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

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at Pizza Plant. A very hoppy beer with a good three inch head, and lots of lace.Decent drinkability. Complex, but something I need to try again, with food, to fully appreciate.Understated carbonation.Caramel. Interesting.Some caramel sweetness.

Serving type: on-tap

01-21-2011 01:10:06 | More by northyorksammy

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.28/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The pour was about what I would expect given the style. Nice color, rich dark brown, near black with a light head of tan that comes up and caps the top of the glass nicely. Aroma is dominated by aromas of oak and vanilla, which meld seemlessly into the chocolate notes that become ever more present as time goes on. First sip is wonderful, more carbonated then I typically see with barrel aged beers, with a nicely lively presence and rich, velvet like carbonation. First sip is loaded down with oak notes, hints of bourbon and vanilla start to come out as I dive further into it. Suble at first but then it starts to build. Nice backbone of chocolate coming through as well as a light touch of smoke. Nicely put together I have to admit. Smooth, with the alcohol all but absent from the profile making it for a smooth, sublte, and wonderfully complex nightcap.

Overall I have to say it was outstanding. I was not expecting much but was more then happily suprised with the results. An outstanding barrel aged beer.

Serving type: on-tap

03-20-2011 22:07:29 | More by mikesgroove

womencantsail

California

4.5/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at Tustin

A: The pour is a bright and rich amber color with a creamy khaki colored head and some impressive lacing.

S: Quite hoppy, despite the oak aging, with a nice citrus character and quite a bit of pine, too. There's a very strong oak aroma which provides some sweet vanilla notes. A slight booziness along with a lot of sweet caramel and toffee.

T: The sweetness of the caramel and toffee flavors are on display from the beginning here. The hops are more toward the back end providing a piney bitterness. Lots of oak and vanilla (bourbon?) with just a touch of alcohol warmth.

M: The body is on the full end of medium with a smooth carbonation.

D: This is the best of the four 30th Anniversary beers and just a fantastic one all around. I should probably pick up a few bottles of this.

Serving type: on-tap

01-22-2011 01:34:57 | More by womencantsail

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.43/5  rDev -18.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle picked up at Rick's in Alexandria. Poured into a snifter.

Pours a crimson-copper color with a single-finger white head with some nice retention and a bit of streaky lacing. The aroma is fairly faint with just a hint of hops and a few light notes of oak.

The taste is certainly tannic, though not as much so as the Stone Lukcy Basgard that we had earlier this evening. Some oak is there and a bit of booze. I get some hints of the Bigfoot and Celebration, though not too much or any of the Pale, which I suppose isn't all that surprising.

The feel consists of a medium body as well as some light to moderate carbonation and a dry, oaky finish. Some tanins are present throughout.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2010 02:30:24 | More by Thorpe429

UCLABrewN84

California

4.05/5  rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy reddish brown with a huge 3 inch whitish-red head that fades to a small cap. Nice sticky latticework of lacing forms around the glass on the drink down. Smells of malt, brown sugar, huge amounts of hops, and woody aromas. Taste is of huge citrus zest/pine hops with a sweet malt finish. The woody aroma I was getting does not really present itself in the taste. Mild hop bitterness on the palate fades after each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly thick and sticky mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer with nice hop aromas and flavors. A nice 30th anniversary offering from Sierra Nevada.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2011 07:48:32 | More by UCLABrewN84

brentk56

North Carolina

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

Appearance: After one of the loudest cork pops I have ever heard, the beer pours a clear amber color with a massive head; the tremendous amount of stringy lace looks like an Asian alphabet on the side of the chalice

Smell: Smells like a fresh hop, with green hops delivering a pithy grapefruit character; caramel and bready elements evident underneath

Taste: Bready, up front, with a developing caramel flavor that is quickly subsumed by piney and pithy elements; plenty of caramel and oaky flavors linger underneath but the beer is dominated by the bitter hop flavors after the swallow

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate to high carbonation

Drinkability: Just a great beer all around and it is fun to try to pick out the elements; Celebration and Bigfoot are most prominent on the tastebuds but the SNPA makes its presence felt in the mouthfeel

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2010 00:04:41 | More by brentk56

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

4.15/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a dark amber-golden body, nice clarity, with a foamy, off-white head about half an inch in height.

Smell: Vibrant aroma smelling of toasted, bready malts, varied fresh citrus fruits, florals, booze, new oak wood, slightly sweet-scented caramel, but also some toffee, and with a faint, underlying earthiness.

Taste: Day-old baguettes edged with a little caramelly sweetness. Floral, citrusy hops hinting at marmalade with a moderate degree of pronounced bitterness. Integrated alcohol warmth. Slight earthiness. Fair oak character, some subtle tannins present. Firmly dry, warming finish with a long, lingering bitterness trailing into the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: Medium-full body. Medium carbonation.

Overall: It's good stuff!

Serving type: on-tap

02-29-2012 18:22:55 | More by ChainGangGuy

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

4.38/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle: Poured a deep copper color ale with a large foamy head with good retention and some good lacing. Aroma of caramelized sugar with light oak and some hoppy resinous notes is quite enjoyable. Taste is also a nice mix between some caramelized sugar and solid malt backbone with light oak and some resin-based hops. Hops were probably stronger when the bottle was fresh but still very drinkable. Body is quite full with good carbonation and no apparent alcohol. Not something for everyday drinking but well worth drinking.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2011 20:23:57 | More by Phyl21ca

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4.47/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

With a ton of hop character and the structure of a Barleywine, this strong ale becomes much more drinkable than the malt bombs and with a crisp dryness of well attenuated IPA's. With Ecclecticity at the forefront this beer blends all of what's best about Sierra Nevada in a single glass.

A deep mohogany hue shows through the snifter and carries an off-white head that has both creamy and froathy character. Nice lacing that drips as the beer falls. Good clarity but with a mild dry-hopped haze.

Aromas are resiy, grassy, piney, and citrusy with a mouthwatering sharpness and invigorating zest. Bready/crusty, lightly toasty, and with a malted barley scent, the beer restrains fruity esters, avoids phenolics, and prounounces cleanliness and robust notes.

Flavor of pine and citrus dominate in taste while taking on a sharp and resiny flavor. Dry bread crust and medium toast gives a strong and aggressive balance of malt and hops (reminding me a bit of Stone's Arrogant Bastard). The esters of the Bigfoot give a mild berry-like, grapey flavor that adds complexity to the dry toffee and toast. Aggressive and robust throughout, this beer is not for timid palates.

Full, robust, and froathy in mouthfeel (at least early on); the beer turns quickly into a full toasty-malty dryness that ushers in the acute dryness of spruce, mint, citrus, and alcohol. Toasty dry and hoppy in the end.

For Sierra Nevada to blend their most popular beers in such a way, partly barrel aged; and to meld them in such a way is a remarkable feat that would make Belgian brewers jealous.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2010 07:51:52 | More by BEERchitect

oberon

North Carolina

4.13/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had a few samples of this brew over the weekend.Poured a deep ruby red with a sticky off white head that clung like like glue to the glass.Aromas are fruit tinged along with some vanilla,but the big piney hops are the show stealer,both mix great together.Flavors start out with some vanilla and some spiced cherry and they meld into a big resiny,citric finish.I liked the flavors but they were not overly complex,in saying that this is a really fine beer,one to savor.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2010 21:02:18 | More by oberon

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.4/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

So here it is, the beer I've heard so much about. A blend of oak-aged Bigfoot, Celebration Ale (both favorites so far...) and the classic SNPA that created the American pale ale style. To top it off, it's then dry-hopped!

It looks a bit like Celebration ale with its reddish-hued deep chestnut body. There's a slight haze to it, but I can see my fingers clearly through the glass (no fingerprints though). The head rises up like a souffle, measuring three fingers thick before I have to stop and let it settle enough to finish the pour. It's a frothy off-white, slightly yellowed tan cap that looks like a thick milkshake. The head retention is exceptional, and the lacing is really quite good, leaving thick drooping figures of lace that remind me of Spanish moss on a Magnolia tree.

