30th Anniversary - Grand Cru - Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

SHODriver

California

4.45/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a copper color with a huge off white, nearly tan head with excellent retention
S: Smells of pine, slight citrus and an underlying malt sweetness
T: Taste starts off surprisingly caramelly sweet with accompanying bitterness with flavors of pine and some vanilla flavors. Aftertaste is oily hop flavors mixed with some sweet citrus
M: Thick and viscous in the mouth with very soft and delicate carbonation
O: This is a fantastic beer and a very good blend. I kinda want another bottle to age a couple years. It's so smooth and easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2012 03:51:05 | More by SHODriver

InspectorBob

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +0.7%

05-20-2013 16:07:24 | More by InspectorBob

megamass

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +0.7%

05-18-2013 05:45:43 | More by megamass

cadaugherty

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +0.7%

05-09-2013 00:08:27 | More by cadaugherty

brewdlyhooked13

Ohio

4.71/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 5

Winding down an awesome beer tasting night (corked bottles only) and thought I'd crack open another corker.

Appearance - cloudy, bubbly reddish amber. A finger of manila foam on top like melted ice cream. Nice lacing.

Aroma - sticky sweet orange and pineapple, bready malts creep in a bit after setup.

Taste - dark fruit and toasted bread open up the beer. Pineapple and mango at first, giving way to moderate bittering. A great toasty, coffee-like flavor flavor kicks in at the swallow and hangs around through the afterttaste. Oak on the aftertaste and into the finish, what a fun ride this beer is! Ends with dry lingering bitterness, oak, and toasted grain.

Mouthfeel - moderate carbonation and weight. Feels crisp without being too heavy for a strong ale.

Overall - wish I had bought a few more of these. Outstanding. Here's to the BCBT group, good beers tonight, guys.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 02:59:32 | More by brewdlyhooked13

Lare453

Florida

4/5  rDev -5.2%

04-26-2013 01:37:45 | More by Lare453

Kelp

New Hampshire

4.25/5  rDev +0.7%

04-15-2013 05:57:01 | More by Kelp

Atomicskis5

Connecticut

4.25/5  rDev +0.7%

04-11-2013 02:50:50 | More by Atomicskis5

roblund

California

4/5  rDev -5.2%

04-10-2013 14:24:17 | More by roblund

ChiefHopHead

Texas

4.25/5  rDev +0.7%

04-02-2013 02:32:56 | More by ChiefHopHead

fox227

California

4.5/5  rDev +6.6%

03-23-2013 05:00:32 | More by fox227

InfernoBoss

California

4.5/5  rDev +6.6%

03-17-2013 07:39:02 | More by InfernoBoss

DaPan

Ontario (Canada)

4.75/5  rDev +12.6%

03-11-2013 20:59:57 | More by DaPan

603BeerMe

New Hampshire

5/5  rDev +18.5%

03-11-2013 16:51:27 | More by 603BeerMe

superspak

Michigan

4.43/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750 ml bottle into snifter, bottled on 10/8/2010. Pours extremely hazy deep ruby red color with a nice 1-2 finger dense cream colored head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Nice soapy lacing clings on the glass. Aromas of big orange, grapefruit, orange rind, pear, apple, caramel, pine, toast, toffee, brown sugar, floral, oak, light bourbon, and floral earthiness. Fantastic aromas with big balance and complexity of hop, malt, and oak notes. Taste of big orange, grapefruit, orange rind, caramel, pine, toast, toffee, floral, oak, brown sugar, brown bread, light bourbon, and floral hop earthiness. Light pine and citrus bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of citrus, caramel, pine, toast, toffee, brown bread, floral, oak, brown sugar, and floral earthiness on the finish for a while. Fantastic balance and complexity of hop and malt flavors; with a great subtle oak presence and moderate bitterness balancing the malt sweetness; and zero cloying sweetness present on the finish. Medium carbonation and fairly full bodied; with a creamy, slick, and lightly sticky mouthfeel that is great. Alcohol is extremely well hidden with only a slight warming noticed after the finish; very smooth to sip on. Overall this is an absolutely incredible American strong blended ale! Huge complexity and balance of hop and malt notes; and extremely smooth to sip on. An extremely awesome offering, top notch stuff as expected.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2013 04:32:13 | More by superspak

RobertColianni

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -17.1%

02-25-2013 08:45:01 | More by RobertColianni

BigLittleHokis

California

4.25/5  rDev +0.7%

02-25-2013 03:58:44 | More by BigLittleHokis

rolltide8425

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +0.7%

02-25-2013 02:49:51 | More by rolltide8425

MarkyMOD

Colorado

3.35/5  rDev -20.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Was completely oxidized, was really looking forward to popping this one, but it was the most disappointing beer I've had. Bought six months ago from a shop with all refrigeration, then cellared at 55 degrees. Almost feel bad about reviewing this after seeing reviewers who loved it two years later, but the rating I'm giving this beer is generous, saw many others pour this out after passing it around. This is my first full review, had been planning to start reviewing for awhile, but I think the disappoint drove me to finally do it, at least something good came from this beer.
P.S. Was told it was amazing fresh, but that same person thought it lost a lot two months later.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 04:55:17 | More by MarkyMOD

ROBSTARR

Michigan

4.25/5  rDev +0.7%

02-15-2013 15:08:19 | More by ROBSTARR

ste5venla

California

4.25/5  rDev +0.7%

02-02-2013 21:12:52 | More by ste5venla

DmanGTR

New York

4.25/5  rDev +0.7%

01-30-2013 13:36:48 | More by DmanGTR

rob133

California

4.25/5  rDev +0.7%

01-29-2013 00:02:21 | More by rob133

popery

California

3.75/5  rDev -11.1%

01-28-2013 07:31:47 | More by popery

fivetime

Idaho

4.75/5  rDev +12.6%

01-28-2013 01:44:18 | More by fivetime