Sierra Nevada Summerfest

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

Nope. Not a great ’summertime’ lager..unless you want a too sweet, very hoppy lager for the summertime. Most of us don’t. Too expensive for what they’re offering.

2007 12 oz bottle. Pale yellowbordering on whtie, large foamy head. Light fruit aroma with notes of wheat and hops. Strong hops presence up front, bitter, cry and a bit tangy and a bit spicy. Not very summer like, maybe after mowing a few lawns it would be better.

Small head, light malt aroma, nothing other notable. A very light bite with a crisp-dry hop finish, not tremendous but enjoyable.

old rating: 5/3/6/3/12 - 2.9 (summerfest 2007) 5/3/6/3/12 - 2.9 (summerfest 2008) summerfest 2009. pour is a clear yellow with a medium white head, and some lacing. smell is faint, slight grain, some straw, and a little citrus. taste is crisp, smooth, grain, some malt, a little corn, and some citrus.

June 2005 - Just another one of those summer seasonals that I’m not fond of. A little better than say, a Sam Adams Summer Ale, but then again, that’s not saying much. Golden brown, decent head. Just another lager. RERATE May 2008 - Pour was golden, decent head and lacing. Sweet pils malt aroma. This beer is a crisp and refreshing lager, with sweet pilsner like malts and a nice bitter grassy hop finish. Crisp, clean and refreshing. A nice beer for hot weather sipping or enjoyment with some food.

Bottle. To my palate this tastes like what in German is described as a ’Pils’. Its way better than any larger you’d get on tap in a stardard UK pub. I tasted a lot of German pilsners when I was in Berlin in the summer and this easily beats them. Sure, its a larger - but it does everything right: the dryness of the hops balances with the crisp citrus notes, and just the right amount of alcohol roughness to keep it intresting. In a limited style this is about as good as I’ve had, I’ll be taking it to my next BBQ for sure.

Picked up a single 12-oz bottle at Flanagan’s Liquors in Appleton, Wisconsin. Pours a light blonde pale brew with a decent, thick white head that dissolves to a fine film and good lacing. Aroma of multi-grain/corn malt, flowery hops, and some citrus zest. Taste is light to medium bodied, light carbonation, with a light bready malt and a hint of tangerine zest. Finish is slightly spicey, mild bitter with a tangerine citrus aftertaste.

Great lager, just the right amount of carbonation and a great balance of malt and hops. The hop content gives a mild spiciness in the background that is just barely noticeable, very subtle. My only problem with it is that it smells too ’beery’ (think Heineken); I would have enjoyed a couple notches more of hops.