Brewery: Sierra Nevada
Location: Chico, CA
Style: Hefeweizen
Brewery Website
Rating: A-
In my glass today is the Sierra Nevada Kellerweis. This is their year-round hefeweizen. The Kellerweis pours up a hazy, golden-tan color with a thick white head. The nose detects fruit, grass and Eurolager notes.
On the palate the malt has notes of wheat bread. There is a slight sweetness, which is highlighted by notes of vanilla and liquorice (as in real liquorice candy, not black licorice/anise). There are some berry notes here, along with some yeast. The Kellerweis is medium bodied, with both a touch of creaminess and a touch of juiciness. The finish has sweet spices that linger after the malt starts to fade.
This is my first taste of the Sierra Nevada Kellerweis, and while I have never been a huge hefeweizen fan, I really like this beer. There is some nice unique flavor going on here. I know I will be adding this to my rotation of beers for the spring as the weather warms.
Showing posts with label Sierra Nevada. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sierra Nevada. Show all posts
Friday, January 28, 2011
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Sierra Nevada Stout
Brewery: Sierra Nevada
Location: Chico, CA
Style: Stout
Brewery Website
Rating: A
Location: Chico, CA
Style: Stout
Brewery Website
Rating: A
Today we are tasting the Sierra Nevada Stout. This stout pours up an opaque mahogany color with a huge dark tan, foamy head. Right away the nose detects some good things. There are waves of complex aromas with roasted cocoa, earth, and wine along with both fruity and floral contributions from the hops.
The complexity continues on the palate. Aromatic hops lead off with both fruit and floral notes. This is followed by roasted coffee notes from the malt. A second wave of hops then rolls in with pine, juniper and a mild bitter bite. There are also some highlights of rye bread and wine. The Sierra Nevada Stout is medium-bodied and quite drinkable for a stout. There is also a bit of warming alcohol as well. The finish has a lingering hops bite over unsweetened cocoa and espresso
The Sierra Nevada Stout is a great, unique stout. This is a rather hops-forward style for a stout. The roasted malt flavor pairs excellently with the hops, but the hops are really the top dog here. The hops flavors are well-balanced. While there are some fruity hops notes, you aren't getting hammered with a big Cascade monotone which really wouldn't work here. The Sierra Nevada Stout drinks like a "roasted IPA" (especially since the body is a bit on the lighter side for a stout). This is a great showing from Sierra Nevada and the perfect dark beer for hopheads.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale 2010
Brewery: Sierra Nevada
Location: Chico, CA
Style: IPA
Brewery Website
Rating: A
With the Christmas holiday around the corner, I thought it would be fitting to taste the 2010 Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale. The Celebration is Sierra Nevada's holiday seasonal, an IPA brewed with fresh hops. The Celebration is golden-amber in color with a good sized, off-white, clumpy head. The nose has plenty of ripe citrus (grapefruit specifically). There are some fresh cut grass aromas in the background as well.
The palate is hit with a steely hops bitterness with a lingering bite. Pine resin and some herbal hops peek through after the initial grapefruit bitterness begins to soften. There are some grassy and rye bread notes as well. A faint residual sweetness and some wheat toast take a while to show up, but are notable as the hops fade. The Celebration Ale has a chewy, medium-to-heavy body with some astringency. The finish is quite long and features lingering bitter hops with herbal and citrus undertones.
Sierra Nevada really nailed it with this year's Celebration. There is a big hoppy kick that is really highlighted well by the fresh grassiness of the fresh hops. The aroma is fantastic, and the heavier body really holds up well to the big hops flavor. Everything translates to a fantastic fireside sipping IPA. Fresh hop IPA's are best when they are consumed fresh, so snap up some Celebration ASAP.
Location: Chico, CA
Style: IPA
Brewery Website
Rating: A
With the Christmas holiday around the corner, I thought it would be fitting to taste the 2010 Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale. The Celebration is Sierra Nevada's holiday seasonal, an IPA brewed with fresh hops. The Celebration is golden-amber in color with a good sized, off-white, clumpy head. The nose has plenty of ripe citrus (grapefruit specifically). There are some fresh cut grass aromas in the background as well.
The palate is hit with a steely hops bitterness with a lingering bite. Pine resin and some herbal hops peek through after the initial grapefruit bitterness begins to soften. There are some grassy and rye bread notes as well. A faint residual sweetness and some wheat toast take a while to show up, but are notable as the hops fade. The Celebration Ale has a chewy, medium-to-heavy body with some astringency. The finish is quite long and features lingering bitter hops with herbal and citrus undertones.
