Sierra Nevada Summerfest

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

A: Pours a light golden hue with an average sized soapy head. Some rising bubbles noted but no lace. S: Smell is of light crisp pale malt and lager yeast. Biscuit, bread and grains really come thru as well. A slight hint of light citrus hops are there as well. T: I had this one on draft last year and did not like it due to a real metallic taste. Let’s see if this years offering is any better. It starts of with a nice mild malt sweetness with hints of toasted malt. Some nice citrus comes come thru with a touch of bitterness. Just when I thought this one had really improved a strange metallic chemical flavor appears in the finish and really lingers. M: Medium in body, crisp with a dry metallic finish.

12oz bottle. Pours a clear, bright honey-golden color; fluffy white head with decent retention and mixed-bubbled lacing. Lightly sweet aroma of basic malt sugars, honey, rather light bitterness; a touch of cardboard / paper notes as well. Lively presence in the mouth: zesty citrus and mineral bitterness at the front of things, a highly effervescent carbonation; honestly, a touch sharp at the front; definitely a charismatic lager: a solid hop presence, assertive bitterness, enough light maltiness to keep things presentable; highly drinkable beer. Very pleasant, bitter perimeter of citrus and mineral notes makes this a nice, mouthwatering bit of business. A medium finish of toasted cereal, zesty minerals, and lightly bitter at the far end.

Clear golden color with no haze. Two finger creamy white head that holds up up for a short period. Decent retention. Light lacing. Grassy floral hop notes mixed with a slight sweet bready maltiness. Slight sweetness of the malts come in first. Followed up by a spicy hop bite, that, to me personally, is abit out of balance. Light bodied, almost to the point of waterey. Minimal carbonation. As with alot of Sierra Nevada products, I can’t see myself drinking this too often. They just seem to be a brewery that doesn’t quite hit the balance point often enough.

Poured from bottle into Pilsner glass. Bright and clear gold. Very active but not much head. Primarily smell Saaz - pepper, grass, floral and some bitterness. Peppery hops and relatively dry malts. More spicy than bitter at end, although there is some bitterness. Medium body and carbonation, semi-dry. Fairly mild and balanced Pilsner. Easy drinking.

350ml Bottle at Home 22/04/2009 (2007 Vintage) Carbonation. White head. Hop aroma. Clear golden coloured hoppy and fruity grapefruit. Smooth on the palate wih a little bitterness and dryness in a malt finish.

Bottle. Poured a clear pale yellow in color with a nice frothy head that dissapated slowly.The aroma was that of grass and citrus. The flavor was mildly bitter with a nice hoppy aftertaste. The mouthfeel was creamy and refreshing. Overall a nice summer brew but nothing special. Would be good on a hot day!!

Had fresh a few times this summer. Refreshing with a hint of wheat, citrus and some grain with the right amount of bitterness that Sierra does well. Flavorful enough for a summer, not boring and a good drinker on a hot day.

Pours golden, white head. Nose is subdued, slightly grainy/grassy. Flavour is clean, slight sweetness. Grassy hop bitterness kicks in mid palate. Quite balanced and refreshing. Finish is grassy, bitter. A crisp lager – like it says on the bottle.