Sierra Nevada Brewing Company Stout
What the brewers say
“Before Sierra Nevada, our founders brewed beer at home, brewing beers they wanted to drink—bold and full of flavor. Thirty years later, we’re still brewing the beers we want to drink, and our classic Stout is the same as it’s ever been—big, rich, bold, black as night, and filled with wild-eyed passion.”
What our panel thought
Aroma: “Light coffee and honeysuckle aromas. Roast malt with a slight peppery sparkle and an earthy but mild hops nose. Sweet malt and roast character balanced with a bit of vanilla, chocolate, and coffee flavors. Interesting, though out of place, floral notes.”
Flavor: “Medium roast and light malt sweetness with light-moderate earthy hops bitterness. Finish is a touch grainy and slightly astringent. Some dark malt but more like a brown ale than a stout. Bitterness in the finish is clearly from hops, not roast, and though appropriate, is a little out of balance with a low perceived sweetness. A bit musky.”
Overall: “This beer is tasty, just not very exciting. The body is bit thin and the roast character is one-dimensional. It’s clean and drinkable but it doesn’t really deliver on the stout promise.”
