Sierra Nevada Rauch Beer

Brewed by Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
Style: Smoked
Chico, California USA

Draft at the Blind Tiger. No head covers this cloudy amber body. Well focused if a bit too light aroma propose gentle cookie, bready, nutty flavours with obvious soily peaty smokiness procuring cask wood and campfire notes. As it warms up, every sip procures new fruit suggestions, ranging from leathery, mushroomy apricots to juicy peaches. Very good stuff, I’d only wish the body would be a bit more full and confident, less thin and oily, but this remains most satisfying, well done!

Tap at dba NY. Deep reddish color with a decent head. Nice smoky aroma with notes of caramel, smoke, and hops. Nice balanced brew!

Tap @ Blind Tiger. One of my favorite styles and this stuff didn’t dissapoint. Kind of a light copper color with a thin veil of a head. Burnt white ash aroma and light smoky taste. Mellow light apricot flavor. Lightly sweet and balanced really well. I’d really love to see this stuff again.

On tap at BJ’s in Laguna Hills, CA. Pours a clear amber color with a minimal head. I’d say that this beer is lightly smoked, both in the nose and in the flavor. You can certainly get the smokiness, but it’s nowhere near Alaskan Smoked Porter, for example. I like smoked beers, and I thought that this struck a good balance between smokiness, drinkability and mass appeal.

Not my favorite SN brew. Had this at the SN Restaurant with a burger the other day. Pour was dark caramel with very minimal head but decent lacing. Lacked body as it had a watery mouthfeel and could have used some more carbonation. Smokey aroma and taste which was "different" but good. Worth a try to say the least, but there are other SN’s better.

Blind Tiger Big Beer Festival 2003. Clear brown colour, smokey aroma. Smokey, nutty choc-malt flavours though it felt a little too thin to hold the considerable smoke presence, probably 'cause it was served too cold.

Very good. The smoke is definitly noticeable in the flavor. It has a chesnut flavor that rests on the palate outstanding.

An interesting beer to say the least. A dark amber colored lager with a hint of malt and hops in the aroma. The taste is somewhat dry with a hint of smoke. Worth the trip to Chico.