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Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

Sierra Nevada Taproom and Restaurant

Chico, California, United States
Bar/Tasting Room

Bar/Tasting Room

Restaurant

Retail Items

1075 East 20th Street
Chico CA 95928
Telephone: +1 530-893-3520
Hours: Tuesday-Thursday 11:00am-9:00pm, Friday-Saturday 11:00am-10:00pm, Sunday 11:00am-9:00pm.
Brewer: Steve Dresler
[Contact] [Map] [Update]

Notes

Visited: December 29, 1994

Opened: 1981

Annual Production: 500,000 bbl

Contributor: Justin Ainsworth

Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. Chico's out in the middle of nowhere, but if you don't make the day trip from the San Francisco Bay area out to Sierra Nevada, you lose. Outstanding beers in the bottle...just wait until you have them brewery-fresh! Be advised they're closed Mondays; fortunately, I stopped by on a Sunday morning during my Beer Odyssey.

Directions: Highway 99 into Chico. (If you're on I-5, use Highway 32 to cut over to Highway 99, then head south.) Exit at 20th Street, go west. Sierra Nevada is a couple of blocks along on the left.

Updated: June 14, 2009

News

2009-03-06: Sierra Nevada Introduces Kellerweis As Newest Year-Round Beer (BeerAdvocate)
2009-02-03: Sierra Nevada to turn beer yeast into fuel (Sacramento Business Journal)
2008-12-29: Sierra hops on recycling: Treated industrial water will be used to make more beer (Chico Enterprise-Record)
2008-10-23: New Glass Promises To Improve Beer Drinking (KHSL)

Beer List

Anniversary Ale 2007

American-Style Pale Ale

5.90% abv.
- Date: October 14, 2007 (#6654)
  
  Package: bottled
  
  Place: Beertopia, Omaha NE
  
  Score: 19 points
  
  Appearance (3)
  Bright deep amber. Huge fluffy head.
  
  Aroma (4)
  Grapefruit, resiny hops.
  
  Mouthfeel (9)
  Medium body, fizzy. Biscuity malt supports a blast of Cascade hop flavor. Fairly bitter and nicely balanced.
  
  Overall Impression (3)
  Very tasty clean beer. I should try to taste this beer side-by-side with their Pale Ale.

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Anniversary Ale 2008

American-Style Pale Ale

5.90% abv.

Date: September 1, 2008 (#7275)

Package: bottled

Place: Beertopia, Omaha NE

Score: 17 points

Appearance (3)
Bright amber. Thick head.

Aroma (3)
Big citrusy hops.

Mouthfeel (9)
Medium body, fizzy. Huge citrus hop flavor! Moderate bitterness.

Overall Impression (2)
It's a lot like their Pale Ale, but with less malt backbone.

Best Bitter Ale

(Special) Best Bitter

Barley Wine-Style Ale

9.60% abv.

Awards:

Gold Medal, 1987 Great American Beer Festival

Barley Wine-Style Ale

9.60% abv.

Awards:

Gold Medal, 1988 Great American Beer Festival

Barley Wine-Style Ale

9.60% abv.

Barley Wine-Style Ale

9.60% abv.

Barley Wine-Style Ale

9.60% abv.

Date: January 25, 1992 (#2509)

Package: draught

Place: Lyon's Brewery, Dublin CA

Overall Impression
THICK. STRONG. Will light you right up. Half-pints only here at Lyon's.

Barley Wine-Style Ale

9.60% abv.

Awards:

Gold Medal, 1992 Great American Beer Festival

Barley Wine-Style Ale

9.60% abv.

Date: August 14, 1993 (#161)

Package: draught

Place: Pacific Coast Brewing, Oakland CA

Score: 18 points

Overall Impression
Red. Clear. Flat-looking. Standard Sierra Nevada hop aroma. Fruity, some alcohol. Very fruity. Needs more malt aroma? Fairly alcoholic taste, but not offensive. Long-lasting bitter finish. Fruity start and middle. Almost benign, but actually very pleasant. Strong beer with great flavors. Aroma mixes well with taste.

Barley Wine-Style Ale

9.60% abv.

Date: December 1, 2001 (#4007)

Package: bottled

Place: Green Bay Rackers, Green Bay WI

Score: 19 points

Overall Impression
Fairly hazy, red-brown, thick head. Rich oaky caramel malt aroma. Big body, big bitterness, malty, oaky, spicy finish. This bottle has aged very well indeed. Thanks to the Green Bay Rackers' Bert Zelten for the taste!
Date: December 2, 2000 (#3749)

Package: bottled

Place: Green Bay Rackers, Green Bay WI

Score: 16 points

Overall Impression
Darkish amber, low head. Toasty aroma. Medium body, mild maltiness, not very complex. Thanks to the Green Bay Rackers' Bert Zelten for this six-year-old sample!
Date: December 29, 1994 (#683)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 20 points

Overall Impression
Red. Clear. Big head. Cascade and crystal malt aroma. Wow. Malt, hops, alcohol hit you all at once, then go away for a very clean finish.

Barley Wine-Style Ale

9.60% abv.

Awards:

Gold Medal, 1995 Great American Beer Festival

Date: April 20, 1995 (#877)

Package: draught

Place: The HopYard, Pleasanton CA

Score: 20 points

Overall Impression
Red, clear, flat. Big head. Maple aroma, caramel, alcohol. Fruity, sweet, bitter, alcohol flavors. Incredible balance, and soooo smooth.

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Barley Wine-Style Ale

9.60% abv.

Date: February 23, 1998 (#2401)

Package: bottled

Place: from the brewery

Score: 17½ points

Overall Impression
(From last year's stock.) Red brown, clear with some haze particles, good head. 4-C hop aroma, with some sweet smoky malt. Bitter hoppy blast on a big malty beer. Long long hoppy finish. Tastes as good as the day it was bottled.
Date: April 6, 1997 (#2053)

Package: bottled

Place: Kamuela Liquor Store, Kamuela HI

Score: 20 points

Overall Impression
Red-brown, clear, not much carbonation, but it throws a big head. BLAST of hop aroma, malt, and alcohol. There's nothing subtle about this beer. Big body, big hop flavor, big bitterness, big alcohol taste and sensation...and all of it balanced more delicately than a dime standing on edge.

Barley Wine-Style Ale

9.60% abv.

Awards:

Gold Medal, 1997 California State Fair Craft Brewing Competition

Date: February 26, 1998 (#2404)

Package: bottled

Place: from the brewery

Score: 17 points

Overall Impression
Brown, moderate carbonation, thick head. Smoky aroma, citrus hops. Thick, blast of herbal hops. Good malty balance, but the hops are the whole point of this beer. Maybe a little drying late.

Barley Wine-Style Ale

9.60% abv.

Awards:

Gold Medal, 1998 Great Alaska Beer & Barley Wine Festival

Date: June 28, 2003 (#4919)

Package: bottled

Place: from the brewery

Score: 18½ points

Overall Impression
Deep bright amber. Thick head. Richly malty aroma, some solvent and some DMS. Big creamy body. Richly malty all the way through. Subdued hop flavor and somewhat bigger than mild bitterness. Outstanding balance! Too bad about the off-aromas. Thanks to Mike Deliman for sending this bottle five years ago! I think there's still one more in my cellar...
Date: May 9, 1999 (#3276)

Package: bottled

Place: from the brewery

Score: 20 points

Overall Impression
Red-brown, almost still, thick head. I almost dropped the glass...it smells SO GOOD. Thick. Hoppy. Perfect. Thanks to Mike Deliman for the bottle!

Barley Wine-Style Ale

9.60% abv.

Date: July 5, 1999 (#3296)

Package: bottled

Place: 1st Wines and Spirits, Allouez WI

Score: 19 points

Overall Impression
Deep amber, moderate carbonation, thick head. Classic Sierra Nevada hop aroma. Thick and bitter, warming late. Intense hop flavor all the way through, waxing even after the beer is gone!

Buy Sierra Nevada Bigfoot 2000 at Liquid Solutions

Barley Wine-Style Ale

9.60% abv.

Awards:

Gold Medal, 2000 California State Fair Craft Brewing Competition

Date: January 1, 2007 (#6246)

Package: bottled

Place: 1st Wines and Spirits, Allouez WI

Score: 17½ points

Appearance (3)
Deep red. Really chunky. Good head.

Aroma (3)
Intense dark caramel. Plums, Alcohol. Brown sugar.

Mouthfeel (9)
Big body. Smooth. Huge caramel malt. Lots of dark fruit. Coconut. Huge herbal, grassy, fairly citrusy, fairly bitter hops. Lots of alcohol, but the whole thing is really well-balanced.

Overall Impression (2½)
This was our last bottle of the 2000 batch.
Date: June 28, 2003 (#4918)

Package: bottled

Place: 1st Wines and Spirits, Allouez WI

Score: 19 points

Overall Impression
Bright amber. Big thick head. Huge toasty caramelly aroma with lots of spicy hops. Medium-big body. Intense caramel malt and intense spicy/citrusy hops. Real nice lingering bitterness...excellent balance all the way through.
Date: June 7, 2001 (#3854)

Package: bottled

Place: 1st Wines and Spirits, Allouez WI

Score: 20 points

Overall Impression
Deep red, moderate carbonation, thick head. Intensely hoppy, intensely caramel-malty, even warming aroma. Big body, LOTS of complex malt flavor. Nicely - generously - hoppy and bitter in the finish. Very well-balanced tasty beer.

Buy Sierra Nevada Bigfoot 2001 at Liquid Solutions

Barley Wine-Style Ale

9.60% abv.

Date: January 1, 2008 (#6785)

Package: bottled

Place: Woodman's Food Market, Green Bay WI

Score: 17½ points

Appearance (3)
Bright red. Low head.

Aroma (3)
Big dark caramel. Hint of maple. Mildly resiny.

Mouthfeel (9)
Medium-big body, smooth. Fiercely malty with lots of wood character. Big bitterness, resiny, but in balance. Just a hint of solvent (acetone) with the alcohol. Warming, malty, resiny, alcoholic finish.

Overall Impression (2½)
Date: January 9, 2007 (#6271)

Package: bottled

Place: Woodman's Food Market, Green Bay WI

Score: 15½ points

Appearance (2½)
Deep red-amber, hazy. No head.

Aroma (3)
Dark caramel and dark fruit. Spicy alcohol.

Mouthfeel (8)
Huge body. Very low carbonation. Quite bitter, with lots of caramel malt. Really warming. Some woody oxidation notes. Lingering bitter finish.

