Why doesn't Sierra Nevada have a "standard" production IPA?

What's the difference between Extra IPA and regular IPA?
7.2% falls within the standard IPA abv guideline.

 

Torpedo is classified as an American IPA.

 

I look at Torpedo as their year round IPA...because it is. They just put extra on there because they want to, it doesn't really mean anything. Yes, it's higher ABV than most single IPAs, but it's just a term. I personally am in love with Torpedo and couldn't ask for a better year round IPA from them.

 

It's the Pale Ale.

 

They once had one - Sierra Nevada India Pale Ale (don't remember the exact years, but I sure wouldn't go by the dates on some of those reviews.)

 

They do...it's called Torpedo.

 

I've always considered SNPA to be an IPA. It's certainly hoppy enough.

 

Anyone know why they stopped brewing this? I remember really enjoying this one when I first got into craft beer. Looking at my reviews, I notice that I reviewed it back in March 2006. The review says I wasn't really into IPAs at that time. How things change...

 

Wow, I have never seen that before and I lived in CA for the last 23 years. While scrolling through the reviews, I noticed that the reviewers were disproportionately outside CA, for a CA based brewery (yes, acknowledging the omnipresence of SN). I am wondering if this was made specifically for markets outside of CA, because I would think that label would at least look familiar to me and that there would be a lot more CA based reviewers.

 

Stop with the madness, please I can't take it anymore.

An IPA is more than just hops. A good IPA has a huge malt flavor and way more body than a pale ale. SNPA is a pale ale, not an IPA no matter how hoppy it is.

 

Torpedo is their everyday IPA, and a damn good one at that. I see they are now putting it in sixtels....happy days!

 

It was a British style IPA and most did not "get it" on the review sites. It had its following. I had it at the taproom circa 2007 and thought it was a good IPA.

 

It's Torpedo. You're thinking too much.

 

Yep, Torpedo is their standard IPA. And it's one of the more under-appreciated IPAs out there. Fantastic brew.

 

Wait, are you serious?

 

I still own and wear that ipa logo shirt, bought it in Chico in and had the beer but didn't really enjoy it.

 

Like garuda says, this seems like overthinking. Torpedo is an American IPA, my guess is that it is essentially the same recipe as when they called it just IPA, but then changed the name with the introduction of the Hop Torpedo dry-hopper used to produce it. This could also be why they call it an extra IPA, because this dry hopping technique is something special above, constituting the "extra." That would be my guess, if anyone thinks I'm wrong let me know..

 

Yeah - Torpedo is their American IPA. Also, does it matter? There are so so so so many IPAs on the market, what does SN have to gain from adding another? Especially considering they already make Ruthless, Celebration and Torpedo. Even if they create a successful IPA brand, there's a chance that it would cannibalize sales from Torpedo.

Not every brewery needs to brew an IPA. Yeah, it's the most popular style in the segment, but in a lot of ways it's hurting craft beer. you see it on this site - if a beer isn't hoppy enough, or strong enough, or bursting with some sort of flavor enough, it gets bashed as being dull and boring. It's kind of like the antithesis of the 1980s and before when most beer tasted the same. Then, it was all pale lagers. Now, (at least in the craft segment) it's all hoppy IPA.

If you like IPAs a lot, by all means keep drinking them. It's a free country. If you like beer, branch out. Find a good lager brewer, or a good session beer brewer, and get to know beer at a real level. There's so much more than hops, you guys.

Not saying I don't love IPAs and hoppy beers, just that we shouldn't get so caught up with labels and hops that threads like "Why doesn't SN brew a standard IPA" pop up. It really shouldn't be a concern.