Sierra Nevada Tumbler Autumn Brown Ale - Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

Etan

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into a pint glass.

A: Brown with auburn highlights, nice egg cream head.

S: Brown bread and light maple and caramel.

T: Crisp grain, light honey and caramel, a bit of grassy hop bitterness.

M: Medium-bodied with moderate carbonation.

O: Good brown ale.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 06:50:58 | More by Etan

TheRealBigC

Nevada

3.9/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The depth of this brewery continues to amaze me. While they are best known for their fresh, hoppy profiles, Tumbler provides are maltier one with just a touch of hops to balance. It's a smooth, foamy brown. Biscuity malts are in the foreground with a trace of nuts. A wonderful autumn seasonal.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 04:27:26 | More by TheRealBigC

hopsolutely

Ontario (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark and clear auburn with a surprisingly whitish head that lingers.

Malt-forward aroma and sweeter finish have me personally classifying this more as a British rather than an American style brown. Aroma is subtle with toffee, caramelized malts and some roasted nuttiness. The flavour is malt focused but well balanced, and the initial sweetness has a pleasantly bitter backbone.

An easy drinking brown that could also act as a transition beer for those just starting to explore outside of Newcastle...

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2012 19:40:49 | More by hopsolutely

pmcadamis

Illinois

3.65/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Moderately clear brown brew with some nice reddish highlights.

S - Caramel and toffee with some grassy hops. A bit of hay in the distance.

T - Mild caramel and toffee as in the nose. Nicely hopped for the style.

M - Medium bodied and slightly creamy. Cleans up a bit at the end to finish relatively neutral.

This easy going brew would be a great beer to share with friends who shy away from "crazy" beers that might scare them away. This is similar to, but much better than, Newcastle in that regard (a beer that I often recommend to people who want to try something better than light lager crap).

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2012 06:37:58 | More by pmcadamis

kagent777

Utah

3.93/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle from the Utah system poured into my perfect pint.

Appearance: Huge four fingered, very uniform, tan head sitting atop a clear brown beer. Leaves some lacing as it goes.

Smell: I get nice notes of roast and smoke even away from the glass. A rather strong smell for a beer that is only 5.5 ABV. I get a minerally hop note after the head dissipated a little.

Taste: A nice brown ale. I have never been "wow"ed by a brown, but this one is solid. I get a taste that follows the smell, roast, a touch of smoke. Pretty dry with a touch of bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Very smooth and coats the mouth easily. The carbonation is pretty strong in this one for some reason.

Overall: This one is a readily available seasonal brown ale at a good price. If I am in the mood for a brown, and this one is available, I will not hesitate to pick it up.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2012 04:54:28 | More by kagent777

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.53/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

2012 Edition

A: Pours a very lightly hazy deep brown in color with moderate orange highlights and light to moderate amounts of visible carbonation. The beer has a half finger tall off-white head that slowly reduces to a thick film covering the entire surface of the beer with a slightly thicker ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate to significant amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Light to moderate aromas of roasted malts, coffee, and nuts.

T: Moderate to significant flavors of malts - primarily roasted malts. There are some lighter notes of coffee and nuts along with some caramel and brown sugar sweetness. Light bitterness in the finish.

M: Medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Smooth with some light dryness in the finish.

O: Easy to drink and quite enjoyable, it has a flavor that makes me think of the fall and went really well on a chilly fall afternoon just before Thanksgiving. I think this could be a decent fall session beer and I would think a nice tailgating beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 22:18:59 | More by dbrauneis

mdcrouser

Missouri

3.93/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Dark amber brown, with slight rings of drawn down amber at the edges. From an angle, looking down on it, it looks like a black & tan - amber on the bottom and dark on the top. Thick tan head sits heavy, leaving rings with each drink.

Roasty, chalky, with a distinct nuttiness, akin to roasted hazelnuts. Smells good, if a little muted.

Sitting somewhere between an amber and a light porter, I pick up on two levels of maltiness. There's one that comes through with carbonation on the tongue, with a clean toffee-like malt. A second is roasted and creamy, but aside from the other. Uniquely tasty. Seems like a beer that should be poured from little brown jug.

Good balance between the carbonation and creaminess. Dry, but sticky to close.

Not sure why it's considered a seasonal, but I don't mind it. Good enough to be enjoyed year-round.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2012 03:46:46 | More by mdcrouser

TwelveOunces

Kentucky

3.88/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2012 bottle poured into a pint glass

A- Clear amber brown with a two finger off tan head.