Sierra Nevada really nailed it with this year's Celebration. There is a big hoppy kick that is really highlighted well by the fresh grassiness of the fresh hops. The aroma is fantastic, and the heavier body really holds up well to the big hops flavor. Everything translates to a fantastic fireside sipping IPA. Fresh hop IPA's are best when they are consumed fresh, so snap up some Celebration ASAP.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Sierra Nevada Porter
Brewery: Sierra Nevada
Location: Chico, CA
Style: Porter
Brewery Website
Rating: A-
We've been having a bit of a cold snap up my way, and when the cold weather hits I always get a craving for dark beer. I'm following up on my last review of the excellent Anchor Porter with another great porter from Sierra Nevada. The Sierra Nevada Porter pours up a deep mahogany with ruby highlights. There is a bit of sediment just barely detectable as this beer is nearly opaque. The head looks just like creamy rootbeer foam. The nose picks up smoky, roasted, and chocolate malt notes along with a fruity ale-like hoppiness.
On the palate there is a roasted chocolate flavor that is balanced by some fruity notes. There are both herbal and fruity hops notes along with a moderate bitter kick. A slightly juicy wininess plays well with the hops flavors. Smoke and black pepper highlights sit in the background along with some minerality. The Sierra Nevada Porter has a medium body and is quite easy drinking for such a dark beer. The finish has coffee and chocolate notes along with lingering fruity hops.
The Sierra Nevada Porter is a well-balanced and easy drinking porter. To me, it seems like it pulls some of the best qualities of a rich stout and a fruity pale ale and marries them perfectly. Put this one on your short list of dark beers to sip by the fire this winter.
Location: Chico, CA
Style: Porter
Brewery Website
Rating: A-
We've been having a bit of a cold snap up my way, and when the cold weather hits I always get a craving for dark beer. I'm following up on my last review of the excellent Anchor Porter with another great porter from Sierra Nevada. The Sierra Nevada Porter pours up a deep mahogany with ruby highlights. There is a bit of sediment just barely detectable as this beer is nearly opaque. The head looks just like creamy rootbeer foam. The nose picks up smoky, roasted, and chocolate malt notes along with a fruity ale-like hoppiness.
On the palate there is a roasted chocolate flavor that is balanced by some fruity notes. There are both herbal and fruity hops notes along with a moderate bitter kick. A slightly juicy wininess plays well with the hops flavors. Smoke and black pepper highlights sit in the background along with some minerality. The Sierra Nevada Porter has a medium body and is quite easy drinking for such a dark beer. The finish has coffee and chocolate notes along with lingering fruity hops.
The Sierra Nevada Porter is a well-balanced and easy drinking porter. To me, it seems like it pulls some of the best qualities of a rich stout and a fruity pale ale and marries them perfectly. Put this one on your short list of dark beers to sip by the fire this winter.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Sierra Nevada Bigfoot 2010 Vintage
Please bear with me as the posts may be slow to roll for a while due to the birth of my son. Hope to get back up to speed here in the next few weeks. -E
Brewery: Sierra Nevada
Location: Chico, CA
Style: Barleywine
Brewery Website
Rating: B+
On the tasting block today is Sierra Nevada's Bigfoot barleywine. I am tasting a bottle from this year's (2010) bottling. The Bigfoot pours a deep amber brown color with a thick, light-tan head. The nose has aromas of citrus, caramel, honey and oatmeal.
On the palate there is a distinct wininess along with a mild acidic note. The malt has a pretzel-like flavor. There is a notable bitter hops bite that is powerful without seeming out of balance. At 9.6% ABV, there is an obvious alcohol presence. Minor flavor notes of raisins, toast and mineral water sit in the background along with a slight residual sweetness. The finish has a lingering bitter hop bite. The Bigfoot has a full body without being too heavy.
I have been a big fan of Bigfoot since the first time I tried it. While every year's brewing has produced good results, some years are "A" quality right from day one. This year's brew seems to be a little rough around the edges to me. Notably, the bitter hops notes seem to clash a bit to me. I'm holding high hopes that the 2010 Bigfoot will age well (as most Bigfoot vintages do). I think there is some great promise for this one after a couple of years in the cellar smooths out the rough edges a bit. Good to drink now, but will likely be great to drink in 2-3 years.
Brewery: Sierra Nevada
Location: Chico, CA
Style: Barleywine
Brewery Website
Rating: B+
On the tasting block today is Sierra Nevada's Bigfoot barleywine. I am tasting a bottle from this year's (2010) bottling. The Bigfoot pours a deep amber brown color with a thick, light-tan head. The nose has aromas of citrus, caramel, honey and oatmeal.
