Sierra Nevada 'Beer Camp 2015' Hoppy Lager. 7% abv. 55 IBU. Orange-honey color. Thick bubbly white head. Excellent retention and lace. Nose of citrus, bread, light malt. Front taste of ample bright hops, light malt, slightly sweet. Aftertaste of bitter floral hops, fresh herbal, smooth back end. Medium body. Mouthfeel is warm, carby, hop bite.

This is an excellent beer, with its fresh hoppy profile and light fruit notes. The hop bitter taste pops, yet is smooth, easy drinking, on through the aftertaste sustain. Grab one of these limited-release brews while you can. Recommended.

From the brewery:

"This hop-heavy beer combines intense citrus and floral hop flavors with the clean, classic malt body of a hearty blonde lager for a crisp but aggressive take on the India Style Pale Lager... Last summer we teamed up with San Diego's Ballast Point for a hop-head twist on a crisp lager. We remixed this encore which is loaded with whole-cone hops in the brew kettle and in our Hop Torpedo to deliver a bold aroma backed by smooth malt flavor... Beer Camp is the ultimate brewing experience. We bring beer fans into our brewery nearly every week to create their own beer with us—the more daring the better—and each spring we’ll highlight one of the small-batch standouts. Last year, Beer Camp worked overtime. Along with our fan brews, we made 12 additional beers with 12 exceptional breweries. Choosing one for an encore wasn’t easy. Ever drawn to hops, we decided to reimagine our hoppy lager collaboration with Ballast Point."

[source: sierranevada.com]

Saranac Wild Hop Pils. 5.2% abv. 28 IBU. Pale gold color. Mild floral hop nose. One finger of head off the pour that drops alarmingly fast. Within two minutes, there is almost no carb or lace at all. Tastes of mild banana, grapefruit, faint hops. Thin body. Mouthfeel is bubbly at first, thin for the remainder. Aftertaste is brief. This beer was a disappointment. I can't imagine buying it again.

From the brewery:

"This unique pilsner is the first to use the Belma hops, discovered growing wild on a farm in the Yakima Valley. Crisp. Refreshing. One of a kind."