Alt Route
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

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From:
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
 
California, United States
Style:
Altbier
ABV:
6.6%
Score:
81
Avg:
3.55 | pDev: 12.11%
Reviews:
174
Ratings:
1,200
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jan 03, 2018
Added:
Jul 03, 2014
Wants:
  10
Gots:
  106
Collaboration with Victory Brewing

Brewers are notorious for refusing to take the easy path. Instead, we lead with our hearts and pursue our passions no matter how difficult the road ahead. Alt Route is a tribute to this stubborn spirit that drove us to dodge the status quo and found breweries. Together we chased the siren song of beer with this revamped take on an antique beer style.

Like us, Victory is one of the few brewers with an allegiance to whole-cone hops. They do extensive work with hop flavor, especially focusing on clever and delicious single-hop beers highlighting the same hop grown in different regions. They too share our roots in home brewing and never lost their passion for working with new beers and styles solely for the joy of making something new.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by jackmax:
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Rated by jackmax from Washington

3.5/5  rDev -1.4%

Jul 11, 2014
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 1.5 by 1971bernat from Virginia

Jan 03, 2018
 
Rated: 3.77 by BergBeer from Hawaii

Aug 02, 2017
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Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada

3.45/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
Nothing speaks to brewery stubbornness and unwillingness to follow the beaten path than making an altbier in this day and age. It, like the brown ale category, falls into the "kind of boring/mundane" descriptors from many craft beer enthusiasts.

Pours a darker SRM than I was expecting for an alt, this one comes in firmly dark brown and red. Good 3/4" off white head on the top, nice retention. Aroma like most alts is fairly quiet. Some toasted toffee like malt notes with very mild dark fruit.

Taste is a malty, lightly sweet, brown malt, toffee, unsweetened and very restrained caramel impressions. Bready. Bitterness is higher than expected (and probably therefore for style as well). It was kind of a weird beer to pick off the breweries known for whole cone hops, like you think it would be something like a pale ale used to show off said hops. Either way, decent beer that might bring some hopheads of yesteryear to consider trying an alt.
Apr 24, 2017
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Reviewed by macrosmatic from Florida

3.77/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
Reviewed from (long-standing) notes. Consumed in late 2014. Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a Cigar City Brewing pint glass.

A: Pours a dark amber, and nearly clear. Forms a finger's worth of off-white head with good retention. Low amount of visible carbonation.

S: Rich maltiness with a light toasty character. A bit of noble hops, and a mild tinny character.

T: Toasted malts with slight toffee character up front, then a significant hop bitterness - resinous and grassy with lesser floral notes. There's still a touch of the tinniness on the palate, but it isn't obnoxious. After the swallow, there's a lingering bitterness and a dry, highly attenuated finish.

M: A lighter body than the appearance suggested, but not watery. Good carbonation sensation, and low alcohol presence.

O: An enjoyable enough beer, and easy to drink. Nothing that I'd seek out again, but a decent example of an underrepresented style.
Feb 08, 2017
 
Rated: 3.81 by vfgccp from New York

Feb 05, 2017
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Reviewed by GuyFawkes from Illinois

4.05/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bottled 6/3/14; drank 7/11/14 @ the Yarchives.

Poured from the bottle into a glass.

Clear purple/brown hue.

HUGE egg shell head (careful pouring!); frothy lace.

Candy sugar, mild citrus & leather nose.

Medium mouthfeel.

Malt sweetness, oak, smoke & leather; pickle as it warms. Not a bad session brew.
Nov 10, 2016
 
Rated: 3.54 by tmryan21 from Illinois

Jun 22, 2016
 
Rated: 4 by Hazen from Germany

Jun 11, 2016
 
Rated: 3.5 by AD17 from New Jersey

Apr 25, 2016
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Rated by JulianBaughman from Pennsylvania

3.56/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
This one almost tasted like a marzen to me.
Feb 02, 2016
 
Rated: 4.15 by Briken from Washington

Jan 11, 2016
 
Rated: 3 by MasterRigger from North Carolina

Dec 31, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by RichH55 from Illinois

Dec 06, 2015
 
Rated: 2.69 by CharlesK from Pennsylvania

Nov 03, 2015
 
Rated: 3 by dug53 from Alaska

Oct 13, 2015
Photo of stakem
Reviewed by stakem from Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
12oz bottle into a tulip. The brew appears a chestnut to brown color with a khaki head. Smells of bready malt, toffee, biscuits and bread. Slight herbal note also thrown in to the nose. The taste is dry bready malt, slightly buttery and has a lasting herbal bitterness. This is medium in body with modest carbonation. A decent brew with more clingy bitterness than I was expecting.
Oct 02, 2015
 
Rated: 3.5 by jpuetz from South Dakota

Aug 05, 2015
 
Rated: 3.29 by Warren2621 from Indiana

Jul 08, 2015
 
Rated: 3.8 by Prospero from Colorado

Jul 02, 2015
Alt Route from Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 81 out of 100 with 1200 ratings