Sierra Nevada Stout - Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

SmashPants

Australia

3.79/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle: reasonable 355mL brown bottle with an original and decent label.

Appearance: looks good - an opaque black with some dark brown highlights around the edges when held up to the light. A tan head rises to an inch or so before settling to a semi-thick one-finger.

Aroma: not an overly strong aroma, but there are quite a few different characteristics. Heavy seeded fruits, anise, and the more usual chocolate and roast coffee.

Taste: there is a definite rough chocolate coming through the strongest, with some hop character coming through in the background. Not as impressive as the nose.

Aftertaste: hop bitterness hangs about for a long while, making this a good sipper if desired.

Mouth feel: suits the style - reasonably full in body with limited carbonation. Quite creamy across the tongue too.

Overall: a well-constructed stout, I just wish the incredible nose was followed by similarly incredibly flavours in the mouth. The cost of AU$90 a case makes other, equally good stouts a better option. Not a bad stout at all, just suffers a bit when it comes to the actual flavours. Not bad, just not interesting enough to cover the high price.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 11:22:27 | More by SmashPants

pvsob

Pennsylvania

3.23/5  rDev -21%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A- Nearly pitch black with some lighter highlights. Half inch head (tan) fades quickly and leaves average lacing.

S- Coffee, brown sugar, light chocolate, roasted malt, and some floral/earthy hops.

T- Roasted malt and some bitter hops. Not quite as complex as the aroma would lead you to believe.

M- Thin to medium with above average carbonation.

O- Standard SN: good, cheap, and easy to find. It's worth a try. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2013 01:56:35 | More by pvsob

flyingpig

United Kingdom (Scotland)

4.19/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Opaque black with dark brown tinges in areas and a very long lasting, foamy head that is light brown in colour and about a centimetre and a half tall; it remains at this height for a few minutes as well.

Roasted malts aroma with plenty of coffee on top and some cocoa too. There is some rich chocolate notes and some light caramel coming together to give me exactly what I expected from this beer.

Dark, roasted malts flavour with plenty of cocoa and rich chocolate. There is a lighter coffee taste and some dark fruits in there along with some sweet malts and sugar. A very pleasant stout and one that goes down great.

Medium in body with a mildly creamy feel and stronger than expected carbonation. There is a slightly dry feel to the beer and a background sweetness to, all with a wonderful balance to the beer.

A very good stout and one that I would happily drinking a good few of without getting bored of. This one is an excellent example of the style, is very well balanced and goes down wonderfully.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2013 12:05:33 | More by flyingpig

Jsteez

New Mexico

4.38/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a dimpled beer mug.

A-Rich and black with a creamy tan 2" head. It had a lot of sediment, which made it not look as appealing. It tasted fine, though. Left some nice lace on the glass.

S-Smokey, coffee, roasted barley, and some malt.

T-Smoked toffee, roasted/smoked barley, earthy, and a touch of chocolate. The aftertaste was a little dry/bitter from the hops. Great balanced brew.

M-On the lighter side, and a nice crisp feel(which is great for this style).

0verall, this brew was excellent. It's a great winter brew! It complemented the bbq beer crockpot chicken I ate. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2012 19:19:18 | More by Jsteez

Weli

Wisconsin

4.43/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A- Pitch black with 1" creamy tan head with great retention

S-Subtle, a bit bready with hints of dark grains

T-Big roast barley flavor, assertive bitterness and hints of chocolate

M- Highly carbonated, and dry without being astringent, has a soft yet intense bitterness

O-Great interpretation of the American Stout Style.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 23:16:07 | More by Weli

smiga

New Jersey

4.33/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A bros worth reading. What I agree with is this is an every day Stout at affordable prices and reasonable alcohol content. I like to blend a stout with a pale ale (say Dales) for a home made black-n-tan, or to drink a lighter caloried stout in the afternoon, so this fits that gap much better than bottle Guiness.

The smell is the best part: Toast, layers, leaves, a wet autumn trail run.
Thinner than others, so again good for lunch or afternoon winter twilights.
Warm notes.

