CHICO, CA—Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. is highlighting the best of its 2012 Beer Camp sessions with a new variety 12-pack featuring three hop-forward brews. Beer Camp is two days of hands-on beer education, recipe formulation and brewing in Sierra Nevada’s 10-barrel pilot brewery at its Chico, Calif., location. From skilled homebrewers to everyday fans, the campers work in conjunction with Sierra Nevada brew masters to create top-notch beers that are hits in the Sierra Nevada taproom but rarely travel elsewhere. The Beer Camp variety pack is a tasty snapshot of the spirited fermentation powwows.

“Beer Campers bring a lot of enthusiasm and ambition to the brewery, and we love sharing some of the great beers beyond our pub,” said Ken Grossman, Sierra Nevada’s founder. “As a brewery, we like to draw big character from whole-cone hops, and the three Beer Camp beers this year made impressive use of arguably our favorite ingredient.”

The Beer Camp variety pack lands on shelves beginning in August 2013:

• #93 IPA—This IPA sacrifices nothing for its drinkability, flexing big time flavor and complexity. The light color disguises the depth of the malt backbone, a pillar that balances the potent whole-cones of the piney-citrus Cascade and tropical fruit-like Citra hops.
• #94 Belgian-style Black IPA—This beguiling black IPA takes a tropical detour with a dose of new world hops, featuring lemony Sorachi Ace and fruity Nelson Sauvin varieties. A Belgian yeast works with the exotic hop profile, emphasizing its complex and fruity flavors.
• #95 Imperial Red Ale—Our aggressive Imperial Red Ale is a massive mix of smooth malts and West Coast hops that have no patience for the lupulin leery. This crimson beer starts with caramel-like malt flavor that can’t suppress the assertive, citrusy hop finale.

Each year Sierra Nevada invites fans to submit videos for a chance to come to Beer Camp. The contest begins August 1 and runs through Labor Day, and the brewery encourages folks to bookmarkwww.sierrabeercamp.com and keep an eye on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for Beer Camp news.