Overall Impression (2)
The bottle of 2000 we had last week was a lot better.
Date: November 20, 2001 (#3998)

Package: bottled

Place: Woodman's Food Market, Green Bay WI

Score: 17 points

Overall Impression
Brown-amber, reasonably clear, thick head. Fruity, fairly malty aroma. Big body, massive hop flavor and bitterness, massive caramel malt character.
Date: March 20, 2001 (#3847)

Package: bottled

Place: BJCP Training Course, De Pere WI

Score: 14½ points

Overall Impression
Amber, hazy, thick head. Biscuity, toasty, peppery aroma. Thick, big hop flavor and bitterness. Hops are fairly rough...young.

Barley Wine-Style Ale

9.60% abv.

Date: January 1, 2008 (#6784)

Package: bottled

Place: Woodman's Food Market, Green Bay WI

Score: 20 points

Appearance (3)
Bright deep red. Low head.

Aroma (4)
Spicy, alcohol? Toasty sweet malt.

Mouthfeel (10)
Big creamy body. Intensely malty and really hoppy, with a grassy, fruity, resiny flavor and a big bitterness. Spicy alcohol, and a big wood character from the malt. Fairly warming, with lots of alcohol on the tongue.

Overall Impression (3)
Very nice beer.
Date: March 17, 2002 (#4285)

Package: bottled

Place: Beer School, Appleton WI

Score: 16 points

Overall Impression
Deep red-brown, thick head. Perfumey, caramelly aroma. Medium-big body, massively hoppy and bitter...can't wait for next year!

Barley Wine-Style Ale

9.60% abv.

Date: January 1, 2008 (#6783)

Package: bottled

Place: Place unknown

Score: 17 points

Appearance (3)
Red-brown, some yeast. Low head.

Aroma (3)
Mild toasty malt. Mild grassy hops. Mild alcohol.

Mouthfeel (9)
Big body, low carbonation. Big toasty, caramel malt supports a big grassy, resiny bitterness.

Overall Impression (2)
Maybe just a little less smooth than the 2004.

Barley Wine-Style Ale

9.60% abv.

Date: January 1, 2008 (#6782)

Package: bottled

Place: Place unknown

Score: 19 points

Appearance (3)
Bright red-brown. Low head.

Aroma (3)
Sweet, malty, with more oaky character than the 2005.

Mouthfeel (10)
Big body, really smooth. Lots of malt, with a real nice earthy, woody character. Very bitter, but very much in balance.

Overall Impression (3)

Barley Wine-Style Ale

9.60% abv.

Awards:

Gold Medal, 2005 Great American Beer Festival

Date: January 1, 2008 (#6781)

Package: bottled

Place: Place unknown

Score: 17 points

Appearance (3)
Red-brown, hazy. Moderate head.

Aroma (3)
Malty, almost chocolatey, some vanilla.

Mouthfeel (9)
Big smooth body. Hugely malty, hugely bitter. Resiny, but not like the 2007. Citrus hop flavor in the background. Some earthy, oaky character. Some astringency in the finish.

Overall Impression (2)

Barley Wine-Style Ale

9.60% abv.

Date: February 10, 2007 (#6316)

Package: draught

Place: Crescent Moon Ale House, Omaha NE

Score: 17½ points

Appearance (3)
Bright red-brown. Thick dense head.

Aroma (3)
Grassy, piney hops.

Mouthfeel (9)
Big really creamy body. Hugely malty and quite bitter, with a resiny, piney, grassy hop flavor. Mild citrus character.

Overall Impression (2½)
So much smoother than the 2007, but it still has a bit of an edge.

Barley Wine-Style Ale

9.60% abv.

Awards:

Third Place, 2007 San Diego County Fair

Date: February 10, 2007 (#6315)

Package: draught

Place: Crescent Moon Ale House, Omaha NE

Score: 16½ points

Appearance (3)
Red-brown, some haze. Thick dense head.

Aroma (3)
Spicy, mildly alcoholic. Subdued.

Mouthfeel (8)
Big thick body. Fiercely bitter. Lots of caramel, dark caramel, brown sugar. Big grassy, resiny hop flavor.

Overall Impression (2½)
Tastes like all the previous brand-new Bigfoot issues.

Click for a better picture (popup)

Barley Wine-Style Ale

9.60% abv.

Date: February 20, 2008 (#6896)

Package: bottled

Place: Beertopia, Omaha NE

Score: 16 points

Appearance (3)
Bright red. Dense head.

Aroma (3)
Piney, intensely citrusy hops. Lots of spicy alcohol.

Mouthfeel (8)
Big and chewy, moderate carbonation. Lots of caramel and LOTS of floral grapefruity hops.

Overall Impression (2)
As usual, the remainder of this case is going to the cellar.

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Barley Wine-Style Ale

9.60% abv.

Date: February 13, 2009 (#7700)

Package: bottled

Place: Beertopia, Omaha NE

Score: 16½ points

Appearance (3)
Bright red-amber. Moderate head.

Aroma (3)
Big floral, citrusy hops.

Mouthfeel (8)
Big and chewy, resiny and bitter. Lots of citrusy hops, lots of dark caramel.

Overall Impression (2½)
As always, this beer will be immensely better in 18 months or so.

