Wherever you go in the United States, you
likely can find at least one or two varieties of Sierra Nevada beer.
That should be no surprise, since the company is one of the biggest craft
brewers in the nation. Annually, they brew more than a half million barrels
of beer, and although that’s nothing compared to Anheuser-Busch’s 100
million plus barrels, it’s still nothing to sneeze it. So, as I said, your
odds of finding bottles of Sierra Nevada beers are pretty good, indeed.
But what about draft? Sierra Nevada beers are pretty easy to find that way,
too. Lots of bars and restaurants around the country offer their beers, and
rightly so. Well, most of their beers, anyway. Because while you may be very
familiar with Sierra Nevada’s Pale Ale, Porter, Stout, and Barleywine, did
you know that the company also produces a number of draft-only, limited
production specialty beers that are considerably more difficult to find?
I’ll allow Sierra Nevada to take over the mike for a moment.
Feeling adventurous? Try one of our specialty drafts. These ales and
lagers are available on tap at select locations across the country,
including our own Taproom and Restaurant. Brewed in smaller batches, these
original interpretations of beer styles from around the world range from
light and refreshing to rich and intense.
Our selection changes frequently and all specialty drafts may not be
available at all locations.
These beers include a blonde ale, an English-styled best bitter, a Bavarian
style hefeweizen, an India pale ale, a crystal wheat, and the beer under
consideration today, Sierra Nevada Brown Ale. I enjoyed a pint of
this deliciously malty brew at
Summits Wayside Tavern
the other night while sitting across from fellow beer geek Bryan Carey, who was
enjoying a Dogwood
Decadent Ale himself). So, if you have ever doubted my existence,
perhaps thinking the entire world and all it inhabitants no more than a
figment of your imagination, you now have proof. I exist. Just ask Bryan.
The beer itself is quite impressive. Sierra Nevada calls this a traditional
brown ale. However, it’s far heartier indeed than a Newcastle Brown, which
you may be familiar with. At the same time, Sierra Nevada’s Brown ale is not
quite so hoppy as, say, a Brooklyn Brown. It is brewed with specialty malts
and hopped with Goldings.
Sierra Nevada Brown Ale pours to a chestnut brown color with a light
and creamy head formation and a slightly toffeeish sweet malt nose. The
palate has a light touch of chocolate and caramel with a deliciously nutty,
slightly sweet dark malt flavor. A gentle hint of fruit is present, too. In
the finish, a touch of hop bitterness balances the sweetness out nicely. I
would expect no less from a Sierra Nevada beer.
Not really an American Brown, Sierra Nevada Brown ale leans more towards the
traditional English brown ale-dark mild category. But it can’t be perfectly
pegged in that category, either. Try it for yourself and see what you think,
if you can find it.
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.