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

nimrod979

Maryland

4.35/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Didn’t have the correct glassware for this one as I popped it open on vacation in a hotel room. This beer pours a think opaque orange with a large frothy off white head. Huge piney hops aroma and a big malty body when sipped. Brown sugar and vanilla sweetness with a nice citrusy sweet hops presence. The big bitter hoppy finish makes me think of Celebration Ale. Boozy and full bodied with a nice think and creamy texture. Truly a monster and pretty darn good too.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2011 21:19:05 | More by nimrod979

shand

Florida

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

Poured from a corked and caged bottle into a Sierra Nevada hop tulip.

This brew pours out a deep, hazy red amber color crested with a massive head that retains very well and leaves huge, sticky lacing. The aroma is big. Big hoppiness, big maltiness, and a touch of oak. The taste here is surely mostly Bigfoot at this point, with a bit of the dry-hopping coming into play. Can't get all too much of the Celebration or Pale Ale aspects left here, except on the late finish where a bit of a lingering hoppiness reminiscent of Celebration leaves me yearning for the next sip. Irregardless, it's a well-done monster of a beer, with plenty of hops, and plenty of malts.

The mouthfeel is nice, it goes down smoothly and has a full-body, and the drinkability is quite good for the ABV. Overall, an impressive brew from Sierra Nevada. This one's been sitting in my fridge for quite some time for some reason, and I wish I popped this one open sooner so some more of the weaker brews in the blend could make their mark better. It's still an excellent beer though, that's surely worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2011 05:41:17 | More by shand

Bfarr

Washington

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

Clear mahogany with tan frothy/foamy head with great retention. Sweet citrus hops, honey and light vanilla oak aromas. Sweet bourbon and chocolate balanced with a surprising hoppy finish and linger with an oak dryness. Flavors mature at a warmer temperature and add caramel and orange blossom honey with a sweet pecan note. Strong alcohol warming to a borderline burn. Thick, syrupy but only a lightly sticky feel lingers on.

Very complex blend of flavors and beer styles create an enjoyably unique beer. My only problem was with the overall alcohol burn although it didn’t affect flavor too much it was fairly distracting. The greatness comes with the multitude of flavors brought out with nothing truly dominating and providing a wonderful experience from start to finish.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2011 18:38:27 | More by Bfarr

CHickman

New York

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

The cork snaps out with a big pop and pours cloudy amber copper with a humungous 3 finger bubbly and creamy tan head that lasts a lifetime and barely moves; the head fades extremely slowly and leaves excellent lacing as it goes down. I couldn’t wait for it to dissipate, so I took a sip and had a foam mustache…well worth rushing as that first sip was tasty.

Initial odor is floral hops, followed by flowers, citrus hops, grapefruit, orange peel, sweet malt, toasted grains, caramel, grass, pine cones or earthy tones, wood chips and some sweet alcohol like rum, which must be from the oak aged Bigfoot; nice smelling nose that wasn’t as hop dominant as is the normal Sierra Nevada signature style, but it’s still a very enjoyable nose to inhale.

Tastes good, but kind of strange and confusing at the same time: this beer is a combo of Oak Aged Bigfoot, Celebration Ale and Pale Ale, then dry hopped so I expected massive hops to attack my taste buds. I love all three of these beer used to create this Grand Cru, but it seems like they negated each other and watered down the taste a little; perhaps it’s just hop overlap, and malt redundancy, but this didn’t explode onto my tongue like I thought that it would. With that being said, each sip seemed to bring out different flavors and as this beer warmed it got better and more complex. Flavors included sweet malt, biscuit, caramel and floral hops up front, followed by oak aged malts or toasted grains with some alcohol heat and sweetness; then as the beer slides down the hops show up with floral hops, citrus hops, grapefruit, flowers, piney hops and plenty of spices like pepper and coriander tingling on the tongue with a slight bitter astringent taste that is earthy and leafy, like tea leafs, grass, hay or obviously the dry hops sliding over the tongue and leaving the mouth dry and chalky. It’s very well balanced and quite drinkable considering the ABV, but I’m not sure mixing all these beers made for a better beer.

