Sierra Nevada 2018 Celebration

Okay, hopefully I won't detect any rose in Celebration. I'm not a huge fan of rose flavors to begin with and I DEFINITELY don't want it in Celebration. It's probably my favorite seasonal beer. Picking up a 12-pack later today...fingers crossed.

 

I'm still waiting for it in my area, but I'm going to be snagging at least twelve bottles when it makes it here. It's a fantastic IPA for those of us who like the old school style.

 

Centennial is about the only hop with Cis-rose oxide, which gives the rose aroma.

 

We should all stop and smell the Celebration, each year.

I didn't mean to cause a spice scare with my rose comment. I just like Celebration and Northern when they have that hint of floral notes that adds to the complexity along with pine, citrus and sweet caramel notes. Reminds me of the holidays.

Aroma sensory is amazing how it can trigger memories of days gone by...

 

I hear it's not as '17-y as last year's.

 

Just picked up another 2 6pks. I will likely go through 2+cases at this rate.

I'm in San Diego county so I assume the beer I'm buying is from N Cal; but do they code the Chico and Mills River bottles differently for one to know which location their bottle came from?

Had Northern Hemisphere on draft yesterday, it was outstanding.

 

On the cases and 12 pks, there is an 'M' or 'C' printed with the date code. It's on the bottle necks as well but very light and can be difficult to read. I just checked one of my Celebration Ale bottles and it had an 'M'.

 

Just had my first tonight. Picked up a 12 pack for 14.50 and will likely grab more for that price. Package says "M". A lot more spice forward than I remember last year. Nose comes in with caramel and toffee like sweetness. Taste comes in with that beautiful pine I love and a spice kick that is almost like rye to my taste buds.

 

I just picked up my first six pack this year. I'm excited.

 

$9.70 for a six pack for me. You all getting a 12-pack for ~$14 are lucky. Tried one last night. Tasty beer. Seemed slightly more bitter than I recalled. Has that familiar tangy, citrusy flavor.

 

I am halfway through my second 12 pack so far. Celebration is my desert island beer, and I eagerly await its annual appearance. It's always delicious, some years more so than others, and this year is one of those years. As one poster said above, I'm getting a little spice kick that reminds me of rye. Think I'll go crack one open now. Cheers!

 

It always tastes different to me. Every year. But I think that has more to do with my palate. However, every year it is still a damn good beer. This year, seems more malty than usual. But flavors are popping and am enjoying the hell out of it!

 

Enjoyed a few of these along with some Treehouse stuff (Julius, Bright with Citra, and Haze) on Friday night. I enjoyed Celebration just as much as the others, if not more. There was nothing remarkable about it, but what I enjoyed most was that it was a nice change of pace from the hazy IPAs. It was just a balanced traditional American IPA.

 

I do love this beer! I buy it for our family Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners.....it a tradition for us now and a great one it is.

 

Fresh Celebration, a tradition unlike any other. *Jim Nantz golf voice*

 

Celebration Ale is my favorite beer of all time. It is an incredibly well-made beer, but it also has intense nostalgic value attached to it, for me. In 2005, I was studying music with a private instructor in LA when I turned 21. I just happened to ask my teacher what his favorite beer is, and he replied, "Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale." He told me that it only comes out during the holidays. I turned 21 in July, so I had to wait until late October to get my hands on the stuff. After searching around town, I finally found some. I took it home, took a slug straight from the bottle, and absolutely hated it. I wasn't prepared for the high hop profile. The next day, I poured a bottle into a mug, and hated it a little less. I was determined to like Celebration Ale, though, because my mentor loved it. Over the course of the next year, I tried more and more hop-forward beers and developed my palate. By the time 2006 Celebration hit shelves, I had an "aha" moment: I truly loved and appreciated how great Celebration Ale is. I dearly miss the old label artwork.

 

I'm completely burnt out on these new hazy beers that taste like dry hopped orange juice. Sure, I'll still have a can or two every now and again, but I find them to be awful beers to have more than one in a row.

Now that their uniqueness has worn off, I find myself reverting back to more traditional IPAs (in addition to other great fall beers this time of year).

 

I've made it through two six-packs already and see several more in my future before the season is over. It's a tradition that only dates back a few years for me because this beer was not on my radar before I started lurking on these boards. Better late than never!

 

If I knew how to post a golf clap gif, I would.

 

Sierra Nevada makes the most drinkable beer. This and Pale Ale have such incredible balance that always impresses me.

I don’t think many understand the beauty of it. Most are looking for intensity I suppose. But every year I drink way more celebration than I was planning on. This beer just makes me thirsty for me. It’s the same concept some of my corona drinking friends talk about when they add salt to their beer. Something about the longer on Celebration just makes me want more. Every. Single. Time.

Just bought a 12 pack tonight, and might just have to a get a keg for the basement. I’m tired of running back to the store to grab more celebration over and over again.