10,000 Vinyasas

When it comes to beer, I’m a big hops fan. Big, hoppy IPAs make me smile and my taste buds applaud. There’s nothing better than visiting the Oregon Brewer’s Festival, a mecca for hops-loving beer nerds like me. I’ve liked Sierra Nevada’s Pale Ale, and their seasonal Celebration Ale is just about the best beer on the planet, in my totally subjective opinion, so this particular beer had some interest for me. I liked the coppery color, and the hops are plentiful. Nice big bitter taste. This is on par with Stone and Lagunitas, two California brewers who specialize in the American hoppy IPA style. Not quite the flavor and complexity of Celebration Ale, but still pretty darn good. The Sierra Nevada appellation suggests that one can find it on sale every so often, and so it was for the six pack I picked up the other day: $7.23. 7.2% ABV. Nice. Verdict: You could do a lot worse for this price. Of course, we do patronize local breweries who make their own fresh beer (see blogroll), but this is perfectly fine for store-bought beer.

I found this quirky little 11 ounce bottle, once again, on closeout at my local Costco, and picked up a bunch. Interesting beer; the “session” refers to the fact that it’s made for drinking several at a time. The relatively lower alcohol content (5.1 ABV) is proof (hah!) of this, but the taste is quite a bit better than a typical American lager. It’s not Sierra Nevada Celebration, but it’s got body and flavor, and for $3.75/6 pack, it ain’t bad. Here’s a pic: