Sierra Nevada Stout - Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

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

rangerred

Tennessee

4.15/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass.

Pours pitch black with a one finger tan head. Not a whole lot in the way of head retention and lacing.

Aroma of dark roasted malt, coffee, and dark chocolate. Very faint piny hops. A little nuttiness too.

Flavor really ties all of these aromas together into an incredible package. Great roasted malt and toast up front. Coffee and dark chocolate quickly follow. Some piny hop flavor is barely detectable but moderate bitterness is present throughout. The finish is very espresso-like with a pleasant coffee bitterness and fairly dry.

Overall, a really impressive stout. Tons of flavor but not overly heavy and sweet and almost sessionable. Something I should really pick up more often.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2012 01:11:23 | More by rangerred

Tucquan

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Had this on 2012-10-08 in Normal, IL

A - Tawny brown with a 2- finger light tan head and nice lacing.

S - Medium roasted malt with chocolate, a touch of coffee and light char. Pleasingly rich.

T - Citric tart and leafy hops upfront subsume a bit into a moderate hazelnut malt, charred grain, dried plum (witout the sweetness) mild earthy spice, milk chalk and a touch of sour. Finishes with hop and roasted grain bitterness and not much sweetness for balance. Plenty of flavor(s) but not the most appealing ones for my taste.

M - Light-medium body and carbonation. More watery than I like or expected.

O - Meh. Decent but reminds me more of a moderate porter with some zest and char. Not as good as the Founder Breakfast Stout or Porter. I like my stouts to have a thicker mouthfeel and a bigger and richer malt bill.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2012 02:36:16 | More by Tucquan

BikingDutchman

Iowa

4.4/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Beer appears mostly opaque with some dark brown on the edges. The head was very full and tan colored.

Roasted smells are dominant, but the hops aren't far behind. The hops smell citrusy, almost similar to something I'd expect from an American IPA.

Defenitely an American hop-forward stout. Very well balanced between a nice roasted flavor from the malts and citrus flavors from the hops. Bitterness is also pronounced. There is a lot of flavors here, and they compliment themselves nicely.

Full bodied with a smooth and thick feeling. Definitely compliments the big roasted flavors.

This is one of my favorite stouts to date, and I will no doubt be coming back to revisit it.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2012 17:41:28 | More by BikingDutchman

Theheroguy

Maryland

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

When poured gently this full bodied stout has a half of a finger tawny head resting upon a pure black delicious mass. The smell of this beer is very enticing, malty and coffee. The taste of this beer follows the nose, very rich and satisfying. Unlike other some stouts there is little dark chocolate flavor . This is not to say that the beer is lacking in flavor because it is not at all. The mouth is nice this beer goes down easily.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2012 03:55:49 | More by Theheroguy

mafiasentinel21

Maryland

5/5  rDev +22.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I cannot find a flaw in this beer, speaking of course from my intermediate experience in stouts.

The appearance is a slick black that takes on a rich deep brown in light. Great retention and thick foamy lacing.

Smells like coffee for an alcoholic. Dark chocolate. Cherry Garcia.

The dark chocolate comes through on the palate; almost a black licorice coffee tar-ish thick taste. Stout. This is balanced by creaminess and sweetness, and a balancing hoppiness with malts that aren't dingy and dense tasting - making the drinkability dangerously high.

Oft said on this site: "chewy mouthfeel" that hangs around for a beautiful hoppy stout aftertaste.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2012 01:35:12 | More by mafiasentinel21

rramsey

South Carolina

4.4/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours pitch black with a brown head that disappears rather quickly. Slight lacing. Smell is typical stout. Taste is pretty good . I get the chocolate, coffee and dark malts. I'd say nothing remarkable but still a good beer. Mouthfeel is smooth and lasting? The backend dissipates pretty quickly making you want another sip. The taste varies as the beer warms. It's not an Oskar Blue Ten Fidy, but I will buy it again and keep it in my refrigerator.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2012 23:43:28 | More by rramsey

dougbassett

Pennsylvania

4.48/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bought as part of a mixed six at the bottle store off of "Local 44", a bar here in West Philly.

This is an old favorite of mine -- I think this is one of SN's best beers, and one of the better American stouts. Pours very very dark brown with a white fluffy head that it manages to more or less maintain -- the damn thing just looks the way a stout should look. Classic nose of chocolate and coffee, underneath which is a hint of hops which is one of the things that make this beer stand out for me -- you usually don't see a lot of hop presence in stouts.

For once the taste matches the nose, a real slumgullion of dark bitter chocolate, coffee, and hops, with a dry, oddly crisp finish with maybe a hint of coffee grounds still lingering about.

