Sierra Nevada Summerfest

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

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company Summerfest Beer--1997 Release--12 oz. Bottle--5.00% ABV--Pilsner. 1998 Release--12 oz. Bottle--5.00% ABV. (3.5 / 5.0) Pilsner--Bright Straw Golden color. Clean Malt body. Good hop character. Easy, but too much so. 1999 Release--12 oz. Bottle--5.00% ABV. (3.25 / 5.0) Pilsner--Clear light bright golden color. Light Pilsner like Saaz hop aroma. Very crisp smooth lightly sweet malty body that improves with time and is enhanced by light carbonation. Refreshing clean finish. Sampled 7/15/1999. 2000 Release--12 oz. Bottle--5.00% ABV. (3.75 / 5.0) Pilsner--Clear bright golden color. Light floral Saaz nose. Pours light head but leaves rich lace. Smooth body with a rich light sweet fruit lager malt flavor. Mild clean balanced light hop end. Sampled 6/13/2000. 2001 Release--12 oz. Bottle--5.00% ABV. (4.25 / 5.0) Pilsner--Very clear rich bright golden color. Malty Saaz hop front. Clean smooth malty slightly creamy pilsner body evolves slight caramel sweet notes. Hops dominate through malt to spicy bitter citrus Saaz end. Sampled 5/10/2001. 2002 Release--12 oz. Bottle--5.00% ABV. (4.0 / 5.0) Pilsner--Clear light bright golden color. Big white head dissipates easily. Crisp rich floral Pilsner Saaz hop front. Tasty crisp mildly sweet butterscotch Pilsner malt body. Refreshing crisp mild citrus end. Sampled 6/4/2002. 2003 Release--12 oz. Bottle--5.00% ABV. (4.25 / 5.0) Pilsner--Clear bright thin golden color. Tangy floral hop front. Tangy crisp mild citrus butter sweet Pilsner butterscotch body. Crisp clean rich citrus hop end. Rich hoppy malty Pils. Very nice. Sampled 10/23/2003 2004 Release--12 oz. Bottle--5.00% ABV--20 IBU’s? (4.0 / 5.0) Pilsner--Rich foamy lacy head. Clear thin bright light golden color. Rich earthy floral hop front. Tangy smooth dry sweet crisp mild butter caramel Pils body. Tangy clean mild citrus hop spice end. Hoppy. Sampled 4/13/2004. 2005 Release--12 oz. Bottle--5.00% ABV--32 IBU’s. (4.25 / 5.0) Pilsner--Mild lace head. Clear bright golden color. Rich floral Pilsner hop front. Crisp tangy rich buttery caramel crystal Pilsner malt body. Rich citrus balanced hop end. Very tasty crisp clean hoppy Pils. Sampled 4/27/2005. 2006 Release--12 oz. Bottle--5.00% ABV--32 IBU’s. (4.25 / 5.0) Pilsner--Rich lacy head. Clear bright yellow gold color. Tangy crisp Saaz hop front. Clean mildly tangy butter caramel crisp mild citrus zesty malt body. Tangy clean hop spice mild bitter end. Hoppy malty Pils. Sampled 7/20/2006. 2007 Release--12 oz. Bottle--5.00% ABV--32 IBU’s. (4.5 / 5.0) Pilsner--Mild lace white head. Clear bright rich yellow color. Tangy spicy Saaz hop front. Crisp clean refreshing mild butter caramel tangy Pils body.Tangy hop spice crisp clean refreshing Pils end. Nice Pils. Sampled 5/15/2007. 2008 Release--12 oz. Bottle--5.00% ABV--32 IBU’s. (4.25 / 5.0) Pilsner--Rich dense lacy white head. Clear rich bright pretty yellow gold color. Crisp Saaz hop front. Crisp mild citrus tangy caramel Pils body. Easy hop spice slightly bitter clean dry sweet citrus hint refreshing crisp American Pils end. Sampled 1/29/2009.6-Pack--$7.99. 2009 Release--12 oz. Bottle--5.00% ABV--32 IBU’s. (4.5 / 5.0) Pilsner--No sediment. Big foamy lacy fizzy white head. Clear bright thin straw yellow gold color. Crisp Saaz Hop front. Crisp mild sweet zesty butter caramel Saaz Perle infused rich tangy Pils body. Refreshing clean Saaz hop spice crisp dry balanced bitter end. Excellent. Sampled 6/18/2009. 6-Pack--$6.99.

Bottle to pint glass. Average head with good lacing. Clear body and yellow color. Average malt and light hop flavors. Light & thin on the palate. Soft carbonation. Not my cup of tea.

Pours clear pale gold/yellow with a fading frothy white head. Aroma- pear, peach, lemongrass, orange. Taste is earthy and full of grainy bitter and sweet grassy flavors. Light body and medium carbonation. Very easy to drink but very plain also.

A: Pours a light golden hue with an average sized soapy head. Some rising bubbles noted but no lace. S: Smell is of light crisp pale malt and lager yeast. Biscuit, bread and grains really come thru as well. A slight hint of light citrus hops are there as well. T: I had this one on draft last year and did not like it due to a real metallic taste. Let’s see if this years offering is any better. It starts of with a nice mild malt sweetness with hints of toasted malt. Some nice citrus comes come thru with a touch of bitterness. Just when I thought this one had really improved a strange metallic chemical flavor appears in the finish and really lingers. M: Medium in body, crisp with a dry metallic finish.

12oz bottle. Pours a clear, bright honey-golden color; fluffy white head with decent retention and mixed-bubbled lacing. Lightly sweet aroma of basic malt sugars, honey, rather light bitterness; a touch of cardboard / paper notes as well. Lively presence in the mouth: zesty citrus and mineral bitterness at the front of things, a highly effervescent carbonation; honestly, a touch sharp at the front; definitely a charismatic lager: a solid hop presence, assertive bitterness, enough light maltiness to keep things presentable; highly drinkable beer. Very pleasant, bitter perimeter of citrus and mineral notes makes this a nice, mouthwatering bit of business. A medium finish of toasted cereal, zesty minerals, and lightly bitter at the far end.

Clear golden color with no haze. Two finger creamy white head that holds up up for a short period. Decent retention. Light lacing. Grassy floral hop notes mixed with a slight sweet bready maltiness. Slight sweetness of the malts come in first. Followed up by a spicy hop bite, that, to me personally, is abit out of balance. Light bodied, almost to the point of waterey. Minimal carbonation. As with alot of Sierra Nevada products, I can’t see myself drinking this too often. They just seem to be a brewery that doesn’t quite hit the balance point often enough.

Poured from bottle into Pilsner glass. Bright and clear gold. Very active but not much head. Primarily smell Saaz - pepper, grass, floral and some bitterness. Peppery hops and relatively dry malts. More spicy than bitter at end, although there is some bitterness. Medium body and carbonation, semi-dry. Fairly mild and balanced Pilsner. Easy drinking.

350ml Bottle at Home 22/04/2009 (2007 Vintage) Carbonation. White head. Hop aroma. Clear golden coloured hoppy and fruity grapefruit. Smooth on the palate wih a little bitterness and dryness in a malt finish.