Sierra Nevada Porter - Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

cyclonece09

Virginia

4.1/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a 14 oz "pint" glass. Pours a nice black with a small white head that dissipates fairly quickly. Smells of coffee, chocolate, and dark roasted grain. Tastes of coffee and slight caramel and chocolate, very nice taste profile. Beer has a very nice full profile for its medium/heavy body and carbonation is right. Overall, a very good beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 02:11:01 | More by cyclonece09

bperry65

Ohio

3.65/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Appearance: kind of light for a porter, almost like a brown ale.

Taste: Roast and chocolate from beginning to end. A great example of the style, but not as strong of a finish as I would like.

Mouthfeel: a little more carbonated than ideal, but that's nitpicking

Overall: A solid session porter that I would never turn down, but I won't seek out again with more solid options like Edmund Fitz and Black Butte.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2013 23:31:33 | More by bperry65

T100Mark

California

4.33/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A twelve ounce bottle in a shaker pint glass. Great looking bottle and label!

Appearance - Dark, dark brown. Course head. Moderate lace on the glass. A good looking beer.

Smell - Big nose. Earthy. Malty. Nice.

Taste - Malt. Burnt coffee. Licorice.

Mouth - Big mouth! Acidic.

Overall - This is a big beer. Bold. Complex. Crisp. Not as smooth as many of the English Porters. I like it! Has Sierra Nevada ever made a bad beer?

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2013 02:41:08 | More by T100Mark

Utica_Brew_Review

New York

2.79/5  rDev -29%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75

Amber color (kind of light for a porter) without much head. Roasted chocolaty aroma. Again, roasted chocolate and coffee come through with a hint of hops and earthiness. Tastes more like a "indian porter." Just a bit more carbonated than we would like.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 08:04:51 | More by Utica_Brew_Review

Jacurdy60

Alabama

4.06/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

One of the better porters I've had.

Appearance--deep brownish black with a hint of red

Smell--oaky with a burnt nose. Smells like finished yeast bread that was slightly burnt

Taste--malty with hints of grain oatmeal

MF--chewy but very smooth and drinkable

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 17:56:19 | More by Jacurdy60

micromaniac129

Pennsylvania

4.04/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

SN porter has a deep brown color. When held to light you can almost see through it and sports an amazing ruby brown color.
The head is light mocha beige and not very tall, though its dense, stiff and gets a little rocky and fades to a thicjk collar. Sticky lacing coats the glass as the beer level drops.
The smell is solid porter aromatics. Roasted malts are what I smell the most of and I'm also detecting hints of citrus hops, interesting.
The flavor profile has nice depth. There is a good solid roasted malt taste along with sutle chocolate and coffee. Sprite and spry hops brighten up the flavor as one might use a lemon in cooking. Very interesting. Drinks smooth and mellow and abit flat but is a good solid porter thats handsomely made.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 12:59:19 | More by micromaniac129

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.99/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottled 05/22/12. Poured into a nonic glass.

Pours a very dark cola color with about a finger of beige-colored foam. The head looks dense and it's sparkling at me. I wish I had another third of a bottle to finish filling this big imperial pint glass.

Moderately roasty aroma with some rough grain notes and an earthy whiff of wet autumn leaves. Some very light sweetness is attached to the nose, but in the form of carryover wort sugars. Hints of coffee and yew berries. Nice aromas overall.

Earthy flavors follow the nose, but with an added brightness. The zip comes from some mellow citrus and floral hops and the subsequent bitterness. The coffee is light, and now there's a soft note of chocolate. Very light tartness, like unripe seed fruits. Very simple, but very good.

Dextrins are good and chewy. Finishes clean with an outro of burpy gas. A feel-good belcher. Body is medium and mostly dry. Drinks like a racecar drives.

