Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary Grand Cru

Sierra Nevada has been around for 30 years. That's pretty cool. They are like pretty old and stuff. Okay, okay. Trying to watch Beavis and Butt-head and write a beer review is really hard. Huh huh huh, I just said hard. We've got to sit down and do this. Alright... episode is over so time to get productive. Grand Cru is Sierra Nevada's fourth and final beer in their 30th Anniversary series. The three previous brew have been collaborative beers with legendary brewers. However, Grand Cru is a collaborative beer of its own- a combination of three of their most esteemed ales. It is an unfiltered 9.2% ABV mixture of Pale Ale, Celebration Ale and Oak-aged Bigfoot.

Grand Cru pours a dark amber color with a thick laced tan head. The ale smells of citrusy hops with a dark malt overtones. When the beer hits the tongue you immediately taste the piney west coast hops right away. It is definitely full bodied and all three beers are tasted and make their presence known at the right time. The hops from the Pale ale kick in at the beginning and the fullness of the Bigfoot comes in during the middle as you are left with the Celebration Ale-like finish with a wood (huh huh huh, I said wood) flavor lingering at the end. The warmer the beer gets, the more complex flavors come out.

This beer is what an anniversary ale should be- a look at the past but making a step forward. It takes three of their classic and best brews and combines them into beautiful harmony. The alcohol presence is known on the tongue on the back end so when splitting a bomber, it starts getting to your head (huh huh huh, I said head.) This is a beer that would satisfy the great Cornholio and it is the TP for our bungholes.

Oz Scale: 8.9

Mike Scale: 8.8

Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary - Charlie, Fred & Ken's Bock

Sierra Nevada is the second largest micro-brewery next to Boston Beer Co. (Samual Adams.) Both breweries are solid and are typically make beverages for session drinking. With the exception of Sierra Nevada's Bigfoot and Sam Adams Utopias, up until a year ago both breweries stayed out of the ever-growing-in-popularity "big" beer game. Sam Adams then came out with their Imperial line and Sierra Nevada has been coming out with some one-offs to compete in this ever expanding market.

Sierra Nevada's second 30th Anniversary beer is brewed with the of home-brew heroes, Charlie Papazian (author of "Joy of Brewing") and Fred Eckhardt (author of A Treatise of Lagers: How to Make Good Beers at Home) and Sierra Nevada founder Ken Grossman. Charlie, Fred & Ken's bock is an imperial helles bock with a surprising 8.3% ABV.

CFKB pour an amber color with a well carbonated white head and a smell much like a Diet 7-Up with a beer overtone. The taste is traditional for the style but with a light hop bitterness to it. This medium bodied brew is well balanced between malts and hops but it flows down easily given the helfy ABV.

Sierra Nevada proves once again that while they are one of the oldest ones out there, they can still come out with their own Chronic 2001 (Detox, please don't suck.) While they aren't entering a new territory with this beer, they are celebrating the style with something delicious and drinkable. After Ken & Fritz Ale and Life and Limb, we are anticipating any future Sierra Nevada collaboration. Sometimes those collaborations do not work so whatever you do, Sierra Nevada, please don't come out with a liquid version of Chris Cornell's Scream (or even Audioslave for that matter.) Stick to Bowie and Queen or Snoop and Dre. Ain't nothing but a beer thing, baby.

Oz Scale: 7.7

Mike Scale: 7.9

Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary - Fritz And Ken's Ale

Sierra Nevada has always been one of our choices for transitional beers. Their pale ale has helped many consumers into the world of craft brewing. Also, many of their beers stand up with the best (see our 12 Beers of Christmas.) Once any company hits 30 years, it's an great accomplishment so it's time to celebrate. To commemorate their achievement, they have collaborated with many pioneers of brewing to release four 30th anniversary ales. Having been a huge fan of their previous collaboration with Dogfish Head, Life & Limb, we couldn't resist picking up their first offering, Fritz and Ken's ale. Ken Grossman, owner of Sierra Nevada brewed this beer with the help of Fritz Maytag, owner of Anchor Brewing Company. Since this is all about working with others we have our friend and bass player Johnny V to help out with this review.

Fritz and Ken's Ale is an imperial stout weighing in at 9.2% ABV. It pours jet black with a nice carmel colored head. It smells of alcohol, roasted malts, cocoa and carmel. It has strong punch in the beginning and flows down extremely smooth. You are left with a serious alcohol warmth with nice malt and chocolate flavors lingering on the tonge. The body is a bit weak with as the alcohol finishes up the back end. It must be notated that this beer in best drank at around 50 degrees. We tried this as originally around 40-42 degrees but decided to let the beer warm up. As the beer became warm, more and more flavors awoke from behind this black beauty.

