Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary Our Brewers Reserve - Grand Cru

Formerly brewed at Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
Style: American Strong Ale
Chico, California USA

Serve in Snifter, Tulip

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Pours dark amber, mahogany, with a finger and a half of off-white, tannish fizz. Smells hoppy, piney, some grapefruit, lots of oak, and a strong caramel malt backbone. Taste is very bitter, strong hop presence, lots of oaky tannins and some solid malt sweetness. Full-bodied with a gripping texture and average mouth-carbonation, Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary Grand Cru finishes with a nice bitterness from hops and oaky wood.

I liked this beer alot but maybe its because I’m a big fan of the Sierra Nevada beer line these combine nicely and has a good balance. Good beer to celebrate with. Has that signature Sierra Nevada taste a step up from the pale ale.

Smells of tropical fruit, peaches, mango and tangerine. I taste is fruity, citrus, juicy and finishes with a hop bite and a slight medicinal note. This beer is not too heavy. It is a year old and I am surprised that it has remained as hoppy as it has. I would have thought it would have faded a bit.

Poured a wonderful amber color with a light cream colored head. Smells of toffee and carmel followed by sweet malt and fresh bitter hops. Sweet malty tastes with carmel and hops with undertones of oak. Great beer...relax and enjoy!

Pours a deep amber color with a large white head. Very nice retention and lacing. The smell is really interesting. Piney hops mostly, but it definitely has an underlying sweetness. Smooth up front, hoppiness come up second. Nice smooth aftertaste, not as dry as I would have expected. Warming alcohol feeling as you drink. Very balanced, I believe the oak ads a nice balancing sweetness to it. Medium bodied. Feels wonderful to drink. Unbelievable. Definitely my favorite SN 30th Anniversary. Gonna pick up a few more of these bad boys

Serving glass: Poured from 750ml bottle into Nonic Imperial Pint. Appearance: Slightly hazy burnt amber with thick, foamy, cream-colored head that leaves lacing on everything it touches. Aroma: Strong orange driven citrus, light grapefruit, and toasted & caramel malt. Somewhat spicy as well with a touch of pine. Taste: Fantastic balance. The citrusy (orange, grapefruit) hops play very nicely with the caramel and toffee driven malt backbone. Pine, spice and bitterness rear up toward the finish. Don’t really detect the oak-aging, but perhaps the overall profile has been tempered as a result. Really does taste like a happy mix between a Barleywine and an IPA, but does not really seem like a DIPA. As it warms in the glass, the Barleywine profile becomes more apparent. I think the Pale Ale contributes the orange driven hops, as Celebration and Bigfoot are more along the grapefruit end of the citrus spectrum. Palate: Moderate carbonation, with a full, creamy body that is very dry and warming. Overall: This is just an unbelievable beer, almost on par with their Celebration Ale, which is my desert island beer. Easily the best of the 30th Anniversary lineup.

THOUGHTS: Tons of hops flavors without being overwhelmingly bitter. The three beers came together better than I ever would have expected. I thought the combination was a little odd, but it come together in on of the best beers I’ve ever had. Perfectly balanced and on the edge of being extreme. Very complex. Surprised by all the wood smell even after all the blending. That made it really unique. All in all, great. After some more aging it might be great beyond words. TECHNICAL: Bottle. Poured a medium to dark reddish amber with an average to large, cream-colored head that mostly, but slowly diminished and kept a nice sheet throughout and left good lacing. The aroma was a little weak at times and so woody. It had moderate molasses and caramel; moderate to heavy grapefruit and orange hops; lighter floral hops; light spicy yeast; a lot of cask wood; toffee; light vanilla; alcohol; nectar; and other fruit. The initial flavor was moderate to rather sweet and light to moderately bitter; while the finish was rather to heavily sweet and heavily bitter with a long duration. There was caramel, molasses, that barley wine taste, wood, grape, fruit and orange hops, alcohol, pine hops, maple syrup, floral hops, vanilla, more wood, cherry, brown sugar, slight raisin, a little spicy yeast and I want to say, something that tasted a bit like ginger. The body, which was a little heavier than medium was a little syrupy, but slick, too and sticky on the lips with fairly soft, yet rather tingly carbonation and a lightly alcoholic finish.

Amber with good, creamy, tan head / Sweet nose of sour malt, caramel, dry hops, and alcohol / Full body, chewy and moderately sweet, with excellent balance and long, dry, finish / Rich, elegant, flavors of caramel, nuts, dry hops, grapefruit, and oak / Great.

750 ml bottle, corked and caged. Pours a pretty deep amber hue with a 2 finger creamy off white head that receded slowly, leaving a coating of lace on the glass. Big citrus hop aroma balanced perfectly with sweet malt and scents of toffee and brown sugar. The latter being a contribution from the Bigfoot part of the blend. Flavor is dominated by sweet malt, tempered just right by the citrus hops contributed by the Celebration. Just a touch of vanilla in there too. Full bodied palate with good carbonation. This was a great brew.

Trying to catch up on old notes. Amber with nice lasting head. Fresh green sweet hop aroma. Rich caramel vanilla with mild red fruit and complex hop finish. Like a great version of Bigfoot. Excellent.