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Seeing the success of Hazy Little Thing, the hop masters of the bi-coastal Sierra Nevada have created a bigger brother for the brand in the same 12oz container. I would have thought that a little brother might have been a better choice considering the marketplace but I as a beer geek will be seeking this one out.
Thanks to a breeze that moves yeast and cultures from peach orchards into the brewhouse (as it were), the latest Estate offering from Sierra Nevada has a unique peach/wine/beer hybrid effect. I had lost track of this line but this might reinvigorate my interest in their farming.
The Brux returns for a 7th time as Russian River and Sierra Nevada re-re-re-release the iconic “domesticated wild ale”. It will be interesting to see if a new version will be made now that Russian River has their own coolship surrounded by extra wood from the Sierra Nevada construction of Mills River. (Hopefully this will come in small bottles)
Sierra Nevada has expanded. They have acquired the Sufferfest Beer Company of nearby San Francisco. (During SF Beer Week no less.)
Started in 2016, Sufferfest makes gluten-removed beers such as a Kolsch and a Pale Ale. They are geared towards runners specifically and the health aware in general. The brewery has its origins at UC Davis in 2012.
I can see the fit meshing from multiple viewpoints. Company culture seems to be in the same ballpark. Sufferfest is in a market that Sierra is not. They are geographically close. But for some nagging reason, I don’t know how this will benefit Sierra much.
Sufferfest will be able to be brewed (once the recipes are dialed in over in Mills River) on the East Coast which will open a market and the probably longer arm of Sierra distribution. But they could have entered into a brewing partnership without buying. And it is still unclear how big, either the gluten-reduced or athlete market is going to fare long term.It’s sort of like trading for a player who has three-year contract vs. a similar player who has an expiring contract. If the three point shooting goes south, you can walk away under the second scenario.
Maybe the numbers look really good for Sufferfest and that is what this deal is based on but I will be watching this one.
I probably tallied north of 60 beer reviews this year. I know that there are some who hate the practice or don’t think that personal preferences can be of use, but I think it is instructive to see which beers struck a chord and which elicit such little word count as to telegraph the yea/nay response.
On to the last review of the year, I have dug into the cellar and brought out the famed barleywine from Sierra Nevada, Bigfoot.
2013
Faint port like aroma. Bitter at the end. Showing some age I think. Caramel notes and a slight oak-y bourbon flavor. A bit vinous.
2017
Lighter and brighter. Bitterness is there but not pounding. A little burnt tasting. More pine notes on this one.
Of the duo, I would take the 2013 first. It had a swirl of different flavors and aromas going on in it’s 12 ounces.
Not only has Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. started a fund to help those affected by the Camp Fire but they are going another step when they brew their new Resilience Butte County Proud IPA. 100 percent of Resilience IPA sales go to Camp Fire relief.
The Chico brewery will brew the new IPA purposefully on Giving Tuesday, November 27 (probably for the good karma added). Sierra Nevada has invited other breweries to create their own versions of Resilience on that day and donate 100 percent of the sales to Camp Fire relief.
Resilience IPA will hit distribution sometime in early January with limited distribution in cans and draft. I strongly suggest getting and giving this beer to your beer loving friends.
Next up is an alternate holiday ale from Sierra Nevada. Winter Warmer gives you something different from the Fresh Hop Celebration IPA. It is available in their Winter Snowpack Variety.
I have tweeted about supporting Ladyface Ales who was affected by the horrible November fires that hit California. I will also be visiting myself (rain or shine oh deluded orange leader) to buy a beer or two as a small gesture.
Sierra Nevada is making an even bigger gesture to help those who have lost due to the Camp Fire.
They have a Sierra Nevada Camp Fire Relief Fund with Golden Valley Bank Community Foundation. They have deposited the large amount of $100,000 to seed the fund and “will distribute all donated money to partner organizations that are dedicated to rebuilding and supporting the communities that have been affected.”
If you would like to donate, follow this LINK or checks can be made payable to “GVBCF – Sierra Nevada” and either dropped off at Golden Valley Bank or mailed to 190 Cohasset Road, Chico, CA 95926.
It is not a long leap from pastry styled beers to the beer equivalent of the cinnamon challenge. There are two (probably more) releases coming for the Dulce de Cerveza crowd…
I am intrigued by the Bruery/Horus combo though I honestly thought at first that it was a french fry beer before reading the featured ingredients. I would expect that the Sierra Nevada version would be less intense and less sweet. The fact that the former goes from barrels to a can is quite cool in my opinion.
I have never been a big Frank Zappa fan or a fan of his offspring’s music either. In fact, I probably see him more as a philosopher more than anything else. But whether you like the music or not, you might be soon drinking an IPA with a hop named after him.
The Zappa hop has been mostly used by Sierra Nevada to this point. Primarily because they own most of the 2018 crop. That might change if the hop gets more acreage in the coming years. Zappa is similar to the Medusa hop, which “is a Neomexicanus variety lauded for imparting intense guava, melon, apricot, and citrus fruit.”
Whether it fits in with the Haze craze is yet to be seen.