So I’m standing there enjoying a glass of SN Celebration, of course trying to figure out what might be in it, and thinking “forget the color, do you really taste any caramel flavor”? Honestly, no. Thanks to Gordon Strong’s great reply to a post, that adding Black malt gives you red, I’m thinking “what if they just colored their base malt red to give the illusion of caramel”? When I disregard the color, all I really taste is a good base malt and good hops. What do you guys think? Not just Celebration, maybe other IPA’s too.
When you put it that way it sounds reasonable. However, also could we consider that synergy and balance in a brew can have an effect of blurring the edges between flavors? Regardless, I thought Celebration had caramel tones. But it’s been a few weeks since I’ve had it and my alcohol sodden brain might be wrong. :
But I see the point. A brewer believes people’s perceptions is that darker means more complex. So they add some coloring. And they may be right.
The color is probably from the ~10% C-60 in the grist. Steve Dressler gave the recipe for Celebration on the Brewing Network.
I just went to the SN website, which I should have done before posting, and they give enough detail to crush any hastily prepared conspiracy theory. Cheers and happy new year!
the caramel flavor is pretty evident too 
That’s what I was gonna say!
Does anybody know what “fresh hops” actually means on the label? That’s new this year. It doesn’t seem to me to taste like a fresh (wet) hop beer.
you are correct - its not wet hop, as in the Harvest Ale series, rather it is the first or “freshest” kilned/dried hops.
From what I understand, that has long thought to have been the ‘secret’ of Celebration and perhaps why they don’t brew it year round as it captures the magic of the freshest of fresh hops.
When I was at the brewery in early Sept 09, they were just dry hopping Celebration (some of it w/ Torpedoes), and they were using their first shipment of that years hops. So that is probably what they mean by “fresh hops.” Got to drink some of it out of the tank, and holy frick that was one hoppy beer.