Mouthfeel is smooth and dry, with a medium body, average carbonation and a grainy, husky, almost burnt dry finish that lingers like a pretzel. This is a very dynamic beer, and one I found very enjoyable, but I think I like all three beers used for this concoction on their own.

Overall this was very good and I really enjoyed it, but I’d take the three originals over this. I would have this again and do recommend trying it if you can get a bottle, as this would satisfy any Sierra Nevada fan out there. Plus, one bomber will give you a great buzz as you enjoy the great flavors.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2011 04:04:08 | More by CHickman

maximum12

Minnesota

3.9/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Picked up a bottle of this, then had a small glass on tap & wished I'd picked up a lot more of them. Interesting to see if the bottle stands up to my sodden memory of that pour.

Cork begins to come loose fairly easily, then erupts from the glass with the sound of a .410 echoing over a pheasant field. Crap! Nice clear pour that would do any amber ale proud. The smell, oh, the smell. Lovely citrus hops rolled around in an oak barrel for a couple months. Think a woody Celebration.

Sierra Nevada Grand Cru is one of those blends that's greater than the sum of its parts. I'll admit that all of the beers in this blend I feel are pretty decent, but none of them would be on top of any lists - this one is better. The oak is laid on board-thick & leaves one dry & wanting more. Hops are smoothed out by the wood, with more citrus & even more pine, but minimal bitterness. Blinks of oxidation, but not enough to offend. Malts are softly sweet & only provide comment on background. The finish: this is your Bigfoot on oak. Alcohol raises its dirty hand, but this is still a slick, easy-drinking strong ale.

Very good beer. Really nice oak presence, & the hopping was done with a deft hand. Not quite elite, but damn close.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2011 02:50:11 | More by maximum12

palma

New York

3.73/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

great appearance. big frothy head. Taste is more barlywine than anything else. I would have liked to see more of the pale ale flavor in this beer. Its basically a barlywine IMO. Was expecting a little more complexity with this being a mix of three SN beers. Its complex enough however after it warms up a bit. Malt carries the beer - different for sierra nevada i guess. Lots of oak flavor. Dry, prickly, american hops are present as expected.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2011 01:35:37 | More by palma

ChugginOil

Illinois

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

Wow this brew has mellowed out to a beastly barleywine!

I'm quite certain that this had a much more powerful hop presence fresh and there is barely any remaining now.

This brew pours a dark caramel color and settles a hazy nut brown color. A fingers worth of light tan head sits for a while. Spotty lacing. The nose is bready and malty. There's a tad bit of hops but nothing intense. The taste is sweeter than hell and malty. A slight bit of bourbon lingers, creating a caramel tasting treat. Light oak lingers in the taste behind most of the sweetness. The mouthfeel is full-bodied and smooth, rich and creamy. Overall, decent but a bit too sweet for my palate. Definitely a sipper.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2011 21:00:08 | More by ChugginOil

angrybabboon

Rhode Island

3.8/5  rDev -10%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Review adapted from notes taken 1/11/11

Appearance: A brown/ruby color with a huge head and great lacing

Smell: Exploding with hops, but there is also a very strong malt presence - sweet, cooked malts underneath the fog of hops - some oak, too

Taste: Very good, but it tastes too much like a blend - sweet pale ale malts with the darker malts and crazier hops from Celebration with the cooked malts and heat from the Bigfoot - ultimately, very malty and very hoppy with some serious alcohol warmth - the flavors work together very well, but the constituent beers really stand out - this can be good or bad - regardless, it is very balanced, although I personally found it too sweet

Mouthfeel: Medium to heavy body, good carbonation, generally smooth, a little sticky

Overall: Great, but almost less than the sum of its parts

This is very good, but it lacks synergy. I'd rather drink a SNPA, a Celebration, and an oak-aged Bigfoot slowly over the course of a night than mix them all together. It's not that I don't like complexity, it's just that mixing three great beers together should create something more magical.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2011 17:41:48 | More by angrybabboon

gfreed

Massachusetts

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

At Cambridge Common, where it offset the rotten beer from Cambridge Brewing Co. that I had with my meal. This is an excellent example of how to soak a beer in oak and not make it taste like it was actually soaked in tubs of butter. It's a bit boozy in the aroma and taste, and the hops are somewhat drier than I would prefer in something like this but... it *is* from California, after all, and that's what they do there. Otherwise this is an excellent brew that's dense enough to have for dessert when someone else is driving.

