Sierra Nevada Brewing Company Pale Ale
What the brewers say
“Pale Ale’s unique piney and grapefruit aromas from the use of whole-cone American hops have fascinated beer drinkers for decades and made this beer a classic. It is all natural, bottle-conditioned, and refreshingly bold.”
What our panel thought
Aroma: “Light grapefruit, lemon, and floral notes with a slight grainy sweetness behind hops aroma. A little restrained for style, but still pleasant. Light sweet malt notes with a touch of biscuit malt. Mostly clean with low esters and just a hint of sulfur.”
Flavor: “Nice up-front hops, balanced wonderfully with a soft malt character. Citrus rind dominates hops flavors with some floral notes. A slight juiciness may be related to the slight caramel note from the malt. Restrained yeast notes provide a subtle fruitiness that works well. Light and carbonic—very drinkable. Definitely hops forward but not out of balance, with a slight lingering bitterness.”
Overall: “This is your dad’s pale ale—a pretty classic-style pale ale that’s rounded out with no intense sharp edges that hits straight down the middle. All ingredients play well together, but nothing really sticks out. A clean, quaffable pale ale with just a touch of sweetness in mid-palate and a bit mild on the hops for a modern APA.”