Golden or Blonde Ale

Date: October 3, 2008 (#7413)

Package: draught

Place: Knuckles Historical Sports Bar, Monterey CA

Score: 16½ points

Appearance (3)
Bright golden-amber. Dense head.

Aroma (2½)
Very mildly fruity. Very mild caramel.

Mouthfeel (9)
Light body, moderate carbonation. Sweet grainy malt. Mild fruity esters. Mild bitterness at the end.

Overall Impression (2)

American-Style Brown Ale

Awards:

Gold Medal, 2004 Los Angeles County Fair Competition

Date: December 29, 1994 (#679)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 16 points

Overall Impression
Brown, clear, very low carbonation, good head. Sweet smell, some floral hops. Very brown flavor, almost Porter-like. Long smooth bitter finish.
Date: April 29, 1993 (#20)

Package: draught

Place: Pacific Coast Brewing, Oakland CA

Score: 17½ points

Overall Impression
A little more red than brown. Head and carbonation are perfect. A little hoppy in the nose. Very nice indeed! Same sort of feel as Lost Coast Downtown Brown, with that characteristic Sierra hoppy finish.

Celebration Ale 1992

American-Style India Pale Ale

Date: December 12, 1992 (#2498)

Package: draught

Place: Pacific Coast Tasting of Christmas Beers, Oakland CA

Score: 17½ points

Overall Impression
Looks beautiful, smells great. Characteristic "Sierra" hops. Good carbonation, big mouthfeel, but malt doesn't stand up to the hops. It's a little Bigfoot. My personal preference for malt over hops is the only reason this beer didn't score 20 points. Outstanding.

Celebration Ale 1994

American-Style India Pale Ale

Awards:

Gold Medal, 1994 United States Beer Tasting Championship

Date: February 4, 1995 (#752)

Package: draught

Place: The HopYard, Pleasanton CA

Score: 16 points

Overall Impression
Red-amber, great head. Very spicy, perfumey. Huge hop flavor and bitterness. Tastes a lot like Sierra Nevada Pale Ale...not malty like Celebration...?
Date: December 29, 1994 (#684)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 17 points

Overall Impression
Red-amber. Spicy Cascades. Big. Caramel and bitter hops...not much in between.
Date: October 31, 1994 (#485)

Package: draught

Place: Pacific Coast Brewing, Oakland CA

Score: 19 points

Overall Impression
Beautiful amber, thick white head. Malty, spicy, clean aromas. Lots of alcohol taste. Caramel, some diacetyl? Spicy hops. Bitter finish, almost clean but not quite.

Click for a better picture (popup)

Celebration Ale 1996

American-Style India Pale Ale

Awards:

First Place, 1996 Chicago Beer Society Fall Beer Tasting

Date: March 15, 1997 (#2039)

Package: draught

Place: Kona Brewers Festival, Kailua-Kona HI

Score: 20 points

Overall Impression
Very nice amber, clear, big head. Caramelly, 4-C aroma! (Centennial, Cascade, Columbus, Chinook hops.) Big, massive hop flavor, big bitterness, clean big bitter finish.
Date: December 8, 1996 (#1897)

Package: bottled

Place: Kamuela Liquor Store, Kamuela HI

Score: 20 points

Overall Impression
Red, high carbonation, big white head. Very pleasant Cascade nose. Very big, very chewy beer. Phenomenal balance. Great firm body, excellent malt flavor, and a bitterness that bites just hard enough. Just a little hint of roast that's not in the Pale Ale...very pleasant.

Celebration Ale 1997

American-Style India Pale Ale

Date: February 12, 1998 (#2387)

Package: draught

Place: Ryan's Grill, Honolulu HI

Score: 16 points

Overall Impression
Red-brown, thick head. Subtly spicy aroma. Good body, not as heavy as Harvest Ale. Bitter, but not intensely so.
Date: December 28, 1997 (#2373)

Package: bottled

Place: Willow Glen Liquors, San Jose CA

Score: 20 points

Overall Impression
Amber, fairly high carbonation, thick head. "4-C" blast of hop aroma! Thick and intensely bitter. Massive citrusy bitter hops on top of a very big beer. A magnificent IPA. Thanks to Chuck Farnham for the bottle!

Celebration Ale 1998

American-Style India Pale Ale

Date: February 5, 1999 (#3167)

Package: bottled

Place: Pasquale's International Cafe, De Pere WI

Score: 18 points

Overall Impression
Beautiful amber, moderate carbonation, thick head. Spicy aroma, citrusy, very slightly musty. Medium body, massively hoppy. Excellent caramel malt flavor. Lingering clean bitter finish.

Celebration Ale 1999

American-Style India Pale Ale

6.80% abv.

Awards:

Silver Medal, 1999 California State Fair Craft Brewing Competition

Buy Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale 2001 at Liquid Solutions

Celebration Ale 2001

American-Style India Pale Ale

6.80% abv.

Celebration Ale 2002

American-Style India Pale Ale

Awards:

Silver Medal, 2002 Great American Beer Festival

Date: December 31, 2002 (#4578)

Package: draught

Place: Oblio's, Oshkosh WI

Score: 18 points

Overall Impression
Bright red-amber, thick head. Mild spicy hop aroma. Medium body. Big spicy Centennial hop flavor, mild-to-big bitterness. Not nearly as citrusy as the bottled version. Very nice mildly toasty caramelly malt underlies it all.
Date: December 29, 2002 (#4571)

Package: bottled

Place: Woodman's Food Market, Green Bay WI

Score: 20 points

Overall Impression
Bright amber, thick head. Fresh spicy citrusy hop aroma. Medium body, moderate carbonation. Huge spicy hop flavor with lots of citrusy notes. Big clean bitterness supported by caramel malts. This beer defines the American IPA style.

