Life & Limb - Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

SLeffler27

New York

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

Alluring darkness that is almost black with a brown, creamy chestnut head of one inch. A fine lacing is left behind a slow recession of the head.

Roasted malt with pumpernickel, oak, rum, and raisins all dance about in this Rochefort chalice.

Beautifully balanced with roasted woody notes on entry and return through a long finish. The middle is occupied by plum pudding that reminds me of darkened rooms in my grandfather’s house.

Full bodied with a luscious, velvety texture and ample carbonation. Alcohol is as expected. The finish is drying and amplifies with warmth.

This is an excellent sipping beer to accommodate drinking or deep conversation. It also works well with robust food.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2012 20:33:14 | More by SLeffler27

draheim

Washington

3.98/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750mL bottle (Batch 2, 2011) into a tulip. Cork explodes audibly out of the mouth of the bottle. Beer pours a murky mahogany brown w/ a huge beige head that leaves nice sticky chunks of lacing.

Aroma is - wow - lots going on here. Caramel, toffee, rum-soaked tobacco, figs/dates, booze, black cherries, brown sugar... very nice.

Taste leads off with a heavy alcohol presence and rich chewy malt. Hops are definitely in there, but they're difficult to detect among the strong caramel malt and booze. Taste is sticky sweet.

Mouthfeel is chewy, coating, leaves a noticeable aftertaste.

Overall this beer is good, I just wish it tasted s good as it smells.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2012 05:32:55 | More by draheim

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.9/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle: Poured a deep burgundy color ale with a super large brown foamy head with good retention and some good lacing. Aroma of caramelized sugar and light toffee notes with some dry fruit ester. Taste is a mix between some caramelized sugar notes with some dry fruit. Body is quite full with great carbonation and no apparent alcohol. Not the most complex brew thought this is not a criticism as this one is just an easy drinking high ABV beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2012 03:18:41 | More by Phyl21ca

57md

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance is light brown with a finger of head, some of which lingers for a decent period of time. The foam leaves some nice lacing behind as this beer goes down.

The nose is more like wine than beer. Dark fruits are dominant upfront along with a strong alcohol finish that borders on the unpleasant.

Good, but not great. However, this is a noble effort from two of the best breweries we have in this country.

Serving type: on-tap

03-04-2012 07:46:24 | More by 57md

minterro

Michigan

4.25/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I cellared this beer for 4 months after purchase. Opened to celebrate an anniversary.

Hands down the coolest bottle that I've ever seen. From the interesting, unique, complex label to the stamped cork this beer has a great bottle.

Lots of sweet breadyness and big rye tones. Little bits of boozyness and nuttiness (almonds). Really great look to this one. Creamy tan head that pours about a finger and retents redictously well at about a half a finger. Leaves a thick coat of lacing. Little to no carbonation bubbles rising from the bottom.

This beer is very flavorful and intense. Lots of rye tones breadyness and toastyness upfront. Midway through a huge blast of alcohol (way more then I could smell). Bitter bready rolls in to finish off the taste. Very smooth, rich, and creamy. Medium amounts of carbonation and medium bodied. Incredible easy to drink but I would recommend splitting with a friend or love one.

Overall I loved this one, it was worth the wait! I was I had a bottle to drink before aging.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 04:03:49 | More by minterro

BeerImmediately

Pennsylvania

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

24oz bottle into tulip at about 45 degrees.

Pours with a respectable 1F of cream-to-tan head over a deep brown body with maroon edges.

Aromas are full of vinous qualities... lots of red wine, charred oak, kiss of bourbon, and whiff of cocoa.

Flavors are rich and somewhat roasty. Aromas are replicated, with burgundy wine, oak/wood, syrup, with charred wood left on the palate. Mouthfeel is quite light, given the ABV, making it very approachable.

Overall, I would liken this to a drinkable version of an Angels Share.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2012 20:18:13 | More by BeerImmediately

Spider889

Ohio

3.83/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Big thanks to RyanMcFly1985 for this bottle. For a while there I was resigned to never being able to get my hands on one of these.

2009 Vintage (first bottling).

The Julian dating seems to be pointing to a bottled on date of September 5, 2009.

At this point the bottle is just a few days shy of 2.5 years old. I can't wait to see how this beer holds up over time.

