Sierra Nevada Pale Ale - Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

ithacabaron

California

4.6/5  rDev +13%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Original Review, 2003.

12 oz. stubbie, into a pint glass, alongside a 3 pound homemade turkey sandwich...mmmm.

This beer pours a burnished, golden amber in the glass. Aroma is fresh cascade hops all the way. The initial taste is almost like sucking on a cascade hop leaf, the flavors are so bright and simple and singular -- but there is a generous portion of malt that backs it up, balancing the beer perfectly.

The malt profile is what makes this such an excellent session beer. While it supports the hops, it never becomes overbearing, allowing the appriciator to sip many of these in one session. Additionally, the freshness of the hops makes this beer perfect for cleansing the palate in-between bites of food.

If I weren't a poor college student, I'd keep a sixer of this in my refridgerator all the time. Seems like it would be an excellent beer to convert macro drinkers with.

---

Re-review, July 2011. Numbers adjusted appropriately.

Pours a fantastic copper with soft orange highlights. A nice foamy head soon settles down to a thin cap. Excellent lacing appears down the side of the glass.

Aroma is soft and mild, mellow malt, fresh grass, dill, and candied grapefruit peel.

Taste expands into a buttery, smooth, golden syrup. At the end of the swallow, a firm (but not harsh) dimple of bitterness appears, a whisper of freshly squeezed citrus, a hint of pine sap. There's an immediate invitation -- but not a necessity -- to take another sip. Wondrous.

Mouthfeel is appropriately pillowy, a cascade (ha!) of warm surf.

This beer has held-up through the test of time; if anything, the ever-expanding palate of choices -- it seems like a new craft brewery opens every week -- has only magnified how excellent this brew is. More importantly, Sierra Nevada hasn't dumbed their Pale Ale down over time. This is, and remains, THE platonic ideal of American Pale Ale.

Inevitable, inescapable, all but perfect.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2011 22:37:02 | More by ithacabaron

BlueMoon10

Mississippi

3/5  rDev -26.3%

05-25-2013 14:26:58 | More by BlueMoon10

Spaz7

California

4/5  rDev -1.7%

05-24-2013 21:05:23 | More by Spaz7

vinicole

United Kingdom (England)

4/5  rDev -1.7%

05-24-2013 19:25:47 | More by vinicole

RBCIPA

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +10.6%

05-24-2013 00:09:24 | More by RBCIPA

visionaries

California

3.75/5  rDev -7.9%

05-23-2013 17:07:31 | More by visionaries

kvnstfrd

Missouri

1/5  rDev -75.4%

05-23-2013 13:51:23 | More by kvnstfrd

ipas-for-life

Virginia

4/5  rDev -1.7%

05-23-2013 13:09:30 | More by ipas-for-life

jroberts8811

Missouri

4.25/5  rDev +4.4%

05-23-2013 12:58:33 | More by jroberts8811

Topher78

California

4.25/5  rDev +4.4%

05-23-2013 02:49:02 | More by Topher78

UWBadgerFan4Life

Wisconsin

4.25/5  rDev +4.4%

05-23-2013 01:36:52 | More by UWBadgerFan4Life

erialbill

New Jersey

4/5  rDev -1.7%

05-22-2013 23:11:05 | More by erialbill

Kuaff

Alaska

4.21/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass slightly warmer that fridge temperature.

Upon being poured, Sierra Nevada’s Pale Ale develops a wonderfully long-lasting, two-finger head of dense, white foam. The liquid is transparent gold.

The smell is pretty subdued, but I get a sweet biscuit scent and maybe a slight hint of citrus.

This beer’s taste is remarkably well-balanced and packs a lot of flavor for its style. More than anything else, I taste sweet, bready yeastiness, but it also has some pine and citrus, and a subtle, hoppy bitterness.

The mouthfeel is crisp and smooth, yet substantial.

This is what plain old beer ought to taste like. Really high-quality plain old beer, that is.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2013 22:08:15 | More by Kuaff

woostergooner

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -1.7%

05-22-2013 21:31:04 | More by woostergooner

EduardoOrtega01

Panama

4.75/5  rDev +16.7%

05-22-2013 21:09:34 | More by EduardoOrtega01

Rdc67

Kentucky

3.25/5  rDev -20.1%

05-22-2013 20:36:46 | More by Rdc67

billbeers

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -26.3%

05-22-2013 17:34:43 | More by billbeers

bf7

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -26.3%

05-22-2013 17:15:59 | More by bf7

YamagamiTravis

Japan

4/5  rDev -1.7%

05-22-2013 08:13:44 | More by YamagamiTravis

BillyLrsn

Minnesota

3.75/5  rDev -7.9%

05-21-2013 23:36:30 | More by BillyLrsn

pin

Australia

3.5/5  rDev -14%

05-21-2013 22:39:16 | More by pin

verge

California

4/5  rDev -1.7%

05-21-2013 18:13:15 | More by verge

cfaulman

Louisiana

4.25/5  rDev +4.4%

05-21-2013 15:06:21 | More by cfaulman

cfitterer

Arizona

3.75/5  rDev -7.9%

05-21-2013 02:49:13 | More by cfitterer

Kingcurio

Oklahoma

4.25/5  rDev +4.4%

05-21-2013 01:53:12 | More by Kingcurio