Buy Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale 2003 at Liquid Solutions

Celebration Ale 2003

American-Style India Pale Ale

Date: December 25, 2003 (#5169)

Package: bottled

Place: Woodman's Food Market, Green Bay WI

Score: 19 points

Overall Impression
Bright amber (watch the yeast!) with a thick head. Huge spicy citrusy hop aroma. Medium body, fizzy. ENORMOUS spicy resiny hop flavor and bitterness! There's malt in there somewhere, but this is a Really Bitter Beer all the way through.

Celebration Ale 2005

American-Style India Pale Ale

Awards:

Bronze Medal, 2005 International Beer Competition

Celebration Ale 2006

American-Style India Pale Ale

6.80% abv.

Date: February 10, 2007 (#6314)

Package: draught

Place: Crescent Moon Ale House, Omaha NE

Score: 18 points

Appearance (3)
Bright golden-amber. Thick tight head.

Aroma (3)
Mildly fruity, citrusy, piney hops.

Mouthfeel (9)
Medium body, creamy. Real big real tasty piney, grassy hops. Fairly fruity. Fairly bitter.

Overall Impression (3)
Good clean IPA.
Date: February 3, 2007 (#6310)

Package: bottled

Place: Liquid Solutions

Score: 16½ points

Appearance (2½)
Amber. Lots of tiny flakes. High carbonation. Thick head.

Aroma (3)
Earthy, piney, spicy hops.

Mouthfeel (9)
Medium-big body, smooth. Lots of caramel and lots of hops, with a resiny, piney flavor and a big bitterness. Lingering resiny bitter finish.

Overall Impression (2)
Pretty good beer, but maybe just a bit stale.

Click for a better picture (popup)

Celebration Ale 2007

American-Style India Pale Ale

6.80% abv.

Date: December 7, 2007 (#6725)

Package: bottled

Place: Hy-Vee, Columbus NE

Score: 18 points

Appearance (3)
Bright amber. Dense head.

Aroma (3)
Earthy, citrusy, piney hops.

Mouthfeel (9)
Medium body, smooth. Malty, with a huge resiny bitterness. Real nice balance.

Overall Impression (3)

Click for a better picture (popup)

Celebration Ale 2008

American-Style India Pale Ale

6.80% abv.

Chico Estate Harvest Ale

American-Style India Pale Ale

Date: October 15, 2008 (#7474)

Package: draught

Place: Crescent Moon Ale House, Omaha NE

Score: 17 points

Appearance (3)
Bright red-amber. Dense head.

Aroma (3)
Huge citrusy grapefruit hops.

Mouthfeel (9)
Medium body, creamy smooth. Big spicy, fruity, resiny hop flavor. Big bitterness. Some grapefruit, but not as much as in the aroma. Lingering resiny bitterness.

Overall Impression (2)
Brewed with freshly-picked Cascade and Centennial hops from the brewery's own fields.

Light American Wheat Ale or Lager without Yeast

Date: December 29, 1994 (#682)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 14 points

Overall Impression
Yellow, some haze. From the aroma, there's no doubt it's a Sierra beer. Way overhopped. Typical Sierra Nevada flavor. Very bitter. Good beer, though.

Dark American Wheat Ale or Lager with Yeast

Date: March 15, 1997 (#2040)

Package: draught

Place: Kona Brewers Festival, Kailua-Kona HI

Score: 14½ points

Overall Impression
Brown opaque, big head. Hoppy aroma, hint of smoke. Brown, hoppy, high test.

Click for a better picture (popup)

American-Style Pale Ale

Awards:

Gold Medal and Champion Keg Ale, 2005 Brewing Industry International Awards

Date: December 18, 1994 (#649)

Package: draught

Place: Pacific Coast Brewing, Oakland CA

Score: 14½ points

Overall Impression
Pale amber, great head. Fruity nose...berries? (It's on the tap next to a cranberry beer.) But it seems like the berry flavor is definitely coming from the hops.

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English-Style (Extra Special) Strong Bitter

5.90% abv.

Date: February 12, 2008 (#6882)

Package: bottled

Place: Beertopia, Omaha NE

Score: 15 points

Appearance (2½)
Bright amber. Lots of protein. Big head.

Aroma (2½)
Very mild earthy, fruity hops.

Mouthfeel (8)
Medium body, smooth. Big sweet biscuity maltiness. Mild bitterness and a fruity hop flavor. Fruity, bitter finish.

Overall Impression (2)

Click for a better picture (popup)

English-Style (Extra Special) Strong Bitter

Extra Special Ale

American-Style Pale Ale

Date: November 18, 2006 (#6170)

Package: draught

Place: Crescent Moon Ale House, Omaha NE

Score: 18 points

Appearance (3)
Bright amber-brown. Low head.

Aroma (3)
Citrusy, fruity, with some biscuity malt.

Mouthfeel (9)
Medium body, fizzy. Nice biscuity, toasty, caramelly malt character. Prominent fruity, mildly citrusy hops, with a lower-than-Sierra's-usual bitterness.

