30th Anniversary - Fritz And Ken's Ale - Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bomber from Premiere Gourmet. Pours thick and creamy black with off white head. Big roasted coffee aroma. Taste is a bold in-your face stout, with expresso coffee and chocolate. I noticed less chocolate as the bitter an slightly astringent flavours built up. I finished it. Not so balanced, really toward the bitter side of the dial.Above average mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2010 03:40:12 | More by northyorksammy

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.13/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Was very excited to try this one and decided to order one up on tap as soon as I saw it flowing. Served cold and poured into a pint glass.

The pour was dark as night, thick and inky black with a nice two finger head of cocoa brown on top that really capped it off just about perfectly. Dripping tan lace down the sides it really just looked the part quite nicely i have to admit.

Aroma is of deep roasted malts, lots of cocoa, a touch of a light peat, or smoked flavor and a really well balanced and nicely put together coffee bitterness. This carried over well into the flavor which was rich, creamy and smooth with hints of light chocolate that welcomed the palate first and were soon followed by a nice blend of coffee, roasted malts, light hop notes that dried the palate out quite nicely and a rich, even, semi dry and sweet finish.

Overall very solid and something I am sure will do well over time. Glad I could dry this one fresh.

Serving type: on-tap

08-11-2010 01:55:43 | More by mikesgroove

womencantsail

California

4.28/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at Toronado SD

A: The pour is almost black in color with a fluffy tan head that leaves sheets of lacing all the way down the glass.

S: The nose is a bit one dimensional, really only giving off notes of coffee and roasted malt. There's a bit of bitter chocolate, but it is subdued.

T: I was pleased by the fact that the depth of flavors I was hoping for was there. A nice bit of roast and coffee flavor along with plenty of bitter chocolate, and some sweet caramel. There was also a slight smokiness to it which I didn't necessarily expect.

M: The body is medium with a creamy carbonation. There is a touch of alcohol warmth to it as well.

D: There is a touch of alcohol presence to the beer, but it really doesn't detract from the enjoyment. I really liked this beer and look forward to aging a couple bottles of it.

Serving type: on-tap

03-29-2010 18:17:03 | More by womencantsail

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.8/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Incredible look to this one. Pours a thick black with a Duvel-esque dark tan head which lasts for ages and settles down to a permanent half-finger at the top of the glass.

S: Not the greatest. The roasted malt seems to take everything over and the faint hints of coffee, chocolate, and brown sugar really get left behind.

T: Not quite as off-balanced as the nose, but the roasted character of the malt still gets a bit in the way, overwhelming everything else. Once you get past that, some pretty good flavors.

M: A little too must roast, leaving a dry taste in my mouth. Sometimes nice with a good coffee beer, but this was strictly a malt-driven dryness, and I didn't particularly care for it.

D: Not bad overall, but I was definitely expecting better from two legendary brewers. I've got some more to hang onto, and I'll see how it develops over time.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2010 10:57:26 | More by Thorpe429

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

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

Appearance: Audacious-looking black body crowned with a head of tan-colored foam.

Smell: Roasty, charred maltiness with full notes of bold coffee, cocoa bars, blackstrap molasses, and acrid smoke. Minor secondary notes of citrus and quality, soul-warming alcohol buried underneath the stronger malt scents.

Taste: The well-roasted malts unquestionably have command over the taste, imparting deep flavors of espresso, bittersweet chocolate, molasses, and smoked French vanilla beans. Medium sweetness. Solid load of hops with tastes of pine needles and citrus zest. The fair amount of hop bitterness couples with a hint of astringency from the burnt malts. Roasty, warming, bittersweet finish.

Mouthfeel: Full-bodied. Medium-low carbonation. Very smooth mouthfeel.

Drinkability: Simply, it's a quality, tasty stout. I'll cheerfully chuck a few bottles away in the cellar.