Poured into a Sierra Nevada nonic pint. Basically I wanted to use a branded glass and I had yet to use this one. Has a sweet laser-etched hop leaf at the base. The beer is very dark, and at first glance one might assume this was a stout. Held in the light you can just barely see that this is in fact nice and clear. A very tall toffee colored head rises slowly, cascading upwards against gravity. After each sip I am left with smears of lace creating rocky formations of pillowy foam. This just all serves to embody the essence of this beer - Life and Limb is all about dichotomy and the juxtaposition of ingredients.

The aroma is a bit of a let down - oxidized enough to make it easily noticeable - it's got that wet cardboard character. Setting this aside, this doesn't smell much different than the fresh batch I have been drinking recently (opened a bottle just a few days ago). Sweet and dark - like honeyed molasses - I don;t find maple particularly distinctive here. The birch is very strong however.

Digging beyond the limbs and into the life and flesh of this tree, the beer starts to reveal flavor nuances that distinguish it from the fresher batch. Darker sugars really spring forth, and the maple is blooming more full and lush than in pretty much any beer that uses it as an adjunct. Raisin, prune, and tart black cherry also grow into the root system of the beer. These flavors are not exactly unfamiliar in a beer this old, but also are not exactly helping me to enjoy this more. Bitter black malt adds a bit of roastiness that hides in the background - which in turn competes with the woodiness of the birch.

Digging deeper still into the roots of Life and Limb one discovers that this vintage is definitely drinking smoothly. Carbonation is strong enough to produce the tall head, lace, and provide excellent retention, but soft and silky on the palate. The alcohol is mellowing, yet easily noticed too.

Overall this is still a really satisfying beer, but I think I fully prefer this fresh. The dark fruit flavors tend to hide the true essence of the beer rather than compliment or enhance it in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2012 05:53:33 | More by Spider889

ppoitras

Massachusetts

4.58/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

750ml bottle purchased as a single from Yankee Spirits, Sturbridge, MA. Corked & caged.

Poured into an imperial pint, formed a 1" tan head over the clear reddish root beer-hued brew. Head falls to half height, and stays there more or less forever. (Had to walk away to feed the baby, and a half hour later, still it stands tall.) Thick coating lace goes nowhere either. Aroma is hops and smoke.

Taste is sweet to start, citrus and dark fruit in the middle, and hops come on with pine to a warming close. Mouthfeel is amazingly smooth, and drinkability is scary easy for the abv. SN & DFH have created a beautiful symphony here.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2012 22:43:16 | More by ppoitras

bmwats

Louisiana

3.45/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 650 ml bottle into a tulip.

A: Dark brown. Pours about a 1 finger, foamy, brown-white head. Settles slowly. Leaves a blanket of foam on the surface, and foamy beer ring. No real lacing.

S: Sourdough bread, parsley, and lavender. Something of an arboreal character to it.

T: Pale, grainy flavor is the basis. A subtle, indistinct sweetness which is really hard to place. It's a nice balance though.

M: Light body, given the high alcohol content. There is a thickness and fullness characteristic of that quality. Strange...

D: Easy drinking, but does have a thick, syrupy quality.

Atmosphere is pretty solid. Decent head, and a full nose. Flavor is a well-balanced mix of grains with subtle sweet and pungent notes. Overall, this is a good quaff.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2012 05:16:58 | More by bmwats

Derranged

New York

3.95/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Life and Life 2 from a 750ml bottle poured into a snifter.

A- Dark cola almost black with thick tan head. Not too much retention on the glass.

S- Malty candied sugar aroma with just a hint of alcohol.

T- Surprisingly more mellow than I expected. Sweet candied sugar, maple syrup and dates with a bit of coffee. Some bitterness and hops in the background. I didn't pick up any alcohol. Bitter aftertaste lingers on for a while.

M- Thick and smooth with medium carbonation. Leaves the lips numb.

O- This was an unusual beer. Not what I expected, although certainly not disappointed. Definitely worth a try. I bought this and didn't wind up trying it until months later. Hopefully there are some bottles left.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2012 05:10:51 | More by Derranged

pjs234

Connecticut

4.2/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a deep brown, almost black. An aggressive pour results in a 2 finger head than fades, but only till there is a fraction of an inch of head left. This ultra thin layer of head remains for quite some time.

