Sierra Nevada Pale Ale - Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

Sierra Nevada Pale AleSierra Nevada Pale Ale

Displayed for educational use only; do not reuse.
BA SCORE
91
exceptional
-
5,607 Ratings
THE BROS
92
exceptional
-
read more »
rAvg: 4.07
pDev: 12.04%
Reviews: 2520
Hads: 3087

Ratings Help


Brewed by:
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. visit their website
California, United States

Style | ABV
American Pale Ale (APA) |  5.60% ABV

Availability: Year-round. bottle (2135), on-tap (348), can (36), cask (1)

Notes:
Generous quantities of premium Cascade hops give the Pale Ale its fragrant bouquet and spicy flavor.

37 IBU
View:  Beers  (116) |  Reviews  (49) |  Events  (0)

Reviews

Sort by:  Latest | High | Low | Top Reviewers | Read the Alström Bros Beer Reviews and Beer Ratings of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale Alström Bros  | Show Hads:
« first ‹ prev | 1-25 | 26-50 | 51-75 | 76-100 | 101-125  | next › last »
Photo of wl0307
wl0307

United Kingdom (England)

3.95/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Revisiting the bottled version of this beer. BB 15/02/2007. Served lightly-chilled in a straight imperial-pint glass.

A: even with such a large margin left for the beer head to build up (350ml beer in a imperial-pint glass), the beer head comes surprisingly restrained, on top of a clear amber body with very mild carbonation. Quite unlike any American bottled beers I've tried.
S: intensely honey-ish and sweet bouquet hops, on top of a juicy peach+lychee-ish fruits and caramely malts. Very well-blended and rather settled. Pleasant but not exciting.
T: effervescent-textured maltiness comes hand in hand with bitter-sweet yet aromatic, elderflowery, peachy, and sweet orangey hoppyness on top of a mildly sweet yet intense caramely malty base, a bitter-sweet tinge of lychee-fruits (on skins), tannic edge of grape-stems, and a quietly green-tea like aromatic aroma... moderately bitter and soothing in the finish.
M&D: nicely carbonated, though it's slightly sharp upfront; the medium body holds the smooth and well-blended flavour elegantly. Overall, much better than the tap-version that I tried a month ago. An extremely quaffable pale ale to be enjoyed in quantity with friends!

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2006 18:07:18 | More by wl0307
Photo of beerthulhu
beerthulhu

New Jersey

4.47/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A: Poured a brilliantly clear orange with a soft, creamy 1 finger dirty white head that settled rather quickly to a thin, sparse covering. Visible carbonation was very light.

S: The nose started out with a dry grassiness at first before giving way to a sweet citrusy nature.

T: The initial flavor starts out with a great graininess with a citrusy and light pine hopping. Quenching citrusy bite. The crisp, pale malting truly stands out here is never overshadowed by the bright citrusy nature. Finishes with a touch of grassiness and dried grapefruit. There is a reason why this is considered the staple per style. To many modern pales have been bastardized by amercian's lust for hops while neglecting the true intended crisp pale nature of the drink. This one offers a great balance with a crisp malting with a touch of malt sweetness and hopping that is balanced perfectly.

M: medium, oily viscosity with a nice feel and light dried citrus hop fade.

D: By style one of the best. Crisp, refreshing with a great malting and true to style. Case worthy by all means a go to for that summer picnic to quench the thirst with a citrusy blast.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2008 00:20:42 | More by beerthulhu
Photo of DrJay
DrJay

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Very clear amber colour topped by a thin lace of white head. Moderate retention and stickage. The aroma consists of floral, citrus and spicy hops with a bit of biscuit and grain. The flavour is balanced on the hoppy, bitter side. Mild sweetness with some maltiness, but mostly citrus and spicy hops with a dominating bitterness. Dry finish with a firm bitterness. Medium body and carbonation. Slightly crisp and acidic from the carbonation, but without having a coarse texture. This is a great session beer -- clean and full of flavour.