S- Nutty, earthy, a lot of coffee and a little chocolate. yeast and grain.

T- A lot of chocolate. A bit of a roasted malt, toffee and a good coffee presence. A slight pine from the hops and a crisp, spicy earthy quality. A Slight caramel and molasses.

M- As full of a body as it should have. A relatively sessionable beer. Crisp and clean.

O- A solid brown.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2012 22:38:25 | More by TwelveOunces

dasenebler

Maine

3.48/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Sierra Nevada Tumbler
11/17/12
12oz bottled 7/6/12

Dark amber. Decent clarity with ruby highlights. Light in color for a brown. Excellent head and lacing. (4)

Toasted malt and herbal hops on the nose. Some fruity, slightly raw ale yeast in the background. (3)

Bread crusts and hints of caramel malt, but definitely not sweet. Somewhat bland. Finishes dry and clean. I appreciate how it's simultaneously dry and malty.Pleasant hop character, definitely earthy and British-leaning. I don't get very much smoke at all, despite smoked malt being listed on the Sierra website. On the light side of medium-bodied, with the perfect carbonation Sierra is known for. (3.5, 4)

A perfectly balanced session Brown, but I still want a bit more malt depth. They could cram more malt flavor in there and still keep the ABV (or even lower it). This beer was better on-tap back in October at the Bear. Slightly muted flavors suggest oxidation, which is pretty likely given that this was bottled over four months ago. Nevertheless a solid and drinkable offering. (3.5)

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 22:47:01 | More by dasenebler

Murrhey

Montana

3.65/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured on-tap at Slater's 50/50 in Huntington Beach, Calif. Reviewed from notes.

A- Half finger white head. Low retention, little lacing. Mahogany color with some clarity. Not too dark.

S- Roast barley, lighter smell, some toasty malts. Nice smelling beer.

T- Creamy flavor with toasted malts. Quite good, warm flavor.

M- Creamy, smooth and dry.

O- Nice little beer, above average.

Serving type: on-tap

11-15-2012 00:53:44 | More by Murrhey

Bills453

Ohio

4.28/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance - dark copper/brown. Not really any head to speak of but this could be because the growler is a couple days old.

Smell - smells earthy. Malty as well.

Taste - can taste a roastedness in the beer. Perfect for a cold autumn evening like tonight in central Ohio.

Mouthfeel - good

Overall - a nice offering from Sierra Nevada. Loving this beer for Autumn!

Serving type: growler

11-13-2012 22:45:09 | More by Bills453

tony223366

California

4.05/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: This is almost perfect looking. Take that back... it is perfect looking. This is a fiver. Perfect brown with a light ruby color. Huge 3 finger fluffy tan head. Perfect lacing and nice action from the carbonation.

S: It smells firstly of roasted nuts. Light caramel and citrusy hops. It also smells lightly biscuity. Smells surprisingly clean too.

T: Flavors follow the nose closely. Touch of roasted nuts with a light caramel up front. Then more grain/biscuity malts. The finish is hoppy in a citrusy way. Light and refreshing.

M: Medium body with medium carbonation. Just the right heft to it.

O: This is a good brown. Fitting for crisp autumn nights.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2012 05:33:23 | More by tony223366

brewsadedotcom

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured bottle in to my Bogota Beer Company pint glass...

A: Thin layer of foam that hung around for a while. Nice brown color, definitely looks the part of a fall beer

S: Has an aroma of roasted malt and coffee, not overpowering but notable.

T: Bready and booming with roasted malt flavor. The taste is less coffee-like than the smell implies. After a few seconds there is a bitter hoppy aftertaste to remind you that this beer was made by Sierra Nevada.

M: This beer is mouth coating, the flavor takes control and hangs around long after you put your glass down.

O: I enjoyed this beer immensely. It will definitely be a go-to beer for the autumn season for me.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2012 19:55:40 | More by brewsadedotcom

JamesMN

Minnesota

3.45/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pretty translucent dark brown/amber color with a soapy two finger tan head.

Aroma: Some toffee and caramel. Light on aroma.

Taste: Malt forward flavors of toffee with some roasted nutty accents. Some nice caramel malt as well and a hint of coffee creamer on the back end. Finishes sort of dry and imparts a bit of bitterness. Just a bit of a metallic tinge in the aftertaste but not too overt.