Serving type: on-tap

06-20-2011 01:22:57 | More by gfreed

nickfl

Florida

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

A - The beer pours into the glass, forming a two finger head of dense, light tan foam on top of a clear, amber-brown body. The head settles fairly slowly and it leaves the glass coated in sticky lace.

S - Dark, sugary malt with notes of brown sugar, dark caramel, and a hint of molasses. Ample hops are present to push back against the sugar with notes of mustard, pine, and spicy grapefruit.

T - Pine hops and brown sugar up front with a bit of caramel. More spicy, slightly floral hops come out in the middle as toffee and brown sugar dominate the malt profile. Things finish up with an increasingly barley wine like profile of pine hops, spicy mustard and pepper notes as well as brown sugar and moderately strong bitterness.

M - Medium-thick body, moderate carbonation, and a somewhat sweet finish.

D - It says on the bottle that it is a blend of, among other things, Bigfoot and Celebration and both show in this grand cru. There is plenty of the dark, spicy hop character from the barleywine, but with bright, pine and citrus notes that are more reminiscent of the IPA. In aroma qualities, it really does exhibit the best of both worlds, though the flavor doesn't quite succeed in the same way. It is, oddly enough, more drinkable than either of its parents, though I am not sure it is complex enough to merit aging despite the big, fancy bottle.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2011 06:03:00 | More by nickfl

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Transcribed from notes dtd Sa, 13 Nov 2010. TJ's was the place!

"A dry-hopped blend of oak-aged Bigfoot Barleywine, Celebration Ale and fresh Pale Ale." Wow. It had a finger of foamy, deep-tan head when it arrived. Color was a deep copper with NE-quality clarity. Nose had a nose hair-searing heat that should have served as a warning, but I plodded onwards. Mouthfeel was medium with a heat that rivaled Mount Vesuvius. Geez-O, man, but that was hot! I could not taste much else. Finish was gaspy and I knew that this was the end. I could hardly catch my breath after this bad boy. Buy some and age it!

Serving type: on-tap

06-12-2011 22:36:27 | More by woodychandler

DCon

Missouri

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

Enjoyed on-tap @ the Bridge Wine Bar and Tap House in St. Louis, MO for $8. Tapped into a 12oz Pint Glass from a wooden handle with no label and only had one of these.

Note: It says this beer's style is Grand Cru on the Beer Menu @ the Bridge.

Aroma- Nice malty and earthy/citrus hop aroma that is well balanced. Very sweet and almost has a nutty background to it. Can tell there is a lot of alcohol pounded in on this one!

Appearance- Received with a 2 finger head that stayed around for ages! A clear, dark brown body and the lacing on the sides covered the glass.

Flavor- Medium malt character but the hops were an enormous part of the taste! Very huge alcohol taste but knew this was going to be one from the start. Well balanced, sweet, and has an appropriate bitterness on the finish.

Mouthfeel- Medium Bodied, Nice carbonation, and is very chewy with the alcohol warming the palate.

Overall Impression- This one didn't surprise me from Sierra Nevada! Great amount of hops used (like always with their brews) but awesome! Could only drink 1 and then gave up. Theres no telling what would happen if you were to drink 2 of these back to back... One is plenty but definitely a good beer!

