.

On my last tour of Bell's, it was stated that they buy about 9% of the crop.

I Homebrew. Bell's has started selling the Bell's Select Centennial at their General Store. Talk about floral!

 

Yes, Bell’s is indeed the largest purchaser of Centennial hops. Some snippets from an interesting article/interview with Larry Bell:

“There are few tap lists or beer menus that don’t include Bell’s Two Hearted IPA these days thanks to its well-balanced malt profile and fruity yet bitter flavor profile that highlights the Centennial hop. Back in the beginning, the hops were actually sourced from Wisconsin; now, Bell’s is the largest purveyor of Centennial hops in the world thanks to the massive year-round production requirements of Two Hearted. But it didn’t start out that way–not even close.”

And:

“Two Hearted’s ability to stand out amongst today’s haze craze as a single-hopped Centennial IPA is a testament to Bell’s brewing process and their ability to get the best quality ingredients for their beer. Larry notes that Bell’s is the world’s largest buyer of Centennial hops, which obviously has its perks. The most paramount being that they often get first choice on the new crop.”

https://www.porchdrinking.com/artic...-talks-about-two-hearted-and-what-comes-next/

I have consumed many a Two Hearted beer and I will occasionally pick up a floral aspect to it that I would not personally specifically detail as being rose-like. For the majority of Sierra Nevada Celebration batches I do not specifically pick up rose in those beers either. But when I do pick up rose in Celebration (e.g., the 2013 batch) I find it to especially enjoyable.

Cheers!

 

I wasn't contradicting you

 

Sorry.

One other thing about Centennial, it is the first to mature. That means it can be processed and baled before the hops like Simcoe and then Citra come on. That is important from a growers perspective.

 

No need to apologize. Just stating that wasn't my intention. I enjoy all the extra info you have.

 

We use geraniol for spikings in our flavor active training. My mom had a massive rose garden when we were kids and when it's spot on in Celebration and Northern Hemisphere, it makes me think of home.

That said, we are looking at doing the Northern Hemisphere with 100% Centennial starting in 2020. It allows for an earlier harvest, release and more rose.

Got the lowdown on San Diego distribution. Crest know covers 100% of Sierra Nevada distribution in SD County. We no longer are carried by ABI-WOD/Markstein out of San Marcos.

@JackHorzempa @ChazMania

 

I would be all for switching to 100% Centennial to give it more of a distinction versus Celebration both in terms of taste and timing. Although I do already think there are some big flavor profile differences.

 

They have sixers and 12s at bevmo in Santee. I'ma get a 12.

 

Terence, my mother had a rose garden as well until... my father got too aggressive with the pruning one year. There was quite a bit of angst in the home when that happened.

Cheers!