Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

Since I still haven’t gotten a camera to get my reviews back to full force, I decided to go through my catalog of photos on the computer and post reviews with whatever pics I could find that had a beer in them. These reviews do not capture the ambiance when I reviewed the beer but are just pictures where I happen to have a beer in my hand. Enjoy the eye candy gentlemen! I know you can't really see the bottle well in one of the pics but is that really what you're looking at?

I thought I’d start with the beer that I consider my go to brew in the clutch, my Larry Fitzgerald if you will. No matter the circumstance, I can toss my taste buds up and this brew will always go up and come down with results. Whenever I find myself out in a club with a less than shitty selection, I always fight with myself on whether to get a Sam Adams or Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. All other things being equal (i.e. price) I’ll usually go with the Sierra Nevada. It is a little more in line with the type of beers I prefer than Sam although both are solid in the clutch. I always turn to this brew when I’m in the mood for drinking and not craving any particular style. Again, the choice usually comes down to this one, Sam Adams Boston Ale or Boston Lager.

Sierra Nevada as a brewery is also very dependable. I don’t think I’ve had a brew from them that I haven’t liked and I’ve probably had the greatest variety brews from them than from any other brewery, other than maybe Sam Adams.

Now to the review: The bottle itself is fairly unique among other brews in that it is a short stubby bottle which I prefer to other bottles for the simple fact that these are easier to store when I save bottles to be later filled with Fierrote brew. That’s neither here nor there. When I took a whiff of this brew the first thing that I noted was the beautiful hop smell. There is a fresh Cascade flowery/piney hop upfront with a citrus, doughy background. This is a really beautiful smell for any beer, much less one you can find at any decent bar. The mouthfeel is smooth and even, just the perfect amount of carbonation. This beer has the perfect balance of malt and hops for the style. Neither one really stands out but I have had a few of these bottles that occasionally taste hoppier than others. I guess that’s the beauty of the microbrewery. The hops have a nice leafy kick to them and the beer finishes with a sweet flowery taste that lingers on the palate. As is the norm with this style, the bitterness goes up slightly as it warms but other than that stays consistent until the end. The moderate alcohol and smooth taste make this the perfect session beer. Many a nights have a finished an entire 6-pack by myself while surrounded by great company, New Years being the most recent example. As I said earlier, this is one of my go to beers and will not hesitate to pick it up when the evening calls for anything from casual drinking to intense, all-night bouts of Pterodactylgories.