Sierra Nevada Porter is not trying to be anything really complex, just a great six-pack selection off the shelf. Works as a cool weather or cold weather beer to great effect. I will never turn this beer down, and I'd have trouble skipping ordering one if I ever see it on-tap. Unfortunately, I never see it on-tap. And, I'd like to. Starting now.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2013 00:13:36 | More by thecheapies

patpbr

Ohio

4.06/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a dark brown and has a nice head that does not quite reach the top of the pint glass. Chocolate and some hop in the aroma. Hints of chocolate, coffee, a little roast some sweetness. Citrus hops, its well balanced. Finish is a little dry and only subtle bitterness. A good porter.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 02:47:14 | More by patpbr

mmva321

Illinois

2.88/5  rDev -26.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A: Pours a beautiful dark ruby color. You can barely see through it, but the glimmering highlights are a treat. Some carbonation can be seen in the light. Some delicate kaki head that dissipates quickly.

S: A little too faint and pretty simple. This porter's aroma is pretty much roasted malts that give a very nice, smooth toffee smell. Some hop notes are present but very buried.

T: Smooth malts dominate the flavor. Very roasted with a hint of not-so-crisp hops.

M: The feel is too thin and too carbonated for the roasted smoothness of the flavor.

O: This is not a bad beer at all, just one that seems watered down and unwilling to give us bold flavors.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 04:01:19 | More by mmva321

KeithG

Australia

3.7/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The beer PRESENTED well. Cocoa cola coloured, carbonation level on the high side, but suited the beer, light tan head with fine tight bead.

AROMA was a shade subdued a hint of chocolate and toffee, but coffe was the stick out feature.

Plenty of roasted coffee FLAVOUR very nicely blended with a bit of chocolate. Balance in the mouth was great, nice little roasty bite created good character and interest.

Overall an enjoyable porter that has a decent drinkability factor - a softer mouthfeel would make the beer slide down more easily or alternatively more roast and body would push the beer into the special occasion category; I found where it sits on the spectrum a little confusing, but in the end decided this is what makes it Sierra Nevada's and not someone else's and enjoyed the beer I drank. (If you are a slave to style I would say it's a little roasty to be a Brown Porter and not big enough to be a Robust version.)

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 08:23:19 | More by KeithG

BurgeoningBrewhead

Pennsylvania

3.86/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Poured from 12oz bottle into porter glass. Darker brown that lets some light through, with a thick full head that dissipated slowly leaving great chunky lacing. Smell is of bitter chocolate and coffee with a sweet malt pinch at the end of the sniff. Taste is not as bitter as the smell, a nice rounded coffee roasted taste with a malty backbone. This porter is not as dry as others I've had. It's a little different, but a pleasant surprise. Overall this is a very drinkable porter. Not outstanding in anyway, but a fine beer in and of itself.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2013 06:03:20 | More by BurgeoningBrewhead

mattsdenney

Tennessee

3.71/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

This one pours thick and dark. Heavy on the head with nice lacing and a sticky retention. Smells of chocolate malt, grassy grains, dark cherry, and toasted bread. The overall scent is not strong but is what you would expect out of a good porter. The beer tastes of bittersweet chocolate with a nice smoky backbone. There's definitely a dry, malty flavor reminiscent of a dry irish stout as well. It finishes with a hint of light hop bitterness but overall is well-balanced. The mouthfeel is light bodied and bubbly, somewhat frothy. Overall a nice well-balanced porter. You can always count on SN to deliver high quality stuff and this one is no different.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2013 03:23:05 | More by mattsdenney

SometimesIfart

Michigan

2.1/5  rDev -46.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

A - Pours an extremely dark riby with a three finger off white head. Leaves great lacing.

S - Weird. Munich malt, grains.

T - Holy Spaten Oktoberfest batman. Tastes nothing like a Porter. Munich malt, dark cherries. Small amounts of toffee come through in the finish as the lable states.

M - Medium bodied with heavy carbonation.

O - A travesty of a porter. Seriously bad. I guess Sierra Nevada can make a bad beer after all. Hopefully this is just a bad bottle and future bottles taste loads better.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2013 09:00:04 | More by SometimesIfart

thlayli87

New Jersey

3.9/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Dark brown, cola-like color, almost black with three fingers of tan head. Excellent lacing.

S - Coffee, roasted malts.

T - Black licorice, coffee, alcohol, bittersweet chocolate, roasted malts, slight chalkiness.

M - Medium to full bodied. Fizzy on the tongue.