Serving type: on-tap

02-28-2005 01:25:46 | More by DrJay
Photo of plaid75
plaid75

New York

4.47/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured a nice copper hue, with a one finger head. Good head retention and lacing.

The smell was rich with hop and grapefruit character. A light and airy aroma, which is inviting, in my experience, to non-craft drinkers.

The taste was crisp and dry. A very nice hop to malt balance, accented by grapefruit and flowery flavors.

The mouthfeel is crisp and clean, not too full and not too thin.

A very drinkable Pale Ale. In fact, I have found this to be a cross over beer for many people who are not experienced in craft brews.

In my opinion, a staple. I use this beer as a standard from which I measure every American Pale Ale I try. While few have exceeded this one in flavor and aroma, most fall short. Another plus is that it is readily available in most areas of the country I have visited.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2006 16:33:01 | More by plaid75
Photo of woodychandler
woodychandler

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This one completely amazes me - I will be its 2501st reviewer, not having reviewed it previously in any serving style; my mother lives in Chico and I have visited her on a couple of occasions, making my first statement more incredible; and the first person to review it from a CAN was my local CANTrader and fellow CANQuester (TM), tone77! It took me a while to find this in a CAN with Torpedo seemingly more accessible. SMH!

From the CAN: "Purest Inredients"; "Finest Quality"; "CAN Conditioned".

Just the Crack seemed to release a lot of hops aroma into the room. The inverted Glug really made it seem as though I had sprayed hops air freshener and I would be lying if I said that my mouth was not watering. I was looking at a massive two-plus fingers of dense, French Vanilla-colored head with excellent retention when I was done with my pour. Color was a deep amber with NE-quality clarity. Nose was full of pine hops and now I was starting to drool. Mouthfeel was medium-to-full, slightly viscous and the hops were soft, not overpowering as in some (many?) AIPAs. The melding of the hops with the malt was very pleasant and caused me to think back to the mid-1980's when I had this for the first time. I remember thinking that it was too bitter, but now it is just what the doctor ordered for this Jonesin' hophead. Finish was semi-dry and both pleasant and refreshing. I am so excited to see it being CANned and I would recommend it for anyone's cooler under any circumstances. Believe the hype!

Serving type: can

08-31-2012 02:30:20 | More by woodychandler
Photo of biegaman
biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A deep bodied yellow shaded in with tones of amber. A seemingly infinite number of tiny bubbles sprout up from the base and race to the top. Clarity exist but in a somewhat blurred state. The top half inch is peach hued and adhesive enough to envelop the glass above it.

Notes of citrus, grass and pine combine for a pleasant effervescence. It is a soft fruitiness that includes orange blossom and a squirt of lemon juice. The hop character is pronounced but moderate - it's not a smack to the sinus but rather a gentle tickling of the nostrils.

Hints of grapefruit and citrus fruit are noted in the flavour, too. More prevalent now, however, is the taste of lightly toasted, caramel laced malts. It's not exactly a rich, gooey presence but it adds an extra shot of flavour to what is otherwise a very simple beer.

The hops might snip at those not accustomed to bitterness but should definitely be considered restrained. The modest 37 IBU's add a nice underlying quench to each sip. Crisp mouthfeel and good carbonation only adds drinkability to what was already something quite tasty.

Sierra Nevada is rightfully regarded as the grandfather of the American craft beer revolution. Their pale ale was particularly inspirational for a generation of craft brewers that were now re-inventing old world styles and hopping at levels previously unheard of - All hail it !

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2008 02:45:12 | More by biegaman
Photo of kojevergas
kojevergas

California

2.59/5  rDev -36.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75

2000 reviews and I somehow haven't done this one yet. Go figure. Bottled February 1st according to the bottle code. 5.6% ABV confirmed. 12 fl oz brown glass bottle with standard ("Use Bottle Opener"!) pressure cap acquired at a local Trader Joe's and served into a conical Samuel Smith's pint glass in me gaff in low altitude Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live. Expectations are above average; I'm rarely impressed with Sierra Nevada, but this is indisputably a classic craft beer which did a lot historically. Regardless of what I may or may not think about the beer after enjoying it, I do respect it.