Being dry-hopped I wasn't expecting to find any oak in the nose, but it's there. The dry-hops weren't overdone, and it's clearly meant to display some of its toasty and darkly caramelish malts as well. I find a delicate waft of citrusy fruit that includes tangerine & orange, as well as soft pineapple with just a hint of grapefruit zest. At times I even found quick notes of papaya and coconut.

The flavor is really interesting. I'm immediately reminded of the Celebration ale with its dark malts and solid bitterness, but then it reveals the maltiness of the Bigfoot. How strong is this? I don't really get a lot of alcohol penetrating the flavor until the finish, but I know it's there throughout! And what a malty beast!? It's definitely full bodied. But back to the flavor, it's not as hoppy as I thought it would be, and it's certainly not as citrusy. There are some aspects to it, of course, but it's also really floral, grassy, and leafy - very traditionally English-style in my opinion; except for the late finish where the resinous pine really shines. How it can appear leafy and floral with mainly Centennial (which actually is quite floral, but also citrusy), Cascade (which is just SO juicy citrusy) and Chinook (which is more piney) I don't know. I think the rich, almost burnt sugar and bready maltiness is combining to give what I perceive as a leafy flavor. The grassiness then is really just the pine; and the floral may be coming from the Centennial. Solved! Or not. It doesn't matter.

In the end it does what Sierra Nevada does best, it bonds malts and hops together in a way that they're perceived more as 'one' planned beer, rather than a display of different ingredients put on showcase. Their beers are focused and rounded. And even when their beers are hoppy, they never let the hops become the entire show. As far as I can recall they've never brewed a beer where the malt was just a background to a bombastic hop display, nor a malt bomb that didn't have a decidedly hoppy side to it.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2011 14:46:23 | More by NeroFiddled

metter98

New York

3.93/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: The beer is clear amber in color and has a thin off white head that left behind lacing down the edges of the glass.
S: There are moderate aromas of citrus and pine resin hops as well as alcohol in the nose.
T: The taste is very similar to the smell but is more balanced due to the presence of underlying malts.
M: It feels medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
D: The beer tastes strong but the alcohol is well masked from the taste.

Serving type: on-tap

03-11-2011 00:25:16 | More by metter98

WesWes

New York

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

The beer pours a ruby red color with a thick frothy off-white head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is great! It has a rich pale and caramel malt scent. It's dry with a touch of sweetness and roasted character. It's also quite bitter and full of citrus hops in the nose. The taste is great as well. Like the bottle indicates, it's a marriage of three very good beers; Oak aged Bigfoot, Celebration, and fresh Pale Ale. It's rich with lots of caramel sweetness and a bit of roasted malt character. The hop taste is outstanding. The citrus appeal provides an intense bitterness that hits you up front and resinates in the finish. Finally, a mild oak character rounds out a very complex taste. The mouthfeel is fine. It is a full bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is a damn fine beer. It's complex and flavorful; a real treat. Happy anniversary!

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2010 02:15:30 | More by WesWes

drabmuh

Maryland

3.73/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Beer is poured into a RR wine glass. Beer is amber and clear with a good head of small and medium white bubbles that leaves some lacing on the glass. Carbonation is low to moderate.

Beer smells oddly hoppy and malty, its sweet and piny at the same time.

This beer is worse than any of the individual beers used to make up the blend. Its way way dry...distractingly so. It is mildly sweet up front (Bigfoot) with some nice bitterness from the hops in the back (SN pale ale / celebration). Some pininess in the midpalate and a mlid citrus note and a little woodiness. I've had all four of these beers now and I'm glad I did this was one of my least favorites.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2010 06:55:18 | More by drabmuh

Mora2000

Texas

4/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours a dark reddish-amber color with an off-white head.

The aroma is oak, maple, orange citrus, caramel and pine. I think you can really pick out the different aroma components from the three base beers.