Serving type: on-tap

06-12-2011 03:59:59 | More by DCon

KSac4115

Connecticut

3.98/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bomber bottle. Pours an amber color with a one inch, off white foam head. Looks like a slightly darker IPA. Not cloudy whatsoever. Scent is citrusy and fruity with significant floral hoppy smell. Not too overwhelmingly hoppy. Grapefruit smell stands out. Taste is very sweet and slightly bitter. Hops stand out along with citrusy flavors initially. Aftertaste is perfect. Leaves a lasting sweet and hoppy taste in your mouth. Mouthfeel is interesting. Almost has a syrupy consistency at first but it goes down smooth. Medium carbonation. The high alcohol content is very noticeable, but again, definitely drinkable. I would enjoy it as a desert beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2011 02:48:42 | More by KSac4115

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

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

Sierra Nevada's 30th Anniversary Grand Cru is of a brown velvet tone that probably was last popular 30 years ago (if not longer before that). It is truthfully a bit drab although inflames with ruby-amber coals when held against the afternoon sky. Curious that lacing doesn't materialize; it has a head thick as paint that curdles like a sour milk cheese.

The mechanics of this bouquet are about as difficult to work out as string theory physics and are almost equally as bewildering. The sheer quantity of ingredients (malts and hops) that must have been used to ensure a beer that is both this sweet and nectarous *and* this resinous and pithy is damn near unfathomable; how can it be that it's so much of both?

It tastes like they've snapped a giant oak tree in a half, filled its hallowed interior with all sorts of vines, weeds and plant roots, doused them in brown sugar, flambeed it with gin and pine oil and then served it alongside slices of pineapple, grapefruit and lychee fruit. And cheesecake. Although each is so distinguishing, the malts and hops blend so seamlessly that it's hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. It's like they grew from the same plant.

The mouthfeel can almost become gritty, with citric bitterness levels gradually rising over the palate like canal water over Venice’s St. Mark's square, but then a wholesomely bready, brown sugar-sweet maltiness sweeps in and, along with a few splinters of oak, dries things up very quickly. The aftertaste is so sapped so as to be almost disappointing. But at least the alcohol has been wiped out; the beer's almost as much as a gulper as it is a sipper.

I think it fitting for Sierra Nevada to release as their 30th anniversary "grand cru" an offering so emblematic of the liberally, dually hoppy/malty style of beer that they've pioneered. While it seemed initially quite large and intimidating, the beer ended up drinking with the same casual, unfussy manner as its three component beers and, by extension, every other member of the Sierra Nevada family. This was a very worthy purchase.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2011 19:54:49 | More by biegaman

Lerxst

Florida

4.08/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This one FINALLY hit the shelves in my market this week. I was told the distributor has had this one since October(!) and refused to release it to vendors due to a backlog of unsold bottles of the 2nd and 3rd release in the series. Wish I could have tried this fresh, but I'm just glad to finally get the chance to give this one a go since this is the one I was looking forward to the most since the announcement of the 30th series.

A-Pours a hazy copper with a creamy two finger head that has excellent retention that recedes slowly down to a 1/4" cap that remains throughout and leaves ample amounts of sticky lace. Great looking beer.

S-Nice citrus and pine aromas along with caramel, toffee, maybe a touch of vanilla. Very pleasant.

T-Caramel, toffee, the oak is coming through as well, a touch of booze, the hops are there but the presence is more subtle than I expected-some citrus and floral notes are dominated by the other aspects. Still, its a very nice beer. I just would have liked to have had this fresh and maybe the hops would have a little more bite.

M-On the heavier side of medium body, creamy, coating, slick, dry finish.

O-Been waiting a long time to try this one, so I was stoked to finally see it. Its a good beer that perhaps suffers from my own meteoric expectations of the magic that would happen when 3 of my favorites are mingled together into that magic elixir that would be beer nirvana. OK, so that didn't happen. But this is still a fine beer and a nice end to a tremendous series of beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2011 02:29:40 | More by Lerxst

Durge

Connecticut

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

A beautiful deep copper color, clear but a bit cloudy with lots of fine carbonation. The head is thick and holds at 2 fingers, a light oatmeal color with plenty of lacing. The aroma is a grainy lemon hop, so definite yet so unusually delicate with nutmeg and light malt banana. Very nice. The flavor comes out with a unique thick evergreen and near minty caramel malt with lots of peat and a dry kiss of clove. It’s thoroughly but tastefully carbonated in a medium bodied brew that feels gloriously refreshing while going down while providing a stick to your ribs flavor. Beautiful stuff and plenty drinkable for the style.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2011 14:32:54 | More by Durge

