Sierra Nevada Stout - Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

MikeAAL

Wisconsin

4.74/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

This is the best Stout I've ever had, bar none.

It's dark, black with a beautiful tan head. Also excellent lacing. It's so pretty that it's almost a shame to drink it.

Smells like coffee and roasted malts.

Tastes like coffee, roasted malts and a hint of dark chocolate. Also a bit smokey.

Medium body and carbonation. A little creamy and very smooth. Also a bit of hop bitterness.

I am very impressed! This stuff is the real deal. It puts Guinness Draught. to shame.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 00:37:53 | More by MikeAAL

mfnmbvp

Illinois

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

12 oz. bottle, with no bottled on date except for a code which I'm not about to bother with. I was generally let down with Sierra Nevada's IPA offerings like the Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA, Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye IPA, and their pale ale offering Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, but I have slightly higher expectations for the Sierra Nevada Stout.

Poured into a Firestone Walker pint glass.

A - Pours a virtually opaque black color with the tiniest dot of ruby light showing a slight bit of bubbles flowing to the top. Quarter inch of khaki colored head recedes within seconds.

S - Rich velvety dark chocolate cake. Creamy and milky. Roasted coffee beans. Some smokey, leathery qualities to it. Hint of dark fruitiness and carbonation.

T - Relatively smooth, creamy, chocolate and coffee bean bitterness is the most prominent. Some nice subtle bitter hop cone presence definitely makes itself know near the middle, paired with a flavorful toasted malt profile. A fairly simple tasting brew, not complex, but to the point.

M - Dry and bitter, yet smooth and creamy. Bold and bitter from the coffee beans and hop presence, yet smooth and silky with chocolate.

Overall, a fairly simple brew in it's approach and style, yet balanced and highly drinkable. Nicely balanced and bodied, with a nice moderate 5.80% abv, and a fair level of carbonation. So far, it is probably my favorite beer that I have had from Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., and definitely one that I would revisit. Not overly complex, but definitely hits it's mark. A standard, typical, slightly above-average stout.

Sierra Nevada Stout ---4/5.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2013 05:19:12 | More by mfnmbvp

Bosoxfan20

Missouri

4.01/5  rDev -2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

A- Poured from 12 oz bottle into pint glass. Pours a pitch black with half-full finger light foamy, tan head. Dissipates pretty quickly. Great lacing that I've come to love from Sierra Nevada.

S- Roasted malts, coffee, chocolate. Hint of caramel. Very solid stout aroma here. Not as great as the Narwhal that this brewery does, but still a very aromatic stout.

T- Taste does a good job of following nose with the roasted malts waiving the flavor flag. Pine, earthy hops make for a respectable balance with the roasted flavors. Touch of coffee. Musky, dry finish that lingers for a while. Touch of warmth in the end, but it doesn't last too long. Slight bitterness, but nice. The flavors are simple, but to the point and very spot on.

M- A smooth feel. Alcohol present, but not overpowering the flavors of the beer like i felt the Narwhal did. Good carbonation. Very drinkable

O- I am a fan of this Stout. The imperial version that SN puts out was disappointing for me, but this one really hit the spot. The flavor profile is straight forward, but doesn't seem to have any weak points. Probably not the best best stout on the market, but not far from it. One of my favorites

$8.99 for a 6 pk

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 03:25:58 | More by Bosoxfan20

mjurney

Texas

4.7/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Appearance:
Deep brown to black color, ruby red hue when I held it to the light. Thick creamy beige color head. Leaves a really nice lacing behind.

Aroma:
Dark roasted malts, sweet, dark chocolate, fudge, coffee.

Taste:
Dark roasted malts, rich dark chocolate, coffee, nutty, burnt caramel. There some dried fruit, perhaps prunes. Hop bitterness is medium, mainly tangy and leafy. Slight smokey finish. Body is full, smooth, semi-dry aftertaste, carbonation is nice.

Overall:
It's an outstanding American Stout. Very delicious and smooth.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 21:16:11 | More by mjurney

frankiepop

Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

First time I tried this stout I thought it was way over the top, gritty, too thick, and not well balanced. I like it better 2nd time around. I would now describe this as having a somewhat thick texture yet decent drinkability. Reasonable mile carbonation. Little creamy.