Mouthfeel: Just below medium bodied and effervescent. Average drinkability.

Final Thoughts: I picked this one up as part of a make your own six pack and I'm not disappointed. I would, however, be disappointed if I had purchased an entire sixer of Tumbler. It's a little on the watery side and not quite as robust as I like my ABAs to be. It's ideal for someone who is new to craft beer and fears "dark beers" I suppose. Would I drink it again? It's unlikely.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2012 19:45:44 | More by JamesMN

rundocrun

Iowa

3.3/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Body is dark brown with some red highlights. About a finger of head forms but fades to a thin film within a few minutes. Good lacing on the glass.

S - Crisp, toasted grains and a distinct nuttiness predominate. Hints of coffee and grassy, earthy hops.

T - Lots of smooth, toasty malt. Fairly dry with only the slightest touch of sweet malt. The middle and finish has hints of bitter cooca and coffee. Also, unfortunately, a noticeable metallic flavor comes in toward the finish.

M - Thin body with over-zealous carbonation. Clean, dry finish.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2012 02:20:11 | More by rundocrun

Pegasus

Texas

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

Appearance: Opaque, deep amber body surmounted by a moderate, dense tan head, which retains well. The lacing is thivk and glass-coating.

Aroma: Prominent chocolate and nut notes, with a bit of smoke and earth, as well as toasted malt and caramel. Rather pleasing.

Taste: Opens with toasted malt and bitter cocoa, these carry throughout hr taste. Towards the finish, an earthy, smoky note appears., as well as a mild flourish of herbal hops.

Mouth feel: Smooth, soft, quite pleasant.

Drinkability/notes: A very well-made example of a classic brown ale. Perhaps a bit moe over-the-top than its English antecedent, but its very good.

Presentation: Packaged in a short twelve-ounce brown glass bottle with a pry-off crown, served in a New Belgium Brewing chalice.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2012 02:13:53 | More by Pegasus

MadScientist

New York

3.9/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Medium copper with excellent clarity. The persistant, light-tan head is composed of rock bubbles.

S: Moderate caramel and biscuity malt and an unusual yet pleasant smoked malt aroma. A light earthy hops, no diacetyl.

T: A strong malt flavor with caramel and that moderate smoke character. A medium-light amount of malt sweetness mid-palate with an medium-dry finish. There is a light citrus hops flavor and moderate hops bitterness. The balance is somewhat bitter. The aftertaste is a light toasty malt and light hops bitterness.

M: A moderately creamy, medium-full bodied beer with moderate carbonation.

O: The freshly roasted and smoked malt gives this a nice seasonal twist. I particularly like that this isn't all that sweet as some browns can be.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2012 23:13:59 | More by MadScientist

Jsteez

New Mexico

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

Poured into a dimpled mug.

A-Straight brown in color. Frothy, foamy, bubbly, and tan 2-finger head! Beautiful! Thick lace on glass throughout consumption. Nice foamy film on the surface of the beer.

S-Bready, malty, and a touch of brown sugar. The smell was the only weak side to this beer. The smell seemed a little flat. I gave it some time to warm up a bit and it still didn't produce the type of aroma I was looking for.

T-Toasty malt, brown crunchy toast, smokey malt, brown sugar, butter nuts, bready, and a hint of dry spice. The aftertaste was sweet and slightly smokey. Nice balance of flavors on my palate.

M-Smooth, clean, crisp, and medium to full-bodied. Perfect amount of carbonation for this style of brew.

Overall-Perfect autumn seasonal! Every time I sipped it I looked outside and saw a crisp, cool, fall evening with multi-colored leaves surrounding the area. Drinking this beer brought intense feelings of nostalgia. I eventually stepped out onto my patio and I could smell wood burning stoves filling the autumn air. Great beer and very sessionable! Throw back a couple! I think this beer should be available throughout the winter, too. It is not just a great brew to sip while watching th leaves change, it is a great brew to sip on a cold winter's eve watching the snow fall (if snow will ever fall in the Mountain West!) I think global warming is upon us, my friends.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2012 04:44:50 | More by Jsteez

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

3.53/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The beer is copper to auburn in color with a quarter inh of thick, foamy beige head. The aroma offers caramels, malt, squash, light spice, maybe a hint of cinnamon and/or nutmeg. The flavor is ok, with some lightly toasted brown bread notes. Mild bitterness in the aftertaste. Overall, this was ok.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2012 00:12:52 | More by Huhzubendah

