Sierra Nevada Brown Ale

Brewed by Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
Style: Brown Ale
Chico, California USA

Pours with a full, two-finger thick, tan colored head that sits atop a brown beer. The beer shows brilliantly clear red highlights when held up to the light. The aroma is nicely nutty, a mix of toasted malt and a touch of roasted grain character. A nice layer of fruit is here in the aroma as well; notes of sweet plums and a touch of raisins are most notable. This really has a nice malty, and at times dry biscuit like character to it.

The taste is fairly dry up front and it finishes with that same crisp toasted cracker malt note that I associate with the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. A nice hop bitterness rides throughout as well; providing a further crispness to this quaffable brew. Ample malt character is of course here; a touch of coffee like roast grain character, a hint of burnt acidity, sweet caramelized toffee, and some lightly fruity malt notes. Some of the fruit character seems to be contributed by the hops, perhaps reminiscent of berries, but the hops also provide a herbal, slightly grassy backdrop to the bitterness.

The hops almost seem to be the most dominant feature of this beer, but not quite, and in the end I would have to say that this beer strikes a really good, almost even, balance between hop and malt. It is quite a bit hoppier than your usual malt focused brown ale, yet is not hoppy like a hop focused pale ale. This is quite tasty, and I could definitely see myself quaffing a few pints of this over an evening.

<font size=-4>Purchased: <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Places/ShowPlace.asp? Liquors, Tucson, AZ<font size=-1>

(on draft @ brews in the village.)brown body with a light brown head.nutty aroma and flavor.

From a twelve ounce bottle marked "2006 Brown Ale" purchased unchilled at "Keller’s IGA" - This one pours a dark brown ale with a light, malty aroma and a tight, thin off-white head of foam. Tastewise, it has a fine malt-hops balance with somw nice bite at the end. This is a good example of the brown ale style and would make for a great "session" beer.

Draft at Bakersifelds Brews in The Village; Nose of caramel and spices; brown with a medium tan head;; Flavor of caramel malts with a pleasant hoppy finish.

An ordinary brown ale. Unpleasant herbal character to the aroma. Flavor has malt, very light hops and just a touch of nuttiness. Some flavor of roasted barley as well. A decent but conservative beer that doesn’t take any chances and might get a few customers who decide to branch out from Newcastle.

Not a bad beer, but not remarkable. Pours a deep brown with a thin whitish head. Nice roasty malt aroma. Flavor is malty with some hints of hazelnut, some nice hoppiness in the finish. Not bad.

2006 limited edition bottle. Poured a deep brown color that was very clear but completely lacked a head. Roasty chocolate malts coupled with caramel sweetness and distinctly rich British floral hops. Extremely well balanced in terms of hop bitterness and flavour that perfectly melded with the caramel sweetness. This is what British Browns are all about - perhaps a bit closer to a Mild Ale than a southern Brown but a finely crafted easy drinking beer. I was surprised that Sierra Nevada would make such a classic Brit Beer.

12oz bottle limited edition 2006 - Pours dark brown with a big offwhite head that stays quite well and laced in big sheets. Aroma is lots of caramel roasted malts good hops, and some light nuts. Flavor is big caramel malts, nuts, roasted malts, with a nice citrus hop finish to balance it off. Smooth soft well aerated body with good malts on the back to balance well. Nice nut brown.