Sierra Nevada Sidecar Orange IPA American IPA at 6.8% ABV | 45 IBU (C$3.55 at Collective, 355 ml, packaged on 27-Apr-2018, acquired 14-Aug-2018, reviewed 16-Aug-2018)
Appearance: slightly hazy pale gold with one fat finger of creamy white head, excellent retention and well-defined lacing. (5/5) Aroma: orange peel, citrus flesh, caramel, pine, floral, grass. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, oily lingering bitter finish. (4/5)
Possibly not everyone’s cup of tea, but I like this a lot. The orange peel is clearly present, but doesn’t utterly overwhelm the underlying citrus, caramel, and pine of the base IPA. I’ve called the bitter moderate, which it is, on the front end, but the oily orange peel builds in the finish, and it ends up being more astringent and bitter than you might expect for 45 IBU. Which I like, but again, your mileage may vary. The big citrus presence ends up making this feel almost like a Radler – if you were to make one with an Imperial IPA. (17/20)
8.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
