When I left the beer biz, my passion for the pursuit of rare and unique beers waned. I have been subsisting mainly on pilsners and other lagers lately. But it was made known to us (thanks Lanny Hoff!) that Sierra Nevada would be releasing what they call “Our rarest offering” in their taproom in Asheville, NC, well . . . we were too close to not hunt that whitest of whales. Released in the taproom exclusively two days ago and expected to be gone forever by tomorrow, “Celly Drippins” is a special IPA derived from brewing their annual Celebration IPA. We were unprepared for the size and splendor of this massive brewery. Beautifully nestled in the woods, it feels like you are approaching Versailles or something as you wind your way up the long drive to the brewery. The place was packed with hundreds of cars in the parking lot, A crazy busy Sunday afternoon crowd filled the taproom and beer garden.

The beer was awesome. Not one of those indescribable oddities, (you know the kind, “Kale beer with smoked Jackfruit aged in Maraschino cherry barrels finished with M&M’s and clove!”) just a perfectly balanced, tasty, resinous, gimmick-free IPA. A real treat. I did fall back to an unfiltered Keller Pils which was also delicious. Listened to some folk music in the beer garden and had a grand afternoon.