The flavor is very similar. The two first flavors I get are caramel malt and citrus from the hops. I also get some oak and pine notes. Low to medium bitterness. I also get quite a bit of alcohol, which I imagine will mellow a bit with aging. Of course the great hop components in the flavor and aroma would probably fade with age, so I am not sure if the beer will improve with age, although I am sure it would still be very good.

Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

I think this is by far the best of the four Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary beers.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2010 06:38:22 | More by Mora2000

zeff80

Missouri

4.22/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Poured out a clear, copper color with amber highlights. It had a one-finger, tan head of bubbly foam. Nice retention and some thin rings of lace.

S - It smelled of oak, vanilla, rich malt and floral notes.

T - Nice roasty malt flavor with mild vanilla and oak flavors. Good citrusy hop bitterness. I really could taste Bigfoot, Celebration and Pale Ale in this.

M - It was crisp, sharp and smooth. A medium to full bodied ale with a warm alcohol presence.

O - This was really good. I've enjoyed all of the SN 30th Anniversary beers and this may be the finest.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2011 03:27:11 | More by zeff80

MasterSki

Illinois

3.93/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Chris (spycow) for sharing. Served in a Russian River tulip glass.

A - Pours with a finger-plus of light tan foam that settles to a thin cap and glass-coating lace. Mostly transparent coppery-amber body.

S - Faded hop aroma, oak, piney and herbal. The backbone is heavy in toffee and caramel, with some burnt sugars and bread in there as well. Smells like a slightly aged Bigfoot, but with some oak and vanilla character mixed in for good measure. I suspect this was better fresh, but I find it a little harsh. Seems a bit boozier than the listed ABV too.

T - I liked the taste quite a bit better, as it was a smooth blend of caramel, toffee, and vanilla. Finishes with an oak bite and lingering residual hop bitterness. Alcohol is also better hidden.

M - Smooth, pleasant lower carbonation. Resinous medium body, with mild warmth and tannins, and dryness in the finish. Seems a tad undersized, but goes down quite easily.

D - I'd probably rather have regular old Bigfoot, as the oak character doesn't entirely work within the flavor profile, particularly in the aroma. The combination of tannins and residual hop bitterness make this fatiguing to drink, although I think I had more than the rest of my tasting group. An interesting and solid brew, but not something I would purposely seek out again.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2011 16:48:32 | More by MasterSki

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.47/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This is the one I had been waiting for. This brew has it all in my opinion. Just reading the description on the label gave me a pretty good idea that this would probably be the one to take the crown from this series of beers. This brew poured out as a brownish red color. The head is moderately thick but nice looking. Leaves a sticky lacing on the glass. The smell of the beer is very hoppy along with some soft barrel aged aromas. The taste to me is really well balanced between all the styles blended into this brew. Loaded with hops and malts and aged in barrels, just about all those elements are detectable. The mouthfeel is a tingly and smooth at the same time, and just over medium bodied. Overall I really liked this brew so much. I really should buy more of it before it vanishes forever.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2011 21:06:24 | More by Knapp85

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.45/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Found this at Macadoodles, Joplin, MO

Opens with a resounding whoosh! Pours caramel with 3+ fingers of fluffed up khaki colored head. Insane lacing & head retention

S: Plummy, some herbal hops, a touch of booze

T: Rich dark fruit herbal & woody hoppyness, plus much dryness & some boozey pine needles up front. Some oakyness with vanilla & toffee creeps in as this warms; along with orange rind, pine sap, leafy hop notes & grapefruit. Plums & figs are up in there too, this is really working for me! Finishes dry, oaky, piney with leafy hops in abundance, plus more earthy herbal hops as well & subtle vanilla notes

MF: Chewy, a tad over carbonated, but the balance is fantastic! Carbonation skews creamy once warmer, nice warming sensations

Drinks pretty easy, the complexity & ABV do put the breaks on a bit. This is a great beer, I can't decide if I liked this or the Stout the most. Both were great gifts to craft beer lovers in 2010! I may have to pick up a bottle to cellar if lucky enough to find again...

Fantastic formulation/blend of beers!

