Sierra Nevada Summerfest

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

THOUGHTS: Nothing really special, but way better than Bud and way different than Sam Adam’s Boston Lager. TECHNICAL: Bottle. Poured a sparkling, light to medium yellow with great carbonation and a small, white head the mostly diminished and left fair lacing. The aroma was light grain, and moderate grass and citrus (lemon) hops. The initial flavor was lightly sweet, acidic and bitter with and average duration. There was a little malt flavor along with slight lemon then finished with some grassy hops. The light to medium body was sort of watery and a little dry and fizzy carbonation and a slightly metallic finish.

The 2008 verison is what I have just had. It is a nice, tasty, clean, and drinkable lager. Golden, it has a pretty big white head that steadily shrinks and is a bit bubbly. It leaves a thin wispy top and a hint of lace. The aroma is grain, honey, pine, and herbs, pleasant and clean without the same perfumy grain element many California micro lagers seem to have right now (which can get very tiresome). The taste is herbal with some grain, light sweetness and crips bitterness, overall quite pleasant and clean, and very drinkable. Having just had Harp for the first time, I can say that in some ways this is similar, but a bit better with a little more of a light German pilsner quality to it. I defintiely think that this is far more flavourful and balanced than Sierra Nevada’s own Pale Ale, which everyone drinks but seems very bland to me.

Sierra Nevada does not disappoint, no different here. It’s aroma is mild, but with notes of mild malt and hops. It’s a golden color, with a nice head. It’s a very complex lager, not too bitter not sweet. It’s well balanced, with a tangy hop, that is just right. It’s a smooth, perfect summertime brew.

Bottle poured to glass. Very mild aroma but prenounced hops and taste. Average head that leave nice lacing. Crisp refreshing bite to the tounge.

Very bright yellow, slightly hazy, big white head the leaves a generous lacing initially. Exceptional aroma!...fruity-- fresh pineapple, honeydew... really appealing. Delicious clean grainy palate with a lovely refreshing fruity hop character that mirrors the aroma. An absolutely delicious summer berr-- I wish I had bought more than just one. This could easily become the summer session beer out at the lake for 2008 (last year the summer session beer was Yukon Discovery).

smells like tangerine and sazz. ultra easy drinking but a touch sweet. light in color and a small micro bubble head. its not the pale ale but what is. a good lager.

I can see why this is more "summer oriented" than Sierra Nevada’s usual lineup, but it just wasn’t that good to me. It pours budweiser yellow, with a fair amount of flavor, just not the magic balance that the Pale Ale (or Southern Hemisphere Harvest) has. I won’t buy this again.

2008 12oz. bottle from Pete, thanks man! Pours a clear bright yellow with a foamy white head, moderate lacing. Aroma is light, with lemon, grass and pale malts. Flavor is some light hops bitterness and more pale malts. Pretty one dimensional. Took me back to hot summer nights after graduating from high school drinking Old Mil or Nat Light on gravel roads out in the middle of nowhere with a group of friends. Good times, but not the best of beer!