Tasted Sierra Nevada Pale Ale for First Time

[Willy Boner]

Something about this post bothers me. It's not about "forcing down beer that you don't like". It's about keeping an open mind. If other people like something, there must be a reason for it. I think anybody can acquire a taste for anything. The more tastes that you acquire, the more things you can enjoy. I used to hate hoppy bitter beers. I love them now. I used to hate sauerkraut. I love it now. I hated kimchi when I first tried it. I love it now. The list goes on and on. If you dismiss things and refuse to try them ever again, you're doing yourself a disservice. I've found that the tastes that I have acquired I enjoy the most.

A friend of mine that chewed tobacco told me if you mixed nicotine with cow****, you could convince yourself it tasted pretty good. I took his word for it.

 

[ChshreCat]

I've had it a few times and while I don't actively dislike it, I'm not crazy for it. When I was down in Cali and SNPA was the only non-BMC choice when I went for dinner, I drank it and it was fine. But if there's other choices, I'll go with something else. And I like a hoppy APA and love cascades.

 

[gerbache]

I actually find SNPA to be one of the more balanced pale ales out there, especially by west coast standards. I definitely would not put it into the category of the stereotypical west coast stuff-it-full-of-hops beers that have been the more recent trend. After all, they've been doing their pale ale for, what, 25 years now? It is only 37 IBUs according to their website...

Now, their Torpedo IPA, that's a hops blast! A delicious one, at that.

 

[passedpawn]

Now, their Tornado IPA, that's a hops blast! A delicious one, at that.

Torpedo? .

 

[gerbache]

Doh! Wrong "T" word! This is why I shouldn't post about beer before having my morning coffee.

 

[AnOldUR]

I am sorry that you are bothered by my post.

You're right, I shouldn't be bothered. It's your right to drink beer that you don't like.

I bought a 6 pack of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale to see what it tastes like and I have 2 bottles left. I am posting about my experience because I was shocked at the taste of the highly touted ale. What should I do, throw the last 2 bottles in the trash can?

If after 4 bottles, I clearly didn't like the beer, yeah, I'd toss the rest. If the taste had an appeal, but was a bit over the top for me, I'd put that one on the side and try some other samples of the style.

Maybe I should not try any other types of beer/ale because there is a chance I will not like them, right?

Where did this even come from. Of course you should try things. That doesn't mean you have to like them. And if you don't like it now, it doesn't mean you won't like it if you try it again a year from now. You owe it to yourself to always continue to try things old and new.

Last night I drank 2 more bottles of the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale... just 2 more to go... and I was a little more able to tolerate it.

Quite frankly, you sound like a 10 year old trying to get through his first pack of cigarettes. Drinking beer shouldn't be about tolerating. It should be about enjoying. May be you chose your words wrong, but this was the wording that I was responding to.

If you're destined to become a hophead it will happen over time. You won't be able to stop it. And you'll enjoy the journey.

Clearly, you missed the point of my last post. Choking down a six pack isn't the way to aquire a taste for a beer. Try one of these. Try one of those. If it's a taste that you have the potential of liking, it will grow on you over time. My point was simply that you don't have to force it.



Someday I hope we can share a Stone Double Bastard!

 

[RichBenn]

Doh! Wrong "T" word! This is why I shouldn't post about beer before having my morning coffee.

Sure you weren't drinking some? That stuff goes down so easy one has to be carefull and count how many was consumed!

Torpedo has made me certain that Citra hops will be my next hops purchase. I guess that's the beauty of trying new beers. New flavors to experience and, just maybe, incorporate into the next recipe....

For that reason, and to the original poster's buying a six pack, the trick is to find a place with a wide selection and volume sales that sells by the bottle. That way you get to try out alot of different beers in the same timeframe one drinks a sixpack.

Even better, if one wants to get a quick education on beer styles and who is good, go to a beerfest. Some of them have so many different beers from so many great breweries, you'll think you died and went to heaven!

Rich

 

[wendelgee2]

I have to say that I reluctantly drink SNPA when I it's the only non-BMC around. It's harsh. This is a DRY, fairly bitter, fairly highly carbonated beer. And, honestly, I don't even taste that much cascade character. All of that, to my tongue, equates to harsh bitterness and a thin body. (sounds like this girl I used to date...) Anyway, I don't call that "balanced." Not by a damn sight. Dogfish 60Min is balanced: lots of hop bitterness, lots of hop flavor, lots of malt. SNPA is just plain acidic.

Edit: I just remembered Jamil saying that SNPA Draught that you can get at the brewery is much less dry, much more of a malt backbone...therefore: more balanced.

 

[jdp]

I got thinking about the original post earlier this morning, and your concern over brewing a batch similar to the sierra nevada.

In about june of last year, I brewed an IPA. After bottle conditioning for 3 weeks I absolutey hated it. I gave a case to my neighbor and just shy of a case to my uncle, who put in his cellar until about 3 weeks ago. he was out of cold beer in the fridge so I grabbed one of the IPA's from under the house. It had changed TONS for the better and now I wish I hadn't given it to him.

Moral of the story...if it doesn't turn out to your liking, store it for a while and then give it another chance before giving it away.

 

[LVBen]

Did you drink the SNPA out of the bottle or in a glass?

You might already know this, but SNPA is bottle-conditioned, so there is yeast and other sediment at the bottom of the bottle. The best way to enjoy an SNPA is to carefully pour it into a glass and leave the last ounce in the bottle.

I drank that last ounce one time all by itself and it does not taste good, so I'm pretty sure that if you drink from the bottle that bad taste is going to get mixed up into the rest of the beer while you drink it.

 

[passedpawn]

Even better, if one wants to get a quick education on beer styles and who is good, go to a beerfest. Some of them have so many different beers from so many great breweries, you'll think you died and went to heaven!

Rich

So true. Take a cab, though. You won't be in any shape to drive afterwards.

 

[Hillbilly_Bill]

Well, I drank the last 2 SNPA's this afternoon... they weren't too bad. They were just above room temp and went down pretty well. Maybe I'll buy another 6-pack and drink them cold... so I can bother someone.

 

[AnOldUR]

Haha, it'll grow on you, young warrior.

Read this post and I was assuming the same thing, but just took a look at Bill's profile. Says he's 61 years old.

Maybe I have been drinking Budweiser for too many years...

So, if you started drinking beer at, say 16, that 45 years of drinking Bud.

Maybe I'll buy another 6-pack and drink them . . .

I take everything back. Looking at the challenge you have ahead and your limited time to accomplish it, you better make that a case.

. . . so I can bother someone.

It's all in fun.
(I'm not that far behind you in the age department.)

 

[FishinDave07]

It's an acquired taste. when i first had it i thought it was the hoppiest thing ever, then i tried Dogfish Head 90 min.

 

[bennyd]

I'm just getting into the hobby and have been a BMC (mostly Miller) drinker for the last 10 years. I know...I know...blasphemy on this board. Luckily for myself I have always ventured out and tried different styles and microbrews every so often.

Even though I don't like certain styles of beer....I still appreciate them. It took me a while to enjoy the hoppier more flavorful side of things. I don't mind SNPA and I love Boulevard Pale Ale, along with their Bully Porter. Acquiring the taste will come. Just because you may not like SNPA I don't think you should write off all pale ales just yet. Maybe try a few different kinds.

I'm still having an awfully difficult time with IPA's though. A little too much for me at this point.

 

[Hillbilly_Bill]

Read this post and I was assuming the same thing, but just took a look at Bill's profile. Says he's 61 years old.

Not only that... I have a LOT of miles on this old body... not to mention bullet holes and shrapnel scars.

So, if you started drinking beer at, say 16, that 45 years of drinking Bud.

Close... started at 15... had my own car and Old Man Walker just across the county line sold me beer... even had a fake I.D.

I take everything back. Looking at the challenge you have ahead and your limited time to accomplish it, you better make that a case.

How 'bout a 5 gallon batch?

It's all in fun.
(I'm not that far behind you in the age department.)

Glad to see you have a sense of humor... take care old man...

 

[Hillbilly_Bill]

I'm just getting into the hobby and have been a BMC (mostly Miller) drinker for the last 10 years. I know...I know...blasphemy on this board. Luckily for myself I have always ventured out and tried different styles and microbrews every so often.

Even though I don't like certain styles of beer....I still appreciate them. It took me a while to enjoy the hoppier more flavorful side of things. I don't mind SNPA and I love Boulevard Pale Ale, along with their Bully Porter. Acquiring the taste will come. Just because you may not like SNPA I don't think you should write off all pale ales just yet. Maybe try a few different kinds.

I'm still having an awfully difficult time with IPA's though. A little too much for me at this point.

We'll just have to knuckle down and try harder, huh?

 

[Homercidal]

I thought Bass Pale Ale was fairly bitter. Last time I had it it tasted like Bud to me.

SNPA was a pretty hoppy beer for me at one time. Although I think most people would agree that it's on the higher end for a Pale Ale, it's not that hoppy compared to almost all IPAs. I think it's a good everyday beer.

This weekend I got some HOPSLAM! on tap at a beer festival OMG is that some good beer! SOOOO much hops. Not as bitter as you might expect though.

I suggest buying a bottle or two of a good IPA and choke it down. You will be well on your way to becoming a Hophead! ( and will be able to enjoy many more styles because of it).

 

[bubbachunk]

I can no longer detect really any bitterness is SNPA, maybe its all of the IPAs and DIPAs?

 

[ArcaneXor]

I enjoy SNPA, but agree that its bitterness is quite harsh compared to many other Pale Ales. Not really sure where it comes from, since Magnum is a very smooth bittering hop, and Perle is fairly common as a bittering hop in noble hop beers, so it shouldn't be harsh, either.

