About
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. was founded in 1979, with founders Ken Grossman and Paul Camusi expanding their homebrewing hobby into a brewery. Sierra Nevada is considered one of the earliest and most influential breweries which spawned the craft beer movement of the 1980s-90s.
Part of the group
7.4/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7.5
Flavor 7.5
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
12 oz. can
6.0% ABV
Packaged on: 07/17/26
$12.79 6-pk @ Publix
AROMA: Slightly sweet with moderate scents of caramel, bread, and malt. Overall, a nice, inviting, nose. While I had hoped that the aromas would open up a bit more, as the beer warmed, they did not.
APPEARANCE: Pours a clear medium-amber color, with a head that is very tall (4-finger), cream colored, and has a tiny-bubbled froth that dissipates moderately slow with nice lacing. I find it to be a very nice looking festival beer that invites one to take a sip.
TASTE: Initially there is light sweetness with moderate flavors of slightly burnt caramel, followed my minor flavors of malt and hops. At the very end of the finish, at the very back of my tongue, I get a very brief hint of metallic "tinge". The finish is a little dryer than I prefer in a Festbier, but not out of line for the style. And just like the aroma, there was no discernible change in flavor as the beer warmed. In that regard, I wish there had been a slight increase in the sweetness as (I think) it would have helped to alleviate the metallic "tinge" that I encountered.
MOUTHFEEL: Medium-bodied with a less-than-smooth texture (i.e. it's ever so slightly abrasive on the tongue). Carbonation is average.
OVERALL: This 2026 collaboration version with Hoppebräu is better than last year's (2025) collab version with Störtebeker, but not as good as the 2024 collab version with Brauerei Gutmann. The 2025 version's was too subtle, in all aspects (aroma, flavor, carbonation), for my tastes. This 2026 version is an improvement over the 2025 version in that it has more flavor and aroma. However, it is still a step down from the 2024. Mostly due to it being a little too dry for tastes, and the flavors are not as balanced and welcoming as the 2024 version.
6.0% ABV
Packaged on: 07/17/26
$12.79 6-pk @ Publix
AROMA: Slightly sweet with moderate scents of caramel, bread, and malt. Overall, a nice, inviting, nose. While I had hoped that the aromas would open up a bit more, as the beer warmed, they did not.
APPEARANCE: Pours a clear medium-amber color, with a head that is very tall (4-finger), cream colored, and has a tiny-bubbled froth that dissipates moderately slow with nice lacing. I find it to be a very nice looking festival beer that invites one to take a sip.
TASTE: Initially there is light sweetness with moderate flavors of slightly burnt caramel, followed my minor flavors of malt and hops. At the very end of the finish, at the very back of my tongue, I get a very brief hint of metallic "tinge". The finish is a little dryer than I prefer in a Festbier, but not out of line for the style. And just like the aroma, there was no discernible change in flavor as the beer warmed. In that regard, I wish there had been a slight increase in the sweetness as (I think) it would have helped to alleviate the metallic "tinge" that I encountered.
MOUTHFEEL: Medium-bodied with a less-than-smooth texture (i.e. it's ever so slightly abrasive on the tongue). Carbonation is average.
OVERALL: This 2026 collaboration version with Hoppebräu is better than last year's (2025) collab version with Störtebeker, but not as good as the 2024 collab version with Brauerei Gutmann. The 2025 version's was too subtle, in all aspects (aroma, flavor, carbonation), for my tastes. This 2026 version is an improvement over the 2025 version in that it has more flavor and aroma. However, it is still a step down from the 2024. Mostly due to it being a little too dry for tastes, and the flavors are not as balanced and welcoming as the 2024 version.
Tried
from Can
from
Publix - Winter Springs Town Center
on 18 Aug 2026
at 18:57
6.9/10
—
Appearance 5
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
Overripe orange. Clear amber, wispy sediment, medium head. Overripe orange, apricot, grass. Full body, warm, soft carbonation.
Tried
from Can
from
Wegmans - Charlottesville
on 14 Aug 2026
at 23:22
6.6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 6.5
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 7
Can 355ml @ yngwie
Pours hazy golden with a white head. Aroma has notes of malt, citrus, grape and pine. Taste is light to medium sweet and medium bitter with an average citrus and grape finish. Body is light to medium, texture is thin, carbonation is soft
Pours hazy golden with a white head. Aroma has notes of malt, citrus, grape and pine. Taste is light to medium sweet and medium bitter with an average citrus and grape finish. Body is light to medium, texture is thin, carbonation is soft
Tried
on 13 Aug 2026
at 14:14
6.3/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 5
Texture 8
Overall 5
Justa kinda tastes like a watered-down Hazy Little Thing. Bright notes of peach, grapefruit, mango, and lychee meet a very frail malt base and a bland, inconsequential back end. Half a beer, like most session IPAs. Drink a hoppy pils instead.
Tried
from Can
on 13 Aug 2026
at 00:05
7.5/10
—
Appearance 9
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
woo, always looking forward to this one. I gotta say though, while is is in no way a bad beer, its definitely sitting in the lower quartile of the various collab ofests they've produced over the past decade or so. It looks great in the glass though a deeper amber to copper color with a full foamy khaki head that really sticks around. Nose is restrained, hints at a vague berry fruit (I get this sometimes with Munich malt) and a faint hopping, maybe a touch of caramel and/or dough. Clean ferm profile, and balanced, with a semi-sweet malt profile, fairly bready, maybe a hint of toffee, leading to a med bitter finish. Why do I say its in a lower tier compared to prev years? Perhaps its because it feels a little bland, the malt profile just doesn't stand out much. The hops are there enough to balance but they don't stand out either. In a way, this can be good, its a beer made to be drunk without thinking too hard about it - and I'm down with that. And that's why I'm saying its not a bad beer by any means. But I still prefer the more distinctive and flavorsome offerings of years past, which were still quite drinkable too.
Tried
from Can
on 11 Aug 2026
at 20:47
7.8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Pours clear amber into a willi. Off-white head with good retention pancakes as it recedes leaving spider lacing. Caramel aromas. Soft with sweet caramel and pumpernickel front to back. Medium length earthy banana and clove finish. Nice.
Tried
on 06 Aug 2026
at 21:56