Sierra Nevada Pale Ale - Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

    Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is an American Pale Ale brewed by Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. in Chico, California. Sierra Nevada ranks up there with Colorado's New Belgium Brewing as a company that worked hard to make craft ales more popular by distributing their product all over the country. Now days I think of Sierra Nevada as a "Macro micro-brewery", as they produce a huge amount of beer and distribute far and wide.

    The Pale Ale pours a hazy, pale orange with a thick, off-white head. The head slowly subsides into a hearty foam layer on the beer's surface and a thick ring around the inside of the glass that leaves lacing on the glass for the entire time the beer is enjoyed.

    The beer has a light, hops scent to it, with citrus and pine scents being the main players. The hops aromas are lighter than you would find in an IPA. There is also a noticeable caramel sweetness from the malts in the beer's aroma.

    Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale is medium bodied with a medium level of carbonation. The body seems to falter towards the end, however, and the beer finishes somewhat watery. The Pale Ale has an alcohol content of 5.36% ABV.

    The ale has a nice, light hops flavor. Citrus and piney, resinous bitter flavors flow across the tongue, followed by a malty sweetness. The flavor dissipates quickly as the body becomes more watery towards the end. The beer leaves the mouth dry and with only a slight bitterness lingering.

    I have a funny connection with Sierra Nevada Pale Ale that is in no way related to the beer's flavor or quality. Around a year ago, my wife went on a spree of watching the many hoarding reality TV shows. As I have a major beer obsession, I would often take note of what beers these hoarders would have around. Eventually, I noticed a trend. An overwhelmingly large number of hoarders had Sierra Nevada Pale Ale boxes, bottles, and cans strewn throughout their homes. This trend continued through a surprising number of episodes of the different shows.

A quick Google search brought up these examples. Click image to enlarge if you don't believe me!

     I will reiterate that this trend has absolutely nothing to do with the taste or quality of the beer. I have yet to launch a scientific inquiry into what exactly makes hoarders enjoy Sierra Nevada Pale Ale so much, but I find the ale to be a very drinkable, mild Pale Ale. This would be a great jumping on point if you are interested in hops flavors without wanting to risk the sometimes cloying bitterness of IPAs. Also, if you're a hoarder, it's time that you get with the program!

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