Served straight from the fridge. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

Not paired with food.

A: Pours a four finger beige colour head of nice cream and thickness, and good (~5 minute) retention. Little lacing as the head recedes. Body colour is a fairly vibrant pale copper; transparent and translucent. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show. It's generally appealing and is typical of the style. There's nothing unique or special here, but there are no overt flaws.

Sm: Floral hops, ejected shell casings (seriously), artificial pine, soap, and pale malts. The soapiness is bothersome, and becomes more reminiscent of detergent the more I smell the beer. Bubblegum. Yeah, this spent too long in primary. An average strength aroma that isn't particularly appealing.

T: Okay. Muted citrus, dominant soapy character, light artificial pine, and some mild floral hops. Bland pale malts form the foundation. There's not a whole lot going on here, and I'm none too keen on what is. Imbalanced and badly built for the style. A bit too bitter for the style as well, but it's also too sweet up front.

Mf: Way too dry on the finish, eradicating any refreshing feel that it might have had prior. Smooth and wet up front. Too thick all around. Overcarbonated, to boot. Weak. Doesn't suit the flavour all that well. Palate presence is okay.

Dr: I'll finish this bottle, but it's really not that drinkable for a pale ale. I'm shocked at how underwhelming this beer is given its influence on the style. I'll try to revisit this on-draught; maybe this was just an off bottle arbitrarily. As it stands, this is rather pedestrian and I see no reason to get it again. Hides its ABV well. Another disappointment from Sierra Nevada.

C-

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 05:19:46 | More by kojevergas
Photo of Brad007
Brad007

Vermont

3.2/5  rDev -21.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

This beer pours a light amber color. There's a faint aroma of hops and not much else. The beer tastes kind of hoppy at first but then fades into a sweet malty backbone. From what I gather about pale ales, they should never be too hoppy or too malty.This one is well balanced but I would think that it would taste better straight from a tap.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2007 23:04:37 | More by Brad007
Photo of Derek
Derek

British Columbia (Canada)

4/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The Pacific Northwest Pale Ale that defined the style. Certainly more subtle than newly developed products.

A: Golden bronze with a little head, no lace.

S: Nice American hop citrous.

T: Citrousy, biscuity malt.

M: Light-to-moderate body, fairly high carbonation.

D: Suitable for a wide range of beer drinkers.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2005 22:47:37 | More by Derek
Photo of Georgiabeer
Georgiabeer

Georgia

3.55/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Let me say first off that I think this is a great beer. I really think they should be applauded for their role in the craft brewed revolution in this country. I think many of their products are excellent, and the snpa is the flagship. This used to be my favorite session beer. Why do I say used to be? Two reasons: first, I think this beer is not quite the beer it used to be. This is true both because it has stood still while great hoppy beers grew around it, but also because I think it has lost a little of its unique flavoe over the years. Second, I think this beer has had freshness and consistency problems as it has grown larger. I've had way to many snpas that were stale tasting if not downright skunky. This is particularly true on tap, but I've had some bad bottles too. I think its the beer, not the storage, but as snpas presence has become more ubiquitous, I'm sure there are more places that don't treat it right. Also, I think the tap beer is not as good as the bottles (Except maybe at the brewery- where its wonderful). The krausening in the bottles lends the brew a fruity yeastiness that is part of its charm. This is really lacking on tap, where an earthier taste comes through. When you find it really fresh and well handled, this can still be a near perfect brew, but its getting harder to find that way imo.

The beer came from the tap a beautiful copper color with a good head and excellent lacing throughout.

The smell is pretty good- earthy hops, but maybe with a little bit of a stale aroma as well. The draft lacks some of the fruity esters of the bottled.

The taste is still solid, fairly soft up front with a good earthy piney hop bitterness. A little stale on the finish.