O - I've not yet had a subpar beer from Sierra Nevada, and the Porter is no exception. Satisfying brew for fall and winter.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 20:26:37 | More by thlayli87

Tomhet

Illinois

3.63/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This pours a black-brown color with a little bit of ruby tinge that becomes apparent when held up to light. Resting atop the body is a two-finger, creamy and rich looking tan head (that gives birth to lacing that just doesn't quit) that anticipates some of the sweeter notes I pick up in the aroma. Regarding aroma, the first thing that obviously hits you is a distinct blend of dark chocolate, toffee, and slick brown sugar. The mix of the three scents is particularly spot-on with none of them being favored above any others. Some nutty backbone is present as well; perhaps something with a bit of a pecan texture. I'm picking up on the slightest amount of earthy hops, but it's frankly a bit of a stretch and assimilates with the less "sweet" of the roasted malt notes I mentioned before.

Taste is a really smooth, faint hit of dark chocolate up front that slides back into a finish that reveals much more of a hop presence than the aroma would indicate. In the middle of the whole thing is a bit of bite that black coffee has, but it integrates well with the aforementioned initial dark chocolate note and the finishing earthy hops. Carbonation is pretty damn high; at times this almost feels like the unquestionably amazing Pale Ale. I won't say that this is a bad thing, per se, but it's definitely a bit much for a porter. Nevertheless, the body is a medium-light hybrid, and it goes down really smoothly without falling prey to one-dimensionality.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 06:38:03 | More by Tomhet

Jsteez

New Mexico

3.91/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a dimpled mug.

A-deep black with dark ruby red highlights when held to the light. Poured a creamy, tan head that left some nice lace.

S-Not too much here. There was a touch of roasted barley and perhaps some malt. Not worth writing much about. I was a little disappointed by the lack of aroma.

T-Roasted barley, roasted malt, coffee, and mocha. The sweet malt and bitter hops really created a nice balanced aftertaste. I enjoyed sipping this brew.

M-Perhaps on the lighter side for a porter, which made it much more drinkable.

Overall, this was a nice beer to drink at midnight on New Year's Eve. It's a great winter brew to sip by the fire when it's 10 degrees fahrenheit (about -12 Celsius) outside. Happy New Year!

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 17:11:28 | More by Jsteez

jesterx7769

3.38/5  rDev -14%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Color: Very dark, light beige head
Smell: mocha/malty as you would expect
Taste: Medium frothy consistency, mocha/coffee taste with a strong taste toward the end. No lingering aftertaste despite the bite of barley and strong coffee towards the end makes it very easy porter to drink

very good porter to drink however as others have mentioned it is nothing special. Great for price point and enjoyment but with no strong aroma or taste it is hard to rate higher.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 02:24:27 | More by jesterx7769

Damian74Shensky

South Carolina

4.05/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle served in a Goblet.

A-dark-colored, 2 finger creamy head
S-Smell of roasted malts,nothing else really going on.
T-caramel,roast malts, light hops, sweetness.
M-Light body for the style. A bit too carbonated.
O- Not a bad Porter, would have again.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2012 14:37:01 | More by Damian74Shensky

wingman14

Ohio

4.23/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Pours a dark brownish/black with rootbeer color highlights and a thick mocha head. The smell is roasted malt, some chocolate, coffee, and sweet notes as well. Very inviting, nice aroma. The taste starts with the chocolate and coffee, then finishes with the roasted malt and a hint of smokiness. Not as sweet as I would have expected, but very good. The mouthfeel is lighter than expected, a medium/light body, the thick head adds to the body but when that is gone the body seems ligther. A little bit heavier and this would be spot on. Overall a very well done porter, great flavor, and easy to enjoy.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2012 02:06:21 | More by wingman14

RobertColianni

Pennsylvania

3.15/5  rDev -19.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Thin, creamy, khaki head that rides the side walls with heavy lacing. Mahogany core with a cola/syrup colored topside.

S: Faint chocolate and coffee.

T: Black coffee. Very up front. A slight mocha on the back end. Almost oily, but not in viscosity.

M: Thin, but frothy. A great smoothness with a hoppy tingle to finish.

OVERALL: Very textbook. I want to give points for doing it right, but Sierra Nevada always hit their beer with hops, so I guess that is their signature in this one. I just wish they went a little more bold with other things in order to own this recipe. It's just too plain, but rather plain than screwed up, right?