Mojo

Alabama

4.23/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer pours a nice mahogany color, not quite opaque with a one inch head that lingers and excellent lacing. Smell is molasses, honey, coffee, and charcoal. Mouthfeel is about perfect for this style. Taste pretty much follows the nose. Can Sierra Nevada produce a bad beer? I've yet to have one.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2012 20:52:00 | More by Mojo

Kromes

Georgia

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

A clear brown color with a thick tan colored head that laces down the glass. A nice sweet and roasted malt aroma. Sweet malt up front with bit of hop and then the toasted malt flavor kicks in and gives it a little depth. It finishes sweet with a touch of bitterness and a lingering roasted flavor. The beer is light with good carbonation. This is a very easy drinking brown ale. Just enough roasted flavor and bitterness to counter the sweetness.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2012 19:48:22 | More by Kromes

Bryan17

4.63/5  rDev +20.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a Sam Adams tulip glass.
A: Very nice dark chestnut brown. Hazy at first, but clears up slightly. Held up to the light, it has a slightly reddish hue. Head largely dissapates to some lacing.
S: Roasted malt, but with a nuttier smell. A very subtle alcoholic undertone.
T: Excellent. Initially, a very bitter bite, opening up to sweet, roasty flavors. Finish is very smooth with no bitterness. Some hops are mixed in there, but they are dominated by the malt. Reminds me of pumpernickel bread.
M: Prickly carbonation.
O: An excellent beer, crisp and suitable for fall. Will go for this one again. One of my favorites from Sierra Nevada.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2012 00:37:47 | More by Bryan17

DrinkMoreBigBeers

Michigan

4.05/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle marked 2012 - and the 223 day.

A - Poured out a two finger off white tanish billowy head that leaves above average lacing. Its a nice clear brown that you can see threw; once held up to the light it turns to a dark mahogany. Head sticks around and does not seem to dissipate all the way down.

S - On the nose I get a smooth roast with some hops, smoke, dark bread, nuttiness, and a bit of light cream. Nice soft and pleasant with no hint of alcohol.

T - There is a roasted bitter flavor in the front and a smoke flavor that comes in and last throughout. Nice and balanced between the two flavors along with some nutty bready-ness. Well flavored for a 5.5% brown ale.

M - Really lovely with smooth softness a medium mouth feel and just the right amount of carbonation to get the flavors going on your palate.

O - For a fall seasonal this is a really pleasant clean session beer which I can see myself drinking more then just a few. The quality is great on this brew and the price can not be beat. Hats off the SN for so many great enjoyable brews and another great fall seasonal. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2012 22:03:21 | More by DrinkMoreBigBeers

TempeBeerMan

Arizona

3.4/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a nonic pint.

A - Pours a clear dark red-brown with a two-finger off white head of mixed size bubbles. Leaves rings of sticky lacing.

S - Smells malty, but definitely a grainy sort of malty as opposed to sweet. Some nuttiness, and a hint of charcoal.

T - Taste matches the aroma exactly. Not sweet at all. Very bitter, almost astringent. Grainy malts forward, with a hint of herbal hops appearing in the finish. Hints of tobacco and walnut. Good, but not very complex.

M - Light-to-medium bodied with prickly carbonation. Slightly drying finish.

O - A decent brown ale but I found it to be kind of blandly bitter and one-dimensional. Honestly, couldnt imagine drinking a six pack of this.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2012 04:30:26 | More by TempeBeerMan

superspak

Michigan

4.05/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 ounce bottle into signature pint glass, bottled 8/10/2012. Pours lightly cloudy reddish copper color with a nice 2 finger dense off white head with incredible retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Nice thick soapy lacing clings to the glass. Aromas of chocolate, caramel, toast, nuttiness, biscuit, toffee, roasted malt, light smoke, and herbal. Damn nice aromas with good strength and balance. Taste of chocolate, biscuit, toast, caramel, nuttiness, citrus, herbal, and light pine. Lingering notes of caramel, biscuit, toast, chocolate, nuttiness, and herbal on the finish for a short bit. Nice balance and robustness of flavors; with zero cloying on the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a lightly creamy and crisp mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is well hidden with almost zero warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is an excellent brown ale. Nicely robust with good balance of roasted malt and hop flavors; very smooth and crisp to drink. Very enjoyable offering.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2012 04:31:20 | More by superspak