Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Chico King

This is part of the 2014 Beer Camp Across America special release from Sierra Nevada Brewing of Chico, California. They invited breweries all across America to join in a collaboration brew with them and/or join them on their Beer Camp Tour with seven stops across the USA as their bus makes its way to the site of their new brewery in Mills River, NC (there is an eighth mini-camp at El Bait Shop in Des Moines, Iowa). The release features a mixed 12 pack of twelve unique beers, two in cans.

This 6.5% ABV pale ale's inspiration is a mash up of Sierra Nevada's pale ale and the Alpha King pale ale from the collaborator, 3 Floyds Brewing of Munster, Indiana. 

The beer pours copper and amber in color. There is a tall head of thick and somewhat creamy off-white foam. The aroma is fairly subdued, citrus, grapefruit, bit of passion fruit, and toasted caramel malt. The taste follows, but reverses, the aromas, toasted and roasted caramel malt, with a light fruity hoppiness on top, mostly grapefruit and very light passion fruit. The finish is dry and smooth, with a fairly light bitterness. Absolutely solid, but surprisingly bland for 3 Floyds’ involvement.