NOTE: Live review.
(EDIT:) I wasn't able to finish the final two sips so I just rinsed my glass and called it a night at that point. The tingle got annoying.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2012 20:00:02 | More by RobertColianni

tectactoe

Michigan

3.88/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Pours a deep ruby red, nearly black in the middle, with a light tan colored head giving mild retention and minimal lacing. Nose is full of what you'd expect from a basic porter - handfuls of roasted malts and barley. Nutty, woody, and toasty. The biggest flavor coming through on the first sip is coffee beans. Rich, roasted, and flavorful coffee beans. Toasted malts follow up along with a touch of cocoa powder that becomes more noticeable once you try to focus on it. Midway through, a nice shot of floralness appears in the form of hops providing a nice bitterness offset to the slight sweetness of the malt. The carbonation snap lines up well with the bitterness spike, providing an effective and notable bite on the tongue. Medium body, relatively high carbonation.

Across the board, Sierra Nevada brews are SOLID. This is a great, basic porter and a nice example of the style. There are many porters I prefer to this one, and I would also take SN's stout over this, however it is still a great beer and something that I would by occasionally, especially with it's low price point.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2012 15:42:55 | More by tectactoe

KKB

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A – Translucent caramel with a beige head, looks rather inviting if somewhat light for a porter. It leaves a faint lace, but nothing overly impressive.

S – Very interesting smell. Hops in the nose! Get that, hops in a porter. Who’d of thought. But otherwise you get the more typical aromas of malt that bring on the coffee and chocolate. Very nice overall.

T – Right off the bat you get the flavors that are more associated with typical malts, some nice chocolate and coffee, but it also is a little bit bitter as well from the hops. Nicely done. The hops take a more center stage role as the beer continues, never overwhelming but just slightly more dominant than the chocolate and coffee.

M – Mouthfeel is medium in body, but it is definitely a tiny bit lacking IMO as far as porters go. I was hoping for it to have a bit more body. But it’s still very well orchestrated.

O – It’s a very good porter overall and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I will definitely be picking this up again.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 05:22:16 | More by KKB

AmitC

Indiana

4/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz bottle into beer mug.

Dark brown color. Half finger thick head of tan color with not enough retention. Almost non-existent lacing. Shows ruby hues against light.

Aroma: Smell is very much of roasted malts. Not very strong. Slight coffee-chocolate nose. Slight hop aroma.

Taste: All roasted malt with some coffee upfront. Some hops that balance the sweetness really well.

Mouth feel : Light medium to medium feel. Moderate carbonation.

A goodly drinkable porter. Porters are usually of no use when there are huge stouts out there.

Style score: 4.0 Personal score: 3.25

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 03:19:52 | More by AmitC

BucannonXC5

California

3.78/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12-oz. bottle into a pint glass at my house on Nov. 7, 2012 (purchased at World Market in La Mesa (San Diego, Calif.) for $1.99 on Nov. 7, 2012). Very dark brown with two fingers of khaki tan head.
Above average wet and foamy retention on the sides of glass, good on the top.

Smelled roasted nutty malts with toffee, caramel, coffee (light), liquor (light) and cough syrup (light).

Tasted toffee, roasted nutty malts, caramel, smoky and bitter coffee beans (light). Still got a small amount of the cough syrup.

Medium-to-full body. Slick texture. Average carbonation. Long, bitter finish.

A pretty good porter, which is no surprise given the brand. I’d definitely have it again.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2012 06:07:11 | More by BucannonXC5

hardy008

Minnesota

4/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Wow. I can't believe I have gone this long, without reviewing this beer, which I was drinking in the 90's. Pours dark brown with a two finger tan head with good retention and lacing. Smells of dark roasted malt and chocolate.

Tastes just like it smells with dark roasted malt and chocolate. There is a nice combination of bitterness from the dark roasted malt, and sweetness from the chocolate, but neither is too strong, or too weak. Nicely done.

Medium bodied with average carbonation, and a slight roasted malt aftertaste. This is a classic American craft beer. A must try.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2012 22:59:46 | More by hardy008