S - Very sweet smell... molasses, sugars, raisins.

T - Taste very closely follows the smell, as it is sweet, with molasses and brown sugar. The sweetness does fade and it leaves a slightly bitter aftertaste, maybe due to the hops. Also, their is a little bit of alcohol heat on the back end of each sip.

M - The mouthfeel is creamy, yet also a tad foamy.

O - A very nice beer, if you are in the mood for something that is a tad on the sweet side. It also does a great job concealing it's 10.2% ABV.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2012 05:03:15 | More by pjs234

VaTechHopHead

California

4.05/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - Tons of pressure on the cork when opening but not a gusher. Pours a rich royal dark brown, almost like syrup, imagine that. Thin white head that doesn't last very long.

S - Not very pungent and have to get up close to smell it. Big aromas of sweet molasses-like sugar, some alcohol, candied sugar (maybe from the syrup added). Very dense and sweet dark aromas.

T - Very smooth with flavors of smoke, molasses, sugar/syrup and light maple. Doesn't transition much throughout each sip and finishes heavy with a minor alcohol feel and flavors of wood.

M - Medium body that seems thicker due to low volumes of carbonation. Light warming sensation from the alcohol and a sipper because of the heavy body and ABV.

O - A very powerful beer with flavors that don't really pop. Neutral, easy to drink, flavors meld well. Is it worth the price...that's up to each person and how much they enjoy this respective style and breweries.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2012 03:53:03 | More by VaTechHopHead

hippityhophead24

Tennessee

3.93/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Black with some brown hues through out. Has two finger tan head with nice lacing.

S: Sweet molases, chocolate, coffee, roasted malts, some toffee.

T: First taste is the sweetness from the birch syrup. Has a lot of sweet toffee, coffee, and chocolate notes. Slight hint of hops in the background...slight.

M: Mouthfeel is great, medium bodied. Not too thick but not too thin.

O: Good beer, might be hard to get through the bottle all by myself.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2012 02:20:01 | More by hippityhophead24

ADZA

Australia

4.25/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

For my 1000th review i thought i review something special as i dont see this brew very often and probably would not of if it wasnt for MrKennedy so big thanks for that and it pours a very dark kola hue which leaves a frothy creamy three finger head and heaps of nice lacing,the smell is burnt toffee,maple syrup,coffee and the aroma of old trees in a forest interesting,the mouthfeel is thick sticky and sweet and has tastes of maple syrup,sweet fruity nectar,burnt toffee,caramel candy,molasses,treacle,candied peaches and finished with a smooth herbal dryness and overall a very lovely drop that would age very well and would revisit if i evrr saw again cheers.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2012 10:22:28 | More by ADZA

shangwang

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I've previously tried L&L on cask at the 2011 Dogfish WOCAW and really enjoyed it, so I have high hopes for the bottled version, which I've hung on to for several months. (Note: this review is for Life & Limb 2.)

Served in a goblet. The appearance was a deep mahogany like medium roast coffee. Complexion was clear with a very thin layer of head that virtually disappeared and left no lacing on the glass. Smelled very boozy with a heavy yeast presence, and the scents of vanilla extract, licorice, and cloves. It was a stronger smell than I remembered, and while I generally liked its character, the alcohol smell dominated. The taste surprisingly did not mirror the heavy booze smell as I thought it might from the smell - there was a bourbon quality to it, but I would describe it as a hint. Lots of toasted biscuity malt in the taste, and it was very earthy as well. Not sure if it was in my head already based on the ingredients, but I swear it had a homemade birch beer quality to it. Finished with a slight hoppy bitterness. The mouthfeel was wonderful - medium weight with lots of carbonation, which lead to a very creamy consistency. It was probably the highlight of this brew, IMO.

Overall, I enjoyed this one a great deal, but based on my memory of the cask version, this didn't quite live up to my first experience with this beer. Still, I really liked it a lot, and I would definitely buy and drink again, as it was a tasty sort of alternative, high ABV brown ale. Nice collaboration - I hope DFH and SN decide to work together some more!

