Sierra Nevada Summerfest Lager - Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

AwYeh

California

3.25/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle poured into a pint glass; thanks to Jesse13713 for sharing one of his bottles with me.

A: Pours a thin, clear yellow color with two fingers of white head and considerable carbonation bubbles visible.

S: Lots of grassy hops backed up by a faint, indistinct malty sweetness.

T: Very similar to the smell; I predominantly taste grass and that same sweetness. There isn't a lot going on, but it's well balanced and very refreshing.

M: Thin-bodied, smooth, and very crisp from the moderate-high carbonation.

O: A solid beer to stock your fridge with in the summertime; its refreshing quality and low ABV mean even a 12-pack of this wouldn't stick around too long.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2012 19:06:01 | More by AwYeh

MouthfulOfchris

Texas

3.38/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a clear pale golden color with a thick white creamy head that disappears quickly and leaves no lacing left behind.

S: smells of light malted grain accompanied with a mild sweetness and just a hint of lemon peel.

T: The taste is clean and crisp with an initial sweet malt flavored followed by a floral hop bitterness and a dry finish.

M: A low bodied beer with a medium carbonation

O: This is a decent overall Lager. Sure there are many lagers I would rather have but this beats the big american beers any day. It is light and refreshing to drink on a summer day if you had them lying around.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2012 22:18:58 | More by MouthfulOfchris

JamesMN

Minnesota

3.38/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Light straw color. Fluffy white head.

Aroma: Huge citrus bomb. Lots of lemon and lime covering up almost the whole aroma. A little breadyness.

Taste: Citrus up front and a little hop bitterness at the end. Bready in the middle.

Mouthfeel: Lots of carbonation. Pretty smooth, medium body. Not quite as drinkable as I had expected.

Final Thoughts: I can't wait until summer comes to an end and breweries start pushing their fall and winter seasonals. That being said, this was a very interesting take on the pilsener style. In fact, it almost tastes like more of a 'Summer Ale' which is definitely what they were going for.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2012 06:01:17 | More by JamesMN

NardiByNature

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured this into a tall pilsner glass – it’s a very clear gold with a very white head that settles down into a cap over a couple minutes. Carbonation is relatively sedate. Nose contains the usual suspects - faint lemon, honey, grass. For a pilsner the nose isn’t so spicy. The taste is great – floral and crisp and it has a nice bitter-sweet balance like any good summertime lager. Very crisp and leaves me wanting another sip. Given the right setting (hangin out on the roof with some friends and lawn chairs on a sunny day for instance) this beer would be absolutely perfect.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2012 20:51:06 | More by NardiByNature

TheRealBigC

Nevada

4.28/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Love this beer in the summer time. Golden color, light & crisp hoppy aroma - nothing special upfront - but a true delight to drink. It's got a mild hop kick to save it from being an ordinary pilsener and goes down nice and easy. A fantastic session beer for those summer nights with friends.

Serving type: on-tap

07-26-2012 23:41:14 | More by TheRealBigC

ExMachina1

Tennessee

4.33/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

First off, this AIN'T a Czech Pils. Sierra Nevada doesn't claim that it is--they call it a European Light Lager--and it's really not anywhere close to the Czech style either...the color's too light, the IBUs too low and the overall presence too fleeting. That said this is a GRrrrrEAT Euro lager, a beer worth having on hand year round!

Pours a nice straw-gold with a puffy white head that fades at a moderate rate.

Aroma is of subdued, fresh hops with a little sulfur coming through. Body is round and refreshing with a modest bitterness and a light malty graininess. I noted faint phenol and sulfur but perfectly acceptable for the style. Finish is dry and the overall impression is crisp and refreshing. Really really nice. Eminently drinkable.

This is an underrated beer and an underrated style.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2012 22:21:35 | More by ExMachina1

kojevergas

California

2.9/5  rDev -21.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12 fl oz brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap served into a Uinta pilsner glass in me gaff in low altitude Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live. Expectations are average.

