Sierra Nevada - Estate Homegrown Ale 2009

Happy Thanksgiving Folks!  I hope everyone has up-held the Thanksgiving tradition and over-indulged in food, beer and football.  I know I have.....I wonder if this is what it feels like to be pregnant?  It's a great time of year, and there certainly are plenty of great limited release beers coming out this month.  But today, I'm going to do a little experiment.  While at the brew shop a couple days ago, I came across this little nugget in the 'clearance' aisle - a bottle of 2009 Sierra Nevada Estate Ale!  I kept the price tags on, just to hammer down the fact that this was an incredible deal.....but 2009?  This isn't the type of beer that one would normally age, so the brew shop marked it down 10000%.....but is it worth it?  Let's find out how Estate Harvest Ale with-stands the test of time.

Original Price, $10.59 / Sale Price, $1.97 - Score.

Estate Ale made it's debut in 2009 - this is one of the originals!  Brewed with 100% all-natural, locally-grown hops and barley, all produced in Chico, CA.  6.7% alcohol by volume.  The beer is a hazy amber, with a big layer of fluffy white foam.  Great retention, lots of lace.  The aroma is heavily herbal, tea leaves, some lemongrass.  Also catching some whiffs of alcohol, surprising for a 6.7% beer...

The taste brings a big initial wave of citrus - orange rinds, lemon rinds, RIND rinds.  These are hops with a lot of California funk.  Almost a farmhouse quality to the citrus, grassy and herbal.....tea-bags!  The malts are there, but fairly muted, leaving just faint caramel reminders throughout the middle and finish.  Some pine makes its way to the forefront at the finish, and the alcohol makes itself known, warms things up quite a bit.

Overall Rating:  I had my doubts, but it turns out this beer withstood 2+ years in a beer shop with flying colors.  Great beer at a great price, this was a win-win Thanksgiving brew.  If you come across a vintage Estate Ale, don't hesitate, grab it.  B+

Sierra Nevada / Dogfish Head - Life & Limb

Today I get the privilege of drinking a collaborative brew created by two craft brewing powerhouses – Sierra Nevada Brewing of Chico, CA and Dogfish Head Brewery of Milton, DE.  Ken Grossman and Sam Calagione have built up legacies in the craft world over the years by sticking to their guns, brewing top-quality beer, and having the courage to take risks in a lumbering, big-business industry.  They are the rebels, part of the ravenous pack of hard-core home-brewers that made a stand against the system.  They decided that cheap, watered-down rice-water and the marketing fluff used to prop it up and enrapture the masses, wasn’t going to cut it anymore.  These guys embody what craft brewing is all about – creative and ambitious, with a passion for brewing, drinking, and sharing delicious beer with their communities.  I’ve always seen Sierra Nevada as the ‘gateway drug’ that draws many of the masses into the craft brewing scene.  Dogfish Head is the eccentric brewery that blows people’s minds with their unique creations.  This collaboration seems to be…a match made in heaven. 

Enough preaching, let’s talk about the beer!  This particular beer has been created to celebrate their “shared passion for bringing natural beauty into the brewery process.”  Life symbolizes the all-natural brewing and carbonation process.  Limb represents the two tree-syrups used at different parts of the brewing process.  Life & Limb is a beer that doesn’t technically fall into a specific beer style…it could be described as a Strong Dark Ale.  At 10% alcohol, strong is emphasized.  It’s brewed with a combination of each brewery’s yeast strains, along with pure maple syrup from the Calagione’s family farm in MA.  It is bottle conditioned, and carbonated with birch syrup from Alaska.  This beer was built for the cellar.

The label on the bottle depicts a tree filled with little surprises - very cool artistic fusion that is reminiscent of both breweries.  The beer is a raisin-black color with a billowing light tan head.  The aroma is robust, with maple syrup, molasses and toffee at the forefront.  Some roasty chocolate malts also come through, along with a slight hint of alcohol.  The first drink brings a wave of flavor - there's a lot going on here.  First thing that comes to mind is a big dose of that sweet maple syrup and molasses.  Gritty, sweet, roasty chocolate malts come next.  Alcohol warmth and a handful of figs follows, carrying sweetness all the way through to the finish.  The whole experience is viscous and earthy, and there is certainly plenty of hop bitterness in there, serves up more of a punch than I expected. 