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2012 04:00:29 | More by shangwang

DrStiffington

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I've had this a few times, once at the DFH brewpub. Last night I split one with my wife. We both loved it. Pours into our tulip glasses, very dark with giant, foamy heads in both of our glasses. Smells sweet to the nose. The taste follows suit, with slight hints of maple syrup. This is a delicious dessert beer. Very creamy and thick. I would buy more of these if they were cheaper and more easily available.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2012 13:54:26 | More by DrStiffington

jsulko

Illinois

3.85/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle poured into a snifter

Very dark almost black with a dark chocolate head

Smell is slightly malty and spicy with large hints of the alcohol to come

Taste is malty and slightly sweet with a dark fruit like taste. Alcohol present on the finish. Don't really taste the syrup except on the sweetness.

A decent somewhat unique beer that seems to prove that the strong ale style is not one of my favorites.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2012 04:05:02 | More by jsulko

CHickman

New York

4/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sierra Nevada/Dogfish Head Life and Limb 2; pours pitch black until you hold it up to light where some dark amber brown shows around the edges; the brew had a huge foamy 2 finger tan head that faded very slowly, leaving good spotty lacing.

Smells of maple syrup, caramel, nut, peat moss, charcoal, herbs, some dark fruits and slight bourbon like alcohol smell at the end. Overall the nose is soft and sweet, with the syrup and caramel as the main feature.

Tastes of syrup, sweet malt, roasted grains, caramel, nut, very faint hops, brown sugar, toffee, coffee, peat moss, charcoal, herbs, dark fruits which I can’t distinguish and a bourbon taste that is sweet and warming. The aftertaste is nutty, sweet, and then a little bitter with acidity, like the hops are hiding behind the malts and syrup. The brew has a boozy feel and overall is sweet, but perhaps aging this a few months mellowed it out as it was very smooth and full of flavor.

Mouthfeel is creamy and almost slick, with a heavy, chewy body and mild carbonation; the alcohol was present at the end of each sip, but again not offensive at all.

I like this second brewing of Life and Limb 2 much better than the original Life and Limb that I had 2 years back. This is a definite slow sipper, but I imagine that it would pair nicely with food as the complex flavors are very wine like and could be excellent with cheese pairings. Fans of Sierra Nevada and Dogfish Head should enjoy this beer, which is a very nice collaboration. To me this could be classified as a brown ale or nut brown ale just as easily as it’s classified as an American Strong Ale.

Note: Broke out some sharp cheddar for the last few sips and the beer and cheese pairing was awesome. The ABV clearly kicked in and this was a great way to end enjoying this beer.

Second Note: Needed to list this as a “nitro-bottle” review in order to review this beer for Life and Limb 2; this was a standard corked 1 pint 94 fluid oz bottle of beer that was not a nitro bottle, just reviewed this way to share the notes on the “2” version.

Serving type: nitro-bottle

02-01-2012 05:04:38 | More by CHickman

Gandhified

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Poured fairly aggressively from a 22oz. bottle into a 20 oz mug; a deep chocolate color with a cream colored head, and amber highlights. Nice head!

Smell: Dark, malty, alcohol spice, with vanilla undertones. Maybe some dark fruit and coffee like (subdued flavors). The alcohol stings the nostrils! Mmmmm...

Taste: Malty, dark malts, slight raisin-like fruitiness and the alcohol come bursting through. Very little bitterness, mostly a malt forward, strong ale as categorized.

Mouthfeel: More attenuated than I expected from the strong ale label. None the less, a bigger than average body, with some light syrup lingering on the tongue.

Overall: Not a bad beer. Have cellared this one for several months, but couldn't wait to try it any longer. I am dissapointed that I don't taste what I was expecting from a birch syrup addition, but maybe it is more apparent in a younger version. It does contribute to a solid alcohol presence that works well with the rest of the beer (and is sure to leave you glowing). A well made beer (as you might expect from a collaboration brew between breweries of such reputations). An interesting sample of a rarely represented style in the American beer market. Worth a try but not to die for.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2012 05:01:39 | More by Gandhified

DCon

Missouri

4.38/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bought a 1 PT. 9.4 FL. OZ. bottle of this from 33 Wine Shop & Tasting Bar in Lafayette Square (St. Louis), MO for $20. Poured from the Tan "Grid" labeled bottle w/ a Tree with tons of things going on (including a maple tap from the middle), a DogFish Head logo in the water beneath the mountains, & "2" below all this into a 0,47l New Belgium Oversized Snifter Glass. Does not have a freshness date but know this is the batch from Fall 2011.