Serving type: on-tap

04-02-2010 21:47:25 | More by ChainGangGuy

brentk56

North Carolina

4.47/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: It's a beauty, with a viscous black color and a rocky, two finger head that coats the sides of the chalice; impressive stickage

Smell: Roasty and chocolatey, with undertones of char; hints of alcohol come through as well

Taste: Dark chocolate and graham cracker sweetness, up front, with a developing roasty character and hop kick that arrives by mid-palate; hints of roasted pecan appear as well; after the swallow, the chocolate flavors dominate though the roasty elements persist into the finish; nice example of char that adds character to the aftertaste without taking away from the other elements

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body; exceptionally creamy, with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: Love the chocolate flavors, the hop balance and the mouthfeel (Tasting this again in December 2010, I added a few comments and bumped the score in several places - the beer just gets better with a bit of aging.)

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2010 00:21:29 | More by brentk56

UCLABrewN84

California

4/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours an opaque black with a 1 inch dark khaki head that fades to a thin film. Random splotches of lace line the glass on the drink down. Smell is of dark roasted malt, espresso, and cocoa powder. Taste is of dark roasted malt, espresso beans, bitter dark chocolate, and a slightly smoky or roasty flavor. There is a roasty/smoky bitterness on the palate after each sip. A low level of carbonation makes for a smooth and creamy mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good stout from Sierra Nevada but I wasn't expecting the smoky flavor at all.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2011 03:52:38 | More by UCLABrewN84

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle: Poured a pitch-black color ale with a large foamy head with great retention and very good lacing. Aroma of liquorice with some sweet malt is bordering on being grossly sweet but still manager to retain some balance. Taste is somewhat too sweet with some liquorice notes and some rich sweet notes with no coffee/black chocolate or roasted notes I usually associated with the style. Body is fuller then average with great carbonation and a creamy texture. Not bad but too sweet for my own taste, prefer my imperial stout to be more bitter.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2010 02:34:19 | More by Phyl21ca

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4.4/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Fritz & Ken's is an outstanding beer that is both powerful and poinient with roast, malt, and hops. Simple in its design, yet complex in its strength and execution.

A deep, deep dark brown beer inches extremely close to opaque black. Truely viscous with a motor oil consistency. The beer carries a dense and mousse-like medium tan head that laces and retains as well as any beer can. The look of this beer rivals the best.

Deep aromas of roasted coffee, cocoa, and molassas are accompanied by softer malt notes and bold hop character. Comming from these guys, I guess a non-hoppy beer cannot be considered.

Flavors of the roast are very dominat- showing deep espresso flavors, burnt cocoa, and lighter elements of char and campfire. The roast is backed up by flavors of molassas and malted milk (think Whoppers candies). No fruits (maybe a background licorice note), but the estery mix is foregone by the aggressive impact of pine, citrus, and fresh cut grass derived from the deliberate hop additions. Hop flavor rivals but don't overwhelm the roast, but the bitterness from them give a complex balance to the sweet along side of the acrid roasted grains. The aggressive hop character seems to accentuate a phenolic character and lacquor taste burried deep in the beer but as the carbonation lessens, these flavors are much less noticable.

Definately as viscous as the appearance advertises as the initial sips are thick, chewy, and robust. But as the abundant carbonation subsides, the beer lessens in intensity and becomes quite drinkable for it's strength and aggressive taste. Hop bitterness and alcohol help to dry the beer considerably but the beer is to remain malty and roasty 'til the bitter end.

This is a fantastic beer. Memories of Bell's Batch 7000 come to mind. I'm having trouble deciding whether the hop flavor and bitterness help or hurt the drinkability of the beer. Aaah, the delimas of a Beer Advocate...

