Sierra Nevada ESB (Early Spring Beer) - Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

TeeCee

Louisiana

3.53/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Quick review: it is what it is and it is what it says it is. Calling itself an Early Spring Beer, I was sort of hoping for an ESB crossed with a Bock.

I picked this up in a six pack from the grocery store. I poured it into an American style pint glass hard enough to produce 2+" of head. The body has that tea look I've been noticing lately: totally transparent oranegy amber. The head dissipated over the course of a few minutes, leaving almost nothing on the walls of the glass. No nucleation whatsoever (surprisingly clean, dust free glass).

Hops immediately on the nose; piney, flowery hops. That's all I can smell in this beer.

The taste is smooth but hoppy. I can't really detect any malt in the flavor and no sweetness to it. I can taste the hops just as I smelled them, with a bitter quality building up as I drink it. This is almost an unsweetened ice tea of a beer, but not quite as bitter.

It's a little thicker in the mouth than I expected as there is no fizziness at all. I seem to have poured the carbonation right out of it.

I could drink a few of these. I could drink a few more if I liked it more. I'd say it's sessionable if it's your style. Unfortunately, it's not mine.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2009 01:07:49 | More by TeeCee

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