On the palate there is a distinct wininess along with a mild acidic note. The malt has a pretzel-like flavor. There is a notable bitter hops bite that is powerful without seeming out of balance. At 9.6% ABV, there is an obvious alcohol presence. Minor flavor notes of raisins, toast and mineral water sit in the background along with a slight residual sweetness. The finish has a lingering bitter hop bite. The Bigfoot has a full body without being too heavy.
I have been a big fan of Bigfoot since the first time I tried it. While every year's brewing has produced good results, some years are "A" quality right from day one. This year's brew seems to be a little rough around the edges to me. Notably, the bitter hops notes seem to clash a bit to me. I'm holding high hopes that the 2010 Bigfoot will age well (as most Bigfoot vintages do). I think there is some great promise for this one after a couple of years in the cellar smooths out the rough edges a bit. Good to drink now, but will likely be great to drink in 2-3 years.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA
Brewery: Sierra Nevada
Location: Chico, CA
Style: IPA
Brewery Website
Rating: B+
Up for review today is the Torpedo Extra IPA from Sierra Nevada. As the name implies, this is a big India Pale Ale, weighing in at 7.2% ABV. The Torpedo is reddish amber in color, with quite a bit of fine bubbles rising. The head is 1-finger thick, clumpy and ivory in color. On the nose there are citrus and herbal notes as well as the aroma of fresh pine needles all attributable to the hops. In addition some bread notes from the malt are also present on the nose.
On the palate there is a fair bit of malt up front before the hops take over. There are citrus and pine notes as well as a resinous, deep bitter hop bite. Flavors of salt and bread are also notable. On the finish, the bitter hops flavors slowly fade, leaving a lingering bready malt flavor. The Torpedo is medium bodied with a fair amount of astringency.
The Torpedo Extra IPA has a powerful bitter hop flavor, with aromatic hops notes and bready malt playing backup. If you like bitter beer, the Torpedo is right up your alley. Well-recommended for the hopheads out there.
Location: Chico, CA
Style: IPA
Brewery Website
Rating: B+
Up for review today is the Torpedo Extra IPA from Sierra Nevada. As the name implies, this is a big India Pale Ale, weighing in at 7.2% ABV. The Torpedo is reddish amber in color, with quite a bit of fine bubbles rising. The head is 1-finger thick, clumpy and ivory in color. On the nose there are citrus and herbal notes as well as the aroma of fresh pine needles all attributable to the hops. In addition some bread notes from the malt are also present on the nose.
On the palate there is a fair bit of malt up front before the hops take over. There are citrus and pine notes as well as a resinous, deep bitter hop bite. Flavors of salt and bread are also notable. On the finish, the bitter hops flavors slowly fade, leaving a lingering bready malt flavor. The Torpedo is medium bodied with a fair amount of astringency.
The Torpedo Extra IPA has a powerful bitter hop flavor, with aromatic hops notes and bready malt playing backup. If you like bitter beer, the Torpedo is right up your alley. Well-recommended for the hopheads out there.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
Brewery: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Style: Pale Ale
Location: Chico, CA
Brewery Website
Rating: B+
The Sierra Nevada Pale ale is the flagship beer from Sierra Nevada Brewing. In recent years, I have found this beer becoming very widely available. Behind Samuel Adams Boston Lager and Sam's seasonal beers, the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is probably one of the top 2 or 3 craft beers a bar or restaurant is most likely to carry. It is quite a success story for a microbrew.
The Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is golden amber in color with a slight haziness. A firm pour leaves a two-finger thick off-white head that fades slowly leaving behind a clingy lace. The nose has a bright citrus aroma along with some bready malt. There is a touch of piney hops as well.
The Sierra Nevada Pale Ale has a bready malt flavor up front with some sweetness. There is a big malt flavor in the middle of the tongue. Bitter hops starts to build as the malt rounds out. There is a wide profile of hops flavors present, but they are not as powerful as the nose would have you believe. A grapefruit-like citrus is most noticible, but there are floral hops and pine present as well. There is nice fizzy carbonation and a touch of astringency. The Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is medium bodied, which is full enough to hold up to its big flavors without being too heavy. The finish is balanced between bitter and fruity hops, with some residual sweet malt notes still hanging on.
This is a good time to mention glassware for tasting beer. While I'm not a stickler for matching various types of beer to different types of glasses, I do think if you want to seriously taste a beer then you will have a better experience if you are using a glass suited to tasting beer. The key is that the glass should be big enough to hold as much beer as you're planning to pour with plentry of room left over for a good sized head and also with extra room to spare for your nose. I recently picked up a couple of slightly-oversized pilsner glasses at Pier 1 Imports for $4 apiece and they have been well worth the investment. Oversized pint glasses (the type with the bulbous top) and goblets work equally as well.