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2010 02:42:00 | More by BEERchitect

oberon

North Carolina

4.38/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Great to see this collaboration.Poured into a tulip glass a ink black,a large billowing mocha head atop that left rings of lace behind as it settled into a frothy top.Big bitter chocolate,mollases,and espresso roast in the nose,a lingering fruity tinge shows through as well,alot of good stuff going on.Robust dark roast coffee on the palate,even a light smokiness come in to play.Highly roasted with bitter chocolate,this is a nice not overly sweet impy stout,I really enjoyed this alot.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2010 22:29:07 | More by oberon

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.8/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a Dogfish Head snifter.

Was able to get a second crack at this guy thanks to the final bottle on the shelf at the local Binny's. It pours an unforgiving obsidian topped by over a finger of light tan foam, about half of which seems to overstay its welcome. The nose comprises figs, dates, walnuts, roasted malts, molasses, and a touch of smoked bratwurst. The taste focuses on the roast, while adding what seems like a decent hoppy bitterness (whether or not it's hops creating this bitterness is beside the point) and some bitter dark chocolate (I can differentiate between the two biternesses...I think...). Some blackenedness/char is in there as well. The body is lightly heavy, with a light carbonation and a fairly dry finish. Overall, a solid stout, but one that falls just a little short for me. Still, it is pretty tasty...

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2010 06:37:53 | More by TMoney2591

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

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

Sierra Nevada XXX 30th Anniversary Stout
Fritz & Ken's Stout
Let's drink it...

No, wait, let's look at it...Impenetrable black, stygian, ebon, etc. Thick, solid, rich and roasted brown head, lightly dotted, long-lasting. An excellent example of a stout.

Aroma: it's all here, molasses, some cocoa, traces of anise, a little espresso...Nice.

Tasting it: smooth and creamy. silky, lush, dark malt is on top here. And then the bitterness rises up. Lays long on the palate, sits still and takes command. Then yum, and creamy, smooth, and yum, again.

Doesn't quite feel like it's in the range of an Imperial Stout, except that it does, and wait, 9.2%? I guess it snuck up on me. Mmm, it's getting deeper, richer, thicker, chewier, as I drink on and on. Loving it.

long finish, deep, dark, and dense, and delicious, ...I'll say it again: yum. Not too bad, F & K. Nice work indeed. I may have to go for more of this one.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2010 08:43:46 | More by feloniousmonk

WesWes

New York

4.18/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

The beer pours a pitch black color with a thick frothy tan head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is awesome. It has a rich, black malt bitterness along with a mild roasted character and lots of chocolate malts. It's warms the nose with hints of alcohol. The taste is good. It has a velvety smooth black and chocolate malt flavor that goes down slow and easy and warms in the finish. The black malts provide a good deal of bitterness as well as roasted character; very nice. The mouthfeel is excellent. It is a full bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is a superb IS. It has a complex malt character and aroma as well as a nice warm finish; great for these cold winter months.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2010 19:54:37 | More by WesWes

drabmuh

Maryland

3.75/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Split with my wife. Beer is black with a big brown head of small bubbles that leaves lacing all over this glass. Carbonation moderate to low. Looks good.

Bright, roasty and alcoholic aroma.

Medium bodied, a little ashy at the back, sweet up front with some alcohol. Eh, its not as good as I was lead to believe. It might be something awesome in 10 years. We'll see.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2010 03:11:03 | More by drabmuh

Mora2000

Texas

4/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Glad I got to try this beer and hope that I get to try the other three beers in the series as well.

The beer pours a black color with a huge tan head. The aroma is smoke and roasted malt. The flavor is chocolate, roasted malt and quite a bit of smoke, which was unexpected. Thick mouthfeel and low-medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2010 02:49:58 | More by Mora2000

metter98

New York

4.13/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Uncorking this bottle resulted in a huge pop. It poured dark black with very little head, but some bubbles consistently remained around the edges of the glass.
S: Aromas of dark malts dominate the smell and there are some hints of chocolate, coffee and licorice. Faint smells of alcohol become detectable as the beer warms up.
T: The flavors mainly consist of roasted malts, although there is a good balance and some bitterness from the hops comes across, particularly in the finish.
M: It feels smooth, rich, and dry on the palate.
D: Although the alcohol is hidden rather well, this beer is better sipped. I couldn't picture having more than one of these in a single sitting.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2010 12:03:27 | More by metter98

zeff80

Missouri

4.2/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Poured out an opaque, jet black color with a small yet thick, caramel colored head of bubbly foam. It left some sudsy, soapy residue on the glass.

