Sierra Nevada Summerfest
Okay, so I haven't been around for awhile. The tastings haven't stopped but remembering to put down my thoughts as I'm tasting and putting my review on here within a day has. My memory of the beer isn't as crisp and unreliable, thus, I leave it out. And, frankly, that has been happening for the past year. So I'm back, I'm starting light and working my way back into the heavy stuff. It's summer--the days are warm, the breeze is warm and life is easy--if you're in a Corona commercial. So here's Sierra Nevada's Summer Ale, and after review, I would say this is the beer I'd be drinking while I lay out on the beach.
Appearance
Very nice golden sun color. The translucent quality gives the consumer a refreshing sense and is, especially if you're tired from working in the hot sun, very enticing. It had a small head but sufficient as far as looks go. The head didn't have too much substance and dissipated before I would admire anything about it. It was shy I guess.
Smell
I didn't smell much but a slight sweet steam kind of smell. Similar to smelling freshly cooked sweet corn or something like that. I admit I'm not too sure if my nose was working well, so maybe a future update is required.
*Update: also smelled lemon zest, that's it I'm not coming back to this*
Taste
Great refreshing taste (wow, that sounded familiar, but not in a liar kind of way). Admittedly not something that makes you close your eyes and savor the flavor so much that it locks into your memory so that right before you die you can remember that taste; but, this is a top session beer taste. Not too strong, not overly carbonated, smooth going down but light and crisp, as opposed to Guiness, in which it can be heavy and thick going down the gullet. There's a sweetness to it with the hops coming after the initial taste that creates a perfect mix. I kind of look at this beer like a really fresh and well made salad. Great session beer, great to have at a barbeque or a day out on the beach, or having a picnic kind of beer. Forget Corona. Corona is a salad too but made with only iceberg cabbage and cheap dressing. There a juxtapose if you're reading this without references.
Mouthfeel
Again, light, fresh, crisp with a slight dryness towards the end. By the end of the beer it does tend to get a little "cow spit" like, but nothing like a BMC brew or a 40oz Malt, for that matter. The carbonation helped with the light and crispness of it but there was enough of it to stop you from drowning.
Overall
I like it. I would drink this often if it were not the fact that my stomach is becoming a belly and I have to slow down on all of this consumption. I don't blame the beer or anything, I just have to slow down. Anyway, before I tell you to take this to the beach with you, I have to say that this is a good session beer, but after awhile (and I mean a good long while) it gets tiring and dulls your palate. The buzz isn't strong although you do feel good drinking it without getting full on drunk, but there's a certain point where it just becomes a liquid and you realize you're just drinking to drink. Also, a big part of why I enjoy this beer so
much, besides taste, is that it is widely available (in summer months of
course), not too expensive, and not intimidating to anyone (unlike
Arrogant Bastard which says directly on the label don't drink this if
you're a pussy, not exactly in those words). Otherwise, have a couple with your girlfriend on a nice day. Maybe she enjoys beer too, and maybe she'll enjoy this, and maybe, just maybe, I got you laid...maybe.
