Sierra Nevada Beer Camp California Common #8

An output of Sierra Nevada's annual Beer Camp, I just picked up two twelve-packs of Sierra Nevada's Best of Beer Camp 2011 Collection (released in the brewery just yesterday).  Because two of the four beers in the pack exceed 8% ABV and I am heading back to the mothership this evening for a Belgium Brewers Beer Dinner this evening (hosted by the head brewers from Lost Abbey, Allagash, Dogfish Head, Avery, and Sierra Nevada), I chose to start the evening with the (relatively lighter) Sierra Nevada Beer Camp California Common #8.

Sierra Nevada Beer Camp California Common #8 had a semi-transparent white head fed by mild carbonation from a transparent orange body.  Ale yeast and aromas of biscuits were prominent in the nose and supported by a sweet pine backing.

Sierra Nevada Beer Camp California Common #8 had a crisp, clean start that immediately revealed the malt-dominated profile of the ale-lager hybrid, toasty and wheat biscuit-like.  The mouth-feel got a little sticky at the end, and it had the iconic "Sierra Nevada Big Body" that managed to be both full but light on the palette.

Of the few takes on the California Common style I've tried (the most iconic being Anchor Steam Beer), Sierra Nevada has created the best.  It has plenty of character and depth that highlights the hybrid brewing style approach without ever loosing the crispness and distinct flavor that typifies the style.  It does weigh in at 20-30% more alcohol than most California Commons, but drinks like a session beer.

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

What options does the Marriott Anaheim lobby bar offer for the discerning beer drinker? "Bud, Bud Light, Coors, Coors Light, Corona, and, uh... Sierra Nevada Pale Ale."

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale was on of the first beers I cut my teeth on, and was the "fancy beer" I drank when I could afford to drink high-class in college. I attended a music festival in the early 2000s where a couple of guys in the Sierra Nevada booth were serving the Pale Ale with a slice of orange... few things have tasted that amazing after a day of concerts out in the open in the blazing July heat.

It has likely been years since I have had a pint of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, and the other hotel offerings made this the clear choice for day twelve.

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale poured orange with a tint of red with the classic sticky Sierra Nevada head and plenty of bubbles (likely from the bottle conditioning The malt comes through the nose more than I remembered, giving off a piney sourdough scent with hints of sweet citrus.

On the tongue, the hops were more subdued but had bite and created a distinct taste of orange as the Ale doughy malts came on. The Pale Ale was a little sticky in the mouth, with all the flavors lingering long after the last swallow.

All in all, a classic Sierra Nevada brew... from the "bigger than most" flavors to their signature sticky hops it is a great session beer. The hoppy bitterness could turn off someone who doesn't drink beer, but in the world of big flavored beers it is on the lighter side. It could be my memory playing tricks on me, but, I remember the Pale Ale being more hop forward. I'm unsure if some of the decreased hop flavor is in my head, due to being older or mis-stored, or because of bottle conditioning versus on tap. Either way, it stands head and shoulders above the Marriott "competition."

ABV 5.6
IBU 37
OG 1.013
TG 1.004

Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Double IPA

My last big beer from the Sierra Nevada Best of Beer Camp 12-Pack, I selfishly held off for one of my favorite styles... Let's see how Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Double IPA stands up to the competition. 

Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Double IPA was topped with a fizzy , tiny white head fed by well carbonated  streams through the copious pale suspended particles floating in its light yellow body.  The nose was almost all sweet pine with balancing floral notes. 

Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Double IPA had a refreshing, mineral opening, cut with carbonation, that evolved into a flowery pine essence that defined the core of the ale.  The middle was hop bliss, a sort of who's who of hop flavors, and the fade brought out subtle dry, toasty malt notes spiced with a little alcohol heat.

Sierra Nevada isn't a brewery known to casually dip their toes in any undertaking, and Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Double IPA is no different, being a  unique entry in the double IPA style by being elegantly simple and non-showy while maintaining the classic Sierra Nevada body and hop profile.  

Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Juniper Black Ale

Probably the most intriguing and unique styles in the Sierra Nevada Best of Beer Camp mixed 12-pack, I'm tasting Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Juniper Black Ale today.

Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Juniper Black Ale poured an impenetrable thick black into the glass that obscured any effervescence, topped by a surprisingly white thin head that cling to the sides of the glass with a sticky tenacity.  Subtle coffee and pine blended together for a nice smooth and spicy nose.

Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Juniper Black Ale opened with a surprisingly bright mineral and lemon start that cut the palette to make way for the big, milk chocolate middle.  Hop spice and dry notes of juniper are present in the background, propped up by some heat and bitterness, but never attempt to overpower the creamy malt profile.  The alcohol heat lingers in the fade, but isn't distracting.

Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Juniper Black Ale is, first and foremost, a well rounded ale. Of the four styles in the 12-pack, Juniper Black Ale deviates the most from the classic Sierra Nevada offerings, being creamier, spicier and more dessert-like with one of the best integrated heat-profiles that actually enhances the core flavors I have experienced. 

A Break From the Usual Tasting... Sierra Nevada Belgian Brewers Beer Dinner

Where to even start?  Sierra Nevada hosted an amazing Belgian Brewers Beer Dinner last night in their Big Room on the brewery campus as a benefit for the Abbey of New Clairvaux as an extension of the partnership already created around the Ovila Abbey-Style Ale collaboration between Sierra Nevada and the Abbey.  

Special guests that night included master brewers Tomme Arthur (Port Brewing/The Lost Abbey), Adam Avery (Avery Brewing), Sam Calagione (Dogfish Head Brewery), Ken Grossman (Sierra Nevada Brewing), and Rob Tod (Allagash Brewing)... a who's who of the North American craft brewing pioneers.  Each brought some of their rarer, Belgian-inspired ales to be paired by food put together by Sierra Nevada's Chef Michael Iles.  Below are some hazy shots of the menus and (most of) the custom coasters brought out for the event.

 

Each of the six course were amazing, the standouts being the Duck and Waffles (inspired by the old jazzman and bluesman 2am meal between dinner and breakfast of fried chicken and waffles) and the Pork Two Ways.    But this is a beer blog, so let's get down to the beer!  

Wild ales, sour ales, and witbiers dominated the evening, with the two biggest surprises being the Avery Dihos Dactylion Sour Ale and Depuceleuse Wild Ale being among the best sours our table had ever tried and the uncharacteristically delicate and subdued Namaste White Beer and Red and White Witbier with Pinot Noir offerings from Dogfish Head, a brewery known for big, bold beers.  As Sam said, he felt like he brought a knife to a gun fight.

  

The complete list of beers, with a couple of thoughts on each-

Allagash Tripel Reserve- A fantastic Tripel I would put against any true Trappist Tripel

Allagash Coolship Red- Not many brewers would trust spontaneous, open fermentation, but Rod Tod took a gamble and won.  The raspberries were a great compliment.

Avery Dihos Dactylion- My favorite of the night.  Cabernet sauvignon brarels added the perfect complexity to this sour.

Avery Brewing Depuceleuse- A close second... this wild ale took on the sour notes of cherries and the Zinfandel barrels.

Dogfish Head Namaste- Sam, never have I experienced a nose as big and aggressive as this, and I certainly wasn't expecting the taste to be as delicate and nuanced with lemongrass and citrus as this.

Dogfish Head Red & White- A witbier made with coriander, orange peel, and pinot noir juice... light but complex.

  

Dogfish Head and Sierra Nevada Oak-Aged Life & Limb- A fun and tasty collaboration between two great brewers, probably the biggest and boldest of the bunch. 

Lost Abbey Red Poppy Ale- In the company of the best sours I have tried, this one stood loud and proud.

Lost Abbey Framboise de Amorosa- Another great sour that unduly suffered by being served at the end of the night ;-)

Lost Abbey Inferno Ale- Paired perfectly with the cheese and was a nice, earthy grounding after a night a sour and wild ales.

Sierra Nevada Ovila- I have a bottle of this at home waiting for a dedicated tasting, so we'll just say it was good for now.

If it sounds like I am gushing, I am.  Sharing a table with other dedicated beer lovers of all stripes, we were in awe and impressed by every course served and every beer that graced our table.  When you bring five of the the most iconic brewers in the USA together in the same room, everyone is bringing their A game.  The brewers were all gracious, humble, and exuded an enthusiasm that couldn't be faked.  I feel fortunate to have been able to attend this one-time event, meet so many great brewers, and support the Abbey of New Clarivaux. 