Overall Rating:  This is an awesome beer.  I would love to see what a couple years in the cellar could do to it, but as it is today, very good.  The maple syrup really comes through in the flavor profile, and the 10.2% alcohol fits right in.  If you can find this beer, pick up a couple bottles!  A

Sierra Nevada - Pale Ale

Tonight I am reviewing a brew that is likely the second most famous craft beer in the U.S. market today.  This distinction will depend on what coast you live on.  If you are from the West, its the most famous beer.  Otherwise, on the East coast, Sam Adams Boston Lager takes the cake.  In either case, we are going to partake in a beer that paved the way for many others to follow in its brew steps.

Sierra Nevada is a brewery that is known for its clean, refreshing and extraordinarily consistent brew process.  Every batch of beer they produce is just like the previous batch.  They take great pride in their beer and their popularity across the nation backs up their reputation.  They are one of the few breweries that you can find across the country INCLUDING Hawaii and Alaska.  A distribution reach like Sierra Nevada's is one that most other breweries cannot boast about.

I love this enhanced feature on my camera. It really makes the beer pop!

SN's Pale ale is a great example of the style.  In fact, it is the primary example of an American Pale Ale.  Since its listed first under the commercial examples section found within the link that means you cannot find a better beer to exemplify the characteristics you are expected to find within an American Pale Ale.

This nicely green labeled beer has a clear amber body and bright white head.  Strings of carbonation can be seen rising from the base of my tumbler.  Not the best glass to use for an aromatic beer such as this one but it works.  Piney, resiny and citrusy with a touch of caramel malt blend nicely together to form a welcoming aroma.  The flavor is much like aroma with it being a bit more malt forward than my initial impressions.  Citrus makes a bolder appearance as well alongside a noticeably pleasant level of carbonation to bring out the hoppy tones and crisp finish.  No alcohol, no bite, all enjoyable.

Overall - I dont think there is much doubt as to where I am going with this wrap-up.  Sierra Nevada's example of an American Pale Ale is second to none.  If you are not a hop head but are looking to make the leap into the lupulin scene then I advise that this be the place to start.  Its not so overbearingly hoppy that you feel as though your tongue is being burned off by hop acid.  This pale ale is a pleasant experience that will keep you coming back for more. 

Sierra Nevada - Beer Camp Juniper Black Ale

Today's brew comes from Sierra Nevada's specialty Beer Camp line of brews.  This is a black ale brewed with Juniper berries, which supposedly adds a resinous, pine flavor to beer.  I don't think I've ever tried a beer brewed with Juniper before, so this should be interesting.  Not a lot of information available on this brew, but it's a sipper at 8.0%ABV.

The beer is a thin blackish brown with a light tan powdery foam that really clings to the glass.  The aroma brings a fermented, sour berry scent, it may even be raisins.  I'm not exactly sure what juniper smells like, so I imagine that's what I'm smelling here. 

The drink starts off with a lot more bite that I expected.  Spicy, earthy, herbal hops start things off, really nips at my tongue.  From there the drink transitions into a completely different realm into a creamy, roasty malt sweetness.  It's a Jekyl and Hyde brew!  The taste finishes up with a strong layer of ground coffee, cream and a hint of bittersweet chocolate. 

Overall Rating:  This is definitely an interesting and unique beer, unlike anything I've ever tried before.  Honestly not my favorite, but I enjoyed the complexity and flavor roller coaster this brew provided.  I'm not sure what Juniper alone actually tastes like, so I can only guess what it adds to this beer.  But I do know this is one spicy, roasty, warming glass of beer that would be ideal for the winter season. 

Sierra Nevada - Beer Camp Double IPA

Today I'm drinking a Sierra Nevada Beer Camp brew - this one is a Double IPA.  I can't be sure, but I THINK this is their specialty 'Ghidorah Double IPA', offered through this Beer Camp variety pack.  I wasn't able to find any information on their website to confirm this, but the description seems to match up with the Ghidorah description in their specialty beer list.

This is a big 8.5% DIPA that doesn't look the part.  The beer is a light golden color, looks light and fluffly with a pure white head, completely innocent looking!  The aroma is also subdued, with a buttery sweetness combined with an earthy, herbal pine cone undertone.  The flavor start off with a big malt sweetness - big bread and butter, thick and chewy.  Then comes a nice wave of tart, fruity grapefruit hoppiness.  The bitterness is soft and juicy...it's actually less destructible than SN's Torpedo IPA.  Lots of pine lingers on the palate after the drink.  The beer is creamy and smooth all the way through - really nicely balanced.

Overall Rating:  Great beer from Sierra Nevada - I hope they consider adding it to their year-round line up.  It would probably eat into their Torpedo sales, but that's fine, it's better!  Great balance, very easy to drink, dangerously high and well-hidden alcohol content.  If you can find this in a Beer Camp variety pack, go for it!