Served refrigerator cold and allowed to warm somewhat over the course of consumption. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

A: Pours a one finger beige colour head of slight cream, okay thickness, and average retention. Clear yellow colour. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show.

Sm: Clean malts, bland hops, and some barley. A very boring and bland aroma. Average strength. Not particularly appealing.

T: Clean malts lend it body. Background floral hops give it a little character, but not enough to save it from its simplicity. There's very little going on here. No yeast or alcohol notes are present. There's some malty sweetness on the climax. The finish is bland, but at least it's a change of pace from the body - some crystal malt is all that really comes through. Bland and boring all around.

Mf: Smooth and wet. Thick enough. Acceptable carbonation.

Dr: Drinkable and enjoyable, but mundane. I'm pretty underwhelmed - but hey, it's Sierra Nevada. I wouldn't get this again, but it's a decent little pilsener. Probably best on draught.

C

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2012 01:28:34 | More by kojevergas

phishsihq

Colorado

3.68/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sierra Nevada Summerfest is a Czech Pilsner, and pours a clean and clear pale gold. Topped by one-inch of white head, lacing is minimal. Grain and malt sweetness blend with citrusy hops and a bit of spice. Clean Pils Malt flavors meet a slight sweetness before a citrus hop backbone brings hints of lemon zest that linger through the finish. Moderate in carbonation, Summerfest is medium-light in body. GREAT for a hot day like today!

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2012 22:06:12 | More by phishsihq

DaveBlack

Virginia

3.58/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Crsytal clear golden beer with a fair amount of carbonation that collects on the sides of the glass and results in a good 2 fnger head. The head has little retention and leaves no lacing.

S: Very clean smelling, some grassy grains and a slight floral hop note. Subtle, but nice.

T: Much like the smell, the taste is rather straight-forward. A grassiness up front, some biscuity notes, and a slight hop bitterness at the finish. Leaves the mouth with a grainy taste that is quite pleasant. Not all that exciting, but tasty.

M: Light body, high amount of carbonation makes this a very crisp summer brew.

O: A surprising offering from SN (at least as far as I'm concerned) due to the subtle use of hops rather than the Cascadian avalanche that I've come to expect. This is a a clean, refreshing beer that is great fr a summer's day.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2012 04:04:02 | More by DaveBlack

Jadjunk

Georgia

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

Sierra Nevada's Summerfest is a Czech Pilsener-Style Summer Seasonal Lager. It has been Sierra Nevada's Summer seasonal for many years. According to the label: "Summerfest is a Pilsner-style lager brewed for enjoyment on warm summer days - featuring a slight malt sweetness, delicate spicy and floral hop flavor, and a crisp, refreshing taste."

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle to a Sierra Nevada pint glass. Served at 48º Fahrenheit.

(Appearance) Beer pours a frothy white head that thickens as it recedes gradually. Body color is a pale yellow with a very slight haze. Carbonation is light but spritely. Overall a nice appearance for the style. 3.5

(Smell) A 50/50 blends of Pilsener pale malts and a mild, grassy and floral hop. Yeast tones are slight, with some cracker and a clean, crisp aroma. Other sweetness may come from a hint of honey or honey malt which adds a slight depth of flavor to this beer. Potency is medium. Mild but approachable aroma overall. 4

(Taste) Flavor starts up with a crisp mild malty profile first with a lasting sweet mild dry cracker and honey finish paired with a bit of hop resin. Balance is nearly there, although the beer is a touch sweeter than the average Pilsener. It lacks potential hop flavor and bitterness. Largely enjoyable but there's some minor tweaks to be made to the flavor profile to optimize the potential this beer has. 3.5

(Mouthfeel) Sweet, slick texture with a bit of froth. It perhaps could benefit from a more pronounced crispness throughout. Body is light and alcohol presence is mild. 3

(Overall) I enjoyed this beer although I found some criticisms that differentiate it from the average pilsener, most notably the sweet profile with a dry honey cracker flavor and a smooth, slick texture that doesn't excite the flavor much. In this regard, this may be a beer worth trying due to some original flavors. 3.5

