Sierra Nevada wrote:

Our most popular beer, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, is a delightful interpretation of a classic style. It has a deep amber color and an exceptionally full-bodied, complex character. Generous quantities of premium Cascade hops give the Pale Ale its fragrant bouquet and spicy flavor.

“Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is the flagship beer, the one that made Chico famous. It is a flawless beer that opens with bright, perky high notes of maltiness and orange blossom and segues into a delectable hoppiness.”

– Elaine Louie, Premier Beer—A Guide to America’s Best Bottled Microbrews
GOLD MEDAL WINNER
Great American Beer Festival (American Pale Ale: 1995, 1994, 1993;
Classic English Pale Ale: 1992; Pale Ale: 1990, 1989, 1987)

Kicked 6/13/11.

Good beer, but I found I was allergic to the hops.  I’ll try it again at some point but didn’t have the confidence to drink it after one.

Sierra Nevada writes;

Each fall we celebrate our anniversary as one of America’s craft brewing pioneers with a special beer.

Anniversary Ale is an American-style IPA featuring Cascade hops, the signature hop used in our Pale Ale. The beer has a pronounced pine and citrus hop aroma balanced by the sweetness of two-row pale and caramel malts. The result is an unusually well-balanced IPA that proves an IPA can be both assertive and elegant. Anniversary Ale is a medium-bodied, well-hopped ale that finishes with a slight malt sweetness.

The 2008 batch got an “A-” on BA (up from a B+ in 2007).  It’s just been tapped and I’m looking forwards to having it on tap for a while!

This beer was on tap for a very long 39 days and had the highest consumption rate (partially due to me giving out 2-3 growers of it).  I wasn’t a fan of this beer – I thought it was much too hoppy and the drinkability suffered.