Nice appearance. Head dissipates rather fast.

The aromas are more like a bakers chocolate and well roasted grains.

The flavor is about what I would expect from Sierra. I get a little dry unsweetened baker's chocolate on the tongue, and more noticeable is the roasted grains. The roasted grains dominate like a french roasted coffee. I don't get too much sweetness. Sierra Stout does not have that malty sweet that I think makes a good stout. Quality? Yes. But bitter. More hoppy tasting.

If you like a beer on the dry bitter side, & "not so damn sweet," then you may very well enjoy SNS. I would play some west coast jazz with this. Hampton Hawes trio music would be a good choice. I can't say why. It just comes to mind.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 05:11:14 | More by frankiepop

mpedara429

Massachusetts

3.86/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Cola Color with a thin layer of a very light brown head. Spotty lacing down the glass.

S: Roasted malts with small hints of chocolate and coffee.

T: Similar to the smell.

M: Medium body with medium carbonation. Nice balance of hop to malt.

O: I liked it a lot. It's a real easy drinker and the malts aren't overdone with the roasty flavor. It makes for a great session stout, which is almost an oxymoron.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 22:41:53 | More by mpedara429

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.78/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Served in a Lagunitas mason jar.

Sometimes simplicity looks so much better on a label than some sad excuse for a pun or some ridiculously long-winded and adjective-laden description. Sometimes. This stuff pours a dark sienna-brown topped by a finger of khaki foam. The nose comprises roasted malts, baking cocoa, light coffee, and a smattering of dark greens. The taste focuses on the roast and a milder version of the greens, with a dash of coffee in there for the sheer fun of it. The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a fluid feel. Overall, though a touch on the thin side, this is a pretty nice stout, one that keeps things as simple as the label presentation.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2013 06:14:32 | More by TMoney2591

codysjb

Florida

3.81/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Serra Nevada Stout
Poured from a bottle into a glass
A: Several knuckle head, dissipates relatively easily. Brown color with goo lacing.
S: chocolate, caramel notes.
T: Chocolate up front with some minor coffee notes. Carbonation is certainly noticeable.
M: Little much carbonation, somewhat watery.
O:Solid, not amazing.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2013 22:37:17 | More by codysjb

PorterLambic

Florida

4.34/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Pours what might as well be black for all the difference it'll make. Creamy head slowly fades to a creamy film. Good lace, too.
Smell is amazing and unexpected. Rich dark fruits hit first followed with malt and a whiskey/rum mix. Thought it was a Belgian dubbel for a moment.
Taste is the same though with a better balance. Malt, dark fruit, whiskey, light coffee and chocolate with a whiff of hops. Very nice.
Medium - full body and light carbonation. Reasonably smooth with just a bit of hop sharpness to cut the malt and prevent it from being cloying. An extremely good brew.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2013 00:06:14 | More by PorterLambic

mmva321

Illinois

4.49/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

A: A simple but strikingly dark stout that is almost completely opaque and with just the slight tint of brown to break up the black body. Very little head or lacing however.

S: I really like the balance of the aroma. It is heavy on the roasted malts. Chocolate and coffee notes come on strong and dominate the smell. Rounding it all out though, are slight notes of dark fruits. Not overpowering, but a perfect accent.

T: Near perfect flavor. The great balance of the smell is translated beautifully to the taste, but the flavors are made all the bolder. Roasted malts dominate and are delicious. Dark fruit flavor is something I've never been fond of in beer, mostly because it tends to be such a strong characteristic when used, but I love the subtle hint of it here.

M: A rich and smooth feel that isn't overly carbonated and is only the slightest bit thin for me.

O: A surprising experience. A rich, bold and well balanced beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 05:28:30 | More by mmva321

CwrwAmByth

United Kingdom (Wales)

3.78/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a 355ml bottle into a Fullers snifter glass.

Pours a black colour with a good off-white head.

Smells of nice dark, verging on burnt malts: dark sweet fruits, slight liquorice and a hint of alcohol.

Taste reflecting the smell well, though less alcoholic.

Overall a great stout, drinkable and not too over the top.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 20:20:32 | More by CwrwAmByth

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