Overall Impression (3)
It seems like a Pale Ale clone, but with a milder bitterness, which contrasts starkly with the impressions of the gang over at BeerAdvocate.

American-Style Pale Ale

Date: February 12, 1998 (#2386)

Package: draught

Place: Ryan's Grill, Honolulu HI

Score: 19 points

Overall Impression
Red-amber, moderate carbonation, good head. Sierra Nevada 4-C hop aroma blast. Very big body, blast of hops like Bigfoot! It's "Bigfoot Light".

Click for a better picture (popup)

Harvest Ale 2007

American-Style India Pale Ale

6.70% abv.

Date: December 7, 2007 (#6726)

Package: bottled

Place: Hy-Vee, Columbus NE

Score: 18 points

Appearance (3)
Bright amber. Big thick head.

Aroma (4)
Richly malty, with a huge fresh spicy hop.

Mouthfeel (9)
Big body, smooth. Lots of malt behind lots of grassy, earthy hop flavor. Reasonably bitter. A bit rough, but tasty.

Overall Impression (2)
This 11th edition of Harvest Ale is brewed with fresh-picked "wet" hops.

Buy Sierra Nevada Harvest Ale 2008 at Liquid Solutions

Harvest Ale 2008

American-Style India Pale Ale

English-Style India Pale Ale

6.80% abv.

Awards:

Gold Medal, 2005 Great American Beer Festival

Date: February 10, 2007 (#6319)

Package: bottled

Place: Beertopia, Omaha NE

Score: 15½ points

Appearance (2½)
Golden. Lots of suspended chunks. Moderate head.

Aroma (3)
Minty hops, toasty malt.

Mouthfeel (8)
Medium body, fairly fizzy. Huge toasty maltiness. Fairly bitter, grassy herbal hops. Biscuity malt joins the bitterness in the finish. Very mild diacetyl note.

Overall Impression (2)

South German-Style Hefeweizen/Hefeweissbier

Kolsch Style Ale

German-Style Kölsch/Köln-Style Kölsch

Awards:

Silver Medal, 2008 Great American Beer Festival

Click for a better picture (popup)

Buy Sierra Nevada Pale Ale at Liquid Solutions

American-Style Pale Ale

5.00% abv.

Awards:

Silver Medal, 2005 Brewing Industry International Awards
Gold Medal and Champion Keg Ale, 2004 Brewing Industry International Awards
Gold Medal, 1995 Great American Beer Festival
Gold Medal, 1994 Great American Beer Festival
Gold Medal, 1993 Great American Beer Festival
Gold Medal, 1992 Great American Beer Festival
Gold Medal, 1990 Great American Beer Festival
Gold Medal, 1989 Great American Beer Festival
Gold Medal, 1987 Great American Beer Festival

Date: February 6, 2004 (#5207)

Package: draught

Place: Peabody's Ale House, Oshkosh WI

Score: 16½ points

Overall Impression
Bright amber. Nice head. Mild spicy hop aroma. Medium body. Lots of spicy, citrusy hop flavor, mildly bitter. Not as assertive as it's been, but pretty tasty nonetheless.
Date: August 31, 2002 (#4398)

Package: bottled

Place: Festival Foods, Oshkosh WI

Score: 16 points

Overall Impression
Bright golden amber, moderate carbonation, thick head. Big citrusy hop aroma, like orange juice. Light-medium body. Lots of caramel malt, but even more fruity bitter hops. Some maltiness returns in the finish. Good, but not excellent...it seems their beer doesn't travel well all the way to Wisconsin.
Date: April 1, 1998 (#2600)

Package: bottled

Place: Siebel Institute of Technology, Chicago IL

Score: 15 points

Overall Impression
Amber, moderate carbonation and head. Citrusy hop aroma, hint of cheese/"sweat socks". Bitter, spicy, grapefruit, drying.
Date: October 31, 1995 (#1231)

Package: bottled

Place: Moloka`i Wines and Spirits Unlimited, Kaunakakai HI

Score: 16 points

Overall Impression
Golden-amber, some haze, low carbonation and head. Bright fruity-spicy hop nose. Good body. Excellent balance with bitter-hoppy finish. Big carbonation bite. Finishes very slightly harsh.
Date: January 27, 1995 (#729)

Package: draught

Place: The HopYard, Pleasanton CA

Score: 19 points

Overall Impression
Pale-amber, good carbonation and head. Fruity nose. Good body. Hops, malt, carbonation all extremely well-balanced.
Date: December 29, 1994 (#685)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 16 points

Overall Impression
Pale amber, hazy. Fruity spicy Cascades. Bitter finish, but clean. Good balance, but tilted toward fruity hops.
Date: June 27, 1993 (#93)

Package: draught

Place: Lyon's Brewery, Dublin CA

Score: 18 points

Overall Impression
Amber, crystal clear, great head. Aroma is Cascades Cascades Cascades but no malt. Body just on the thin side of full. Lots of carbonation. Very hoppy. A classic beer.