S - It smelled of roasted malt, chocolate, caramel and some boozy alcohol. There was also a mild coffee/espresso aroma.

T - Great blend of sweet and bitter. Chocolate, caramel, toffee and dark fruits provide the sweetness while coffee and piney hops bring the bitter.

M - It was crisp and smooth with a dry finish. A medium to full bodied beer.

D - This was really pretty good. I'm glad I got an opportunity to try this one.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2010 02:30:17 | More by zeff80

Gueuzedude

Arizona

4.28/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Sampled on tap @ 1702, Tucson; April 2010
This beer arrives with a one-finger thick, nicely browned, tan colored head. The beer is a deep black color that shows a clear, burnt amber hue around the edges if held up to the light. The aroma is rich and smoky, definitely roasted, andit has an umami-leaning malt character to it. Other notes of Bourbon-like character, vanilla, coffee liquor (Kahlua even more specifically), and dark chocolate are also found in the nose. As the beer up more of the dark chocolate character comes out and even becomes the dominant note after some time. The aroma is very complex, interesting and engaging; Is this barrel aged? It certainly has some complexity that suggests a hint of this.

The beer tastes sweet as it first hits my palate and finishes with a toasted, burnt-bitter note that lingers on the palate in a good way. The beer is not overly heavy feeling, but this is still definitely a sipping brew. There is a huge roast character here that reminds me of a dark espresso. A big hop bitterness in the finish combines with the bitterness from the roast grain. Dark cocoa and a chalky texture also linger in the finish for quite a long time after each sip. An oak like spiciness and perhaps even a touch of tannin is noticeable towards the finish as well. This has a nice creamy texture to it without being excessively thick or cloying. A coffee liquor like flavor is brought out by the sweet dark malt notes and the roast character. Touches of vanilla and a Bourbon like spiciness are suggested along with an alcoholic heat that come out even more as I start eating my pizza. Dark, concentrated fruit notes of prunes and raisins are joined by a dark molasses note.

This is really quite nice, rich, complex and interesting a perfect beer to spend a slow evening with. It is well balanced between the rich, sweet malt character and the bitter, spicy, roast character that adds sharpness to the finish.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2010 15:24:49 | More by Gueuzedude

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.38/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Review from notes

Opens with a resounding pop! Pours jet black with 3 fingers of brownish, mocha head that just screams ice cream float. Tons of sticky lacing & very good head retention

S: Roasty malt, rich, dark & fruitty with woody hops, & booze once warm

T: Roasty malt, dark choclate, herbal hops along with molasses, leafy & minty hops up front. Baker's choclate, dryness, expresso, as this warms along with licorice, figs & boozeyness. Finishes dry with carob, & dark fruittyness

MF: Semi-chewy, low but noticable carbonation, nice creamyness once warm

Drinks great for the ABV & Strength, great effort, already bought a bottle & will pick up more if feasible. Happy anny SN!

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2010 02:56:43 | More by russpowell

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This one poured out as a very dark looking black color, the head was pretty large and needed time to settle down before I could take a sip. The lacing was pretty nice here, seemed to be pretty sticky. The smell of this stout had a big amount of hops in it, I was getting more hops than the chocolate malts and stuff from this brew. The taste of the beer had a good bite to it, some piney hops flavors mixed with the soft roasted malts to really dry things out in your mouth. The mouthfeel was on the heavier side which was nice. Overall I liked this brew but I still didn't think it was the best one.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2011 20:54:20 | More by Knapp85

emerge077

Illinois

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

Sheets of tan lacing in the glass, long lasting skim of chocolatey froth. Black with a reddish brown ring at the edges, in the light.