If this is any indication of what the other beers in this series will bring, then we will be sure to pick up the next three in the series. It would be great if Sierra Nevada released a year round "big" beer to introduce many others to the world of imperials. Their Torpedo is a step in the right direction and let's hope if they do decide to make a yearly four pack, they taste something like Fritz And Ken's Ale.

Oz Scale: 8.3
Mike Scale: 8.3
John Scale: 8.5

Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA

Sierra Nevada brews are more widely available than most that we drink. Still, nothing has completely struck out with us. Their Celebration Ale this year ranked surprisingly high on our blind winter beer tastings. So when we saw an American style IPA by them in the cooler at World Wines & Liquor in Mentor, we couldn't pass it up.

The first thing you notice from their Torpedo IPA is the rich amber color and a deliciously frothy head. Upon first taste of the 7.2% ABV brew you are reminded of the 70 IBUs but it is immediately overtaken by a floral and citrus arrangement. These hops don't quite wallop but at the finish, you are reminded of them as their taste lingers in your mouth.

There is nothing quite outstanding in this brew. It's got hops for a hophead, but not enough. Also, it's too hoppy for a beginner. This would be an intermediary brew for those not used to American IPA's. What won us over for this beer is the surprisingly high drinkabilty, much like Great Lake's Oktoberfest. If you want a sipping IPA, this isn't it. If you want to be floored by 4 PM on a Sunday like we will be, pick yourself up a 6-pack or two.

Oz Scale: 7.2

Mike Scale: 7.2

It's the Most Wonderful Time For Beer: The 12 Beers Of Christmas (Part 1)

The first snow of the year and six
blind tasting beers sat before us. The colder it becomes outside, the better the seasonals seem to be. Ah, yes winter. Thicker, more robust ales come our way and we couldn't wait to share some with you. Being the label whores we are, we wanted to prove to our beer knowlege was up to snuff with a good old fashioned taste test- wine style. Our choices of the night were: Flying Dog K-9 Cruiser Ale, Blue Moon's Winter Ale, Great Lakes Brewing Co's Christmas Ale, Sierra Nevada's Celebration Ale Summit Winter Ale and Bell's Christmas Ale. Our good friend and guest judge Nick helped us make sure we did not pass judgement because of the logo on the label.

The ratings and guesses:

Sample 1: Malty, Toffee flavor. Finishes average, taste does not linger.
Oz Scale: 6.0 (Summit)
Mike Scale: 6.7 (Summit)
Nick Scale: 7.5

Sample 2: Hints of ginger and cinnamon. Slight hops aftertaste. Swims down your throat.
Oz Scale: 7.9 (Great Lakes)
Mike Scale: 7.9 (Great Lakes)
Nick Scale: 8.4

Sample 3: It hits well but fails to finish close to expectations. It's a blue balls beer (you get all excited on the first sip but in the end you just find yourself holding yourself for comfort.) Could pass as a fall seasonal.
Oz Scale: 6.2 (Sierra Nevada)
Mike Scale: 5.4 (Blue Moon)
Nick Scale: 3.4

Sample 4: Sweet smell, average finish. Could pass as a spring seasonal or even a year long brew. Has a surprising slight kick. Slight malt finish.
Oz Scale: 6.8 (Blue Moon)
Mike Scale: 6.6 (Sierra Nevada)
Nick Scale: 5.4

Sample 5: Great kick, powerful finish. Sweet but sour. Malt and hops are balanced. Spices are subtle but welcomed.
Oz Scale: 7.7 (Flying Dog)
Mike Scale: 7.4 (Bell's)
Nick Scale: 9.0

Sample 6: Powerful taste in all the right ways. Hop aroma and taste. Slight sweetness.
Oz Scale: 8.2 (Flying Dog)
Mike Scale: 8.3 (Bell's)
Nick Scale: 10

Actual Brews:
Sample 1: Summit Winter Ale (Averaged 6.7)
Sample 2: Great Lakes Christmas Ale (Averaged 8.1)
Sample 3: Flying Dog K-9 Cruiser Winter Ale (Averaged 5)
Sample 4: Blue Moon Full Moon (Average 6.3)
Sample 5: Bell's Christmas Ale (Averaged 8.0)
Sample 6: Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale (Averaged 8.8)

Both Oz and Mike guess correctly on half the six beers. Surprisingly Flying Dog (being one of Oz and Mike's favorite brewing companies) did not live up the their standards.

Here is a look at the brews resting on the fresh snow:














And here is a look at them as the snow starts to melt (20 hours later, the next day and the following day)