Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary Fritz & Kens Ale

Formerly brewed at Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
Chico, California USA

Serve in Snifter

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Ahh Bach! This brew is crazy. Pours blackish with a tall lasting head that slowly recedes like a Dutch oven. The smoke on the nose reminds me of a good Islay single malt, throw in some pecan shells and cocoa. Full nectar with excellent carbonation. This brew is smoky, I love it! Intense smoke balanced by a touch of malty sweetness and chocolate. The finish lasts and lasts. TRUMP!

Pours pitch black with a large sudsy head. Smells roasted and of licorice or anise. Taste is strong roast up front, with a bit of licorice-like and alcohol kick that all blend together amazingly (especially with two years of age). Full-bodied with a slick texture and soft mouth-carbonation, Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary Fritz & Ken’s Ale (Imperial Stout) finishes incredibly intense, amazing.

A tremendously dark brown/black color. Only the most faint ruby glow at the very bottom of the glass when held directly to the light. A very dark tan, creamy, smooth head that lasted forever. It is tremendouslty thick. Looks like a milk shake. Unbelievable lacing. I’m in awe already!!! Incredibly well balanced aromas of coffee and chocolate. They are both pronounced, but in no way overpowering and thats a good thing. Some dark fruit notes are mingled in perfectly well to temp me even further. No booze in the nose. Some roasted malt gives it a nice comforting aroma. Perfect!!! The flavor is matched with the aroma. Coffee and chocolate. Not as much of the dark fruit, however none is needed at this point. A wonderful stab of alcohol right at the very end raises the eyebrows and makes me want for another sip. Some dark, roasty fruit notes do make an appearance as it warms a bit. Very well balanced and even with a touch of bitterness. Medium/full mouthfeel. Very, very smooth. Creamy with a slippery, oily type of feel. Leaves a touch of warmth after the initial swallow. Leaves plenty of flavor on the palate, however I would have liked just an itty, bitty, bit more. I’m by no means complaining because it’s still superb. Nicely dry to finish. I am completely taken back by this beer. Easily the best beer that I have had thus far. Nearly perfect in every aspect in my opinion. I’m in total amazement. I’m giddy. The head and appearance, smell and taste are all truly exceptional. I should really look no further because most everything I try from this point on will be a dissapointment. Super easy to drink and it’s incredibly enjoyable. I can’t wait to pick this up again if they still have it available. Everthing about this brew is well balanced. I highly, highly recommend this.

From the classy label artwork, fantastic wire cage and natural cork topped bomber packaging, the cascading pour that settled into a pitch black body and a gigantic khaki head, this beer was visually perfect. The aroma was not overtly stout like, as the hops were the first thing evident, there were notes of toffee, vanilla, and chocolate under that blanket, and everything was melded oh so beautifully. The taste was another "oh my gosh" moment as the sip revealed a flavor profile worthy of a king’s feast. Toffee, coffee, vanilla, raisins, licorice, chocolate, and possibly even banana flavors raced past my tongue with each sip, and amazingly none dominating the other. Silky smooth across the palette with nary a harsh edge to be found. What a beer this is. I got to get me some extra bombers to lay down. A fantastic way to celebrate the 30th anniversary. You remain a class act Sierra Nevada, with your original vision undiluted despite tremendous expansion.

Pours dark brown with a lasting, light brown head. Smells of rich, chocolate, coffeem dark fruit, roasted malt. Tastes of dark chocolate, pepper, some nice hoppy hints, some fruity hints. Taste yields lots of rich cocoa, chocolate, roasted malt, touches of caramel and molasses as the beer warms. An excellent beer from an excellent brewer honoring two amazing people!

At a tasting, thanks YK23, bottle, pours strong black with a nice brown head that dissipates quickly, coffee and smoky aroma, strong coffee and bittersweet chocolate taste, roasted and smoked flavors, bitter aftertaste, and overall an outstanding beer.

Got this at the Monterey Deli in SF (Johnny rules). Dense black with beige head, this is some serious beer. Aroma is coffee but also fruity. Soft silky creamy mouthfeel. Big alcohol up front and in aftertaste, but does not overwhelm the coffee or the fruit (I think strawberries). Simply amazing. Nice bottle for the shelf too...

This is one gorgeous beer. Pours like used motor oil with a 3 finger pillowy tan head. Very enticing aroma of chocolate, coffee, and roasted malts. Flavor is pretty much the same, a little smoky but it’s smooth and velvety, perfect mouthfeel though a little light. and as with any Sierra there’s plenty of hops here to give it a nice balanced flavor and slightly bitter finish. You can taste some alcohol on the very tail end of it too. Excellent beer!

Bottle at a tasting: lots and lots of strong coffee, not espresso and dark chocolate, nothing too complex or out of the ordinary for a imperial stout but so rich, so balanced, light charcoal/bonfire smokiness, honey, light earthy hops all the way through, very, very good.

Wow, feel like I’m overrating this based on the recent ratings but man beer rocked. Great roasted chocolate malts mixed great with a solid hop presence. Some surprising fruit flavors, caramel, maybe a touch of tobacco. Very satisfying.