ElGordo

Oregon

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

Poured from the corked 750ml bottle into a Tulip glass. Body is a pretty, fiery orange hue, topped by about a finger's worth of creamy white head. Aroma is big on nice citrusy hops with a touch of sweet malt. Notes of grapefruit and pine, with a touch of biscuit and a hint of sweet golden syrup.
Palate is sweet, syrupy, and a touch fruity up front, with a big dose of hops coming through mid-palate. Citrus, pine, and some notes of astringency are evident before the rich, sweet, malty finish. A lingering mild stone fruit flavor lingers after the swallow. Overall the flavor is very akin to Bigfoot, but richer and a bit hoppier.
Body is rich and creamy, perfect for a grand cru and a perfect vehicle for the assertive flavors of this beer. overall, this is a wonderful brew, a pleasure to drink, and a great tribute go three excellent decades of Sierra Nevada.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2011 05:48:50 | More by ElGordo

thebarnesbomb

Indiana

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

Didn't have a chance to give this one a try when it first came out in 2010. I'm hoping that it has aged well over the past 6 months now that it's on sale, but in my experience the hoppier beers don't always age so well. There's only one way to find out...

Cork is very tight coming off, likely due to the excess carbon dioxide from the bottle-conditioned yeast workingd its magic on the residual sugars. A viscous pour of burnt orange and mahogany with a sudsy, off-white head. The wet-hopping on top of the already stellar hop bouquet of Sierra Nevada's blended three top brews (imo) makes this one of the most fragrant beers from the West Coast.

Although the blend is flawless between the three brews, each of these beers' best characteristics shine through. The distinct hops of the Celebration Ale, the dense malts of the Bigfoot Ale, and the crispness and dryness of the Pale Ale are all present. The oak aging prevents the hops from overrunning the brew, and gives the Grand Cru its own distinct flavor profile.

A tremendous beer, and a brilliant way to celebrate the 30th anniversary of one of the nation's best craft breweries. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2011 02:37:31 | More by thebarnesbomb

ADZA

Australia

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

This brew pours a murky copper hue with decent carbonation that leaves behind a frothy two finger head and lacing all over the place,the smell is very nice with aromas of oak,alcohol,sweet piney resiny hops and toffee,it has a nice full bodied well carbonated semi sticky mouthfeel and has tastes of boiled candy,stonefruit,toffee,oak,barley and is finished with a sweet dry piney resin coated hop bitterness but not overly bitter just enough to take the sweetness out and overall a very nice drop and now ive tried it fresh i wouldnt mind aging a bottle as i think it will age very well cheers.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2011 03:17:43 | More by ADZA

OStrungT

California

3.4/5  rDev -19.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

This beer pours a orangish red color with a thick, fluffy tan head. The head fades slowly, leaving a massive lace.

This beer smells malty sweet. Some caramel and a little toffee. Citrusy hops mix in with a slight vanilla aroma as well.

This beer tastes like it smells. Massive sweetness with a citrusy hops flavor. It is quite malty. A very subtle vanilla flavor mixes in as well.

this beer is full bodied. It is carbonated well, and leaves a caramel like aftertaste.

This beer wouldnt make a great session beer. It is high in alcohol, and the flavor is quite aggressive.

Overall: This beer is pretty good, but it is alittle over the top on sweetness.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2011 22:50:39 | More by OStrungT

chumba526

Oregon

3.25/5  rDev -23%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appears medium bodied red with an off white head.

It smells a tad bit smoky, a bit of roasted malts. It also smells a bit hoppy: I get citrus and grassy notes.

It tastes smooth I get a subdued hoppy citrus flavor. There is a mild oaky flavor and a caramel like malty flavor. The flavors are pretty smooth but the beer does not "wow" me in anyway.

