Ovila Belgian Style Golden - Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

superspak

Michigan

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

750 ml bottle into tulip glass, bottled on 5/2/2012. Cork shot the ceiling as soon as he cage came off. Pours fairly cloudy golden amber color with a nice 2-3 finger fluffy white head with great retention; that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Spotty foamy lacing clings to the glass, with a large amount of streaming carbonation retaining the head. Aromas of big apple. pear, grape, herbal, floral, apricot, grass, pepper, and earthy yeast esters. Damn nice aromas with good balance and complexity of fruity esters. Taste of pear, apple, grape, pepper, apricot, herbal, grass, and earthy yeast esters. Lingering notes of light fruits, light pepper, herbal, floral, grass, and earthy yeast esters on the finish for a good bit. Very nice flavor balance and complexity of fruity and malty flavors; with minimal cloying sweetness present after the finish. Medium-high carbonation and medium bodied; with a very crisp, foamy, and lightly slick mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a small warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a very nice Belgian golden ale. Very nice balance and complexity of malt and yeast esters; and quite smooth to sip on. A nicely enjoyable offering.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2013 04:05:37 | More by superspak

themind

New Jersey

2.8/5  rDev -27.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

This thing is way to carbonated! I tried nine different ways of pouring this into a glass and every time I ended up with a glass full of foam. When I removed the cage around the cork the freaking cork blasted off and bounced off my ceiling. This was sitting in my bar for a week so it's not like someone secretly grabbed it and shook it 1000 times before I decided to drink it. The taste is decent but I only got about one glass from the bomber due to the massive amount of foam.

Bottom Line: Foam blast nothing more!

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2013 02:58:21 | More by themind

beernads

Florida

3/5  rDev -21.9%

05-18-2013 06:56:34 | More by beernads

eulerthegrape

California

4/5  rDev +4.2%

05-16-2013 17:43:51 | More by eulerthegrape

Chrysostom

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +17.2%

05-14-2013 00:55:09 | More by Chrysostom

crobinso

Colorado

3.5/5  rDev -8.9%

05-09-2013 01:24:41 | More by crobinso

cadaugherty

Illinois

4/5  rDev +4.2%

05-09-2013 00:01:40 | More by cadaugherty

TheBeerAlmanac

Kentucky

3.75/5  rDev -2.3%

04-29-2013 00:28:08 | More by TheBeerAlmanac

UCLABrewN84

California

3.78/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Bottle I brought to share at Wowcoolman's tasting.

Pours a hazy orange with a foamy bone head that settles to wisps of film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace slowly drip into the remaining beer on the drink down. Smell is of malt, grain, fruit, and yeast aromas. Taste is much the same with fruity and yeast flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of spice bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a high level of carbonation with a crisp and prickly mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer that is tasty but smells slightly better in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 01:08:45 | More by UCLABrewN84

Kelp

New Hampshire

3.5/5  rDev -8.9%

04-15-2013 05:55:05 | More by Kelp

randylangford

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +4.2%

04-09-2013 00:24:37 | More by randylangford

QuakeAttack

California

4.25/5  rDev +10.7%

04-08-2013 23:24:18 | More by QuakeAttack

brheuer

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +4.2%

04-05-2013 00:04:49 | More by brheuer

rangerred

Tennessee

3.89/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a goblet of a 750ml bottle.

Pours a clear deep gold with a fluffy two finger white head. The head never really goes away thanks to the abundant carbonation but there is also not a whole lot of lacing.

Big Belgian citrusy note on the nose with tons of pear and peaches. Some peppery spicyness along with clove and a touch of banana. Not bad but not quite as sharp and in your face as some others.

The taste is somewhat muted which is disappointing because there is really so much potential. Nice spice along with lots of pear. A little peppery as well with some light hints of biscuit. Mouthfeel is very soft and spritzy and really is perfect for the style. Finish is moderately dry with just a little stickyness and the alcohol is well hidden.

Overall, a nice attempt by Sierra Nevada at a beer that can be difficult to get right. While it is not as good as some of the top of the line Belgians, it is a great job by a large brewery in the States.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2013 00:25:37 | More by rangerred

t0rin0

California

3.5/5  rDev -8.9%

03-31-2013 01:51:20 | More by t0rin0

buckyp

South Carolina

3.75/5  rDev -2.3%

03-28-2013 23:52:38 | More by buckyp

DMc8ride

Maryland

4/5  rDev +4.2%

03-28-2013 22:04:20 | More by DMc8ride

JDavidRice

Connecticut

4/5  rDev +4.2%

03-28-2013 21:54:20 | More by JDavidRice

unclekeith

Alaska

4.25/5  rDev +10.7%

03-26-2013 04:40:50 | More by unclekeith

Vigilante

Nevada

4/5  rDev +4.2%

03-23-2013 19:43:54 | More by Vigilante

nitter

Ohio

4/5  rDev +4.2%

03-16-2013 13:55:16 | More by nitter

Mtooman

Ohio

4/5  rDev +4.2%

03-16-2013 00:16:11 | More by Mtooman

Proclarush

Rhode Island

3.75/5  rDev -2.3%

03-15-2013 03:50:59 | More by Proclarush

twelveinches

Washington

3.75/5  rDev -2.3%

03-04-2013 06:49:57 | More by twelveinches

nzerbe

New York

3.75/5  rDev -2.3%

03-03-2013 23:33:55 | More by nzerbe