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German-Style Heller Bock/Maibock

Date: April 18, 1995 (#866)

Package: draught

Place: The HopYard, Pleasanton CA

Score: 12½ points

Overall Impression
Pale-golden, thin head. Clear. Hoppy...but stale? Maybe a little oxidized? Almost clean, but not quite. Sticky.
Date: December 29, 1994 (#681)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 14½ points

Overall Impression
Yellow-clear. Looks a lot like the Crystal Wheat, only more transparent. Hop aroma, some malt...none very assertive. Full body. Some vegetal bitterness. Long finish is almost cloying but not quite.
Date: May 7, 1994 (#320)

Package: draught

Place: Pacific Coast Brewing, Oakland CA

Score: 15½ points

Overall Impression
Medium-yellow. Good head. Big fruity Sierra Nevada hop nose. Bitter. Fairly light body. Malty finish.
Date: March 22, 1993 (#4)

Package: draught

Place: Pacific Coast Brewing, Oakland CA

Score: 16 points

Overall Impression
Gold, good carbonation and head. Malty nose, but those Sierra Nevada characteristic hops are in the background. Good light bock. OK heavy, good flavor. Very nice beer. All their seasonals are as exceptional as their regulars. Can't wait for Summerfest this year...

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Buy Sierra Nevada Porter at Liquid Solutions

5.60% abv.

Awards:

Bronze Medal, 2006 North American Beer Awards
Bronze Medal, 2005 Brewing Industry International Awards
Silver Medal, 2002 Los Angeles County Fair Competition
First Place, 2000 California Brewers Festival
First Place, 1996 Colorado State Fair

Date: November 6, 2001 (#3981)

Package: bottled

Place: Woodman's Food Market, Green Bay WI

Score: 18 points

Overall Impression
Black, thick head. Big herbal hop aroma. Medium body, excellent balance between roasted malts and herbal hop flavor. Very nice clean finish.
Date: May 12, 1998 (#2780)

Package: bottled

Place: Siebel Institute of Technology, Chicago IL

Score: 15½ points

Overall Impression
Dark brown opaque, thick head. Roasty, Cascade aroma. Medium body, sweet, all kinds of hop flavor, plenty of chocolate.
Date: August 19, 1996 (#1551)

Package: bottled

Place: Kamuela Liquor Store, Kamuela HI

Score: 19 points

Overall Impression
Dark brown-red, thick white head. Coffee, hoppy aroma. Coffee flavor, followed quickly by a blast of black malt. Mildly bitter, with a lingering black malt finish. Even better than I remember it!
Date: December 27, 1994 (#665)

Package: draught

Place: The HopYard, Pleasanton CA

Score: 13½ points

Overall Impression
Dark red, thick head. Cascades...not as assertive as I remember. Dark version of Pale Ale. Doesn't have the burnt character I expect in a Porter.
Date: August 14, 1993 (#160)

Package: draught

Place: Pacific Coast Brewing, Oakland CA

Score: 14½ points

Overall Impression
Very dark red. Very clear...not opaque at all. Actually, I think it should be darker. Typical Sierra Nevada flowery hop aroma. Some roasty notes. Again, could smell darker. Good thick body...creamy, even. Roasty, then a carbonation bite, then roasty-fading. Carbonation is fairly high. I like it, but it's not very big. 14.5?!? I'm biased toward DARK BLACK HEAVY BURNT Porters (like Anchor or even the old Devil's Brew), so that probably hurt the score. I like this a LOT, but in my opinion, it's a bit out-of-style. (The taste alone rates a 20!)

Ruthless Weiss Beer

South German-Style Hefeweizen/Hefeweissbier

Date: October 3, 2008 (#7412)

Package: draught

Place: Knuckles Historical Sports Bar, Monterey CA

Score: 19 points

Appearance (3)
Yellow. Thick haze. Dense head.

Aroma (3)
Smoky bananas.

Mouthfeel (10)
Light body, very creamy. Big banana flavor on top of lots of sweet wheat malt.

Overall Impression (3)
Real good beer.

German-Style Schwarzbier

Date: October 3, 2008 (#7411)

Package: draught

Place: Knuckles Historical Sports Bar, Monterey CA

Score: 18 points

Appearance (3)
Black. Dense head.

Aroma (3)
Chocolate. Grassy.

Mouthfeel (9)
Medium body. Creamy. Malty and roasty, with a grassy hop note.

Overall Impression (3)
Real tasty beer.

Southern Hemisphere Harvest Fresh Hop Ale

American-Style India Pale Ale

6.70% abv.

Date: May 9, 2008 (#7000)

Package: draught

Place: Crescent Moon Ale House, Omaha NE

Score: 19 points

Appearance (3)
Looks just like the Torpedo Ale.

Aroma (3)
Pretty floral.

Mouthfeel (10)
Big malty base behind a massive fruity, floral, citrusy hop flavor and bitterness. Bigger than the Pale Ale, bigger than Celebration.

Overall Impression (3)
Real bitter, but real well-balanced.

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Buy Sierra Nevada Stout at Liquid Solutions

American-Style Stout

5.80% abv.