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company's
Summerfest Crisp Summer Lager
3.55/5.00

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2012 21:35:32 | More by Jadjunk

davecavemaster

Ohio

3.83/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The Sierra Nevada Brewing Company is famous for one of my favorite beers of all time, their Pale Ale. Many people only know them for the Pale Ale, but they have a lot more. Sierra Nevada makes Ales, Lagers, Seasonals, a Stout and Limited Editions. You can check out their site here. The company is not in the Sierra Nevada mountains like the name implies, it is in a town north of Sacramento, California called Chico. The company's founder was an avid backpacker, and he named the company after his favorite place to hike.

Seasonal beers can be hit or miss, although a seasonal from Sierra Nevada comes with higher expectations from the drinker. Summertime brings us the Summerfest "crisp summer lager."

The beer pours a fluffy, pillowy head that clings traces to the sides of the glass. The color is more pale yellow than golden, and a steady stream of bubbles rises from the bottom center of the glass. The aroma is of malt and a slight trace of citrus. When you first taste the brew, you get the malt taste. This is quickly followed by the hit of citrus, and then finishes with a nice hoppy bite.

The beer is "crisp" as described, and it has just enough citrus to make it interesting. This beer does not make the common seasonal mistake of overpowering the drinker with gimmicky flavors. Overall it is a light and refreshing brew, that has good carbonation and is extremely smooth and drinkable. This is a great summer beer that you can drink during your BBQ or on your pool deck and not get sick of it. In a marketplace full of crappy breweries looking to make a buck during the summer, Sierra Nevada comes through with an offering that is different, refreshing and never lets you forget that you are drinking a "beer."

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2012 00:48:13 | More by davecavemaster

N3rdM3t4l

Oregon

2.53/5  rDev -31.3%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

12oz short bottle into standard pint. fridge temp.

A: pale apple juice colored VERY clear. Tiny thin white bubbles made a "head" that disappeared right away. The it was like watching lemon lime soda fizz up in a glass. Lots of tiny bubbles streaming to the top and disappearing into nothingness. No ring to speak of.

S: Bit of pale malt on the nose and faint hops. Smells a little astringent (but that seems to be common among cezch pils). Smells a little sweet. Pretty lackluster here too.

T: The malt backbone of this one is pretty noticeable, surprising since it the smell of it was only enough to say "this is beer, it is made with malted barley" which is something even poor quality macro's can say to an extent. After the bit of dank malt flavor passes it becomes a tad metallic before the hops really shines. No real bitterness but an alright hop presence. I expect some hops from something calling itself a pilsner. A little floral, like dandelions. The end of the drink is so far the best part but not redeeming.

M: As it should be; thin, light, and crisp. The carbonation is soda like, you can feel it give a little bite on the tongue. Refreshing to drink.

O: Not impressed with this, it is refreshing though. It delivers on the promise printed on the label "crisp summer lager." Good thing the label doesn't say "outstanding pilsner flavor, like you have never seen before!" because then it would be lying. It tastes fine but isn't anything special. Easily sessionable and if I went to a friends house and they offered me one I wouldn't turn it down.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2012 03:55:32 | More by N3rdM3t4l

kangarooAdam59

Wyoming

3.95/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Into a pilsener (also had in a pint glass, and nonic pint glass, nothing changed):

A: golden body with a foamy spotty head. It left some light rings. The lacing was light and speckled along the sides of the glass. There was barely any carbonation rising.

S: sweet and had some pepper tones to it. It was fresh yet still some light grains to it.

T: well balanced with the hops and a slight yeastiness at the end of the taste, gets peppery as it warms

M: light, moderate amount of carbonation is felt

O: this is a good beer and I would have this again

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2012 23:11:27 | More by kangarooAdam59

dhannes

Wisconsin

4.23/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Poured chilled into a Perfect Pint.