There is a smooth and creamy carbonation to the beer.

Overall a decent beer it is smooth but I feel this beer is a bit overpriced (glad I did not buy a bottle). It is a solid beer but I could do without ever drinking it again.

Serving type: on-tap

05-28-2011 22:25:56 | More by chumba526

DIM

Pennsylvania

4.53/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

a: This was a dark chestnut brown with some ruby highlights. It poured with a large, dense, and long lasting head that left sheets of lace in it wake.

s: A wonderful combination of sweet caramel with hints of chocolate and dark fruit. There was still plenty of citrus rind hops with some pine as well. I also found a fairly strong hint of booze from the 22% that was bourbon barrel aged. I would say I found about a 2/1 Bigfoot to Celebration ratio.

t: This was pretty near exactly what I hoped it would be. The hops flavors where stronger and more assertive than I look for in my Bigfoot, which I prefer with a year or two on it. But the Celebration influence and the sweet bourbon with just a little vanilla from the barrel smoothed things over. For the most part though, this was a big, beautiful, malt bomb. Wave after wave of caramel, toffee, brown sugar, even some chocolate. Not quite perfect because the finish was a bit rough.

m: Big bodied and very actively carbonated.

o: I need more to cellar for a year or so. I love it when my hopeful imagination and reality come together like this. Damn near perfect now, but I think that it could get better yet.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2011 10:47:16 | More by DIM

Anaz

California

4.28/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- Nice coppery red, fine head, that dissapates quickly.

S- Juicy hops, piney with herbal aromas, and sweet caramel malt.

T- Tastes a lot like Bigfoot, but with the alcohol toned down, and a little drier. Caramel, and...French toast? Definitely some vanilla, raisin and date dried fruit, with a rich caramel flavor. The hops are really well balanced with the malt, and the alcohol spiciness and heat make for a nice finish.

M- Highly carbonated, and a much softer body than I would have thought. It makes it easier to drink, but a fuller mouthfeel would have been welcome.

I really liked this, too bad it won't be coming around again.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2011 04:41:04 | More by Anaz

ccrida

Oregon

3.2/5  rDev -24.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured into my Church Brew Works cervoise, Sierra Nevada's 30th Anniversary Grand Cru is auburn with an off-white head leaving scattered lace.

Smell is oxidized malt, some spicy hops, a hint of sawdust. I understand that the bigfoot is 'aged', but I wonder how long - this smells like a 3-5 year old barleywine, malt wise, but with *slightly* brighter hops.

Taste is oaky American barleywine, old enough to be oxidized, but still pretty hot. Has a nice hop presence still, certainly not fresh DIPA territory, but would have been close on fresh release. I dunno, just really not doing a lot for me, lacking elegance, perhaps would age well, but then, what would be the difference from regular bigfoot, just a little wood?

Mouthfeel is very dry and resinous, a bit thick, medium heavy bodied.

Drinkability is okay, this one really didn't do it for me. Perhaps an awkward stage, between stale DIPA and young American barleywine, my biggest concern is the early oxidation gives it an 'aged' taste without the rounded benefits.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2011 01:20:45 | More by ccrida

t420o

California

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

Have had this beer a couple times previously and had not done a review. Go into the store near my house and see this on sale for $6.99!!! I HAD to get it needless to say. On to the review...

A- Pours a 1- 1/2 finger head that is off white in color. Color of the beer is reddish-brown and slightly murky.

S- Fresh hops with a light malt background. Smells nice

T- Excellent! The three beers compliment each other very wll in this beer. The malt balances the beer very well with the hop profile. Taste has hints of pine, citrus, orange zest, pineapple, and a little oak in there as well. Some molassesey caramel from the malt goes beautifully with the hops. The alcohol is barely present.

M- Medium bodied. Smooth and carbonation level is nice.

Overall- I wish I could put 4.25 here but this beer is good enough to round up in this case so 4.5. Nothing else to say but get out there and try it if you haven't!

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2011 17:33:09 | More by t420o