Torpedo & Sawyer's Triple

I tried the new Sierra Nevada IPA, Torpedo Extra IPA, over the weekend. This beer was much better than I was expecting. Torpedo has quickly placed itself in the top tier of IPAs, (and is the subject of a thread at BeerAdvocate where its merits are being debated). It is not a hop bomb, but has enough hops to satisfy all but the most ardent hop head. It has great balance, which is probably Torpedo's best feature. This is an easy drinking beer, despite is 7%-plus alcohol level.

Sierra Nevada never had a year-round IPA before Torpedo. I was content with Celebration as Sierra Nevada's IPA offering. It's generally available from late September through January, which is plenty of time to get a fix. The release of Torpedo made me realize what I was missing. I am not ready to put Torpedo in my personal pantheon of top IPAs, but like a good mustard, I plan to try and keep a Torpedo or two in my fridge.

I also tried Stone's Sawyer's Triple. I thought this beer was great. I like the Belgian tripel style, and Sawyer's did not disappoint. It had a prominent Belgian yeast component and a dry finish. It was an easy drinking beer that was gone too soon. Its drinkability belies a 7.6% alcohol level. I wish this beer was more widely available, as I purchased it at the Stone Brewery last weekend. Tripels are a great style and I am going to try more, half hoping to get one that stinks just to have a benchmark.