Me crashing the brewer's table.

Father Paul Mark Schwan 

Cutting Loose as the Night Went On...

Dad and I

Sierra Nevada Glissade Goden Bock

Being not too familiar with the golden/blonde bock style, I 'm doing a head-to head tonight with Sierra Nevada Glissade Golden Bock and Gordon Biersch Blonde Bock.

Sierra Nevada Glissade Golden Bock, true to it's name, poured a golden, honey-yellow into the glass with light carbonation trails and a slight white head lining the edge of the glass.  The nose was a bit crisper than the Gordon Biersch Blonde Bock, with a lime and roasted corn nose.

Although Sierra Nevada Glissade is a bit subdued for a Sierra Nevada brew, it had much more hop up front and a slightly cleaner start.  Soft citrus turned to a core of sweet cornbread (much less pronounced than in the Blonde Bock) and faded to a slightly astringent linger.

I don't know that I could tell you where I landed on this head to head.  Sierra Nevada Glissade is a crisper, more refreshing brew than Gordon Biersch Blonde Bock, but seemed slightly less committed to staying true to the variety.

Sierra Nevada Southern Hemisphere Harvest Ale

Sierra Nevada Southern Hemisphere Harvest Ale, the summer wet-hopped offering from Sierra Nevada, poured a dark orange into the glass with a huge, foamy off-white head.  The aroma of floral and citrusy hops was especially fresh and present, backed by sweet malts that added hints of peach.

Sierra Nevada Southern Hemisphere Harvest Ale opened crisp and hop-forward, with orange, peach, and grapefruit standing out and darkening as the caramel settled in.  Despite a dry fade, the ale brought on notes of pine and grass along with a lingering bitterness.

Sierra Nevada Southern Hemisphere Harvest Ale is a luxury few breweries could bring to market, with the overnight shipment of hops from New Zealand and 24 hour turnaround for brewing.  It is similar to their other wet hop offerings, if maybe lighter than both and slightly more subdued than their Northern Hemisphere Harvest Ale.  Hey… it’s Sierra Nevada, just buy a bottle.

Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale (2011)

Sierra Nevada gave me my first "big beer" a handful of years ago by way of Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale... I'm excited to open my first bottle of their 2011 batch of the brew.

Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale poured a thick, soupy head propped up by mild carbonation over a near transparent, acorn-brown body.  The nose was full of pine, candy sugar, and subtle hints of pitted fruits.

Despite the mild amount of carbonation observed, Sierra Nevada Bigfoot hit my mouth with a well carbonated, fruity hop front.  The core of the body was reminiscent of poached peaches; ripe fruit with notes of honey and vanilla framed by a subtle bitterness.  The fruity sweetness became more pronounced as the taste faded, with the bitterness drying out the finish.

To my knowledge, Sierra Nevada was one of the first big craft brewers to make a barleywine style ale a part of their regular seasonal lineup, and it certainly set the bar high.  After some coaxing, even the light beer drinkers in my group gave it a try and praised balancing act between a big, nuanced beer and ease drinking.

Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Long Stem IPA

Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Long Stem IPA , Sierra Nevada Beer Camp brew #77 made by/for 4 Daughters Irish Pub, poured a clear, iced tea hue into the sample glass, topped with a sticky, short lived head.  The nose carried forward lemon, pine, and rosewater over a slightly sharp biscuit background.

Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Long Stem IPA opened with an average, pine and lemon hops start over a light, dry malt background.  As the hops mellowed on the tongue, a watery rose flavor came through and added a floral peppery edge to the ale.  Long Stem IPA ended surprisingly crisp and light, without much flavor or bitterness hanging around in the watery fade.

 Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Long Stem IPA is a respectable beer with some interesting characteristics.  The ale feels and tastes more like a pale ale than an IPA (especially coming from the hop heads at Sierra Nevada), although the malt is significantly drier and lighter than their commercial offerings, and the hop profile is appropriately reigned in to allow the more subtle additions of rose hips and lemon zest to shine through.

Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Weizenbock #37

Sierra Nevada Beer Camp beer number two... Sierra Nevada Best of Beer Camp Weizenbock #37.

Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Weizenbock #37 poured an incredibly hazy honey color into the glass with vigorous carbonation feeding a frothy white head.  Aromas of banana and clove were most present, but a subtle hop presence added some pine and spice.

Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Weizenbock #37 opened with a huge, sweet banana start that carried through a Belgian yeast funk into the body of the beer.  The middle was sweet to the point of being overbearing, but the ale surprisingly spiced up as it faded, bringing through some more interesting pepper flavors that cut the sweetness.

Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Weizenbock #37 certainly sits as a wheat ale with bock character, and is much more closely related to the wheat bears in Europe than those made on this side of the pond.  Another beer that is a bit too much on its own but that would shine with spicy food.

Sierra Nevada Life and Limb 2 Ale Dogfish Head Collaboration

Sierra Nevada Life and Limb 2, a collaboration between Sierra Nevada and Dogfish Head, poured a murky dark brown into the glass with red highlights and a thick, foamy beige head.  The nose carried forward strong notes of maple syrup, baker’s chocolate, caramel, and dark brown sugar. 

Sierra Nevada Life and Limb 2 opened with sweet maple and brown sugar and  a lightly hopped, dark citrus note that lingered as the darker malts came forward and settled.  The ale became slightly sticky in the mouth until vanilla, maple, and cocoa flavors dried out my mouth.  Life and Limb ended on a heated, semi-sweet fade and left my breath smelling like maple syrup.

Sierra Nevada Life and Limb 2 is and excellent and exciting collaboration from the two coasts’ biggest craft brewers.  The concept of each providing a local, personal ingredient is fun, and the result is a thoroughly enjoyable take on the American strong ale… I purchased several bottles and will be laying most of the to age a year or two, as Life and Limb shows strong signs of getting much better with a little resting.

Sierra Nevada Ovila Saison

Sierra Nevada Ovila Saison, the spring offering from Ovila, a collaboration between Sierra Nevada and the Abbey of New Clairvaux, poured a golden honey hue into the glass, no carbonation, and was topped with a creamy white head.  Funky yeast aromas of banana, clove, and grass led the nose with a distinct Saison twang, although notably softer and more muted than many classic examples. 

Sierra Nevada Ovila Saison opened with spicy pepper and a hint of lemon brightness before a honey-like sweet malt coated the mouth.  As the ale settled and eventually faded from the palette, banana and clove made brief highlights before the yeasty dry finish. 

Sierra Nevada Ovila Saison is a delicious, bright take on the farmhouse ale.  A little subdued for the style (although this could change over time as this ale was only just released), this Saison was as big a hit with beer haters as it was with the beer geeks in the tasting group.  The lack of bitterness and exotic, but restrained, funk caught the interest of everyone who tried it.

Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Hopsichord Imperial IPA

Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Hopsichord Imperial IPA, brew number 36 from Sierra Nevada's Beer Camp, poured a ruby gold into the glass, with mild carbonation trailing to a thin, sticky white head.  The nose carried forward tropical notes of pineapple, melon, and light caramel.


Sierra Nevada Hopischord IPA opened with a lead of melon and pineapple over a grapefruit rind bitterness.  Sweet caramel came through in the middle, and the sweeter fruit notes darkened to sweet orange notes as the ale faded, followed by mild, lingering bitterness and alcohol heat.


Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Hopsichord Ale was an interesting beer to try out, but it lacks a lot of the refinement and balance many beers of similar composition have.  The constant, but light, bitterness was at odds with the sweetness of the hops, and I spent more time wishing it would calm down than I did enjoying what is an otherwise pretty good ale.

Sierra Nevada Celebration

What better way to kick off the year of beer than with a little Celebration?  I have a special place in my heart reserved for winter seasonal beers and Sierra Nevada's Celebration has always topped the list with it's hoppy profile and winter-inspired art (at the end of the day it's all about flavor, but let's be honest... style doesn't hurt). 

For years I've held the suspicion Celebration was essentially a bold IPA with a little extra malt for color.  This year, Sierra Nevada states it proudly on the label, calling it 2010 Celebration Fresh Hop Ale... and hopped it is!

