Albert Einstein is famously quoted as once saying "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results". For most breweries, making a winter ale is a chance to pull out all the stops and try something new, bold and daring with your beer. It's a chance to create something new and distinctive; to create a beer that sets itself apart from other beers in terms of taste and quality. The other night I tried Anderson Valley Brewery's Winter Solstice, which was a great example of what a winter ale should be. Tonight I'm drinking Sierra Nevada's Celebration Ale which I'm sad to report, doesn't quite live up to the standard in my mind of what a winter ale should be.
Sierra Nevada is a pretty well respected brewery on the west coast, what could possibly be so bad about their Celebration Ale? It's not that Sierra Nevada has necessarily done anything wrong with Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale, it actually tastes great. In fact, it tastes so good that I couldn't notice any real difference between the Celebration Ale, and Sierra Nevada's flagship pale ale. Sure, the color was a reddish amber that looked different from the pale ale. Sure there were some hints here and there of herbs that you won't find in the pale ale. But making a winter ale is all about doing something decidedly different from your standard beer. If you don't tweak the recipe enough, it just seems like you're simply repackaging your old beer and calling it something new. That's how I felt when I drank Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale. I loved the taste of this ale, and I will almost certainly drink it again, but for me it wasn't different enough from the Sierra Nevada pale ale.
By Einstein's definition, what Sierra Nevada is doing is insanity. But who doesn't like a little insanity in their life every now and then? I know I'm being pretty critical, and it says a lot about a beer when I can only find fault in the way the beer is packaged and marketed. If you are a fan of Sierra Nevada pale ale, I personally guarantee that you will thoroughly enjoy this beer, or I will buy you a beer of your choice! (Offer contingent on $5 processing fee to be paid on the date of purchase. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. Offer only good in apartment #2213 of The Palms apartment complex in Laguna Niguel, CA. Consult the 365brews.com website for more information. How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck would chuck wood? Just seeing if anyone was still reading this crap).
Cheers!
Ian
http://www.sierranevada.com/
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