Sierra Nevada Pale Ale - Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

ThreeWiseMen

California

2.98/5  rDev -26.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Sampled this on-tap at the brewery this past Thursday (09-03-2009). For those that don't know, every Thursday is cask night at the brewery. Following review written from notes.

Appearance: Two fingers of dense white head sit atop a hazy caramel body. When held to light, shimmers of yellow-orange appear around the edges. No apparent carbonation. Head retention is shorter than expected - quickly settles as a mere crown. Thick spotty lace.

Smell: Wow, lame. Hops have completely fallen out of this one. I get estery alcohol and toasted malt - that's all. This would hardly cut it as an English bitter. Boring.

Taste: Toasted malt and wood, with mild hoppy flavors in the finish. The bitterness and crispness are gone. The hops still affect the flavor profile and consistency, making the beer mildly piney, citrusy, and oily. Finishes grainy and grassy - a touch sour, a touch bitter.

Mouthfeel: There was actually more carbonation to this cask ale than I expected, which was kinda nice. Malty, chewy, light, and clean. The aftertaste is mild and centered around the barley.

Drinkability: I was pretty let down by this one. I was hoping that this cask conditioned SNPA would showcase the beer's malt profile; and while it did bring the malt side into the spotlight, I feel like this beer's shortcomings were just exposed. I didn't have a problem drinking this, but given my time constraints that night this felt like a waste. Oh well, now I know.

Serving type: cask

09-08-2009 04:57:43 | More by ThreeWiseMen

Roman5150

Michigan

3.98/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

can into tulip

appearance: orange/amber, unfiltered with some particles, thick and bubbly 1 finger white head, not much lacing

smell: piney, floral, bready notes, apple, citrus

taste: very floral and pine oriented, sweet and sharp herbal bitterness that coats your tongue with a sweet malt presence. Also getting some bready notes on the forefront, with some citrus and lemon and apple notes as well. Easy to session, satisfies your thirst very well.

mouthfeel: average carbonation, medium to full bodied for a pale ale

overall: A great benchmark Pale Ale, although not my favorite, I typically find myself comparing most pale ales I drink to this classic brew. Everything is greatly balanced, not too much of any one thing, very refreshing. I personally think it tastes better in a can, but that's just me.

Serving type: can

06-18-2013 05:42:03 | More by Roman5150

brureview

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours a light honey color into a pint glass with a 2 finger head.

The aroma is light pine.

The mouth feel is lightly carbonated and well suited to the style. Often
Pale Ales are too carbonated and not well-balanced.

The taste is bready and piney, finishing with a hoppy fruity finish and a light bitterness.

The beer is a balanced, full flavored Pale Ale, and is unlike other beers in the style, which
are either too carbonated, hoppy and/or lack a pronounced taste.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2013 01:42:14 | More by brureview

Tonmeister

Georgia

3.79/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Can served in tulip shaped glass

A: dark yellow, orangey, light amber with a thin white head.

S: piney citrusy with a hint of vanilla

T: citrusy and piney on the front with sweet apple vanilla in the middle.

M: Thin and highly carbonated.

Overall this is a classic American Pale Ale. I am very pleased with this one because it is blended well. It has a very distinct and unique taste in which I haven't had another beer that tastes likes this. This is sweet piney, great for session beer.

Serving type: can

06-11-2013 22:25:25 | More by Tonmeister

utopiajane

New York

3.8/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Pours gold with an orange hue. Good hops nose with a bit of fruit and plenty of malt character. Nice retention and lacing. Medium body and carbonation. Finishes dry with good balance but a little extra emphasis on the grain. Understated and classic in it’s approach.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2013 11:05:00 | More by utopiajane

Stevedore

Wisconsin

3.94/5  rDev -3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz cans crushed with a few buddies while moving a buddy's stuff out onto his moving truck a week ago, 6/1/2013. I've of course had this plenty of times before, but we finished the rest of the 12-pack today, 6/8/2013.

