Sierra Nevada Thai-style Iced Tea Ale
Of all the Beer Camp bottles that I cracked open this past June, it was this collaboration between Sierra Nevada and Mikkeller that was perhaps the most adventurous. Thai-style Iced Tea Ale wasn’t, by any means, an outrageous beer, but its blend of black tea, orange peel, tamarind and star anise — not to mention lactose — certainly diverted the tastebuds from the norm. It also proved to be a nice, warm weather thirst quencher.
The aroma on this beer, despite the presence of spices, is rather subdued, wafting gently from the orange-tinged brew. Thankfully, once Thai-style Iced Tea Ale hits your tongue, the black tea, orange peel and gentle tamarind tartness come out a bit more. The anise still lingers in the background as the lactose provides a fuller, slightly viscous platform for everything. Distant cereal notes and fresh fruits persist at the periphery.
Thai-style Iced Tea Ale was one of the more interesting beers found in the variety Beer Camp box. It isn’t the best beer of the bunch, but it’s array for flavors and presentation certainly set it apart from the rest the most. I did enjoy the rather satisfying and moreish quality it had over the palate. I’d be up for another bottle of this one.