The reason I mention glassware here is because the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is one of the best smelling beers out there. It smells like walking through a Cascade hops yard. If given the opportunity, do youself a favor and pour this one in a glass instead of drinking it straight from the bottle. Also, if this has been stored in a cold fridge, let it come up a few degrees before you crack into it. The aroma will be worth the extra effort, I promise. My only qualm with the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is that for all the big hoppiness on the nose, once the beer hits the palate the hoppiness takes a big step down. I'd love to taste a version of this beer where the hops get ratcheted up a notch or two.
Style: Pale Ale
Location: Chico, CA
Brewery Website
Rating: B+
The Sierra Nevada Pale ale is the flagship beer from Sierra Nevada Brewing. In recent years, I have found this beer becoming very widely available. Behind Samuel Adams Boston Lager and Sam's seasonal beers, the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is probably one of the top 2 or 3 craft beers a bar or restaurant is most likely to carry. It is quite a success story for a microbrew.
The Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is golden amber in color with a slight haziness. A firm pour leaves a two-finger thick off-white head that fades slowly leaving behind a clingy lace. The nose has a bright citrus aroma along with some bready malt. There is a touch of piney hops as well.
The Sierra Nevada Pale Ale has a bready malt flavor up front with some sweetness. There is a big malt flavor in the middle of the tongue. Bitter hops starts to build as the malt rounds out. There is a wide profile of hops flavors present, but they are not as powerful as the nose would have you believe. A grapefruit-like citrus is most noticible, but there are floral hops and pine present as well. There is nice fizzy carbonation and a touch of astringency. The Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is medium bodied, which is full enough to hold up to its big flavors without being too heavy. The finish is balanced between bitter and fruity hops, with some residual sweet malt notes still hanging on.
This is a good time to mention glassware for tasting beer. While I'm not a stickler for matching various types of beer to different types of glasses, I do think if you want to seriously taste a beer then you will have a better experience if you are using a glass suited to tasting beer. The key is that the glass should be big enough to hold as much beer as you're planning to pour with plentry of room left over for a good sized head and also with extra room to spare for your nose. I recently picked up a couple of slightly-oversized pilsner glasses at Pier 1 Imports for $4 apiece and they have been well worth the investment. Oversized pint glasses (the type with the bulbous top) and goblets work equally as well.
The reason I mention glassware here is because the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is one of the best smelling beers out there. It smells like walking through a Cascade hops yard. If given the opportunity, do youself a favor and pour this one in a glass instead of drinking it straight from the bottle. Also, if this has been stored in a cold fridge, let it come up a few degrees before you crack into it. The aroma will be worth the extra effort, I promise. My only qualm with the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is that for all the big hoppiness on the nose, once the beer hits the palate the hoppiness takes a big step down. I'd love to taste a version of this beer where the hops get ratcheted up a notch or two.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Sierra Nevada Glissade Golden Bock
Brewery: Sierra Nevada
Style: Maibock
Location: Chico, CA
Brewery Website
Rating: B-
The Sierra Nevada spring seasonal beer is the Glissade Golden Bock. The beer pours a golden yellow with a touch of reddish-tan. The white head slowly dies down to a clumpy foam. The nose has a lagery malt aroma. Floral hops and sweet corn are also detectable on the nose.
The Sierra Nevada Glissade has a strong malt character up front. There are notes of piney bitter hops and rye bread. As the malt flavors fade, the pine resin character of the hops takes over, leading to a finish with a bitter hoppy bite. The Glissade is medium-bodied with some mild acidity and astringency. The Sierra Nevada Glissade is a decent beer, but the flavor profile isn't really up my alley. It tastes like someone took a European lager and then went a little overboard on the hops.
Style: Maibock
Location: Chico, CA
Brewery Website
Rating: B-
The Sierra Nevada spring seasonal beer is the Glissade Golden Bock. The beer pours a golden yellow with a touch of reddish-tan. The white head slowly dies down to a clumpy foam. The nose has a lagery malt aroma. Floral hops and sweet corn are also detectable on the nose.
The Sierra Nevada Glissade has a strong malt character up front. There are notes of piney bitter hops and rye bread. As the malt flavors fade, the pine resin character of the hops takes over, leading to a finish with a bitter hoppy bite. The Glissade is medium-bodied with some mild acidity and astringency. The Sierra Nevada Glissade is a decent beer, but the flavor profile isn't really up my alley. It tastes like someone took a European lager and then went a little overboard on the hops.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)