Sierra Nevada Southern Hemisphere Harvest 2011

Tonight I'll be drinking this fresh-hop brew from Sierra Nevada called Southern Hemisphere Harvest.  This beer is brewed with freshly picked hops from New Zealand, picked, dried and shipped all in a matter of days to SN's Chico facility.  The hops used are New Zealand Motueka and New Zealand Southern Cross, along with Pacific Hallertau for bittering.  I've never heard of them, but damnit, they're fresh!

This baby is going into my snifter glass - the color is a clear orange copper, with a big ole' 2 inches of frothy white head.  Standard good looks that we expect from Sierra Nevada.  The aroma is funkadelick!  Musty, pungent, warm peaches, mild resins, and then some sweetness is underlying in there.  The taste doesn't really follow the smell......very mild toasty grains and biscuits start things off.  The hop characteristics are weak and bland - not a lot going on.  There's a slight hop bitterness that lacks any real distinction or character - just some bitterness without much flavor.  The body is full, almost heavy, and the carbonation is high, very smooth going down, but that doesn't mean it tastes good...

Overall Rating:  I hate to say it, but I didn't dig this beer.  The hops were there but didn't have much to offer.  The malts were OK, but considering this is a "Fresh Hop Ale", I expect more robust flavors coming from the hop side of things.  Sorry guys, can't recommend this one.

Sierra Nevada - 30th Anniversary Imperial Helles Bock

Good evening beer lovers!  For some reason I am in delightfully chipper mood tonight.  No, its not because I'm all drugged up on antihistamines... damn allergies.  Its because the sun was shining after work, the temperature was in the 50s for one of the first times this spring, and I knew I had a delicious brew waiting for me to enjoy when I got home.  The only downside to the night so far was the Twins game getting rained out in New York.  I'm ok with that though since the Twins had an epic comeback win against them last night!  Woo hoo!!!

Tonights beer is one I have had on hand for close to six months now.  I couldnt tell you why its taken me this long to pop open.  Maybe its because it looks like a fancy bottle because it has a cork instead of a cap.  Or it could be because it was $10 for the bottle and I wanted to save it for a special occasion.  That sounds more accurate.  This beer is being reviewed in honor of spring finally making an appearance here in Minnesota!  Cheers to no more snow on the ground!

Sierra Nevada's Imperial Helles Bock, brewed in part by two of the countries most well known home brewers Charlie Papazian and Fred Eckhardt, is one of four beers produced in their 30th anniversary series.  The Helles style of beer, one we partially reviewed during our German beer tasting event back in December, was originally brewed to compete with the dominant German Pilsner style at the time.  Generally light with a sweet malt aroma and subdued hop profile, this style is bland on paper but brilliantly full flavored when brewed properly.  Sierra Nevada's version is an imperial style meaning its going to be bigger, more alcoholic and bolder than your standard Helles.  Who can complain with that?

The cork pops off with a thin, white smoke of carbonation flowing out the top of the neck.  As I pour this beer I can already smell the sweet malt aroma expected from the Helles style.  A cream colored head forms on top of a  brilliantly clear, straw colored brew.  A sweet toasted malt character is what I sense first followed by an unexpected crisp, aromatic hop profile.  Nicely balanced with neither overpowering the other.  The head has receded into a few small slugs floating in the middle of a thin lacing clinging to the circumference of my pint.  My first sip is more bitter than I excepted.  I get a lot of floral hops throughout my first few sips with the bready, slightly toasty malt profile showing up every so often.  The body is nice and full, more so than your typically Helles.  Moderate carbonation accentuates the bitterness and 8.3% ABV of this anniversary brew.  Very smooth finish with no lingering cloying sweetness or bitterness.

Overall 4.5/6.0 - While I cant say this was my favorite out of the four anniversary beers Sierra Nevada produced last year I can say this was a well brewed beer.  I wanted to give it a lower score because of the higher than expected hop profile in the flavor but I should have known that may be the case because A) its an imperial beer and B) I don't know very many home brewers, much less Sierra Nevada, who can restrain themselves from throwing a massive amount of hops into every beer they make!  The beer is delicious and I would certainly drink it again.  If you can find a bottle, definitely pick it up if you like your beers on the hoppier side.