Alternatively, a great night cap before bed, for some reason it's one of the rare beers you can enjoy after a holiday meal or even after wine and savor like you would a brandy.

A bookish stout.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 01:47:43 | More by smiga

sevenarts

New York

3.55/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Deep, dark opaque brown, verging into black. Modest tan head, not much lacing.

S: Coffee and chocolate, roasted malts, dark fruits. Mild and pleasant.

T/M: As with the aroma, a mild, tasty stout. Coffee and chocolate dominate up front. Some dark fruity flavors, bready malts, and slightly bitter, burnt notes at the end of each sip. Creamy and smooth.

O: A fine, tasty and unassuming stout, very drinkable. Nothing mind-blowing, just a good stout.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2012 23:50:36 | More by sevenarts

Mojo

Alabama

4.25/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 ounce bottle -> brandy snifter

This beer pours up a deep black with a big fluffy two finger caramel-colored head, decent retention, and outstanding lacing. The smell is molasses, toffee, and malt. The taste follows the nose very sweet on the front end with a molasses like sweetness followed by a dry not very bitter finish. Mouthfeel is very pleasing without excessive carbonation. As with just about all other offerings from Sierra Nevada, this one is very solid. There may be better beers in every category, but as a whole is there really a better brewer?

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 04:43:06 | More by Mojo

Winston_Smith

Kentucky

4.55/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

If there's a freshness date on this, I can't find it.

Appearance: Initially forms a couple fingers of frothy beige head. It recedes in about a minute to a half finger.

Smell: The coffee jumps out at me. Lots of malty aroma, and smells very rich.

Taste: Very toasty maltiness at first, with a little hop bitterness at the end. Textbook of the style, and very very good.

Mouthfeel: Creamy thickness characteristic of the style. Very rich and nicely carbonated.

Overall: Great beer. What else does one expect of this brewery?

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2012 00:53:51 | More by Winston_Smith

NuclearDolphin

Minnesota

4.28/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a Pint Glass

Appearance - Pitch black with a brown 2 finger head. Some carbonation along the sides of the glass

Smell - Chocolate, Hops, Coffee, Wood and Barley. Surprisingly earthy scent for a Stout; Not in a grassy sense but in an "earthy" sense.

Taste - Chocolate, Coffee, Hops, Malts, Barley and Oak. Wow, the chocolate notes in here are very direct and upfront. As for the earthiness, that's gone and in it's place is a pleasant oak flavor which pairs well with the other flavors

Mouthfeel - Creamy, Heavy bodied and the carbonation is moderate. The heavy body softens the blow which the carbonation deals, which makes it easier to drink.

Overall - A little less malty than I would've liked but it doesn't take away from the fact that this is an excellent tasting stout and that it is absolutely worth checking out!

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2012 07:16:13 | More by NuclearDolphin

Bernerdawg

Georgia

3.8/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Pours a dark black with an inch of tan head. Decent lacing and retention.

Chocolate, roasted malt, a thin whiff coffee

Not used to hop-forward stouts and it took a moment to get my bearings. Still retains the generalities of the style with roasty malts and chocolate, coffee more prevalent in the taste than the smell, finishes bittersweet on the palate.

The carbonation seems kinda high. I wouldn’t call this creamy but it goes down smooth.

I like this, though it’s not as complex as the other stouts I’ve had lately. After a few sips I paired it with Paula Deen’s Not Yo Moma’s Banana Pudding and the combination was excellent. A solid if not polite stout – at one point it reminded me of a porter. A good gateway to the style. Tasty and would buy again.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2012 15:13:41 | More by Bernerdawg

rawfish

California

3.95/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours dark brown with cola highlights with a off white head of a finger. Poor retention but does leave some solid lacing on the glass.

Thin roasted malt, a touch bready with coffee and pine/light herbal hops presence. Not very complex.

Tasty coffee, toast and unsweetened cocoa, and dark berries, pleasant bitterness from the hops that comes in rather flavorless and drying. Simple yet all you can ask for.