Awards:

Bronze Medal, 2004 World Beer Cup
Gold Medal, 2000 California State Fair Craft Brewing Competition

Date: August 4, 2003 (#4990)

Package: bottled

Place: Peabody's Ale House, Oshkosh WI

Score: 18 points

Overall Impression
Black. Thick brown head. Spicy hop aroma, and sweetly black. Medium creamy body with plenty of carbonation. Richly malty, with a big dose of black malt. Big hop flavor and bitterness. Lingering herbal hoppy black-ish finish. Too bad there's not a recognized "American Stout" style; this would be the archetype.
Date: August 19, 1996 (#1552)

Package: bottled

Place: Kamuela Liquor Store, Kamuela HI

Score: 15½ points

Overall Impression
Black, big brown head. Big fresh hop nose. Bitter, with a lot of black malt and a LOT of hop flavor. Finishes black and hoppy.
Date: December 29, 1994 (#686)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 14½ points

Overall Impression
Pretty dark. Not quite black. Hoppy aroma. Some black malt. Thick. Burnt. Hoppy. Astringent finish.
Date: October 31, 1994 (#488)

Package: draught

Place: Pacific Coast Brewing, Oakland CA

Score: 15½ points

Overall Impression
Black, brown head. Black malt, not the usual Sierra Nevada nose. Creamy smooth. Lots of chocolate. Quick strong bitterness.

European-Style Pilsener

5.00% abv.

Awards:

First Place, 2007 San Diego County Fair
Gold Medal, 2006 Los Angeles County Fair Competition
Bronze Medal, 2004 Great American Beer Festival
Gold Medal, 2004 Los Angeles County Fair Competition
Gold Medal, 2003 Los Angeles County Fair Competition
Gold Medal, 1999 California State Fair Craft Brewing Competition

Date: June 21, 2007 (#6555)

Package: bottled

Place: Crescent Moon Ale House, Omaha NE

Score: 16½ points

Appearance (3)
Bright golden. Nice tight head.

Aroma (3)
Grainy malt. Fruity — not citrusy — hops.

Mouthfeel (9)
Light body. Moderately fizzy. Huge sweet grainy malt start-to-finish. Nice and clean. Mild grassy hop flavor. Mild bitterness.

Overall Impression (1½)
The more I drink it, the sweeter it gets.
Date: June 12, 1996 (#1502)

Package: bottled

Place: Willow Glen Liquors, San Jose CA

Score: 16 points

Overall Impression
Golden, high carbonation and head. Sweet aroma, slightly skunked. Malty, reasonably bitter with good hop flavor. Lingering bitter finish. It's as good as I remember it. Thanks to Paris Cunningham for bringing this beer to Hawai`i for me!
Date: August 14, 1993 (#159)

Package: draught

Place: Pacific Coast Brewing, Oakland CA

Score: 19 points

Overall Impression
Brilliant. Pale yellow that glows in the dark. Noble hop aroma? Not the typical Sierra Nevada nose. Very nice indeed. Some frutiness as well. Aroma really comes through in flavor. Nice light bitterness. Surprise body...expected much lighter. Very nice indeed. Some lingering sweetness.
Date: July 28, 1993 (#190)

Package: bottled

Place: 1993 American Homebrewers Association Convention, Portland OR

Score: 15 points

Overall Impression
Bright yellow and transparent. Fruity hop aroma. Thick and bitter-sweet. Sweet lingering finish.

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American-Style India Pale Ale

7.40% abv.

Date: May 9, 2008 (#6999)

Package: draught

Place: Crescent Moon Ale House, Omaha NE

Score: 20 points

Appearance (3)
Bright amber. Thick head.

Aroma (4)
Incredibly fruity hops. A bit earthy.

Mouthfeel (10)
Medium body. Moderate carbonation. Huge caramel malt base, nicely dry. Huge fruity, floral, grassy hop flavor with a fairly assertive bitterness.

Overall Impression (3)
Damn fine beer.

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Unfiltered Wheat Beer

Light American Wheat Ale or Lager with Yeast

4.40% abv.

Awards:

Bronze Medal, 2003 Los Angeles County Fair Competition
Silver Medal, 2000 California State Fair Craft Brewing Competition

Date: January 1, 2008 (#6778)

Package: bottled

Place: Beertopia, Omaha NE

Score: 19 points

Appearance (3)
Yellow, full of yeast. Big dense head.

Aroma (4)
Big clean wheat malt. Fruity hops.

Mouthfeel (9)
Light-medium body, fizzy, creamy. Big wheat malt flavor, mildly grainy. Mild fruity hop flavor, very low bitterness.

Overall Impression (3)
Very clean beer.
Date: September 4, 1997 (#2169)

Package: draught

Place: The HopYard, Pleasanton CA

Score: 16 points

Overall Impression
Yellow opaque, big white head. Sweet wheat aroma. Sweet, lots of wheat flavor, not a lot else. But what did you expect?
Date: December 29, 1994 (#680)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 15 points

Overall Impression
Yellow opaque. Malty-musty nose. Wheat character. Bitter, but clean.
Date: August 8, 1994 (#400)

Package: draught

Place: The HopYard, Pleasanton CA

Score: 12 points

Overall Impression
Unfiltered opaque yellow. Minor head. Very clean. Some phenols are trying to get through unsuccessfully. Good body. Very citrusy in middle. Quick clean finish. Sweetness OK. A "merely average" beer from Sierra Nevada!
Date: May 22, 1994 (#333)

Package: draught

Place: Berkeley Beer Festival, Berkeley CA

Score: 12½ points

Overall Impression
Yellow opaque. Very grainy aroma. Not the clean aroma I'd expect of an American-style wheat. Grainy-sweet malt. First underhopped Sierra Nevada beer ever. "Wet"...in-style, out-of-character?