2014 Celebration

[Dog House Brew]

I just had my first Celebration of the year. The beer is much different this year. Hop bitterness is subdued, and the color is more red tinted. Beers change from year to year, but this is very different IMO. Being here in IN, I wonder if this came from their new NC plant? I didn't say anything other than S2 on it. Packaged on 9/23. Still a good beer. Will be interested if others have the same feeling on this.

 

[cannman]

Brewing a Celebration clone tonight! Right now! It's not on our store shelves yet...

 

[feinbera]

Saw it on the shelf the other day, think it said something about being wet-hopped this year? Could be they're just moving into the "we brew our holiday beer a little different each year" camp, it's a plan that's worked out well for Anchor...

 

[Dog House Brew]

Plus the beer was bright. Like filtered bright, guess they moved away from bottle conditioned. My 13 bottles had yeast sediment in them. These were squeaky clean. Just doesn't have the hops as before. Good luck with changing one of my favorite ipa brews. Oh well, many others on the shelf these days. Usually bought 5 cases before it would be gone. Looks like 14 is 1.

 

[paperairplane]

Haven't had one this year - sad to hear that, as this is always one of my favorites.

 

[Dog House Brew]

Haven't had one this year - sad to hear that, as this is always one of my favorites.

I'll be interested to hear your thoughts. Makes it just another, mass produced ipa.

 

[cannman]

Tried my first for 2014.

Not a fan I taste Red Ny-Quil...

Or maybe I'm biased with all the fantastic homebrew I've been making...

Edit:

I'm on my second on and its OK. I don't have that harsh Ny-Quil taste anymore, might be my pallet adjusting after this assault. @b-boy, let us know your take.

Edit:

Next day try: Still medicinal

 

[b-boy]

I hope they haven't messed with it. It's my absolute favorite beer. It's the only commercial keg I buy.

 

[Dog House Brew]

I hope they haven't messed with it. It's my absolute favorite beer. It's the only commercial keg I buy.

Sorry Man, consider it messed. I drank tons of this for the last....well I can't remember. 2014 ends at 12. Gave the other 12 to a friend.

 

[b-boy]

I still can't find it in the stores.

 

[cannman]

I'm going to try this again tonight. I still have an empty with a bottle date and I'll fish through the 3 stores in town that sell it for a bottle date OTHER than the one listed. Maybe it was a bad night for SN and Celebration...

 

[Calichusetts]

Decent...last years was better. Don't think the recipe changed. Just probably got a better batch last year.

 

[cantrell00]

They had a hell of a time finding a suitable crystal malt of the same quality as previous years...

Tried several types from several different malters (including Briess) & ended up paying an additional 500k for the 2014 batch. UK.

Not surprised that it tastes different.

They are still bottle conditioning & it is being brewed at both Chico & Mills River.

Was just at the new brewery 2 weeks ago & was told that by ppl that work there.

 

[b-boy]

I finally found a 12-pack of Celebration. I think it tastes about the same. Mine's pretty good. Maybe a touch less malty than I remember, but not that much different.

 

[campbellmike]

I finally found a 12-pack of Celebration. I think it tastes about the same. Mine's pretty good. Maybe a touch less malty than I remember, but not that much different.

I thought it was more malty with less hops. In the past, this was at the top of my list. It's still good but fell off the pedestal.

 

[free2scour]

I thought it was more malty with less hops. In the past, this was at the top of my list. It's still good but fell off the pedestal.

Agree on all counts....

 

[Ralelen]

Havent been on the forum in a bit and was about to start a thread about this. Its all over the place here on Connecticut, and Ive had it both on tap and bottled. At first i thought my taste buds were screwed up, but it is differently less hoppy (almost malty) than in past years, which disappoints me.

 

[cannman]

I think 2011 was THE year...

 

[cannman]

So I went out of my way to find Celebration 2014 on draft. Much better than in bottle. I think the bottled Celebration is over carbonated and perhaps too malty (FG not reached?). However, in both samples, the beer is not what it used to be, but still better than a lot of crap out there... (Damn, my standards are too high. Pour me a Samuel Jackson).

 

[b-boy]

So I went out of my way to find Celebration 2014 on draft. Much better than in bottle. I think the bottled Celebration is over carbonated and perhaps too malty (FG not reached?). However, in both samples, the beer is not what it used to be, but still better than a lot of crap out there... (Damn, my standards are too high. Pour me a Samuel Jackson).

I did have a few semi-gusher bottles in my last 12-pack. I'll still take this over pretty much anything else.

If I had to be stranded on an island with 1 beer, this would be the one. If I could have 2 beers, I'd add SNPA to the mix. Anything from SN is awlays solid IMHO.

 

[BeerFst]

I bought some in NY state....its not the same. I raved about it last year and when it came out this year, it was quite the let down

 

[Dog House Brew]

I bought some in NY state....its not the same. I raved about it last year and when it came out this year, it was quite the let down

Think of the let down if you were a retailer. They will still be trying to unload it at this time next year.

 

[BeerFst]

Perhaps it will have improved and they can mark it up

 

[Codfishhead]

Does seem to be missing something IMO.

My Autumn Tumbler clone taste great. Last year they're making it and it only comes in mixed 12 pks. Killing me so i made my own version.
Guess I'll have to figure out a Celebration Recipe as well.

Haven't tried/found any Estate yet. SN better not have screwed that beer up too.

Getting to big to stay quality/craft maybe. I don't buy the can't get the same ingredients story. A professional craft brewer should be able to adjust and hit his marks every time. Anyone can just wing it n hope for the best.

 

[stru]

This year's was a major downgrade from last year's. I was a huge fan of the 2013 release and don't even like the 2014 batch. Huge disappointment...

 

[cantrell00]

Does seem to be missing something IMO.

My Autumn Tumbler clone taste great. Last year they're making it and it only comes in mixed 12 pks. Killing me so i made my own version.
Guess I'll have to figure out a Celebration Recipe as well.

Haven't tried/found any Estate yet. SN better not have screwed that beer up too.

Getting to big to stay quality/craft maybe. I don't buy the can't get the same ingredients story. A professional craft brewer should be able to adjust and hit his marks every time. Anyone can just wing it n hope for the best.

Having recently toured their new brewery, QC & financing are not the issue.

I truly believe the malt was the weakest link this year. They dropped an additional 500k into this years batch to try to correct it.

 

[BeerFst]

Does seem to be missing something IMO.

My Autumn Tumbler clone taste great. Last year they're making it and it only comes in mixed 12 pks. Killing me so i made my own version.
Guess I'll have to figure out a Celebration Recipe as well.

Haven't tried/found any Estate yet. SN better not have screwed that beer up too.

Getting to big to stay quality/craft maybe. I don't buy the can't get the same ingredients story. A professional craft brewer should be able to adjust and hit his marks every time. Anyone can just wing it n hope for the best.

I found and grabbed a bottle of the estate a couple weeks ago and finally got around to drinking it this past week. I had never had it before so i can't comment on screwing it up. However I had high hopes for it, and it didnt meet my expectations either

 

[Zuljin]

Had a bottle. It was good. The right kind of hoppy, for me, when I want an IPA.

 

[Codfishhead]

My SN Autumn Tumbler came out great.
so good I need to brew another ASAP. 5 gal test batch is already history. Going to kick the smoke up just a little more. Never really tasted any smoke in this beer but I want to now.

My Tumbler Clone Review

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2rTGwfKuEI&list=UUZrnWFYuJqF4HX5cY9IaQDQ[/ame]