Thin but true to style with the low abv. Easy to drink, well hidden alcohol, carbonated perfectly and creamy smooth. I like my stouts with a bit more heft otherwise excellent.

More SN craft is tasted in this brew, true to style. Light on it's feet and delivers a nice roasted coffee and cocoa fix. Good on a balmy SoCal winter night.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2012 02:26:44 | More by rawfish

RobertColianni

Pennsylvania

3.15/5  rDev -23%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12oz. bottle poured into Hoegaarden Glass/Tumbler.

A: Thin, oily head. No head in center; just around the rim. Cola colored with cherry tones under light.

S: Smooth, malted scent with mildly roasted notes and settled coffee back-end. Smells like wet dog once warmed up to room temperature.

T: Roasted coffee beans and strong hop presence. Not very complex.

M: Fresh, grainy, dry-hopped tingle, dryness.

OVERALL: With some freshly ground, roasted coffee bean under-tones, I'm really digging it. It's textbook as hell, though, without that stout punch. Style points are high, but Sierra Nevada just didn't own up to this recipe as it has nothing very special or unorthodox to offer. Just another cow waiting to get slaughtered.

NOTE: Live review.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 17:38:21 | More by RobertColianni

TheBrewo

Michigan

3.88/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beverage was served from the tap at The Old Toad in Rochester, NY. It arrived in a house pint glass glowing the deepest brown that gave up a bit of light around the edges. No real head was noted, and creamy spots of lacing were left here and there as the liquid disappeared. No haze or sediment was noted, and carbonation appeared to be active. The nose gave milder, toffee sweetness, raw coffee bean roast and metallics, charred malts, light plastics, and black cherry syrup. Our first impression was that the flavoring was warm and roasty, with a nice Cali hop bitterness to cut and balance. As we sipped, roasted coffee and chocolate malts, plastic phenols, and grassy and oily hop bite mixed for the start. The middle peaked with stronger medicinal phenols and charred woodiness to sit against the continued blackened coffee malts. The finish was with smoke, bitter grassy hops, toffees, and molasses salt and sugar. Light lactics came to cut, adding sourness to and already puckered char. The aftertaste breathed of smoke, roasted malts, char, light air of hops, and milk chocolate sweetness. The body was medium, and the carbonation was active, with an initial bubbly tickle. Following nice slurp, smack, cream, and froth, the feel gave way to a light astringency down the hard palate. The abv was fine, and the beer drank easily.

Overall, what we enjoyed most about this brew was the flavoring. There was nice and robust smokiness to add to the already rich and deep chocolatey malts. A hop bitterness also permeated each level, adding complexity, balance, and blend. The feel was nicely drying, leaving a pleasant smack and froth to the lip. If anything, the nose was comparably light, but the rest made up for it in this tasty brew.

Serving type: on-tap

12-03-2012 15:07:15 | More by TheBrewo

jucifer1818

Florida

3.5/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: deep, dark brown, decent carbonation. very inviting, tho I would had preferred a darker looking stout

However, with its excellent head and carbonation, its a very nice looking brew
4.5/5

s: low roastyness. most present smell is hops. The hoppy smell is good, don't get me wrong, but I would had preferred more, caramel, chocolate, coffee, malty goodness.
I give it a 3/5

taste: quite pleasant. as the smell indicates, this is a hoppier stout than it is malty. Still their is a decent amount of roastyness (most likely from some roasted barley), and I think theirs even a small bit of smokiness to it. Hops dominate the flavor however, and it has a medium hoppy bite that some might prefer (I however, am a much bigger fan of stout that has hops playing 2ed fiddle to the malt
good I suppose, but I have to give it a 3.5/5

Mouth-feel: very light. I expected a heavier body from the stout, but it is to be expected for a stout as light as this one.
4/5

overall: Im going to have to give this one a 3.5/5
Im kinda dissipointed with this one reallly...
Its not a bad stout, its just not what I expect from a brew like this. I feel as if it had less hoppyness to it and less roasted barley (which seems to be the only modified malt in this one) I would had rated it higher

either way if you want a standard stout that has more hops than most this is the beer for you, however, Id prefer to just get something from Laginitas or Anchor and have a better stout.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2012 18:35:24 | More by jucifer1818

AmitC

Indiana

4.13/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

SN Stout

Poured into a the glass. Pitch black inside the glass. The color actually is dark brown. Totally opaque. Small half finger thick head, of light brown color. Solid retention. Decent lacing.