Sweet roasty coffee aroma, creamy and toasty. Toasted almonds come through, with some cafe con leche behind it. Definitely milky/lactic in character, with some bittersweet chocolate.

Creamy, full body, lots going on in the flavor. Deep roast, dark chocolate, coffee, with a nice undercurrent of hop bitterness. Woody tobacco, bakers chocolate, coffee, all the hallmarks of a nice stout. Very smooth, also like a cafe con leche. It hangs on the palate, but is never cloying. The residual bitterness fades into a roasty aftertaste. Overall, it's a really enjoyable sipper.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2010 04:26:02 | More by emerge077

Halcyondays

California

4.1/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

25 oz. bottle,

A: Pours black with a frothy tan head, gobs of lace, great retention.

S: Sweet roast, chocolate, light molasses.

T: Dark chocolate is the main flavour for sure. Some residual sugar with a light smoky, meaty, gamey flavour which added another layer of complexity. Quite hoppy as well, with notes of pine and wood.

M: Smooth and creamy, frothy as with the head. Full-bodied.

D: This is tasting great, but I can see that some aging could benefit this and make it more malt forward. A damn fine effort.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2010 02:36:36 | More by Halcyondays

Gavage

New Jersey

4.38/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: pours a black color with a 3" tan colored head that lasts a long time. Some spotty lace develops.

Smell: roasted malt sweetness and a bit of chocolate comes through to the nose.

Taste: grainy roasted malt presence with a good amount of dark chocolate. Some prune and a pretty hearty bitterness rounds it out. Alcohol is barely noticeable here.

Mouthfeel: heavy in body. Crisp to start, less crisp at the finish. Aftertaste is long as the flavors last on the tongue for quite a while.

Drinkability: this is a true slow sipping stout, as the bold flavors create a dessert in a glass. Great beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2010 00:13:51 | More by Gavage

jwc215

New Jersey

4/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

750 ml cage-corked bottle - poured into snifter:

Pours pitch black with a large tan head. Sheets of lacing stick as it progresses down the glass.

The smell is of roasted coffee, chickory and chocolate with fruity alcohol.

The taste is of roasted coffee, chocolate, chickory, anise. Alcohol is prominant. Dark bread and light roast keeps the sweetness balanced. Roasty, though not strongly so.

It has a creamy, full body.

A nice sweetish and roasty sipper that is pretty complex.
Congratulations, Sierra Nevada, for hitting 30! Here's to many more!!!

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2010 01:53:25 | More by jwc215

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

4.13/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

It's that time of year again, the presage to the holiday season, where I pay tribute to the horrible shared cultural memory of Prohibition, by marking American Repeal Day, in the only way that I humbly can - by cracking the biggest, baddest bottle of Yankee adult potable in my fridge. This year, the honor (American spelling, just this one time) falls to this 25oz bomber, procured from lovely Missoula, MT this past summer.

This beer pours a solid black, with ever so slight reddish edges, and a voluminous tower of dense foamy milk chocolate head, which settles maddeningly slowly, rendering some of the thickest panelled lace that I have yet seen. It smells of roasted malt, dry chocolate, coffee grounds, campfire smoke that has seen salted meat, and bitter floral hops. The taste is strong chocolate malt, a bit more bitter coffee, a bit of briny smoke, and edgy earthy, floral hops. Any and all booze is so well integrated, I barely register any additional warming. The carbonation is quite soft, the body big, slick, smooth, and dead creamy - the chocolate milk metaphor applies here too. It finishes sweet and chocolaty, the various bitter elements still mostly swamped.

One well produced big stout - enveloping, warming sans the heat, and still charmingly easy to put back.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2010 23:54:47 | More by biboergosum