Beer of the Weekend #753: Beer Camp Tropical IPA
The beer of the weekend is something I have been eyeing for a couple weeks: Beer Camp Tropical IPA, brewed by the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company of Chico, California (and also Mills River, North Carolina).
The color is light amber that is lending toward medium. A straight pour produces a little more than two fingers of off-white, dense, shiny, bubble-spotted, fluffy head, which settles unevenly and leaves a big, frothy ring around the edge. The aroma is very pleasing and tropical with scents of kiwi and mango. The back label mentions papaya, but I am not very familiar with papaya. There are touches of caramel, pale malt, pineapple, and grapefruit. The flavor is nice and tropical, much like the aroma. It is subtle and tasty. There are flavors of mango, kiwi, and grapefruit. It is nicely balanced as well with caramel and pale malt, and the flavor features a pleasing bitterness. The mouthfeel is creamy, smooth, and soft.
Fun facts about Beer Camp Tropical IPA:
• Style: IPA.
• Price: $8.99 per six-pack at the New Pioneer Food Co-op in Iowa City.
• Alcohol content: 6.7 percent ABV.
• IBU: 55.
• Tropical IPA came out of Sierra Nevada’s Beer Camp. What is the Beer Camp? According to the brewery website, “Beer Camp is the ultimate brewing experience. We invite beer fans into our brewery nearly every week to design their own beer and then we bring it to life. Each spring, we’ll feature one of our favorite collaborations from the previous year.”
• Note how it says “each spring”? Tropical IPA was packaged in December and released recently. It doesn’t feel like spring…
• Speaking of camp, I did not go camping once in 2015. I slept outside in my tent during RAGBRAI, but that was not camping. I definitely need to redeem that poor record in 2016.
The Quiet Man’s grade: B.
The color is light amber that is lending toward medium. A straight pour produces a little more than two fingers of off-white, dense, shiny, bubble-spotted, fluffy head, which settles unevenly and leaves a big, frothy ring around the edge. The aroma is very pleasing and tropical with scents of kiwi and mango. The back label mentions papaya, but I am not very familiar with papaya. There are touches of caramel, pale malt, pineapple, and grapefruit. The flavor is nice and tropical, much like the aroma. It is subtle and tasty. There are flavors of mango, kiwi, and grapefruit. It is nicely balanced as well with caramel and pale malt, and the flavor features a pleasing bitterness. The mouthfeel is creamy, smooth, and soft.
Fun facts about Beer Camp Tropical IPA:
• Style: IPA.
• Price: $8.99 per six-pack at the New Pioneer Food Co-op in Iowa City.
• Alcohol content: 6.7 percent ABV.
• IBU: 55.
• Tropical IPA came out of Sierra Nevada’s Beer Camp. What is the Beer Camp? According to the brewery website, “Beer Camp is the ultimate brewing experience. We invite beer fans into our brewery nearly every week to design their own beer and then we bring it to life. Each spring, we’ll feature one of our favorite collaborations from the previous year.”
• Note how it says “each spring”? Tropical IPA was packaged in December and released recently. It doesn’t feel like spring…
• Speaking of camp, I did not go camping once in 2015. I slept outside in my tent during RAGBRAI, but that was not camping. I definitely need to redeem that poor record in 2016.
The Quiet Man’s grade: B.
