Review Date 8/10/2012
Try? Re-buy?
I’m a firm believer in saving the best for last. That’s exactly what I did, too with my bottle of Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary Our Brewer’s Reserve Grand Cru. Sierra Nevada actually released four beers to celebrate 30 years in the business of brewing wonderful beer. In addition to this Grand Cru, three other beers were also released: Fritz and Ken's Ale, Stout, Charlie, Fred, & Ken's Bock Imperial Helles Bock, and Jack and Ken’s Ale: Black Barleywine.
How did I know the Brewer’s Reserve Grand Cru would be the best of the lot? I didn’t, really. It was more of an educated guess. Brewer’s Reserve Grand Cru isn’t really a dedicated brew in its own right, after all, it’s a blend of three special beers: Bigfoot Barleywine Ale aged in oak, Sierra Nevada Celebration, and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. After blending, the beer is dry hopped as an added bonus. The final product weighs in at 9.2% alcohol by volume.
I think that it was this blending that intrigued me so much and prompted me to save this one for last. I did want to put some age on it, too. I bought this one in winter of 2010 (it was released in October of that year). The beer set me back $10.98 for a cage-corked 750 ML bottle, a bit pricey but not for a beer of this caliber.
Sierra Nevada offers the advice “Drink it now, or save it for a future anniversary of your own.” I did the latter, and the beer has held up incredibly well. I could certainly see socking some away for another few years.
Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary Our Brewer’s Reserve Grand Cru pours to a deep caramel color thick foamy off white head big bready caramel nose. A thick layer of Brussels lace clings to the sides of my glass and descends with the liquid all the way to the bottom.
In the palate, I get big chewy malt laced with a hint of woody oak from the Bigfoot upfront. Some piney hops quickly chime in reminiscent of young bigfoot and of course celebration, and then the Pale Ale lightens the whole affair just enough to preserve a decent drinkability. Earthy herbal hop aroma from the dry hopping emerges in the finish, reminiscent of “Le gout d’Orval”. A long dry bitterness lingers on the tongue after sipping.
This is on my list of best beers tasted in 2012. I love the way all three beers in the blend are discernible, and the way they all work together with the newly introduced element of herbal dry hop aroma to make Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary Our Brewer’s Reserve Grand Cru greater than the sum of its parts.
This beer is still around if you look, at least as I type. It's worth seeking out, so if you have not yet tried it, I encourage you to pick some up. A beer like this, after all, only comes around every thirty years or so.
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
(G)=Growler