Sierra Nevada Big Little Thing
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Tasting Notes
Big Little Thing opens with a dense wave of tropical and citrus aromas — mango, tangerine, and a resinous pine undercurrent that signals the hop load to come. On the palate it's full-bodied and chewy, with a sweetish malt backbone that keeps the bitterness from turning harsh. Flavors of stone fruit and fresh grapefruit peel dominate the mid-palate, backed by a faint caramel note that grounds the whole thing. The finish is long and bitter, with a warming alcohol presence that's noticeable but not disruptive at 9%.
About the Brewery
Sierra Nevada is based in Chico, California, founded in 1980 by Ken Grossman and Paul Camusi, and stands as one of the foundational craft breweries in American beer history. Their Pale Ale essentially defined the template for American hop-forward brewing and remains a benchmark decades later. Beyond their flagship, they run a broad lineup spanning lagers, stouts, and seasonal releases, and operate a second campus in Mills River, North Carolina.
Food Pairings
Spicy Thai or Vietnamese dishes work well here because the beer's residual malt sweetness tempers chile heat while the hops echo lemongrass and citrus notes in the food. A burger with sharp aged cheddar pairs naturally, the bitterness cutting through fat while the malt ties into the beef. Hard, pungent cheeses like aged gouda or manchego stand up to the intensity without being overwhelmed. Grilled pork with a citrus-based glaze mirrors the tropical hop character and keeps neither element competing awkwardly.
Style Guide
American Double or Imperial IPA is essentially a bigger, more aggressive take on the American IPA — more hops, more malt, higher ABV (typically 7.5–10%), and more of everything that defines the base style. It originated in American craft brewing in the late 1990s and early 2000s, with Russian River's Pliny the Elder often cited as setting the standard. Where a standard IPA aims for balance between hops and malt, the Double IPA leans hard into hop intensity while using a beefed-up malt bill less for sweetness than to keep the structure from collapsing under all that bitterness.