Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary Jack & Kens Ale

Formerly brewed at Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Chico, California USA

Serve in Snifter

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Pours black with a brown head. Smells malty, roasted, with hints of pine-like bitterness. Taste is is roasted and piney. Full-bodied with a slightly chalky texture with mild mouth-carbonation, Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary Jack & Ken’s Ale (Black Barleywine) finishes with a roasted bitterness.

Wow, this is one truly fantastic beer. Rich aroma, very dark black color. This beer is tasty from the head to the last drop. Rich molasses and chocolate, tons of hops, an excellent finish. I truly hope that they offer this beer henceforward, preferably a tad cheaper and in a six-pack. Jackpot on this one!!

Bottle from Beers of Europe, Kings Lynn. A black beer that pours with a thin white head. It has a very rich liquorice and vanilla flavour with a smooth creamy fruity, hoppy finish. Excellent!

THOUGHTS: A lot like Sam Adams Triple Bock and North Coast Old Stock, but a little easier to drink. Very warming, too, without being harshly alcoholic. A great beer. It kept getting better the warmer it got. Went great with Easter candy. TECHNICAL: Bottle. Poured a very dark reddish brown that looked black in the glass with ruby highlights in the light and an average, tan head that mostly diminished, but kept a decent sheet that left fairl lacing. The aroma had moderate to heavy roasted and burnt malts; molasses, caramel, chocolate and coffee; light to moderate, pine hops; slight citrus hops; apple; cherry; wood; soy sauce; smoke; brown sugar; maple syrup; vanilla; licorice; dome dark fruit; and that barley wine smell. The initial flavor was moderate to rather sweet and slight to moderately biter; while the finish was rather to heavily sweet and moderate to rather bitter with a fairly long duration. There was chocolate syrup, chocolate cake icing, that barley wine taste, maple syrup, molasses, caramel, raisin, plum, prune, black cherry, a little alcohol, a little tobacco, dark chocolate, coffee, pine hops, come citrus hops, soy sauce, smoke, roasted malt and burnt malt. The full body was rather oily, but also a little syrupy and sticky o the lips with tingly, but fairly soft carbonation and a light to moderately alcoholic finish.

From a 750ml bottle from Grape and Gourmet poured into a snifter. This beer has a THICK tan head that simply will not go down. Lots of carbonation bubbles and some decent lacing. The color is black, even when held up to the light. It has a strong caramel malt smell with some slightly citrusy hops. The taste is heavy bitter and lightly sweet with a slight aftertaste of salt. This beer is full bodied and very thick with a small taste of coffee. Slightly above average carbonation with a long bitter finish. Overall this beer is an A+. I wish this was still available in my area so I could buy it again.

Incredible frothy head that kept its structure well. Full flavored and smooth. Gorgeous coloring.

First smell..regular old barleywine type thing going on..but man. The Taste..starts off like some type of black beer i.e. a black lager or black ipa..then i get the barleywine..then a sour finish? One of the most unique beers i’ve had the pleasure of drinking. Cheers to Sierra Nevada!

Poured from the 22oz bottle purchased @ the brewery. Pours really dark brown with a nice tan head. Aroma is malty, and of dried fruit, reminding me of Lagunitas brews. Lacing is minimal. Flavour is nice mostly of sweet malt. The high alcohol is not really noticeable. Overall a delicious barley wine.

This is really a great beer. It’s big in all the right ways. A true american style barleywine with a strong hint of malt and a bit of roast. The black isn’t just for looks. Great collab.

Bottle. I’ve been laying this down for a while, but can’t stand it anymore. Gotta open it. The pour should be used as a prototype ... sexy and alluring to any beer lover. Dark black with a concrete topping of tight light tan foam. The aroma, too, is as enticing as it can be ... rich with roasted malt and inviting sugars. This drinks with an amazing richness, thick with syrup, and a unique woody spiciness. Not for the feint of heart (or palate), this one will put me down nicely for my afternoon nap amidst Hurricane Sandy. (#4808, 10/28/2012)