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2010 04:57:02 | More by russpowell

Gueuzedude

Arizona

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

A solid pour into my Lost Abbey Teku glass produces a stable, four-finger thick, pale-amber tinged, tan colored head that has some immense longevity to it, but as it slowly subsides leaves a thick layering of lace clinging to the sides of my glass. The beer is a dark amber red color that shows a brilliantly clear, crystalline ruby hue when held up to the light; it is really quite pretty in the light. Up front the beer smells similar to Bigfoot with resinous aromas of caramelized grapefruit zest, brown sugar coated pine sap, citrusy / resinous fresh spruce tips and a really bright berry note that comes on more towards the end. The malt plays a role here as well, though it is on the subtle side, it does contribute aromas of caramelized malt sugars, toasted whole grain crackers, rich biscuit like freshly crushed grain aromatics as well as a rich, sort of brown ale like, chewy, almost savory maltiness in the middle. Now that I have spent some time with the nose I am realizing that much, or at least some, of the richness that I associated with the malt is actually derived from the oak; definite vanillin, a toasted wood character that hints at coconut and just a round woody note that accentuates and boosts the complexity of the malt aromatics. This smells very, very nice; I really like how subtle the oak is in the nose, I like that it influences, but doesn't hit you over the head with intensity.

Aggressively hoppy flavored from the first sip, resinous pine notes, piquant essential citrus oil flavors and a biting, long lingering bitterness play a hugely prominent role in the flavor. The hop character is amply supported by chewy, viscous malt that lingers on the palate with caramelized & toasted malt flavors and sweetness. The beer doesn't seem overly sweet though as the resinous and bitter hops easily balance this and the long, lingering finish sees the slightly herbaceous, but mostly clean biting bitterness wiping the palate clean of the malt sweetness. A touch of lightly toasted, brown, whole grain bread character plays a very secondary role in the long lingering finish. The oak also comes in to play, especially in the finish where it plays a supporting role to the bitterness with a spicy-oak character and some astringent wood notes. While this is fairly viscous, this is not overly heavy and definitely does not get cloying and is actually almost quaffable given its strength; but in the end this is definitely a sipping brew. It is interesting that the caramelized malt sweetness lingers for some time on the palate after each sip, but ultimately the ample hop bitterness wins out. The Bourbon / oak character adds some vanillin notes that accentuate the bright citrus character and its interaction with the caramel character, there is also a touch of toasted coconut character here that softly melds with the caramel and toasted grain notes. The hop flavors in this beer are pretty well balanced between citrus and herbaceous / pine; the hops contribute flavors of Curacao orange zest, tangelo, some meyer lemon notes, a touch of menthol, definite pine, a green herbaceous hop character and perhaps a touch of green grassiness.

This excessive, exuberant beer at the end of the day ends up being an execution in how to show restraint; the oak is wonderfully done in this beer, it is fairly subtle, doesn't suppress any of the hop or malt character, but plays an incredibly integrated and accentuating supporting role to both the hop and the malt character in this beer. This is perfectly crafted oak influence & I wish more breweries were showing this much restraint when using oak in beer. This is quite similar to fresh bigfoot; it is not quite as big as that beer & I really like the soft Bourbon / oak influence in this beer, but the basic hop / malt balance and profile is very similar (at least from memory). Still I think I might enjoy this beer just a little bit more than regular Bigfoot; it is definitely more quaffable and the bright hop character, rich, but supporting malt character and the subtle influence of the Bourbon barrel all work so well together.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2010 21:45:24 | More by Gueuzedude

Halcyondays

California

3.85/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

750 mL bottle,

A: Pours amber with a mild white head, solid retention and lace.

S: Strong crystal malt smell with some booze.

T: Bigfoot takes over, oaky barleywine type flavours, lots of pine, young barleywine. Fairly sweet, but has a nice balance.

M: Smooth, full-bodied, resinous.

D: Nice beer, I'd like to see this with some age on it for sure.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2010 05:02:54 | More by Halcyondays

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.68/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

25.4oz bottle, 'XXX' strategically placed around the presentation, which I assume represents the 3 mainstay Sierra Nevada brews that make up this joint.

