Sierra Nevada Kellerweis Hefeweizen

It has been a while since I had something new to drink, so thought I would go with the new Sierra Nevada Kellerweis Hefeweizen that I picked up at ol’ Malt & Vine the other day… Sierra Nevada touts that this beer was brewed in open fermentation style where the top of the fermenting tank is left open… this can be dangerous as it is easier to contaminate, but if done in a very sanitary environment can also lend depth and character to the brew… lets see… on to the review:

Pours a cloudy, light-yellow with a small head. Nose is defnitely yeasty… it almost smells like it is in the fermenting tank still… Much more yeasty than a traditional hefeweisen, that is for sure. First taste is nice… different. The front of the beer definitely has belgian influences but as you head to the back and finish, you can taste the citrus of the American Hefe… very nice. Overall, drink after drink brings the same results, giving you a little European flare to your standard American Hefeweisen. Think Hefe meets Belgian and you have this one nailed.

Nice work on the style, Sierra Nevada!!

Details:

alcohol content 4.8% by volume
yeast Ale Yeast
beginning gravity 12.8 Plato
malts Two-row Pale, Wheat, Munich
ending gravity 3.5 Plato
bittering hops Perle or Sterling
bitterness units 15

JBB6 Rating: Will Buy Again

Sierra Nevada 12th Release Harvest Ale

Sweet sweet wet hop Sierra Nevada Harvest Ale, hallowed be thine name… thy beer come, down my gullet… to rest in my warmed belly. 

This super-solid brew uses a style of hopping where they don’t dry or turn the hops into rabit food, but they actually bring it fresh from the plant and throw it in their batches of beery goodness.  This gets the most out of the hop and doesn’t allow any of the juices or flavors escape… similar to picking herbs straight out of the herb garden.  In this instance, it does the body good and brings forth an amazing brew that hits you just like it should in all the right places. 

Clean, hoppy nose leads to a refreshing dose of hoppy goodness in the body and finish… really hits throughout the drink, so you don’t have to think about where and when the hops were used, but they are just omnipresent… always with you from soup to nuts.  The nice thing about this brew, though, is that they aren’t trying too hard… at 6.7% ABV, this isn’t some huge hopped up mess like the guy at the gym who is living on ‘roids… no… this brew is ‘roid free and just heavy enough to keep it interesting, but light enough to not question the doping. 

Overall a super solid brew that balances the hops perfectly from start to finish.  Wet hopping FTW!

JBB6 Rating: For the Win

Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA

Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA… a brilliant orange IPA with a healthy head, perfectly hoppy nose… almost like you were sniffing them raw just before the boil. Body hits hoppy, as well.. guessing this was dry hopped (confirmed it was on the six pack box), but either way the hops hit for sure. finish is bitter but a bit sweet… overall impression is this is a good strong hopped beer… may not be for everyone but fits the PNW just fine.

JBB6 Rating: Will Buy Again

Sierra Nevada Summerfest Lager

I was attacked by a pirate tonight…

He was trying to take my beer but I was able to fend him off with an easy stiff-arm to the forehead…  Good thing since I really was enjoying this beer and I didn’t want to give it up.  Sierra Nevada Summerfest Lager was at the back of the beer fridge, so I figured I would pull it up to the majors and give it a try. 

A very lager-y lager, this fine brew was nice and refreshing on a hot summer afternoon after a long day at work.  It was just the right level of hops and didn’t leave a nasty aftertaste like some cheap lagers can.  It was crisp as the bottle notes, easy on the lips, beautiful gold in color, and the 5% gave me a quick little reminder of why beer is relaxing. 

All in all, a wonderful little lager that will be a good addition to anyone’s beer fridge or belly (if you don’t have a beer fridge, by chance).

JBB6 Rating: Will Buy Again

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

Beer number three on this blog (meaning types, not bottles ) from our friends at Sierra Nevada Brewery.  Sierra Nevada Pale Ale comes into its own as a solid choice in the category.  Granted, I have had about 4 Widmer Hefeweizens tonight, but I don’t think that is impairing my judgement as much as it would be my eyesight… I know this is good stuff since we had a few the other night on Po’s deck and then I had another one the other night just because.  A good beer with a strength that belies its label and sneaks up on you as you are sitting harmlessly on the porch.  Plenty of tasty hops and enough bitterness to let you know you are drinking real beer.  This is a good choice all year round.  Clean and refreshing on a warm summer day, but strong and warming if it is a bit chilly or wet outside.

JBB6 Rating: Will Buy Again

Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine

Rough day today.  Started out by sleeping in past work-out time which ultimately caused me to be driving during prime time driving time and right in the sites of a police man who gave me a ticket for speeding.  I can’t lie… I was speeding.  Very unfortunate as I have no tickets or accidents in WA state (except for this one, touch wood).  So, going to try to have it deferred and will see what happens.  Info on deferral is here if you are interested: King County Traffic Infraction Q&A.

So, started the day crappy and was really ready for a good beer tonight (especially since there wasn’t any in our all-afternoon meeting) grr…

Beer of choice, then: Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine.  Chosen because I needed the high alcohol content (9.6%) and because it is 1 of 3 that I have left in the fridge.

About the beer… well… it was ok.  The first thing I noticed was a very busy pour with a small head.  Plenty of carbonation, but you can just see that it has more alcohol in it.  Second thing was the strong, pungent smell that had me thinking IPA.  Which it ended up tasting like, as well.  Very much like a super-strong, very hoppy IPA that has been pumped up (like Hans and Franz!).  Overall a bit strong for my taste, although, I might be of a different mind if I were to be having it with cheese or chocolate as the website suggests instead of french dip and corn…

JBB6 Rating: Middle of the Road

Note to self… this is review #94.

Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale

A sneaky treat, this… and definitely one worth having.

The two friends you see below had been hanging out in Dug’s fridge for quite some time, and today was the day they were brought forth, set free from their dark and dreary imprisonment to shine in our midst for a few glorious moments. Lighting up the gloomy winter afternoon like a star guiding wise men across parched and dusty desert lands, the brewmasters of Sierra Nevada brought a happy mid-week smile and some well-deserved good cheer to your trusty companions.

A bitter, bitter aroma and some strong hops are the first impression, one that doesn’t fade despite the earthen malty undertones that sneak onto the palate after the inital hop hit fades. There’s an undercurrent of something here too. Bread, perhaps? Definitely something warm and homely about it, something that makes you feel comfortable and happy just to have it in your hand. Perhaps it’s the 6.8%ABV working it’s magic.

This is an amazing beer – despite the “2007″ on the label, beer of the year so far. I know that ain’t saying much given my consumption levels to date, but I bet it stays in the top 5.

**UPDATE**

This was done before we had the JBB6 system… now that we have it, I am updating with the rating, a few more comments, and a new picture.

Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale

Big head.  6.8% ABV.  Honey brown color.  Hoppy smell – clean smell.  Mild hops – mild body.  Smooth finish.

JBB6 Rating: Will Buy Again

 

No pour, for we supped direct from the bottle like the plebs we are. I bet it looks beautiul though. It should do.