The mouthfeel is fairly thin, but there is some creaminess there as well. The hops are pretty clean, but not a hop explosion. The thinner body helps the beer remain balanced.

Very drinkable, but best when really fresh. My scores are for draft at an average place. They would be higher at the brewery or in bottles.

Serving type: on-tap

08-13-2006 07:35:37 | More by Georgiabeer
Photo of mothman
mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

3.93/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I have had this beer many times, but I guess I never reviewed it. Well here it goes.

Poured into Sam Adams Sensory Glass.

A slight aggressive pour creating a 2 finger slight off-white head. Leaves some thin splattered lacing. Color is a clear golden orange. You can see perfectly through this beer and the carbonation bubbles had my eyes mesmerized.

Aroma: first thing I thought of was fruity pebbles, but in a good way. Earthy hops. Bready malts. Not to much here, but really good for a pale ale (it has a better aroma then some IPAs).

Taste is hoppy of course. Very balanced with malts though (no types to distinguished for me). Has some citrus notes as well. Great pale ale!

Mouthfeel is bitter at first, but then becomes very enjoyable (not saying that the bitter isn't). Leaves a chewy, hoppy aftertaste.

This beer is definitely a classic and something I will always buy. It is by far one of the better tasting pale ales around. I highly recommend this beer if you haven't tried it yet. Great started beer for getting into hops.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2009 02:03:29 | More by mothman
Photo of Dogbrick
Dogbrick

Ohio

3.53/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Had the draught version at California Pizza Kitchen. Considering how widely available this beer is I'm surprised it took me this long to try it. Not the best APA I have had but still better than average. Good bitter hops flavor and somewhat dry. It is nice to know there are actually decent beers at the grocery store.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2002 09:32:42 | More by Dogbrick
Photo of tavernjef
tavernjef

Minnesota

3.98/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This a standard pale that gets alot of praise and comparison. I was impressed with it, but I have to go with a paler pale for this style. This was a little to hoppy, but overall this is a great taster. Good balanced fresh hops with a bit of citrus and finishes dry and piney. This was actually hard to pin down as far as taste for me due to the finish happened to fast and I was feeling and wanting more. I still thought it was good but something was missing for me on the overall taste. Malt was present. Color was fine for a pale, kinda coppery yellow, with a nice floral aroma with good strong hop presence. I almost liked the smell more then the taste by just a bit. Solid pale, I can see why alot of folks like this stuff. This is a drinkable pale, very good, but needed something for me to really enjoy it fully. I kept a puzzled look on my face after every sip. Why? I'm not sure. Good to great, but not awesome.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2003 10:12:31 | More by tavernjef
Photo of JohnGalt1
JohnGalt1

Idaho

4.2/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz picked up at the Boise Coop for about $1.35... shared with a coworker... my half poured into a Delirium tulip.

Short lasting white head... atop a crystal clear lite golden brew.

Aroma is perfect blend of pronounced citrus hops and pale malts.... with just a touch of yeast fruitiness.

Flavor is as good as a an APA can be... cascade hops... balanced pale toasty malts and bitterness.... finish is more cascades and a little fruitiness. Body is perfect medium/low with the right carbonation.

Really not anything somebody can say bad about Sierra Nevada pale... I really don't buy it much anymore unless I am at a gas station and this is the only micro they have.... but writing a review makes me think about just how quintessential this brew is.... a classic if there ever was one.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2007 07:59:06 | More by JohnGalt1
Photo of thagr81us
thagr81us

South Carolina

4.13/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

The beer that started it all for me... Served from tap into a sampler shaker. Poured yellow-orange with a one finger off-white head that subsided to a minimal amount slowly. Maintained excellent lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, pine, and pine hops. The flavor was of sweet malt, pine, pine hops, and nutmeg on the followthrough. It had a medium feel on the palate with medium-high carbonation. Overall as I said before, this was my gateway drug. My palate is a lot different now than it was. This brew wasn't overly great, but I can see why I started out drinking this. The flavor on this one was quite nice, it is just that the nutmeg I got on the followthrough is in no-way-shape-or-form one of my favorites. Still one of the easiest to find and better tasting Pale Ales out there in my opinion.