Aroma: Nice and citrus + earthy hoppiness, not a whole lot else going on besides a little bit of malt sweetness. Thick nose but lighter on the actual aroma. (3.75)

Colour: Poured this out into a glass to assess- pours a light amber body with a nice fluffy 2cm white head that dissipates fairly quickly into a medium-thick film on top of the beer. Lacing isn't too bad. (3.75)

Flavour: It's great- very hoppy and citrusy with some earthiness in there. There's a good presence of malt sweetness in terms of honey although its predominantly hoppy. Very tasty and easy to drink- not a complicated pale ale by any means. I give it points for pretty much inventing the APA style. (4)

Mouthfeel: So easy to drink and refreshing. Beats any of the canned AALs out there- I'll drink it anytime. Crisp, thinner bodied with great carbonation out of the can that finishes refreshingly wet. Aftertaste is hoppy earthiness. (4)

Overall: A classic that still drinks great ouf of the can. If I want to go out to a place where canned beers are the main show, this is one of the first canned beers I'll go to. (4)

Serving type: can

06-08-2013 08:55:47 | More by Stevedore

Das_Reh

Florida

2.24/5  rDev -44.8%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a bottle into a glass.

This is supposedly THE original APA, and one of America's first craft brews. I was eager to try it after seeing the high reviews on BA.

Appearance - A nice, deep coppery color with a decent cream colored head. Lively carbonation, almost no lacing, which was disappointing. I noticed "floaties" in the beer as I poured, which settled to the bottom of the glass like bits of backwash... very unappetizing.

Smell - practically nonexistent... some citrusy hops and not much else.

Taste - Good grief... why are the ratings so high? It's a 1-note acrid bitterness with virtually no maltiness. The citrus/pine hop flavors are barely present, and a sticky, tart bitterness overwhelms the palette... I know Pale's and IPA's are MEANT to be hoppy and bitter, but there's no balance here. It's just NOT good.

Mouthfeel - Mouthfeel is medium, and frankly unmemorable.

Overall - A bitter, overhyped concoction of hops, hops and more hops. No balance, no complexity. This was my second one and I will not drink another. I'll stick to Two-Hearted.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2013 06:04:56 | More by Das_Reh

Rosanne

California

4/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Low-mid aroma
Easy drinking, smooth.
That is a high rating for a pale ale for me.

Shared a taster on-tap as part of four flights at the brewery; Sierra Nevada Brewing Co, Chico, USA. Then ordered a half pint later. Yum! As part of a six-week West Coast beer tour. See my blog for more details: carbeers.wordpress.com

Serving type: on-tap

06-07-2013 22:31:29 | More by Rosanne

Slackerville

California

3.93/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Truly a legend in the pale ale realm. Brewed with strong hop character on the nose and palate with a balanced malt base well before the US IPA revolution. After a few decades still a great example of the style.

Probably everyone has had at least one of these so no need for a detailed review. Too sum it up, if I was stranded on a desert island and could drink as much beer as I wanted but only have one beer this would be it. Great balance, not overpoweringly strong, hoppy, or malty, just a solid dose of each. Keep them coming.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2013 03:29:48 | More by Slackerville

WissBrauSean

Pennsylvania

4.29/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours clear golden colour with a slight haze and a full two finger head that fades to a full ring and center cap and has nice light lacing.

The aroma is of sweet pale malt, mild biscuity yeast, citrus and some piney hops.

The taste is fairly malty then citrusy mid way through, a little honey mixed in then a mild pine hop presence finishes the beer off ending mildly dry and slightly peppery. Balanced well!

Mouthfeel is light to medium body and smoothly sweet with medium carbonation.

Overall this beer is balanced, smooth and exceptional! I would recommend this as a crossover beer for someone addicted to crappy macro beer!

Serving type: can

05-28-2013 01:24:06 | More by WissBrauSean

Kuaff

Alaska

4.01/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

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

atr2605

New York

4/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-pours a clear golden/soft copper with a white head with decent retention that clings to the sides of the glass
S-pine, hint of caramel sweetness and a bit of biscuit
T-delicate balance between bitter piney hops and a sweet malt background that compliment each other very nicely
M-medium bodied
O-such a solid pale ale. one of my favorite session beers

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2013 00:24:19 | More by atr2605

kristenspaintings

California

3.2/5  rDev -21.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

This beer tastes okay. Nothing amazing about it. It's not too hoppy (a plus) and doesn't have a strong soapy taste like some IPAs I've tried.

I'd say it lacks interest for me though. The flavors I look forward to in a beer are not there. It's pretty one-dimensional and it's just okay in my opinion. I'd drink it if my only other party alternatives were soda or iced tea but I wouldn't seek it out either.

