Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA
Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA is a 7.2% ABV, 65 IBU Extra IPA from Sierra Nevada Brewing in Chico, California, sold here as a six-pack of 12oz servings. Per the brewery, Torpedo was the first beer to feature its Hop Torpedo — a custom, projectile-shaped dry-hopping device packed with roughly 75 pounds of whole-cone hops, through which the beer circulates to maximise hop aroma and flavour without adding bitterness — over Citra, Crystal and Magnum hops and caramelized and two-row pale malts. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- ABV: 7.2%
- IBU: 65
- Size: 6-pack of 12oz servings
- Style: Extra IPA (producer's designation)
- Hops: Citra, Crystal, Magnum
- Malts: Caramelized malts and two-row pale
- Origin: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Chico, California — founded 1980
Dry-Hopped Through a Torpedo
Most dry-hopping means tossing hops into a tank and waiting. Sierra Nevada invented a machine instead: the Hop Torpedo, a sealed, projectile-shaped chamber hand-packed with whole-cone hops, plumbed so beer flows out of the fermenter, through the hop bed and back into the tank. Torpedo Extra IPA was the first beer built around it, and the result is the brewery's most aggressive-yet-balanced hop profile — citrus, pine and tropical fruit riding over caramel malt sweetness, available year-round. Find it on our craft beer shelf, or visit the Sierra Nevada Brewing vendor page.
Tasting Notes
Nose: Pronounced citrus, pine and tropical fruit, per the brewery. Palate: Aggressive hop flavour balanced by caramel malt sweetness; the brewery credits Citra and Crystal in particular with weaving in citrus, pine and herbal character. Finish: Firm bitterness at 65 IBU, with hop aroma outlasting it.
How to Enjoy
Serve it cold in a tulip or IPA glass to concentrate the dry-hop aroma, and drink it fresh — the Torpedo's whole point is hop character, and hop character fades. Bold, spicy and richly sauced food stands up to it well.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Hop Torpedo? Sierra Nevada's custom dry-hopping device: a projectile-shaped chamber holding about 75 pounds of whole-cone hops, through which fermenting beer circulates to extract aroma and flavour without additional bitterness, per the brewery.
Is Torpedo a double IPA? The brewery designates it an "Extra IPA" — its own category name for this 7.2% beer — rather than a double or imperial IPA.
How is it different from Sierra Nevada Pale Ale? Pale Ale is 5.6% ABV, 38 IBU and Cascade-hopped. Torpedo is stronger (7.2%), more bitter (65 IBU) and hopped with Citra, Crystal and Magnum, dry-hopped through the Hop Torpedo.
Big West Coast hops, machine-assisted — order Sierra Nevada Torpedo online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.