Sierra Nevada Early Spring Beer (ESB)

Brewed by Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
Style: Premium Bitter/ESB
Chico, California USA

This beer has a bronze copper pour with some light red, this also looks unfiltered, there are very fine floaties swimming around, gave a variable bubbled white head and has a small trail of bubbling finding its’ way to the top of the ale, left some lacing on the glass, aroma of prominent citrus and grassy hops (with some pineyness to – is that a word?), caramel, bread, some malt sweetness, flavor of piney-citrus hops with light toasted malt and bread, hops stand out a bit in this ale, some caramel flavor in the background, again the hop bitterness stands out, faint hop pine, there is some hop bitterness and toasted malt that follows after the finish, an ok drink.

20090201 12oz bottle, Spirits on Sunset. Orange amber color with frothy, lasting, lacing tan head. The beer is full of suspended fine particles. Rich and toasty, doughy, fresh pretzel malts on the nose, along with light peppery and herbal hoppiness. Light to medium body with palate coating fine eff. Earthy, chewy, toasty malts dominate the flavor, with peppery, spicy, woodsy hops, hints of citrus, alcohol. Light bitterness but finishes dry.

Pops brought home a sixer of this for the big game:) It pours a darker reddish amber with an off white head. It’s aroma is crisp and hoppy, which leads to the flavor, which is also hoppy and smooth. It’s just a straightforward no frills beer with a full flavor. Perfect for the super bowl .Cheers!

Pours a nice copper/orange color with a decent sized white head. Aroma is pine hops, lawnmower clippings and some good malt characteristics. Flavor has some nice malt, some nice caramelized sugars and a good hop bitterness. Straight pine hops here, not much citrus at all. Well balanced tasty beer.

12 oz bottle purchased from Frugal MacDoogal’s in Nashville. Poured a clear copper color with a two finger, foamy off white head. The aroma was caramel, nuts and a grassy note. The flavor was a caramel base with a pine finish. The palate was average, with good carbonation, a clean mouthfeel and a medium body. Another solid beer from SN.

East TN finally gets a third beer from Sierra Nevada… we’re 21st century now, woohoo! Foggy amber pour features slouchy soapsud foam. Toasty and bubblegum wrapper/baby powder nose with shampoo and distinct varietal citric & spicy hop aromas. The first flavor first impression is shockingly sweet (and this remains the dominant character throughout), then a big dose of damp loamy earth, a spicy hop bite, a faceful of toast crumbs, and a glass-sharp citrusy finish. Bittersweet and almost grassy. Each sip progresses in the same order. Medium body, but filling with its solid sugary weight; smooth. Definitely a full-volume Americanized ESB with its hoppy bling and precarious balance... just too aggressive to be truly enjoyable except as a dessert beer. Did I mention sweet?

Reddish copper pour with a large, frothy, off-white head. Nutty, toasty, caramel aroma with a moderate floral, grassy, pine hop presence. Flavor is toast, caramel, and fresh, wet, piny hops. Definitely more malt forward in the flavor than most of Sierra Nevada’s offerings. Oily, medium body with moderate carbonation. This is a solid session beer that would go great with BBQ or a good burger.

330 mL. Pours a translucent light amber with a one-finger, off-white, creamy head. Good lacing. Aromas of caramel, British pale malts, and classic Sierra Nevada piney and resiny hops albeit more muted. Taste is thin upfront with some bread but then moves to citrus hops and finishes with a bitter, creamy aftertaste. Very enjoyable and sessionable.