Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. announced the release of Hoptimum Triple IPA, which will be available at select retail locations starting in mid-April. Hoptimum is a special, limited release and a member of the brewery’s High Altitude Series. This limited-time offering, which is touted as Sierra Nevada’s hoppiest beer, is available in 6-packs of 12-ounce bottles and draft while supplies last or through August when the next beer in the High Altitude series is rolled out. New this year, the beer features the highest ABV ever for a Hoptimum Triple IPA release.
Each year the brewers refine the Hoptimum Triple IPA recipe, tinkering with the hop line-up to ensure the beer offers a similar flavor profile, while also featuring the finest, most flavorful hops of the recent hop harvest season.
“Traditionally, we try to maintain that piney, citrusy flavor because it’s what we’re known for,” explains James Conery, Innovation Manager and brewer at Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. “This beer contains the best lots of the hop pick, and has that piney, citrusy flavor with a little bit of dank and stonefruit in there for a twist.”
For 2021 the beer features Magnum, Idaho 7, El Dorado, and Mosaic hops on the hot side, and finishes by dry hopping with Citra, Mosaic lupulin powder, Loral, and Magnum hops. It comes in at 11% ABV and 75 IBU, up from last year’s version that was 10.6% ABV. The process of creating the beer involves the use of Sierra Nevada’s innovative dry-hopping device dubbed the Hop Torpedo, which is used to impart optimal hop aromas and flavors without adding bitterness.
The High Altitude series from Sierra Nevada consists of three limited-time offerings each year, including Bigfoot Barleywine-Style Ale (December-April), Hoptimum Triple IPA (April-August), and Narwhal Imperial Stout (August-December). This collection of monstrous beers each tout high gravity ABVs of 9.5% or more and are released in limited quantity so they are available only while supplies last.
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