This beer pours a slightly hazy dark bronzed amber hue, with three fingers of puffy, foamy, rocky beige head, which leaves some hanging icicle lace around the glass as it slowly bleeds away.

It smells of boozy raisins, prunes, creamed citrus, caramel, toffee, treacle, anise and musty, dusty, bitter floral hops. The taste is, quite frankly, an eye-opener, to the drying-out stage, because it sure catches one's breath - boozy, almost sour caramel malt, zingy, but not really all that fresh bitter citrus/pine hops, dark fig-like black fruit, some further black licorice, molasses, and more musty, dusty cellar character.

The bubbles are quite deflated, the body a sturdy, winsome medium-heavy weight, and fairly smooth, in light of the surprisingly underachieving Sierra Nevada-class hops. It finishes malty, with too many stripes to detail here, with a feeble hop protest, and general overbearing mustiness.

I can't really explain it, as this offering nails practically all of the expected talking points, but something just seems off about this - and it isn't the hops, for those of you lounging in the peanut gallery - maybe it's the lack of expected bourbon barrel character, or general incohesiveness amongst the strong central players, leaving that musty old ale flavour as the most resounding image to me. A well-intentioned beer, to be sure, but a bit hard to put back in practice.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2012 10:41:52 | More by biboergosum

tempest

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had a 10oz pour at the Happy Gnome for $4 during the 30th Anniversary party. Served in a pilsner flute, it appeared a rich red with a short off-white head and lacing. Honestly, this mostly tasted like a blend of Bigfoot and Celebration with huge pine and citrus. The SNPA helps lighten the whole beer, making this about as drinkable as Celebration. I can barely make out a hint of vanilla from the oak aging, but otherwise this just comes as a blended double IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

11-17-2010 00:11:31 | More by tempest

akorsak

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A 750 mL corked and caged bottle. The end of a long day.

A: The second lightest (after the bock) of the series, the strong ale has a cuprous amber hue, still translucent though just barely. Plenty of eggshell white, craggy and lacy.

S: The nose has a powerful oaken presence. Underneath, pine hops are strong, resiny like sap. A very hoppy nose, the ale benefits from dry-hopping, pushing it into rarely explored territory. The three base beers benefit from the oak and hops - plenty of Celebration though.

T: A great combination of flavors, with darker, spicier Celebration and the oak-aged Bigfoot leading the way. The oak adds a vanilla sweetness, plenty strong. Booze runs rampant throughout, aided by the barrel aging. Caramel and thick malts join with zesty citrus hops and darker spices to create a surprisingly good taste. Add to that the fresh pine dry-hopping and the beer quickly takes off. Pine and oak drive the finish, a nice combination to see the ale off.

M: The blended ale brings hoppiness, oak, and spices, all before the pine finishing hops come through. A fitting end to the 30th Anniversary celebration, bringing the best of Sierra Nevada together.

O: The most complex of the four, with the oak aging lending a full finish. My head may pound tomorrow but I'm the better person for it.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2011 00:45:15 | More by akorsak

WVbeergeek

Ohio

4.18/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Deep ruby amber hue with a big off white head foams above the rim of the Sierra Nevada 30th Grand Cru, this one serves up a big head with fine speckled lacing. Aroma has strong upfront pine tones with a hoppy pine/citrus mix of hop flow amongst the Barleywine oak aged characteristics. Dominant oak aging didn't truly sit well with me, but I liked the strong ale that came from the blending of three of their existing beers. A bit rough in the finish, but big caramel malts with hints of vanilla, oak. Strong pine, citric rinded hop heaviness throughout with ample bitterness to create an interesting experience. Mouthfeel was medium to fuller bodied nice flowing carbonation, wonderful pop after decorking this bottle. Drinkability was solid, easy drinking slow sipper aggressive big specialty release from Sierra Nevada. I can't wait to try their next hoppy seasonal that's on the horizon.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2010 06:13:15 | More by WVbeergeek