There are lots of smooth APAs out there that have every bit as much hop flavor and aroma as SNPA. To create a smoother APA at home, make sure you don't have too much sulfur in your water, try first-wort hopping, and use a smooth bittering hop like Magnum, Warrior or Horizon. I really like Cascade as a finishing hop for a traditional APA, but there are other great varieties out there that may be a bit more rounded, like Amarillo.

 

[LVBen]

I suggest buying a bottle or two of a good IPA and choke it down. You will be well on your way to becoming a Hophead! ( and will be able to enjoy many more styles because of it).

I'd recommend Stone IPA as a starter for anyone that wants to learn how to enjoy hoppy beers! I can't believe how well-balanced that beer is! Yum yum!

 

[2bluewagons]

On that same vein, I'd recommend Stone Pale to the OP to try for the next six-pack. Definitely more balanced than SNPA.

And a bit off-topic, I am shocked at the amount of SNPA dislikers out there. It has been a mainstay of my beer-loving career. A dependable friend, always available in line with the BMC's at locales with less than great selections. Since moving to Portland this is no longer an issue, but when I lived in CA 10 or so years ago I would routinely go for SNPA as a regular. Certainly not one of the best beers out there, but I am surprised to see the number of people that flat out do not like this beer.

To each their own for sure, but I never would have thunk that SNPA could garner such dislike...

 

[boredatwork]

I think in the game of semantics some terminology gets confused.

Yes, hops are used to add bitterness, but they also add flavor.

In my opinion comparing SNPA to an IPAs is not fair, because IPAs usually incorporate a lot of hop flavor. To me SNPA is more about the bitterness than the flavor.

So liking or not liking SNPA (or any beer) is not about not liking hops, its about not liking the flavor profile.

I like hops. I do not like SNPA.

I like high IBU beers (when the flavor profile is pleasing to me). I do not like SNPA.

Now, I know no one cares what beers I like, but I just wanted to point out the subtleties of beer flavor.

 

[jiggs_casey]

I like hoppy beer! However, I have found that in the world of Pale Ale, not all are created equally. I like SNPA, I don't like Bridgeport and I don't like Bass (this was a surprise to me). I have found so far my favorite Pale Ale is O'dell's 5 barrell... yummie stuff!

 

[tjp68]

Bill, you have to give it a chance. Drink 3 or 4 if that's what it takes. What I love about SNPA is the freshness of the hops. There really is a lot of subtlety there if you give it a chance.

 

[Yambor44]

Sorry had to throw this in............

 

[2bluewagons]

Sorry had to throw this in............

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8L6KNc8Njc&feature=channel

check out some of the related videos, specifically the man and woman team review. Ah, the internet...

 

[Hillbilly_Bill]

Sorry had to throw this in............

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8L6KNc8Njc&feature=channel

You are a rat!
All kidding aside... it looked like it tasted really good... you did a good job of pouring it into the glass/mug. After a few more drinks of different ales, like amber and brown ales, I may revisit Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, but I don't know it it will ever be one of my favorites.
I figure about a year from now it will probably be one of the ales I would kill for, but I don't know.
Thanks for sharing the video.
Bill

 

[Hillbilly_Bill]

You're right, I shouldn't be bothered. It's your right to drink beer that you don't like.

If after 4 bottles, I clearly didn't like the beer, yeah, I'd toss the rest. If the taste had an appeal, but was a bit over the top for me, I'd put that one on the side and try some other samples of the style.

Where did this even come from. Of course you should try things. That doesn't mean you have to like them. And if you don't like it now, it doesn't mean you won't like it if you try it again a year from now. You owe it to yourself to always continue to try things old and new.

Quite frankly, you sound like a 10 year old trying to get through his first pack of cigarettes. Drinking beer shouldn't be about tolerating. It should be about enjoying. May be you chose your words wrong, but this was the wording that I was responding to.

Clearly, you missed the point of my last post. Choking down a six pack isn't the way to aquire a taste for a beer. Try one of these. Try one of those. If it's a taste that you have the potential of liking, it will grow on you over time. My point was simply that you don't have to force it.



Someday I hope we can share a Stone Double Bastard!

Don't you go anywhere... I figure we'll have some really good dialogue in the future... you old goat.
By the way... what is a "Stone Double Bastard?"

 

[twst1up]

even tho the archaic alcohol cap law is history now, there still really isn't craft brew in wv. Its starting to trickle in but its coming slowwwwwww. I say this because I'm guessing Bill is out in the 'hollers where the pickens are even slimmer. Kudos bill for trying something new and telling us what your newly developing beer senses are telling you. Personally, i LOVE SNPA, i love cascades....waiting on a call from the distributor sometime this week to come and pick up the keg i ordered...yummy.
Maybe you're not a hop guy bill...perhaps you'd prefer a more malty fare?