To be fair, there's nothing wrong with Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale. It's just not what I look for.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2013 12:45:49 | More by kristenspaintings

T100Mark

California

4.19/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A 12 ounce bottle poured into a pint shaker glass.

Appearance - Golden color. Slightly hazy. Nice head but didn't stick around for long. Plenty of lace!

Smell - Citrus. Spicy. A touch of sweetness.

Taste - Citrus. Hoppy like a good IPA but there is difinatly a malt presence. Bold yet clean.

Mouth - Oily. Tingly. Very pleasant.

This beer is the gold standard of California IPAs. The balance between the hops and the malt is, for a California Pale Ale, perfect. The beer has just the right amount of citrus kick. As a Californian, I might be a bit biased but this is a world class beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2013 00:41:03 | More by T100Mark

BeerAficionadoMCMXC

California

4.45/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I've had this beer many times in my life, but now I am tasting it professionally as an amateur. It is an incredibly balanced beer. No wonder SN has had such success with it. I hope they put out better seasonal beers though. This one gets an 9/10 in my book.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 06:59:13 | More by BeerAficionadoMCMXC

SebD

Ontario (Canada)

4.09/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: It has a nice hazy golden/orange color to it. It has a nice off-white head that dies down moderately and leaves some nicelacing.

Smell: The aromas definitely give out hints of citrus, piney resins with some grainy and toasty malts.

Taste: Like the aromas, it has a citrusy hops, pine, sweet grainy malts and a touch of caramel.

Mouthfeel: It has a med/high carbonation with a nice overall balance and feel.

Drinkability: It's a very smooth drinkable beer accompanied with good flavors and aromas.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 20:30:47 | More by SebD

dougbassett

Pennsylvania

4.23/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

One of the "1001 Beers You Must Taste Before You Die" -- #24 of the ones I've reviewed here.

This is another American craft beer classic -- while it never really got as big/mainstream as Sam Adams, it did start up around the same time and is widely available in the US (particularly in Cities).

This is probably my favorite large American brewery, and their flagship beer, the pale ale, is excellent. The color is amazing, pretty close to the Platonic ideal of a pale ale: with a nice head that's lingers satisfyingly. A nose of flowery, spicy hops, quite pleasant. That's more or less matched in the flavors, although I'd appreciate the hops a bit more forward here, it's a bit too restrained for my taste. I do like the bitter hop finish, which is lasting, and I also like the mouthfeel -- this is an example to me of a beer that's brewed with just the right amount of body.

Ranks with Brooklyn Lager as a great session beer. Enjoyable in most situations/constructions. A step above the Budweiser/Coors/Miller sort of thing but not unapproachable. Really a classic all around, really enthusiastically recommended.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 22:30:14 | More by dougbassett

KYGunner

Kentucky

4/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale is the consummate entry for the style. In what hits every category it does it with perfect example. From exacting body and color to perfect balance in scent and flavor SN does this beer right.

A pale ale should strike a balance between malt and hops and this does just that. Both scent and flavor has malt and hop appearances but neither overshadows the other to create an easy drinking flavorful beer.

Serving type: on-tap

05-05-2013 01:55:41 | More by KYGunner

TheBrewo

Michigan

3.95/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

We pour a brew of deep gold. It holds a one and a half finger head of crisp, tight white bubbles, showing nice retention. Sheets and patterns of lacing are left as it goes, with a thick film left across the top of the liquid. No haze or sediment is noted, and carbonation appears to be active. The aroma gives pale, lightly wheaty, and metallic adjuncty malts alongside citric and sweetly nectary hops. Vanilla sweetness, raw honey, toast, faint pine cone earthiness, and turkey meatiness come out with warmth. Our first impression is that the flavoring is nicely hopped, with a hearty and classically “pale ale” base. As we sip, lemon zest, sweaty pale malts, soured adjuncts, baker’s yeast, gingerbread sweetness, and orangey citric hop sugars start things off. The middle peaks with pale muddiness, coriander and cinnamon depth, German lager malts, green grassiness, and mossy tree bark. The finishing wash shows mineral water, gravel, spicy earthy hops, white sugars, continued grassy hops, sesame seediness, and a revival of bitterly drying pale malts. The aftertaste breathes of lightly wet wheatiness, grassy and citric rind hoppiness, flashes of white sugars, red cherry skins, sweaty saltiness, and adjuncty coin. The body is medium, and carbonation is light to medium. The mouths is cooled and coated with an oily film. This eventually dries into a softer astringency. Each sip gives okay slurp and smack, with lesser froth or cream. The abv is appropriate, and the beer glugs easily.