Serving type: on-tap

02-07-2011 18:54:58 | More by thagr81us
Photo of Cyberkedi
Cyberkedi

Georgia

4.05/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A very pleasant beer. Color is an absolutely gorgeous golden amber that promises an excellent brew. Aroma is hoppy and pleasant. Flavor is hoppy with some bitterness, not much on complexity but nice. Smooth and tingly, it works by itself or as an accompaniment to a meal. Recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

03-17-2007 18:47:35 | More by Cyberkedi
Photo of ccrida
ccrida

Oregon

4.8/5  rDev +17.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This is my favorite pale ale, because it's basically an IPA. Today I'm in vegas slurping these out of the 24 oz bottles, so no comments on the appearance, other then memory telling me that it looks fine, with tons of lacing from the hops.

Smell is good, bright cascades baby - there's a reason these are the classic west coast hop!

Taste is as good as it gets for an APA, nice crisp toasted malt with a huge hop backbone, but where it differentiates itself in my book is that it's not just a bitter bomb, but plenty of hop FLAVOR, with a clean finish.

Mouthfeel is crisp and snappy, this is a great hot weather beer, not to heavy in the stomach, I can and have drunk way to many of these in one sitting, very easy drinker - an exceptional world classic!

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2008 02:43:50 | More by ccrida
Photo of Huhzubendah
Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4.13/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Sierra Nevada appears transparent yellowish orange with a thick white head that completely coats the glass in lacing. A well balanced brew, with hop flavors in the forefront. Really drinkable, this is a refreshing beer. The carbonation level is spot on. The flavor is simple, but well done. I have has this beer all over the country, and found it to be very consistent. This is a great beer to have around when you want something light and don't want to pillage your cellar.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2010 03:41:04 | More by Huhzubendah
Photo of RoyalT
RoyalT

Ohio

4/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance – Nice, light orange body with an OK head.

Smell – Sensuous hops aroma consistant with the style and the very slightest hint of pine tells us that this one is serious.

Taste – It tastes like a lot of different hops in there. I get a little citrus, but not quite like an orange, and a lemon without the sourness (if that makes any sense). Some hops seem to have a strong floral taste, whereas others are a little bit more crisp. This is a hop-lover’s delight.

Mouthfeel – This feels great in the mouth. The carbonation is small, of course. The brew has a consistancy that just glides along the cheeks and gums. Nice job, SN.

Drinkability – This one has it all. It’s complex yet purposeful. There is an abundance of flavors in there, yet we know right away that it’s an American Pale Ale. In fact, this one would be a great reference taste for other pale ales.

Comments – I have been very impressed with the offerings from this brewery thus far (this is my fourth SN review).

Update – I first reviewed this beer the same month that I joined the site, so I thought it would be fun to revisit it with the 2004 vintage now that I have 1,000+ reviews under my belt.

This really is an understated but incredible Pale Ale. The nose is big on the hops and very complex, but the taste is expertly balanced. It’s everything good in a mild sort of way. I think this is the most often named beer when folks ask the perennial BA question in the forum, “What’s the best beer to introduce a macro drinker to craft beers.” I’m upping my Drinkability rating from 4.0 to 5.0 while bowing in the general direction of Chico, CA.

Update – I had a few bottles of 2006 and thought it was grainier since I last remember. It is a terrific beer but just seemed so ordinary this time around. It’s a definite 4.0 across the board at this point.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2003 02:37:12 | More by RoyalT
Photo of largadeer
largadeer

California

3.43/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance: Slightly hazy amber, good color and head retention.

Smell: Hoppy, floral, a touch of pine and citrus. A metallic character is also noticeable.