Sierra Nevada - Bigfoot Barely Wine 2010

Tonight, my friends, is one of those nights where I wanted to drink something that I knew would be delicious.  Something that was full of flavor, hops, body, aroma, and all around fantasticness.  Sierra Nevada has rarely ever let me down with any of their beers.  So what better beer to pick than one that I have been aging for over a year... a 2010 Bigfoot barley wine.  We all know how much I <3 barley wines.  This was a clear choice.

Every year Sierra Nevada has been brewing this glorious concoction.  And every the recipe changes.  I have had the 2011 vintage this year and it is mighty hoppy.  I recall from the 2010's I had last year that they were much less so.  More of an English than an American barley wine.  I enjoyed 2010 much more.  I anticipate that since its had time to age the flavors have come together and mellow out over the year.  Lets see if that is indeed the case!

The pour is a deep, hazy brown-red color.  The yeast sediment is floating freely throughout the glass.  A solid off white crop of foam forms during the pour and recedes only a few minutes after.  The aroma is intense; full of candied fruits, brown sugar, toasted caramel and a bit of citrus from the hops.  My first sip is smooth like Kieth Stone.  Those fruity tones mixed together with a small amount of caramel and malt blend together with a surprising amount of hop bitterness towards the finish.  Over time, hops tend to drop out of the beer.  If you let a beer age longer than 3-5 years you can typically assume your bittering aspect of the hops to be nonexistent.  Over one year old and the bitter bite is still there.  A warming alcohol presence assists this brew on its way down your throat.  The carbonation is moderate and accentuates some of the subtleties this brew has to offer.

Overall 5.1/6.0 - This was a great beer to drink and has certainly aged well.  The flavors were not harsh, the hops played a bold but not powerful role, and the alcohol was mellow.  While delicious overall, I have definitely had better barley wines this winter.  I would never pass up on a Bigfoot and the 2010 vintage is no different.  If you have a bottle aging now is as good a time as any other to crack it open and enjoy a solid American brewed treat.

Happy Hour

Alright, tonights post is going to be a little abnormal. For one, I've been at a happy hour for two hours and am about to head out for a fun filled evening with my wife, brother and his gf. However, my normal bus decided to be early and I missed. Now I'm on a different bus and am having said brother pick me up, throwing a wrench in the plans. Many beers will need to be gifted as a result of poor bus performance.

With that said, my review will be of the beer that I drank at happy hour, from memory. Sierra Nevada pale ale. This is their staple beer. If you have had Sierra Nevada before it's most likely been their pale ale. Caramel in color, it pours a brilliant clear with a light white head. Citrus aromas pour out of the glass creating an inviting presence. The flavor is crisp, clean, bitter, with a supporting role played by the malt. Very delicious indeed and easy to drink.

Overall - don't worry about it. It's a fantastic beer that can be consumed for any occasion. We will formally review this beer at some point. But for now, just deal with my medicore effort and subpar memory. Have a beer and enjoy the Friday!

Sierra Nevada Estate Homegrown Wet Hop Ale

So I finally forked up the $14 for this bottle of Sierra Nevada Estate Ale.  I've been resisting it for a while to avoid the wallet molestation, but I was feeling chipper and decided to throw down for it last weekend. 

This Sierra Nevada brew comes in a wax-sealed bottle with a green, hop-themed label that depicts the estate where the barley and hops are grown in Chico, CA.  On the front of the label, it says "Taste fresh-from-the-field flavors with this handmade, homegrown, and completely natural ale.  Made with organic wet hops and barley grown at our brewery in Chico, this remarkable ale is the only one of it's kind."  This is Sierra Nevada's 6.7%ABV, home-made all-american IPA.  Now let's cut through this wax and have a drink.

Ok, here I am 5 minutes later, still trying to break through this wax seal.  They designed this bottle like a tank...I feel like a retarded monkey hitting a coconut with a rock.  After failing with a knife, I got creative and pulled out my pizza roller.  While yelling some unrepeatable obscenities, I rolled that through the wax, and was finally able to get to the cap and open this thing up.  I poured this into my ale glass, pours a beautiful clear, dark orange-amber color with a creamy white head.  This is a really nice-looking brew.

My first thought after the first sip is how fresh this beer tastes.  It's a refreshing blast of citrus, lemon, pineapple hoppyness, along with a resinous, grassy backdrop.  The malts bring a light caramel bready flavor, which balances really nicely with the hops.  This beer gets better with every sip.  It is perfectly carbonated, and medium bodied, and not at all filling. 

Overall Rating:  (5.2 out of 6.0)  This was a terrific American IPA.  It was a little pricey at $13 for the bottle, but certainly worth it.  If I could afford it, I would keep a whole fridge full of this beer. 

