Sierra Nevada Anniversary Ale
Okay, I’m going to keep this one short and sweet. I’ve lauded Sierra Nevada in the past for pioneering the American pale ale and making a truly great beer amidst an ocean of tasteless macro-brews. I still feel that Sierra Nevada is responsible for much of the growth in the American craft brew industry, and for that reason I can’t help but support them. So, on to the beer!
This beer pours about the same as the Sierra Nevada IPA. It’s a dark golden and quite clear with a stark white head. The aroma of this starts off in a way that may end up quite floral, but ends up coming up a bit short in a way that, to me, almost smells fungal. This fungal aroma is slightly disconcerting to me, and it’s unfortunate especially because this beer tastes great! In the mouth, this beer is full of big hops. The hops are flowery and big and bitter, but are well-balanced by a light sweetness. In the end, it’s an IPA for the hop-head, as the malts don’t entirely balance the hops. But, these hops are great and taste very fresh. Overall, I’d place the Anniversary Ale on a higher tier than the standard Sierra Nevada IPA. I’m still a bit let down by the aroma. However, that’s all the more reason to drink this IPA straight from the bottle, and it would make it one of the tastiest beers I can imagine to drink from the bottle. The taste is delicious, and the price point is right. I highly recommend this if you want a tasty beer to drink from the bottle whilst playing Bocce or Cornhole in the back yard…
Categories: Beer Reviews, India Pale Ale, Sierra Nevada
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4 Responses to “Sierra Nevada Anniversary Ale”
Hey Marc,
Yeah, by ‘fungal’, I mean there was an aroma somewhat akin to smelly feet – a sort of acrid and sour smell. It isn’t something that I haven’t smelled in a beer before, so I don’t think it was a beer gone bad. However, it was an unusual aroma to come from a beer so heavy on the hop. I’d much prefer a nice floral hop aroma. Nevertheless, it’s a tasty beer, and I’m sure I’ll buy more if I can find it before this edition sells out…
I tasted this beer as a draught version at the Wicked Wines booth over at Stockholm Beer 2007 (Sweden) a couple of days ago. Agree that this was really no hit, a decent beer but my choice would still be the normal IPA when ever it is available. Nothing wrong with it, simply a bit boring for my taste.
I’m drinking the SNAA right now out of a glass and I am definitely enjoying it. The hops are fantastic and the finish is smooth. The white head is curious and something that I see as a positive. If anyone could explain to me why the head is white I would like to know.
Thanks
Care to comment?
I had the SNAA on tap and I agree with everything you say about it, but I don’t recall a fungal odor. Do you mean fungal as in smelly mushrooms or smelly feet? Either way, you’ve got me wanting to try some again…perhaps tomorrow night. I will report back with my findings.