Taste & texture: Very bready malt, earthy and metallic, lots of pine in the hops. The malt character of this beer has never impressed me much, though the cascade hops give it a nice finish. I think I'd enjoy it a lot more with a stronger hop presence. The mouthfeel is fine; a bit creamy but not particularly heavy, medium-bodied and moderately carbonated.

Drinkability: While this seems to be the session beer of choice for a lot of people, I personally find it difficult to drink more than a couple of these. I get very sick of the malt flavor after a while.

Notes: This beer is a staple of craft brewing, probably the single most common craft beer you'll find on the west coast. It's a solid pale ale, nothing incredible and a bit overrated in my opinioin, but nonetheless a good representation of the style and a decent gateway into craft beer.

Serving type: on-tap

06-26-2007 17:58:29 | More by largadeer
Photo of Stinkypuss
Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A. On tap into a pint glass. Copper in color with a bit of lace.

S. Floral hoppage and some malts in the distance.

T. A good grassy hopping of some caramel malt. A bit of floral hops. Biscuity malt. Balanced well and nothing out of place.

M. Medium bodied and crisp. Ample amount of carbonation. Finishes slightly dry.

D. A nice pale ale. Pretty much the definition of the style. Solid and a worthy of a staple.

Serving type: on-tap

10-10-2008 04:04:55 | More by Stinkypuss
Photo of avalon07
avalon07

South Carolina

3.78/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had an amber color and a clear texture. There was a decent amount of foamy head and OK lacing.

S: Had a fruity, malty aroma.

T: Tasted of citrus, malt and hops (a little hoppier than you'd expect from a pale ale, but it still had a nice flavor).

M: A decent amount of carbonation with a very dry finish. Light-bodied.

D: One of the more drinkable mass-produced beers out there. Goes down easy and has a decent taste.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2009 12:42:26 | More by avalon07
Photo of OWSLEY069
OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a clean orange-ish color with yellow hints and a light tan head. In the aroma, mellow pine hops and a gingerbread sweet malt. In the taste, same as the aroma, a bit more abrasive on the hops, but backed nicely with sweet malt. A small bite and medium to light bodied mouthfel, with a small dry, hoppy aftertaste. A bigger hop for a pale, but basic and good.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2010 14:19:34 | More by OWSLEY069
Photo of gford217
gford217

Georgia

3.93/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass.

Pours a clear golden amber with a small white fluffy head that dissipates quickly to a ring leaving only a little lacing. The aroma is big on citrus hops with grapefruit up front and a hint of pine in the background. The taste starts with a big citrus hop bite up front before giving way to the malt backbone. There is a little pine bitterness in the finish. The mouthfeel is fresh and clean with good carbonation but a tad light for my liking. This is certainly one of the best mainstream beers out there and one that I order frequently when there's not a lot else available. Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2008 02:37:38 | More by gford217
Photo of TheLongBeachBum
TheLongBeachBum

California

4.13/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

It has been warm today in Long Beach, and I found that by 6pm, I had imbibationally destroyed 50% of the Six Pack I bought a while ago. A solidly great drinking Pale Ale, and whilst I lived in UK, this was considered by many Limeys to be the best exponent of the APA style. As I worked my way through the bottles, I was amazed that I kept "finding" additional facets to this beer the more I drank it. I think its beauty is the way it can seem so simple, but yet retain such complexity under closer scrutiny, so much so that I find myself struggling to explain my tasting to be honest. On one front is a solid thirst quenching hoppy beer that has a lovely fruity hop-oil aroma with a lingering bitter finish. But in other dimensions, the more I concentrate it has a malty light biscuity oatmeal taste that really complements a citric hoppy bitter finish. A Marvellous Quaffable Beer, considered a standard fall-back beer in most bars in CA - but much, much more complex than people realize IMHO. Fantastic!!!!.
Hmm. Those remaining 3 bottles look really lonely.......

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2002 20:16:48 | More by TheLongBeachBum
« first ‹ prev | 1-25 | 26-50 | 51-75 | 76-100 | 101-125  | next › last »
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale from Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
91 out of 100 based on 5,607 user ratings.