Well look what I found! A bottle of Sierra Nevada No Middle Ground Ale with Coffee Added. I found it in a liquor store in Cherokee, North Carolina and was surprised because it was part of the 4-Way IPA 12-pack sampler, and I didn’t think you could buy it any other way. Maybe the owner broke the sampler up to sell as singles, or maybe he was salvaging remnants of a case that broke open. Either way, I win.
Increasingly, brewers like to sneak a new beer or two into a 12-pack sampler that also includes core brands and other favorites. It’s a cagey way to get you to buy their staples and, really, I can’t blame them. We beer lovers are a fickle lot after all. Anyway, I missed the 4-Way IPA sampler that Sierra Nevada No Middle Ground Ale with Coffee Added came with.
From the label:
At first glance, it might seem strange to combine coffee and hoppy beer, but really, the two flavors have a lot in common. Good coffee and hops both have complex and fruity aromas which create layers of flavor. No Middle Ground is brewed with fruit-forward hop varietals and cold-brewed coffee for a unique take on the IPA.
Ingredients, from the website:
Yeast Ale yeast
Bittering Hops Simcoe
Finishing Hops Citra, Mandarina Bavaria, Simcoe
Malts Two-row Pale, Munich, Oats, Midnight Wheat
Other Cold Brewed Coffee
Sierra Nevada No Middle Ground Ale with Coffee Added has an alcohol content of 6.9% by volume with 50 IBUs. I don’t know what the 4-Way IPA 12-pack was running for but you can get them at my local Target for $13.29. My bottle says it was PKGD 01/11/18 and I drank it on July 8th.
Sierra Nevada No Middle Ground Ale with Coffee Added pours to a slightly dark orange amber color with a thick creamy head and subtle coffee notes in the nose. Taking a sip, the beer has a medium malt body with light supporting caramel, orange zest citrus, and a permeating subtle coffee presence. It comes to the fore a bit more in the finish, which is grassy bitter but not overwhelming, and combines with the earthy hops to suggest chicory.
Morning coffee and glass of orange juice all in the same glass? Sierra Nevada No Middle Ground Ale with Coffee Added is something like that. Combining coffee and beer is nothing new, though generally the match is more apt to be in a dark beer. Still, coffee IPAs are tasty too, and this one worked for me.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft