Brewery: Sierra Nevada

Beer: Torpedo

Serving Type: Can to a glass

Abv: 7.2%

 

Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA

I was asked this question not too long ago.

“What got you into beer?”

The answer is not complex. I did not grow up with beer. My parents hardly had alcohol in the house growing up. I had a curiosity with alcohol  from books and movies. I wanted to have Rum with Jim Hawkins and Long John Silver in Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island. I wanted to have something from the Mos Eisley Cantina in Star Wars. And, I needed to have a Vodka Martini with James Bond as we investigated Spectre or SMERSH in Dr. No, Goldfinger, or On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.

When adulthood came and I was a senior year in college, I began to explore these curiosities. My first beer was a Budweiser. It was a good choice. I could not tell you what my favorite beer is, but I can tell you it is a long list. One of the beers on this list is featured in this post. Sierra Nevada Torpedo.

Torpedo is a great example of an extra hopped up IPA. Sierra Nevada’s been brewing great beer since 1981, and I’m glad to be around for them.  I decided to review this old stand-by of mine so I grabbed a pint glass and poured a pint can into it. As the beer cascaded into the glass a burnt orange to red liquid color was visible and a three finger off white head formed. The aroma was of resin and pineapple.

The most important part of any beer is its flavors. This beer tastes of floral notes, pine cones and citrus fruits. At the finish there is a clear and present warming burn from the high alcohol content of the beer. Torpedo is a beer that lives up to its name. It is an extra punch for an IPA.

Final Analysis:

Torpedo is not an introduction to Sierra Nevada’s portfolio of beers. It is more so the brown or purple belt to this delicious dojo. Try Sierra Nevada’s flagship Pale Ale then try Torpedo, if you like the Pale Ale and are ready to experience a high gravity IPA.