Beer 244 - Sierra Nevada Celebration (2.5 out of 5 stars)

Brewed and bottled by Sierra Nevada Brewing, Chico, CA.  Bought at HEB in Katy and drunk at home in Katy while preparing Pizza and steamed vegetables for dinner.

Web site is: http://www.sierranevada.com/beers/celebrationale.html

The web site says "The long, cold nights of winter are a little brighter with Celebration^® Ale. Wonderfully robust and rich, Celebration^® Ale is dry-hopped for a lively, intense aroma. Brewed especially for the holidays, it is perfect for a festive gathering or for a quiet evening at home. 6.8% ABV."

I wonder sometimes about beer that won an award 10 or 15 years ago.  Celebration was a gold medal winner at the United States Beer Tasting Championship in 1994 and has won a few medals since then, the last one in 2002 - almost 10 years ago.  What is the relevance of those awards?  Beer making has changed enormously in the last ten years.  Yes, water, hops, malt and yeast are still the only ingredients that matter and they haven't changed - or have they?  The strains have changed, the growing conditions for barley and wheat and hops have changed as less chemicals and more eco-friendly growing conditions are prevalent, consumers palates have changed and, now, cleanliness is next to godliness.  It's not possible to taste a 1994 beer and a 2010 beer side by side, but I opine that they would have significantly different tastes.

So that's my rant for the day.  Perhaps that is also my excuse for marking this beer as a middle of the road, rather too hoppy beer with a bitter taste that lingers on the palate long after the beer has been drunk.