Smell: Huge roasted malts presence. Some hop presence is felt as well. Inviting presence of coffee as well. Looks very robust and well balanced.

Taste : Smooth. Very unlike other sweeter stouts. This is very well balanced. Roasted malts upfront and a backbone of hops to balance everything. After taste is much complex with presence of roast, coffee and hops.

Mouth feel: No hotness, may be due to lack of alcohol. Medium bodied feel, slightly creamy. No astringency of roasted malts or heavy carbonation. Moderately carbonated.

Over all: A good stout. Above par, but nothing out of ordinary.

Style rate: 4.25 Personal rate: 3.5

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 01:18:35 | More by AmitC

hardy008

Minnesota

4.03/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is another Sierra Nevada beer, which I can't believe I took this long to review. I had my first Sierra Nevada Stout in the 90's. Pours black with a two finger tan head with good retention and lacing. Smells like dark roasted malt, dark chocolate, and earth, almost like the inside of a cave.

The taste is a nice balance of dark roasted malt, dark chocolate, and some caramel. As with the porter, there is a nice balance between the dark roasted malt and the dark chocolate, which provides some chocolate balanced nicely by some bitterness. The taste is also a little earthy, and makes for a nice Stout.

Medium bodied with average carbonation and a bittersweet aftertaste. I think trying a classic American Stout is a must.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2012 23:31:42 | More by hardy008

KKB

Massachusetts

4.15/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A – A real dark deep leathery brown, really almost black. The foam is lovely as well with a light rootbeer looking head to it and great retention. Some accents of a deep ruby around the edges where the light can get to it. When I was pouring it though I noticed it looked a bit like a cola, and not quite as oily and thick as I was hoping. That’s ok though, she still looks nice.

S – Mmm, that’s lovely. You get the charred black malt, and some light hops giving it that smoky/burnt/bitter aroma but the hops add to it to make it somewhat earthy and floral. Definitely some coffee and chocolate in here as well. Smells delightful and I cannot wait to dive on in.

T – Very nice! Very nice indeed. I am impressed. You get the coffee element the strongest at the beginning with a nice malty presence, a little bit of caramel in there as well to be sure. There is also a slight bittersweet chocolate element to it that comes in rather nicely as well as a continuance of the hops found in the nose. A very pleasant beer, and well made, I am glad to be drinking it.

M – The mouthfeel is actually better than I thought it was going to be based upon the way it looked while I was pouring it. It is a little bit thicker than it looked, although I would still like for it to be a bit thicker than it is, it’s still rather good. A nice amount of carbonation and it goes down extremely smoothly with no trace of the alcohol except for a very very slight warmth at the end. Nice.

O – A great stout overall, I look forward to having this beer again.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2012 02:58:39 | More by KKB

forsakenpariah

Alabama

4.53/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz bottle -> imperial pint glass

A - Black pour with tan head. Some very dark reddish highlight break thorugh the edges when held up to light.

S - Sweet and roasty malt aroma. Pretty awesomely balanced coffee and chocolate aromas dominate. Not much noticeable hop aroma to speak of, but that's actually not a bad thing in this beer.

T - Sweet and creamy malts with lots of coffee and chocolate. Moderate bitterness comes through in the middle and leaves a bitter chocolatey aftertaste.

M - Smooth and creamy body with medium carbonation. Simply amazing.

O - Definitely the best American stout I've ever had. I don't think it gets much better than this.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2012 07:07:04 | More by forsakenpariah

tectactoe

Michigan

3.95/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a deep black with some dark brown outlining the glass and the top of the beer. Light-tan colored head which left surprisingly decent lacing along the glass on the way down. Initial nose is sweet, creamy, and milky, backed up with a nice helping of roasted malts - grainy and full of chocolate. Slight bitterness hits the taste buds, along with a nice carbonation snap, but it's quickly rivaled by the sweetness of the malt and the dark, roasted coffee and chocolaty flavor it brings. Creamy, medium body, very smooth on the palette.