Aroma- A big time rich molasses and maple syrup hit the nose HARD! Has light booziness and dark fruits in the background. Very prominent and great aroma.

Appearance- Pours a 1 finger head that has a light, creamy head with good retention. Has an opaque brown body and leaves light lacing behind.

Flavor- The flavor starts with strong malts and a good amount of maple syrup. Everything very well blended and has many characteristics like an Old Ale would have. Has a medium amount of hops and light-medium bitterness at the finish.

Mouthfeel- Full Bodied, Light Carbonation, Smooth, and Syrupy with nice maple and malt flavors.

Overall Impression- While enjoying this on-tap last fall, I enjoyed it even more while in bottle. I'm surprised the maple syrup characteristics are still huge in this one with it being aged. Highly recommend this brew and will be looking for it next year!

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2012 22:39:38 | More by DCon

ShanePB

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

750 ml bottle corked and caged
Batch #2
Poured into a globe glass

A: Dark brown/burgundy colored body with a light tan, creamy head. Moderate sticky lacing and a very nice retention cap are left behind. A few swirls resurfaces the head for longer than usual. Nice looking beer, especially for a higher ABV Strong Ale.

S: Maple syrup, astringent oak, caramel, chocolate, toffee and touches of vanilla throughout. Plenty of complexity and the flavors all seems very well integrated.

T: Sweet maple and toffee are at the front of the palate, along with vanilla and caramel towards the middle. The back end brings in a slight alcohol warmth and a little oak flavor. This is really drinkable, well layered and flavorful. A lot more enjoyable than expected.

M: Well carbonated but not too much to make it thin. Medium-bodied and a bit sticky in the linger, with some heat in the throat.

I've held onto this since it's release and am very happy with the results. It's quite a nice beer, complex and flavorful enjoy to not be boring. The drinkability was very high which was an added bonus for me. Seek out, definitely worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2012 18:30:39 | More by ShanePB

rodenbach99

Quebec (Canada)

3.65/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A brown bomber by my friend Patrick. Bown-brick-red colour with a thin head the was destroyed by the alcohol. Nice roastiness with caramel on the nose. The mouth is somewhat thin for all the alcohol, nice maple syrup, the birch is invisible and a cacao and coffee finale. A nice beer somewhat hard to define, the flavors are packed together.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2012 18:36:03 | More by rodenbach99

homebrewhawk

Kansas

3.58/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Batch 2. 750ml corked and caged bottle served in a snifter. Poured a deep brown with a finger of tan head. Cocoa and some licorice in the aroma. Molasses and more licorice in the flavor. Seemed a little hot at the start, but that smoothed out. Fuller side of medium bodied. Smooth. Not much hop presence, but not overly sweet for such a malty beer. Very long dry finish with more cocoa. Glad I got to try this, but I can't say that this did much for me.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2012 16:43:02 | More by homebrewhawk

hardy008

Minnesota

4.08/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Dark brown with a 3 finger tan head with nice retention and lacing. The aroma has maple syrup, dark fruit, dark roasted malt, and caramel.

The taste has maple syrup, dark roasted malt, caramel, dark fruit, and the sweetness is somewhat balanced by a light amount of bitter hops. A unique group of flavors, which come together nicely.

Smooth, creamy, full bodied, with plenty of carbonation, and a sweet aftertaste. A nice collaboration beer between Sierra Nevada and Dogfish Head.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2012 03:30:08 | More by hardy008

waltersrj

Washington

3.7/5  rDev -8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Batch 2.

Pour: Dark brown, almost black and a frothy, creamy looking off white head.

Nose: Caramel malt, doughy bread, maple syrup, and alcohol with slightly citrus hops.

Taste: Caramel malt, cereal, brown sugar, maple syrup, toast, alcohol, and oak.

Mouthfeel: Very frothy and creamy.

Overall: Not bad, but not amazing. Doesn't need to age...won't get any better.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2012 06:43:25 | More by waltersrj