I had the fortune of having a six-pack of this beer (among with several others to be reviewed in the upcoming weeks) brought straight from the Sierra Nevada brewery as a Christmas treat.  After a nice Greek pizza for dinner, I cracked open a bottle, poured it into a snifter and sat by the fire.

Poured into the glass, Celebration had a honey-amber hue with some orange/red tints and presented a head that was light in density but long lasting and clung to the sides of the glass.  Throughout the ten minutes of consumption, the ale maintained it's initial light effervescence, and never lost a thin layer of head.  The aroma was equal measures grapefruit and pine without being cloying or overly-aggressive. 

The taste, as in years past, was classic BIG Pacific Northwest IPA.  The hops certainly took centerstage when they first hit my tongue, delivering on the olfactory promise of big citrus and Christmas trees.  This was followed by a pleasing, if extremely subtle, caramel-malt taste and faded into a lingering bitterness of grapefruit rind.  Celebration was a medium-bodied beer with a slightly sticky mouth-feel that was offset by the effervescence, but had staying power and lingered long after my last sip. 

All in all, Sierra Nevada Celebration continues to deliver for beer lovers who embrace hops and are looking to keep warm during the winter months. 

ABV 6.8%
IBU 65
OG 16.0 Platos
TG 4.0 Platos

Sierra Nevada Ovila Quad Belgian Ale

Sierra Nevada Ovila Quad, the last published ale offering from the Ovila collaboration between Sierra Nevada and the Abbey of New Clairvaux, a Belgian Quad-style Ale, poured a dark, deep brown topped with a vigorous, foamy tan head fed by rapid carbonation trails.  The nose carried prominent Belgian funk, with dark fruits, dark candi sugar, a a mint and pepper bite layered beneath.


Sierra Nevada Ovila Quad opened with a surprisingly big pepper and mint bite that mellowed into a menthol coldness that coated the mouth.  Although the menthol sensation lingered throughout the tasting, sweet candi sugar, tobacco, and burnt sugar all made appearances before the ale mellowed off the a biting, menthol finish. It should be noted that many of the less desirable (or at least more distracting) aspects of the ale lessened as the ale warmed to closer to room temperature.


Sierra Nevada Ovila Quad is not for the weak of heart, and was certainly one of the more challenging ales they have offered.  While the uniqueness of the ale is worth checking out, the price and strange melange of flavors make it a difficult one to recommend.  I'll likely buy another bottle and put it away for 6-12 months to see what it mellows into, as it seems very young at this point.

Sierra Nevada Black Hop Rising Lager

Sierra Nevada Black Hop Rising Lager, apparently only available at the Sierra Nevada tap house, poured pitch black out of the growler, topped with an off-white head.  The nose had a medium-bodied aroma of corn and noble hops.

Sierra Nevada Black Hop Rising Lager opened smooth, with light peppery bitterness and some crisp apple notes leading wat to light buttery popcorn and slight hop bitterness.  Despite the dark color, the lager maintained the lager body and yeast overtones through a dry, buttery finish.

Leave it to Sierra Nevada to make a lager this interesting and ale-like. 

Sierra Nevada Ovila Dubbel

Sierra Nevada Ovila Dubbel, the summer offering from Ovila, a collaboration between Sierra Nevada and the Abbey of New Clairvaux, poured a semi-carbonated cola color into the glass with a fluffy, sticky aged-bone head.  The nose carried forward sweet banana and honey with a distinct, musky fermented grape undertone.

Sierra Nevada Ovila Dubbel opened with a strong, malty start of caramel and sweet bread and a touch of lemon zing keeping the ale from getting too dark.  The Dubbel settles firmly into the banana and sweet dark bread hinted at in the nose, and only really lightened up as it dried to an extended, peppery yeast close.

Sierra Nevada Ovila Dubbel is an interesting (Americanized) take on the Dubbel and is worth checking out, but doesn’t quite make it to the pantheon of great Dubbels I have tried.  A worthy cause and a cool back-story add cache to the drinking experience, but I look forward to stronger offerings in the Ovila line.   

Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary Grand Cru Brewers Reserve

Sierra Nevada 30^th Anniversary Grand Cru Brewers Reserve, a limited release blend of dry hopped oak-aged Bigfoot, Celebration Ale, and fresh Pale Ale by brewing icon Sierra Nevada, poured an amazingly huge, sudsy beige head over a rich dark brown body.  Resinous and citric hop aromas held surprisingly strong alongside oak, vanilla, and dark chocolate. 

Sierra Nevada Grand Cru opened bright and carbonated, with loads of oak over toffee vanilla and booze right out of the gate.  The dryness didn’t subside as the caramel sweetness of Celebration and dark roastiness of Bigfoot came through, and a heated bourbon quality warmed as the ale settled on the tongue.  The tannic middle lessened as the ale began to fade, and notes of citrus and pine hinted at in the nose came through, ending the ale on a gripping, dry bitter fade.

Sierra Nevada 30^th Anniversary Grand Cru is an experience any big beer lover should have.  Well balanced, unabashedly aggressive, yet subtle and deep as your palette is willing to take you.  Grand Cru is one of the rare times where an ale truly feels more akin to an aged premium liquor than “just another beer”.  Gone from their site, hopefully this isn’t gone from the shelves… I need to pick up a couple of bottles to through in the closet for a later date.

Sierra Nevada Old Chico Crystal Wheat

Let's start off "California Brews" week with another something special (so rare, in fact, that it isn't available outside the city where it's brewed) from Sierra Nevada Brewing Company. Sierra Nevada has a sub-brand, "Old Chico", that is brewed exclusively for the city of Chico, both as a way of giving the community what they want and paying homage to the "think regional" philosophy they live by.  I was fortunate enough to get exposed to Sierra Nevada's Old Chico Crystal Wheat last year, and the always gracious Crystal donated one of her bottles to the 365 Days of Beer cause...

Sierra Nevada Old Chico Crystal Wheat poured a crystal-clear (pun assumed) bright yellow into the glass with a sparse white head.  The nose was surprisingly pine-centric for a wheat beer, but there were unmistakable, Hefeweisen-like wheat notes.

Old Chico Crystal Wheat drank big and bright up front, capturing the mouth feel of big hops without being piney or citrusy and certainly not bitter.  The big front faded into a lemon tinged biscuit flavor with some grassy aftertaste.

This beer is surprisingly hopped and clear for a wheat beer, but maintains the fundamental character of the wheat varietals.  Highly drinkable, very refreshing... this is a perfect beer for a hot summer day.

Sierra Nevada Hoptimum Whole-Cone Imperial IPA

Day six of the California beers brings me back to Chico and the always prolific line of beers brewed by Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. with Sierra Nevada Hoptimum Whole-Cone Imperial IPA.  Touted as being Sierra Nevada's biggest, hoppiest ale ever by way of five different hop varietals, a combination of three hopping methods, and a three digit IBU, this ale seemed like a challenge any IPA lover would have to take on.

Poured in the glass, Hoptimum was a golden caramel color; see-through but slightly hazy with a somewhat cloudy head, slightly thick and little to no carbonation.  The smell was surprisingly sweet and orange-scented for all the mention of hops, citrus and sugar with some alcohol burn to it.

The first few sips of Hoptimum were surprising, with a dominant sweet honey and woody front competing with the floral and citrus notes of the hops.  The ale was sticky in the mouth as the opening faded and a grapefruit rind and alcohol fumes lingered. Oddly, a couple of minutes being opened seemed to round out the ale, with the hops taking lead with a sweet strawberry (rhubarb?) flavor and the finish cleaning up quite a bit.  Even for a double-digit ABV, Hoptimum was surprisingly warm in my belly; both physically pleasant and complimentary to the earthy undertones.

If I hadn't had Crystal drinking with me and reporting a similar experience, I would have assumed my mind had been playing tricks on me. I'm unsure if the transformation was the result of the beer truly "opening up" or a little palette conditioning being needed to bring out what Hoptimum is all about, but I'm happy to say what started as a somewhat confusing and disappointing taste quickly became very enjoyable.  22oz of the ale, however, is about as much as I could see enjoying in an evening, so I'll be moving on to a lighter ale for the rest of the evening and keep that second bottle to kick off another evening...