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Good evening guys :)
Today I went to an old university buddy of mine, who recently
openened his own craft beer store in the town of Bochum.
He has a sick collection of beer from around the world and also
most of my favorite american beers.
So I got 6 different styles to do more reviews :)
Today I like to talk about my impressions of Sierra Nevadas
Torpedo Extra IPA.
I guess most of you will know that product and it's one of a kind
characteristics. But anyway here is some info about the brewery :)
Founded in 1980 through Ken Grossman in the town of Chico CA.,
Sierra Nevada was one of the first craftbeer breweries catering
a larger audience. Today it is the seventh largest brewery in the US.
They took part in the World Beer Cup several times and won
two times bronce, three times silver and two times gold.
The beer:
Look and foam ->
When poured in the tasting glass the Torpedo Extra IPA shows a very nice
amber color that might come through the use of munich caramel malt.
It is not super clear but a little bit hazy.
The foam is very stabil and shows medium sized pores.
Its colored in a white slightly beige tone.
The beer looks really fresh and tasty. And my impression is,
that it kind of resembles the sunset in the high sierras.
The smell ->
When smelling very close to the top of the foam, a mixture of
different citrus fruits is detectable, with none prominent in the foreground.
From farther away there are light maracuja notes accompanied by some
lovely wavering guave tones. It's crazy, the Torpedo reminds me
of a fruit cocktail rather than an IPA.
The taste ->
The first sip opens the door to a heaven of complexity and colorful
flavor layers. First I notice the oh so typical and much loved
harsh bitterness of an IPA. This bitterness lays around my tongue as
it was the framing of the whole construct. When swallowing the first thing
that comes to mind is a powerfull citrusy note that incoorporates
a very shy sweetness. It tell you folks that itself makes this
beer incredible and absolutely rewarding. BUT the best is yet to come
when normally drank the Torpedo is a very nice beer but when you take
a sip and allow some oxygen to come in your mouth and mix
it with the fluid its mind blowing. You start tasting a multitude of well
rounded flavors. A very sweet maracuja comes to mind that is almost
prickling and juicy. It is surrounded by a intense bitter sweet guave flavor
that underlines the presence of the beer. There are notes lemon and maybe
a slight mango note shines through here and there. The enourmess
bitterness places itself in the background as if it was to open
more space for the different aromas and the sweetness.
Some people can detect a slight taste of pine and herbs, I don't.
That beeing said, I really don't miss those flavors, as I would imagine
that would make for a medicineish kind of taste.
My thoughts ->
There are many really good westcoast IPAs on the market right now,
but the Torpedo Extra remains something special for me.
In my opinion there is to date no other IPA that is so manifold
and well rounded that I ever tasted. The use of citra hops in addition
to the one of a kind brewing process makes this beer one of a kind.
I wouldn't recommend it to the average beer drinker though.
For a beginner this beer due to its harsh bitterness and complexity
could be to big of a challenge. But for those who have have already wandered
the paths to the promised land, this beer is an explosion of tastiness :)
Additional Info:
The beer contains 7.2% vol. of alcohol.
Specialty hops are citra, as for for malt it is caramel.
It is rated with 65 IBUs!
Pricewise it is 2.99€/350ml
I hope you like the review and give it a shot when the possibility comes :)
Special thanks to my buddy Max of Biermuda Bochum for offering all that good stuff.
Have a great one
Matze
Today I went to an old university buddy of mine, who recently
openened his own craft beer store in the town of Bochum.
He has a sick collection of beer from around the world and also
most of my favorite american beers.
So I got 6 different styles to do more reviews :)
Today I like to talk about my impressions of Sierra Nevadas
Torpedo Extra IPA.
I guess most of you will know that product and it's one of a kind
characteristics. But anyway here is some info about the brewery :)
Founded in 1980 through Ken Grossman in the town of Chico CA.,
Sierra Nevada was one of the first craftbeer breweries catering
a larger audience. Today it is the seventh largest brewery in the US.
They took part in the World Beer Cup several times and won
two times bronce, three times silver and two times gold.
The beer:
Look and foam ->
When poured in the tasting glass the Torpedo Extra IPA shows a very nice
amber color that might come through the use of munich caramel malt.
It is not super clear but a little bit hazy.
The foam is very stabil and shows medium sized pores.
Its colored in a white slightly beige tone.
The beer looks really fresh and tasty. And my impression is,
that it kind of resembles the sunset in the high sierras.
The smell ->
When smelling very close to the top of the foam, a mixture of
different citrus fruits is detectable, with none prominent in the foreground.
From farther away there are light maracuja notes accompanied by some
lovely wavering guave tones. It's crazy, the Torpedo reminds me
of a fruit cocktail rather than an IPA.
The taste ->
The first sip opens the door to a heaven of complexity and colorful
flavor layers. First I notice the oh so typical and much loved
harsh bitterness of an IPA. This bitterness lays around my tongue as
it was the framing of the whole construct. When swallowing the first thing
that comes to mind is a powerfull citrusy note that incoorporates
a very shy sweetness. It tell you folks that itself makes this
beer incredible and absolutely rewarding. BUT the best is yet to come
when normally drank the Torpedo is a very nice beer but when you take
a sip and allow some oxygen to come in your mouth and mix
it with the fluid its mind blowing. You start tasting a multitude of well
rounded flavors. A very sweet maracuja comes to mind that is almost
prickling and juicy. It is surrounded by a intense bitter sweet guave flavor
that underlines the presence of the beer. There are notes lemon and maybe
a slight mango note shines through here and there. The enourmess
bitterness places itself in the background as if it was to open
more space for the different aromas and the sweetness.
Some people can detect a slight taste of pine and herbs, I don't.
That beeing said, I really don't miss those flavors, as I would imagine
that would make for a medicineish kind of taste.
My thoughts ->
There are many really good westcoast IPAs on the market right now,
but the Torpedo Extra remains something special for me.
In my opinion there is to date no other IPA that is so manifold
and well rounded that I ever tasted. The use of citra hops in addition
to the one of a kind brewing process makes this beer one of a kind.
I wouldn't recommend it to the average beer drinker though.
For a beginner this beer due to its harsh bitterness and complexity
could be to big of a challenge. But for those who have have already wandered
the paths to the promised land, this beer is an explosion of tastiness :)
Additional Info:
The beer contains 7.2% vol. of alcohol.
Specialty hops are citra, as for for malt it is caramel.
It is rated with 65 IBUs!
Pricewise it is 2.99€/350ml
I hope you like the review and give it a shot when the possibility comes :)
Special thanks to my buddy Max of Biermuda Bochum for offering all that good stuff.
Have a great one
Matze
" -- 
Sorry, not much of a beer aficionado. 
Don't know if I could identify many of them by name or taste. 
Might ought to consider a writing/reviewing gig in the future. 
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