A=Medium gold...slightly darker than adjunct lagers. Head was white and reached one finger, but dissipated within a minute.

S=Almost none...hint of lemon perhaps.

T=First sip blew me away (in a good way)--crisp with a hint of citrus--like other pilseners but with more flavor and a hint of citrus/lemon. As it warmed up, the malt came through. A bit of aftertaste, but not overwhelming.

M=Very drinkable...good session beer. Light carbonation.

O=I will definitely try this again, as this is now the leading candidate for my summer seasonal beer--light but flavorful.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2012 19:33:02 | More by dhannes

soju6

Missouri

3.5/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a clear golden color with a nice head that fades to bits of lacing.

S: Mild aroma of citrus, some malt sweetness and fresh grain.

T: Starts with a nice crisp nip with a mild malt sweetness and bit of fresh grain. Nice bitterness through to a clean finish.

F: Fairly light body, crisp smooth and refreshing. Nice balance.

O: Good summer beer, goes well with everything.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2012 20:34:37 | More by soju6

Jesse13713

Ohio

3.95/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Last bottle of the sixer poured into a Pike pint glass.

Appearance - Pours a lightly fizzy golden yellow that is a bit reminiscent of urine. Certainly nothing that surprises me for the beers style, though. A huge soapy head that has decent lacing.

Smell - Not much going on here. A bit of lemon peel and zest. Lightly sweet malt.

Taste - This is really well-balanced pilsner. I've loved every bottle that I've had. The aftertaste is simply unmatched to any other pilsner I've had before. Huge caramel malty breads backup a bit of lemon peel and hops. The bread malt is extremely unique.

Mouthfeel and Drinkability - Easily sessionable and drinkable. Well-balanced and easy on the palate. A great summer beer with a bit of malty sweetness behind it.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2012 01:58:39 | More by Jesse13713

BlackBelt5112203

South Carolina

3.98/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into a pilsner glass at fridge temperature.

L - Straw color with a massive 5-finger white bubbly and pillowy head. Excellent retention but not much lacing. Clear with lots of bubbles. Sierra Nevada beers always look terrific.

S - Big, bready malts and some earthy, grassy, spicy, floral hops to go along with them. There’s a little bit of diacetyl here, too.

T - Starts sweet with bready, biscuity malts and some diacetyl again. Finishes with a pleasant hop bitterness with earthy, spicy, and floral notes. Well-balanced between the malt and the hops.

F - Medium-bodied with pretty good carbonation, a clean and crisp mouthfeel, and a pleasantly bitter and dry finish. Spicy and floral hop bitterness lingers for a nice amount of time.

O - This is a really nice pilsner and a great summer beer. Very drinkable and sessionable. Does Sierra Nevada really make anything less than good beers?

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2012 00:57:35 | More by BlackBelt5112203

BrownNut

Florida

3.48/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Light gold with a white soap-foam head

S - Light malty sweetness, like the nexus between honey and something floral.

T - Sweetish satisfying honeyish malt. A slight bit of hop bitterness.

M - A bit thicker than mainstream lagers

O - I had initially gotten bad macro lager taste and cardboard out of this. But later in the pack I got a pretty good flavor, a sweetish kind of malt and overall was just pretty tasty. I wonder what the difference was. The first four or five were just nothing beers but now I'm on board. Weird.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2012 23:42:30 | More by BrownNut

Buebie

Minnesota

3.98/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured hard into a nonic.

Golden color, not that pisswater yellow but a deeper golden transparent. Head billows up and recedes rather quickly. No lace show and minimal ring around the collar head remains.
Husky grain, touch of lemon and sourdough bread with grassy hops in aroma.
Feel is crisp and mildly slick.
Husked grains to start with more bready sourdough funk and light lemon tartness. A touch of fermented sugars drying it into the finish with lingering spicy herbal hops.