Overall, what we liked best about this beer was its drinkability. This guy is a staple for the style, as well as for the craft beer revolution as we know it. The hops are robust and biting, while the aroma is decently fresh, mildly warming, and inviting. The flavor retains its strength with each sip, and invigorates the palate with its blend. This is a classic sipping beer, and something every beer enthusiast should be familiar with.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2013 02:35:04 | More by TheBrewo

Roguer

Connecticut

4.18/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Beautiful, pale, coppery color. Lighter than SA-Boston Lager, but darker than a simple ale or lager. Small amount of carbonation; decent, 1 1/2 finger head, nice lacing.

S - Clean, slight pine, slightly citrus. Nothing overpowers, nothing stands out. Gives the impression of a very drinkable beer (which is spot on). Hoppy.

T - More pine and hops than a non-IPA has any right. A hint of citrus, but no strong individual citrus flavors. Not super-complex, and almost no sense of malts, but lovely and forward. The more I drink, the more a subtle sweetness creeps in. Did I mention pine?

M - This ale drinks more like a lager than any other. It goes down very easy, very smooth. The alcohol and carbonation content allows you to drink it as slow or fast as you desire. Try as I might, I can't quite decide to swirl it around much, preferring to just swallow it down.

O - This can easily, easily be a daily drinker type of beer. It's far more complex and bitter than a BMC offering; it's brighter and hoppier than Boston Lager (it's most obvious contemporary, for me); yet it still goes down very easy. It offers something new, whether you're new to the craft brew scene, or just revisiting an old friend. It may not be the most complex beer around, but it certainly has some interesting characteristics.

Heck, if you're reading reviews about SNPA, what are you doing? Go out there and drink one!

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 19:42:53 | More by Roguer

bennett_loves_good_beer

Wyoming

3.81/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: Pours a nice light orange amber color with a soild pale white head with great retention and tons of lacing. Smell: Citrus hops dominate the aroma. Taste: Great, crisp, refreshing, good cascade hop flavor. Piney and refreshing and finishes with some grapefruit. Great mouthfeel and overall a great, crisp refreshing pale ale. One of the best as far as pale ales go that I have tried.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 22:53:32 | More by bennett_loves_good_beer

bkeach

California

4.45/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

S.N.P.A: My go to low abv summer day drinker. In my opinion this is the best representation of a basic pale ale. So consistent on the balanced hop flavor, mouthfeel crisp and refreshing, very drinkable and just plain delicious. SN has been the most consistent brewery from my experience in the profiles of their beers. SNPA is always a safe bet, and goes well with many types of food.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 23:36:34 | More by bkeach

JesseMurdock

Hawaii

4.33/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

This is a great all-around beer. It's sweet malty taste combined with the floral and citrus hop character makes this an easily drinkable beer for even those unacquainted with craft beer. While lacking the bitterness and complexity of an IPA, this is an easy-going, yet delicious brew.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 22:17:08 | More by JesseMurdock

Falcynn

California

4.45/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Probably my favorite anytime beer. Poured from a bomber into a standard pint glass.

Appearance: Beautiful. Pours out a rich slightly hazy gold/copper with an off-white head that holds up nicely and leaves a nice lacing.

Smell: Citrus, piney, floral hops, with just enough malt to balance it out.

Taste: Almost exactly like it smells with some notes of grapefruit and grassiness. The bitterness is very nicely balanced by the somewhat sweet maltiness in the background.

Mouthfeel: Very crisp and refreshing. Finishes clean.

Overall: Nothing about this beer really pops out and makes me go "wow", but by no means is that a bad thing. What I love about this beer is that everything is very balanced. It's a very easy to drink beer, but still has plenty going on to make for an enjoyable experience whether out with friends or just sitting down to a well prepared meal.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 04:35:34 | More by Falcynn

dar482

New York

4.39/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

This beer comes in a slight hazy gold.

The aroma has light hops of a bit of flowers, lemon and grapefruit.

The taste goes the same with lemon, bittering hops, with some malt backbone. There’s a dry finish.

It’s a lovely easy to to drink pale ale that has wonderful decent amount of hops to make it complex. One of my favorite pale ales.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 03:02:50 | More by dar482