Saturday, December 11, 2010

Review: Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary Grand Cru

I mentioned a week or so ago that the Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary Ale was available at Bet-R for relatively cheap.  Sure, I did that mostly to try out some mobile blogging, but today it was finally time to break it out and give it a try.  I was excited for this one after really enjoying a previous 30th Anniversary brew... the Imperial Stout.

I poured it into a Chimay goblet... it's darker than expected from a "Grand Cru" with a deep red hue and creamy tan head with great retention.  The smell is hoppier than expected, but I guess I should know better for a Sierra Nevada offering! The hops come on strong but there are some dark fruits in there as well.

The taste is more Belgian... it's still hoppy like the aroma but the spices come through better and compliment the hops very well. There are still slightly bitter hints of dark fruits in there as well.  It's not a terribly complex beer, but I think it feels great on the mouth. Highly carbonated, a good enough blend of flavors to really get all the taste buds going, and just a slightly bitter hoppy aftertaste. The high ABV is hard to pick up as well.

A very good beer... these 30th Anniversary Ales have not disappointed. If I see any more around I'll have to pick some up!

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