A fine fine beer all around, nice to be able to try this again.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2012 21:27:40 | More by dougbassett

halfgermanhalfirish

4.53/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance- poured from the bottle down the middle of a standard pint glass. There was a light cascade effect typical with stouts and the beer developed an impressive four finger thick tan head extending above the glass. The beer is black with a slite redish tent at the very bottom of the glass and there was some nice lacing on the glass at the end. Put it all together this is an impressive looking brew that I could not wait to dive into. I could have gave it a 5 on appearance with a little more action on the cascade effect.

Smell- some coffee notes from the rosted malts and a weak bit of chocolate at the end. Nothing over the top with aroma and I was a little disapointed given the immpressive appearance of the beer.

Taste- Wow! Its really really good! Very nice coffee and chocolate notes up front from the roasted and carmel malts. After that you get some hoppy bitterness to balance out the sweetness. They got the flavor profile near perfect on this one and its very easy to drink.

Mouthfeel- medium body and very balanced. Maybe could have been a bit chewier for a stout if you want to get picky.

Overall- I consider this to be a top notch brew that I intend to purchase on a regulare basis in the future. If it had a little more on the nose I could have easily scored it a 5 overall. Go pick it up...its a must try.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2012 01:06:22 | More by halfgermanhalfirish

DavidS88

Massachusetts

4.48/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pardon my language, but that was a damn good beer. I had one straight from the bottle and poured another into a glass. The appearance was marvelous, a nice deep brown like soda with a foamy tan head about two fingers tall on top. The head lingers for a good long while, too. Very little lacing down the side of the glass as I drank it. The most noticeable smells for me were coffee and chocolate right up front that had my mouth watering from the second I opened the bottle. Pouring it really enhanced the smell and just put everything else I drank last night to shame. The taste was largely the same as the smell for me, with lots of coffee and chocolate again, but with a ver clear hop taste to it as well combining with the malts to create a very interesting, uniquely American flavor to the stout. Mouthfeel was great as well with the right amount of carbonation and no notes of alcohol in the taste. Overall, this is one of the best beers I've had so far. Pretty bitter and pretty heavy, so certainly don't session this bad boy, but if you're really looking to enjoy something great with a taste that is familiar and unique all at the same time, check out Sierra Nevada Stout.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2012 18:23:16 | More by DavidS88

jimmah120

Minnesota

4.18/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle no date into tulip

Look is a very dark brown, barely see-through around the edges. Almost no head to speak of being the only problem. Smell is chocolate, coffee, tobacco, leather. Taste is bright and surprisingly hoppy, bitter piney hops, cocoa powder, sweet caramel roll malts, slight dusty dry leaves, finishes with some apple/dark fruit characteristics. Feel is medium-heavy, well carbonated.

The taste was surprising, different than what I expected, but excellent.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2012 08:57:55 | More by jimmah120

kangarooAdam59

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Into a pint glass:

A: dark brown colored body yielding a three finger foamy tan head. The body is too dark for any carbonation to be seen. The head must last at least a good three and a half minutes even after I took several sips. There is some nice foamy rings left.

S: good combination between chocolate and coffee with some added hops.

T: robust and bold with the previously mentioned smells coming through with an added maltiness.

M: medium and there is nothing harsh on the tongue. I would say it has a decent drinkability.

O: I would say this is a solid American Stout that I would have again.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2012 15:51:39 | More by kangarooAdam59

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

4.18/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours out a black color with three fingers of light brown fluffy head that leaves decent lacing behind as it retreats over the course of three minutes. Medium body and carbonation levels, smooth textured.

Nice nose of roasted malt, bitter chocolate and coffee with just a splash of licorice sweetness. The flavor has the same roasted malt, bitter chocolate and coffee but the licorice has been replaced by an equal splash of dark plum overtones and it gains a touch of herbal hopping acidity as it warms up towards room temperature.

A solidly constructed and robust stout, hits everything by the book and keeps things bitter through and through with a roast malt-forward profile. Very much worth trying out at least once in a lifetime.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2012 04:39:59 | More by WastingFreetime

TheRealBigC

Nevada

4.3/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This is a superb stout! Pours a blackish color, oddly bubbly around the glass, long-lasting head. Noticeable sediment at the bottom of the glass. Roasted malts are on the nose and the taste, but the hop bitterness does come through to balance the flavor in the usually Sierra Nevada way. Very smooth, very tasty. Well done!

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2012 04:29:05 | More by TheRealBigC

SometimesIfart

Michigan

4.63/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass.

A - Pours a solid black with a three finger tan head. Leaves decent amounts of lacing.

S - Roasted malt up front, with a hit of dark chocolate in the foreground. Mocha also makes an appearance.

T - Strong chocolate up front. Roasted malt soon follows , along with burnt grains and a nice mocha flavor in the finish. Tastes lovely.

M - Mouthfeel follows the taste, with a small amount of carbonation and a moderately heavy body.

O - Overall, this was a delicious stout, with a wonderful flavor. I'm convinced that Sierra Nevada may be the best of the best when it come's to well know breweries whom of which produce easy to find beers.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2012 05:30:56 | More by SometimesIfart