The Swill: Torpedo Extra IPA
The Still: Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
Chico, California
http://www.sierranevada.com
The Drill: India Pale Ale, 12oz bottle, 7.2% ABV
The Spill: Introduced this year, the Torpedo is Sierra Nevada's first IPA with year-round availability. Known for their generous use of hops in nearly every beer they craft, a beer like this is no surprise from them. Huge and hoppy, the beer greets the nose and palate both with an immediate blast of bitterness. The pine-flavored hops never quit in this beer, with a bitterness rating in the 70s to 80s. If it's hops you're looking for, it's hops you'll find if you make this your destination.
Says Bill: The folks at Sierra Nevada take their hops seriously. This beer's press release delves into the full story of the brewery's commitment to using only whole-cone hops. Other brewers save money by using more affordable and accessible hop pellets, which are hops that have been ground and molded into something that resembles hamster food. Sierra Nevada claims that they have only ever used the entire hop cone when making all of their beers. A noble pursuit.
Refill?: Noble is also the name of a popular hop strain. If you're a beer geek, I just made a funny: 3.5 taps out of 5.