Beer Camp

The time has come once again to release the beers of Beer Camp. Sierra Nevada is even offering up the contest again... will I make another video... hmmm... Check out mine from last year. It would be a great escape from work. Though, I cannot wait until They open the new location out here in Asheville. I guess only time, and if an idea comes to mind, will tell. Especially since I only have until the end of the month!



The first beer of this go around will be the Imperial Pilsner. The beer is described as,

Packing a big hop-forward punch and bright crisp finish, this golden pilsner features a hearty dose of "sticky," resinous Crystal and Pacifica dry hops, which balance the light-bodied yet complex malt backbone.

Would I agree? Yes. HAH! This was a very tasty pilsner. Though, a pilsner for sure. It took the things that I could never really get my head around and flipped it completely. The hops blended really well even though this was an "Imperial" version... not that I really know what that means in this style...





This next beer I am expecting big things from just because of the reputation Sierra Nevada has. Floral IPA. They are pretty much just as big as Stone, (even though they are bigger than Stone), of a name when it comes to IPA's. I expect nothing but the best.

This unique take on the traditional IPA style pairs the bold and intense aromas of whole-cone hop "flowers" with aromatic natural rose hips and petals for complex aromas and unexpected flavors.

Upon opening the bottle you get that deep, big floral nose immediately. The scent pretty much fills the whole room. Now that is what I call quality. I was expecting a really bitter beer just from my experiences with Sierra Nevada but flavor is what runs the show here. A nice caramel and bready background with the sweet juicy hops lying over it. Like I said, I was expecting big things and look what I got. A masterpiece.



Maybe the Oatmeal Stout was not the next best to go with, but lets call it a palate cleanser.

This big oatmeal stout is midnight black in color-with a big, roasty, mocha-like aroma. It has a silky body from the use of rolled oats, and a round and lasting finish. Perfect as an after dinner treat.

Very good advice there about after dinner. I had it before dinner so I guess I don't listen to things that I am told but it was a damn fine oatmeal stout. Alcoholic on the nose and in the flavor but very mellow and full bodied malt profile. It has some nice stout crispness but the oatmeal really helps to balance this one. Sweet and yeah. I know right lol.

This Imperial red Ale takes the intense hop profile found in a traditional double IPA and turns up the malt. It has big aromatic hop notes of grapefruit, peach, and melon-balanced by smooth and surprisingly robust malt body.

The fruity flavors are the major production of flavor in this brew. It does just as it says. This was probably a perfect written description. This beer is not about the bitterness of a double IPA. It is all about the flavor and that is what I love. So many people ignore that when they throw IPAs together. Seriously, another great brew. Point blank.

This pack has actually impressed me a lot more than the one released last year. And I loved the Weizenbock they released. All of the beers in this pack seemed to flow together and not really just try to stand on their own... maybe they wanted to attract more customers by using a similar flavor profile, or maybe they just decided to pull out the big guns this year... either way, Beer Camp did well.

Cheers!