A fuller body than I'm used to for the style but the drying finish and bold earthy hops lingering after the swallow are what keep me coming back for more.
Great for the heat wave we are currently stuck in. As this is refreshing, yet full flavored.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2012 19:50:34 | More by Buebie

fields336

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle, march date SAPP glass

A: 1 finger rough off white head. completely clear Light yellow with streaming carbonation coming off the bottom. nice looking bee. head stays around as a ring on the sides of the glass. slight lace clings, but fades

S: rich malted barley and bread, a punch of floral and grassy Saaz, and a light lemon zest aroma. slight earthy notes

T: nice little hop punch upfront, then a huge wave of delicious sweet grain that fades into a nice floral hop finish. Really nice

M: low bodied, carbonation is great, no issues here

O: I love this beer and buy it by the case in summer. You owe it to yourself to grab some. Even my Sierra Nevada hating friends like this one. This is a beer for everyone, even BMC folk will enjoy

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2012 04:15:06 | More by fields336

atr2605

New York

4/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-pours a slightly hazy pale straw color with a foamy white head with good retention
S-pretty clean aroma, bit of malt, low hop bitterness
T-maltiness followed by nicely balanced hop bitterness that has a faint pine characteristic to it
M-light bodied with decent amount of carbonation
O-nice, clean, well balanced pilsner. Go to beer for the summer time.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2012 01:59:03 | More by atr2605

mschind

California

3.98/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz dated 2012

A- typical Pilsener pour, good foamy clean white head that dissipates rapidly with some lacing. Nice straw gold color with a bit of chill haze in mine.

S- clean grain and mild hops.

T- pronounced malt up front followed immediately by a mildly bitter hop kick. Finish is balanced.

M- light body with appropriate carbonation.

O- not quite up to par with the European Pilseners but a good effort.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2012 22:29:41 | More by mschind

McStagger

California

3.6/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: Pours a nice golden straw with moderate carbonation. Head is bleached white with minimal retention, but nice lacing.

S: Let's get it going. Good pilsner smell of grass, husked grain, touch of lemon and a bit of caramelized sugar.

T: Good malt presence of husked grain and a touch of burnt sugar. Moderately spicy hop presence. Still, the malt plays the bigger role here

M: A bit full bodied for me. This lager doesn't strike me as being particularly crisp or drying like the traditional Bohemian styles.

O: Disappointing translation of the style. The hops really don't push through enough to give this beer that nice crisp edge that really defines the Czech Pilsners.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2012 07:36:26 | More by McStagger

HarrySTruman

Michigan

3.68/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle into an hourglass pilsner

Clear and golden yellow, big white head that forms immediately and hangs around for a while. Lacing is light.

Smell is pretty weak. Smells like a typical Lager/Pilsner. People often call it a freshly mowed grass smell, or a hay smell, I just don't associate those smells with these types of smells.

The taste is crisp, refreshing, and light. Perfect for a summer day.

Mouth feel is light and easy drinking. Very well carbonated, makes it very easy to drink. Finishes clean, not dry, and has a nice flavor through out. Slight citrus after taste flavor that is quite enjoyable.

A very nice, easy drinking Pilsner. Fits the style very well and fits its name very well, certainly a summer beer. Perfect for drinking after mowing the lawn on a hot summer day. Has a bit more taste than most macro pilsners/lagers, but it has virtually no malt profile, making it very clean and crisp.

I don't see how this beer gets low scores when comparing it to other beers of the style, or even comparing it to other related styles. It's a very good example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2012 13:05:50 | More by HarrySTruman

Over9000Gingers

4.15/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Awesome smell, awesome taste. Just great all around. I do have one MAJOR problem with it though... The head is horrible. Almost as bad as Corona! UGH... It is only about 1/4inch and dies after one sip. I am pretty unfamiliar with beer, but I've been doing the 45 degree pour and keep getting horrible foam. The foam is one of the things I love about beer and it's not there! Sad because their pale ale has an excellent head and is my favorite beer. I don't know if pilseners require a special pour or what. But this is still a favorite.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2012 09:40:11 | More by Over9000Gingers