Overall, an incredibly enjoyable beer. Sierra Nevada makes some good stuff, and this stout is on the money. So fundamentally sound and simple, just executed beautifully.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2012 11:30:30 | More by tectactoe

Fatehunter

Oregon

4.35/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Finger and half of light tan head. Black, brown on the edges, color body.
Soft roasted malt smell and hazelnuts.
Taste starts with a light roasted malt, quickly moves to bold burnt wood, a bite of bitterness, finishes with the roasted malt. Really nice profile.
Creamy texture with a bit of fizzy, but only moderate carbonation.
A pretty awesome stout.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2012 19:12:07 | More by Fatehunter

Gstarkey

3.53/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A bit different than a traditional stout or porter in that the hops are much more pronounced in the smell and taste. Pours a dark black. Typical. I got a little over a finger of head with some bigger bubbles at the top most likely due to the more generous use of hops. Not as creamy of a head i was expecting from this stout but i understand its no Guinness or murphys.

Overall a very enjoyable beer. Wasn't the best stout i have had but it certainly was worth drinking. I have enjoyed pretty much everything sierra nevada puts out. Some day i will have to make the two hour journey north to visit their brewery. If you see this beer in your local store give it a try i think you will be surprised like i was. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2012 06:12:16 | More by Gstarkey

gcamparone

Rhode Island

4.25/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 ounce bottle into a Samuel Adams pint glass. Purchased at Wakefield Liquors in Wakefield, RI.

A- Pours an opaque pitch black with slight cherry outlines. Nice, fluffy brown-to-cream head that reduces to chunks of foam. Nice blotchy lacing.

S- dark chocolate, roasted malt, slightly smokey. Nice and inviting.

T- Delicious. Dark chocolate upfront, transcending into a roasted coffee, toasted malt, nice bitter aftertaste.

M- very little carbonation, medium-heavy creamy body. Thick and rich.

Overall, a nicely crafted stout. Pleasing to all of the senses. Smooth and balanced. Worth picking up a bottle or few.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2012 23:48:33 | More by gcamparone

CloudStrife

New York

4.05/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into a snifter. Bottled July 13th 2012.

A: Pours a dark black with a 2 finger tanned-white head. Sticks around for a few minutes and leaves some nice lacing. A fair amount of light gets through the side of the glass.

S: Roasted malts and dark fruits, coffee and chocolate as well. Pretty solid and authentic nose for a stout. Plenty of hop on the nose too. Little bit of booze.

T: Pretty nice blend of roasted chocolaty malts and hops. Focused on the malts with a balancing bittering at the end. A fair amount of sweetness. Lingering malt aftertaste.

M: Medium body with a velvety smooth mouthfeel. Low carbonation. Very easy drinking,

Overall a classic stouts that is a benchmark to the style. Sierra Nevada knows how to brew some beer. Worth picking up at least once.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2012 21:58:26 | More by CloudStrife

siradmiralnelson

Iowa

4.1/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from 12oz bottle into Globe glass.

A. Pours a 3+ finger head. Thick lacing. Really good retention, head never disappears. Color is a lighter shade of black.

S. Roasted malt, coffee, some hop bitterness, a bit of dark chocolate. Simple clean smelling stout. Get quite a bit of aroma that you normally get in larger stouts.

T. Roasted malt, coffee, dark chocolate. Overall flavor is bitter coffee, and some bitter hop flavor. Get just a bit of creamy milk chocolate on the back of the tongue. Overall this basically tastes like the definition of a stout to me.

M. Medium bodied. Medium carbonation. Finishes pretty dry and clean.

O. Overall this is a good example that a beer doesnt have to be 10% + ABV to be good. A simple beer that hits all the right notes can be pretty damn good, and this is a pretty damn good stout.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2012 23:24:57 | More by siradmiralnelson