Sierra Nevada "Big Little Thing" Imperial IPA

 The onslaught of beers from Sierra Nevada continues. The Hazy Little Thing was a darn good beer that I wouldn't mind drinking on a regular basis. Taking things a notch up was the Fantastic Haze - which, I hasten to point out, was a DIPA like this one. Assuming this trend continues, this should take things to the pinnacle of mount awesome with the biggest and best of the recent entries from these guys.

This beer does not claim to be hazy, but it is self-evidently just as hazy as quite a few beers out there that proudly declare their haziness. This gold beer is quite attractive with a very nice, thick head of tiny bubbles that is constantly refreshed by the countless points of nucleation in the depths of the beer. The aroma is faint for a DIPA, and the malt is very mild. Instead, a mix of fruits (mostly tropical) is noticed.

First sip is a dramatic turn from the aroma. The sharp pounce of pine atop guava and mango snap me out of the somewhat lethargic mood I was in following a day of work, and this shock to the tastebuds is just that - shocking. I wasn't expecting it or the bitterness that billowed in its wake. I can't say I enjoyed the sip, but I didn't know what language it was going to speak. 

Tip-in is mild carbonation tingle with pine bitterness lurking around a fairly quaint tangerine and mango mixed with a hunk of bread dough. The middle raises the carbonation up a notch, but the flavor becomes very mild and the experience is almost watery. Then, the finish is a loud orchestral boom with fruits tossing their seeds at the tongue while bitterness tries to close the curtain.

Bottom Line: Unbalanced and ultimately not fantastic.

1.75/5