Sierra Nevada - 30th Anniversary Grand Cru

Tonight is a night where I have absolutely no intention of reviewing a beer.  Let me tell you my timeline for today... this morning I woke up with a mild hangover from the evening before.  Nothing crazy, but debilitating none the less.  At around 10 am I got wood... not that kind of wood you sick bastard!  A farmer that Dunz recommended to me harvests fire wood for the winter so I bought some and stuck it in my garage.  Throughout the afternoon I watched the Tutors, excellent showtime series and DVD package I must say.  Then after a few episodes I decided to mount my TV... again, sick bastards, stop it with your negativity!  It took a solid two hours to stick this thing to the wall.  After it was completed I watched the Steelers have their way with the Ravens... GO STEELERS!  Then I went out to the bar and drank a few while the Packers dismantled the Falcons.

So, with that said, I normally review beers in advance for times like these.  Although, this specific time I didnt do any editing to add more information to the post.  So what you experience going forward will be my raw tasting notes of this beer.  Nothing has been added or changed from the time I tasted this beer last weekend.  So here you go... this is how I initially review beers...

Deep amber color, lingering off tan head.  Very aromatic - hoppy, zesty, piney, slight alcohol smell apparent.  There is a little malt in there but the hops are front stage.  My first sip is full of hops but the malt body backs them up and helps to balance everything out.  A nice chewy body reminds me of the bigfoot and a very slight hint of oak shows up in the bitter finish.  I can pick out a piece of each of the three beers blended to make this piece of hop heaven.  The oak aged bigfoot shows up in the bold body and mild oak finish.  The celebration ales fresh hopped aroma and color mesh nicely with the pale ales strong bitter finish.

Overall 5.8/6.0 - Very, very little wrong with this beer.  The only thing I could pick out was the hint of alcohol in the nose.  But Im not even sure you can consider that a flaw at 9.2% ABV.  This bottle is dangerously drinkable but one that would be good to age.  Thats why I bought two!  Im almost positive that when I revisit this brew next year it will be a resoundingly perfect beer.  Cheers to the 30th anniversary of Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.!

Sierra Nevada - Celebration Ale 2010

Tonight is a very exciting night for me....tonight I get to review one of my favorite winter seasonals - the Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale! Sierra Nevada is one of those craft breweries that always seems to get it right, probably because the founder, Ken Grossman, is a damn genius. He studied chemistry and physics at California State University back in the 70's, and soon after opened up his own Home Brew Shop. After a couple years, he pieced together a brewery from salvaged dairy tanks and other big pieces of old shitty equipment - in those initial years he focused on using premium ingredients (including obscene amounts of quality hops), which they are known for now. They've stuck to their guns over the years, maintaining a lot of the same techniques and attention to quality (and shitloads of hops), and it shows - this Celebration Ale is a Sierra Nevada showcase - OK let's drink!

Statistics:
Alcohol (ABV): 6.8%
Bittering Hops: Chinook

Finishing Hops: Cascade and Centennial

Dry Hopping: Cascade and Centennial

IBUs: 65

Malts: Two-row Pale and English Caramel

Yeast: Top-fermenting Ale yeast

The bottle is red and festive - on top of the bottle is listed "Fresh Hop Ale". I like fresh hops, I like Ales, and I like festive things, this is a good start!

Pouring this brew into a pint glass - it pours with a nice copper hue, a bit cloudy but still looks clean, with a big frothy egg-white head. It smells very citrusy, kind of reminds me of that opening theme scene on Dexter, when he is cutting the orange and they show the citrus spraying all over the place. There's also some pine-cones in the nose, all very fresh.

My first drink of this brew makes me think of....wanting to take a second drink. It's like a masseuse on my palate, it hits all the right spots. First thing that comes through is a slightly sweet maltiness, but the hop-hulk loaded with oranges, grapefruits, and pine trees comes through immediately after that and body-slams my tongue. Kind of a bitter ending, but in a good way, with a little alcohol warmth to wash everything down.

Celebration Ale has a medium, smooth body that is almost creamy - carbonation is just right. The drinkability is outrageous and flat-out dangerous....

Overall Rating: Excellent (5.10 out of 6.00) This is a great, well-balanced American IPA that really hits the spot on the cold winter nights in this arctic tundra of a state. I don't typically think of IPA's as "winter warmers", but this beer fits in the category well with those big stouts and porters that are more commonly used for thawing. This 2010 edition is even better than the 2009, and that's a hard thing to do, the 2009 was pretty damn good. Pick up a 12-pack of this ASAP!