Triumphant return?

Let's see just how rusty my beer reviewing skills have become...

Tonight I chose two six-packs, one Sierra Nevada 2008 Anniversary Ale and the other Bridgeport Haymaker Extra Pale Ale.

When I was making my decision, I did not know exactly what style the Anniversary Ale was and it does not list it on the bottle, but I assumed it was a pale ale judging from the time of year (as early to late fall is the season for pale ales) and it turns out that I assumed correctly: according to the website it is an "American-style India Pale Ale". So I guess I can take that as a safe bet that my skills have not waned too awfully much.

Sierra Nevada 2008 Anniversary Ale

Pours easily into a mostly clear, deep amber color with yeast visible in perfect suspension, not a lot of work to keep the frothy white head to a minimum. I poured quickly to get a small head and shook the last half inch of liquid in the bottle to give the head a nice finish. A majority of the froth dissipates after a good 5 minutes, so it is pretty long lasting, but the foam which does remain on the top leaves a beautiful lacing on the glass. Fine bubbles, indicative of natural carbonation from the bottle conditioning process, rise from the bottom of the glass in perpetuity. Maybe my reviewing skills haven't eroded at all.....

Very light mouthfeel with an aroma reminiscent of pine terpenes mixed with flowers. Flavor is at first sweet and fruity which quickly fades to flowers which eventually gives way to a distinct bitter earth and pine flavor. Aftertaste is bitter, citrusy, and very long lasting. Sorry I couldn't get much more descriptive in this section, but pale ales are not exactly known for high complexity.

Bridgeport Haymaker Extra Pale Ale

Pours a bright golden yellow color and is a little more heady than the Sierra Nevada, but still an easy one. I again shook the last half inch of the liquid to finish the pour. Majority of the head does not last as long as in the Sierra Nevada but more remains on the top of the liquid and yet somehow fails to leave the same impressive lacing. Depressing. More yeast is visible suspended in the beer in here, and it does not clump together quite as much, leading to a more cloudy beer. Fewer bubbles rise from the bottom of this beer, but it is definitely bottle conditioned.

The aroma is strong with earth and, oddly, with the scent of a hefeweizen and lacks real complexity. It was complex in that I could not decide exactly how to describe the aroma at first, in fact it took me 20 minutes or more to come up with the words because the hefeweizen scent completely threw me off. Flavor is much the same as the aroma, but with the addition of yeast. The distinct flavor of hefeweizen plus pale ale leads me to believe that wheat is definitely one of the "four malts" they proclaim on the label. The flavor was actually what unlocked the mystery to the aroma for me. Only after drinking about a third of the beer did I find the words to describe this one; obviously it has been a long time since I've had a hefeweizen.... Aftertaste is relatively shortlived, on the order of a few minutes, and barely bitter (at least for my tastes). Mostly a yeasty aftertaste.


Overall

My overall impression of these two brews is strong. I think the Bridgeport would be better suited as a late summer beer, but would suffice as a mid-afternoon beer for the warm, early Oklahoma autumn.

The Sierra Nevada is definitely my favorite of the two, and is the perfect beer for the cool evenings of the entire Oklahoma fall. It also has a more impressive aroma and visual appeal, but the Brideport earns more marks for complexity of flavor.

FINALLY getting around to the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

I promised I would review this beer "soon" like 3 weeks ago, so now I'm making good on that promise.

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is a very good ale. It pours a decent head with incredible retention which sticks to the glass quite well as the amount of carbonation is superlative. It is a orange-gold color and is unfiltered so you can see some yeast floating around in the liquid (though this particular beer does not have much yeast in the bottle). The aroma is very earthy rather than malty, which stands it apart from other beers that I have tasted. The flavor is also very earthy and this is due to the high hop content of Pale Ales and if you pay close attention they also provide a subtle citrus flavor. The high hop content also makes it quite bitter which would deter the novice drinker, but is very welcome to an experienced taster. The aftertaste stays on the tongue for a much longer time than the average beer and reminds me of the smell of dirt which brings me to the mouthfeel. It feels very bold in the mouth and whetting, but at the same time triggers the brain to "feel" an earthy sensation in the mouth.

Final verdict: not for the novice. You will not enjoy it for all of its unique qualities.

Sierra Nevada Stout

Tonight I poured a bottle of Sierra Nevada Stout into another pint glass. In fact, I recommend that you just assume I am using a pint glass from this point forward unless stated otherwise.

It is not a naturally heady beer, but a good aficionado knows that before pouring the last half inch or slightly less of beer from the bottle that he or she must shake it up to create a head and then finish the pour.

The yeast is exceptionally aromatic in this beer, slightly overpowering the rich malty scent. Color is extremely dark, such that it is nearly impossible to view a light source through.
The flavor will be surprising for those of you who are not familiar with stouts. It honestly does taste like coffee with a little bit of a nutty flavor. It is bitter with hops, but the coffee flavor prepares you for the bitterness and also masks the flavor of hops. Mouthfeel is almost non-existent as it dissipates after just a few seconds and the acidity does not leave any film on the teeth and gums.

Surprisingly, as dark as this beer is it sits relatively lightly in the stomach. I do not recommend this beer with any sort of food as the coffee flavor would not mix well with most of them (perhaps coffeecake? Hahaha.) I thoroughly recommend this brand for an enjoyable brew after a long day.

Soon: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale