Pro-Am Old Ale
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

Beer Geek Stats
From:
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
 
California, United States
Style:
Old Ale
ABV:
8.8%
Score:
Needs more ratings
Avg:
4.16 | pDev: 9.13%
Reviews:
5
Ratings:
8
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jan 14, 2012
Added:
Dec 03, 2010
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  1
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews.
Ratings by bros:

  None found.

 
Rated: 4.5 by GrindFatherBob from New York

Jan 14, 2012
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 5 by BrewinHeadBanger from New York

Dec 11, 2011
 
Rated: 4 by flexabull from California

Nov 19, 2011
Photo of BEERchitect
Reviewed by BEERchitect from Kentucky

3.95/5  rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
*Reviewing this beer under the assumption that it is aka: Sierra Nevada Pro-Am Audition Ale 2010.*

A very solid and clean Old Ale that carry a blend of young and old character with timid yeast character. Still, flawless and gentlemanly for a spectacular nightcap with friends.

Pouring a deep mohogany brown color with deep crimson hues, the beer is nearly opaque because of it's color, but with an onyx-like sheen because of clarity. A dainty and stubborn off-white head provides an even sheet across the glass while foregoing meaningful lace.

Deep aromas of dehydrated stone fruits: dates, figs, prunes, and raisons all fill the nose with a slight vinous note and a dense toffee base. Softer elements of maple, chocolate, and walnuts reinforce a sweeter more succulent session. Low on hops, low on spice, the beer's focus seems all about the malty complexity and mature fruity esters.

Flavors of malt superscede others with an early focus on rich barley sugars, brown sugars, molassas, toffee, light toast, nutty woods, toast, and light chocolate. Fruity esters hedge on wine-like notes of sherry, cherries, grapes, plumbs, black currants, blackberries- all before developing into the aged character of raisons, prunes, dates, and figs in a deep and lasting finish. Spicy yeast character carry a black peppercorn character that blends well into a spicy citrusy hop bit that turns bitter in finish and signal a return to the glass.

Rich with unattenuated sugars, dense malt sweetness, and a candied fruit character. The succulent mouthfeel remains lightly creamy for a velvety texture throughout and a warming, malty-dry sensation that lingers well into the next sip.

A perfect nightcap, expecially following more hoppy counterparts. An obvious choice for those with a sweet tooth, as the malty rich flavors seem more sucrose candied and less dense with malt complexity. It's youth also limit its complexity as the beer is still in transition toward the dry vinous notes that make English old ales so rewarding.
Jul 07, 2011
Photo of CuriousMonk
Reviewed by CuriousMonk from District of Columbia

3.8/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
On tap at ChurchKey poured into sampler glass. Pours a nice deep ruby clear reddish amber with a thinning head. Aroma is very fruity - plums, raisin, prune, and grape juice- big sugary malts, caramel toffee, some molasses- earth toffee and slight smoke. Flavor is thick sweet molasses, brown sugar, earthy funk, light oxidaiton, some smokey hints, sweet and oxidized sherry- light earthy cocoa dust in the end.
Jun 09, 2011
Photo of nezelrac
Reviewed by nezelrac from New York

4.17/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
on tap, served in a bullet

A - opaque brown/black; dense tan head; moderate lacing; excellent retention

S - roasted and fruity malt; whiff of cocoa, plum, dried cherry; a little spiciness from the little hops that peek out

T - deliciously layered malt palate; plenty of roasty, toasty flavors; cocoa and plum and dried fruits again; a little heat is evident; long finish; very inviting

M - quite smooth, med-full body; moderate CO2 - appropriate for style

O - while maybe not fully traditional, this is definitely old ale and quite good
Mar 31, 2011
Photo of josefnewsong
Reviewed by josefnewsong from New York

4.02/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
a - almost black. a thin bit of dark head rings the glass
s - chocolate and coffee with dark fruits and a hint of alcohol
t - same as the smell with maybe some cherry and vinous flavors but coffee and dark fruit dominate along with chocolate. not a typical old ale.
m - this is where the beer is true to the style. medium to full body with a resiny finish. very enjoyable
o - not what you would expect from an old ale - darker and not as hot. certainly tasty though
Mar 27, 2011
Photo of claspada
Reviewed by claspada from New Jersey

3.85/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Aromas of cocoa and dark fruits (cherry and prune) with some slightly earthy hop characters.

The tastes are of dark roasted malts with rich milk chocolate and some darker fruit notes. There is a decent underlying earthy/grassy hop character. Much more chocolately than any old ale I have had to date. This beer has a nice clean, lasting malty finish which is quite pleasant and unexpected.

A good beer but I wouldn't call it an old ale really because of the extreme dark fruit and cocoa character, more of an American Strong ale.
Dec 03, 2010
Pro-Am Old Ale from Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 4.16 out of 5 with 8 ratings