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Old Chico Crystal Wheat
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
- From:
- Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
- California, United States
- Style:
- Kristallweizen
Ranked #13 - ABV:
- 4.8%
- Score:
- 80
Ranked #26,089 - Avg:
- 3.52 | pDev: 15.63%
- Reviews:
- 59
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Dec 16, 2023
- Added:
- Apr 03, 2011
- Wants:
- 15
- Gots:
- 33
Old Chico Crystal Wheat is our lightest offering. This filtered beer is brewed with malted wheat and barley, and perfectly balanced by unique Crystal hops. Old Chico is a great choice for those new to craft brew and longtime beer aficionados alike—light-bodied, refreshing and wonderfully drinkable.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by smakawhat:
Reviewed by Smakawhat from Maryland
4.09/5 rDev +16.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.09/5 rDev +16.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from the bottle, into a wheat ale glass.
Deep light bronze body color, crystal clear, with a perfect amount of rising not too fine, not too big sized bubble carbonation. Head is fluffy white, with a big soapy cap, light smooth top, and big island retention of four fingers. Great looking brew.
Really fascinating aroma, hinting more hop forward. Hints of floral and big herbal spicy quality it seems, with a real nice sweet dry clove. Very inviting aroma, but hints almost towards czech style pilsner. When rested sweet malty aromas come out more like a pils than wheat. Doughy and crisp sweetness with a big hint of tangy quality. Smells really delicious.
Palate seems to take itself down a notch. The herbality hints more towards American on the hop angle, flushing out an almost creamy herbality and indistinct fruit and tropical zest. Very clean finish, almost lager like with a good but not great mouthfeel. Crisp body and accentuating the hop quality nicely. Not much sense of chewy wheat density to this.
Overall a real fascinating beer, quite neat and enjoyable.
Nov 01, 2014Deep light bronze body color, crystal clear, with a perfect amount of rising not too fine, not too big sized bubble carbonation. Head is fluffy white, with a big soapy cap, light smooth top, and big island retention of four fingers. Great looking brew.
Really fascinating aroma, hinting more hop forward. Hints of floral and big herbal spicy quality it seems, with a real nice sweet dry clove. Very inviting aroma, but hints almost towards czech style pilsner. When rested sweet malty aromas come out more like a pils than wheat. Doughy and crisp sweetness with a big hint of tangy quality. Smells really delicious.
Palate seems to take itself down a notch. The herbality hints more towards American on the hop angle, flushing out an almost creamy herbality and indistinct fruit and tropical zest. Very clean finish, almost lager like with a good but not great mouthfeel. Crisp body and accentuating the hop quality nicely. Not much sense of chewy wheat density to this.
Overall a real fascinating beer, quite neat and enjoyable.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by CarolinaCardinals from North Carolina
4/5 rDev +13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Picked up a single from SNBC Mills River 2-1-23 for $1.75. Canned 10-18-22; consumed 12-16-23. Cold stored since purchase.
Beer poured gold with a beautiful long lasting white head.
Nose is wheat cracker forward with hints of grassy hops.
Taste is a light wheat cracker malt base that is balanced very nicely with earthy and grassy hops.
Mouthfeel is light bodied and very refreshing.
Overall this is a very nice quaffable beer. Glad i was able to try!
Dec 16, 2023Beer poured gold with a beautiful long lasting white head.
Nose is wheat cracker forward with hints of grassy hops.
Taste is a light wheat cracker malt base that is balanced very nicely with earthy and grassy hops.
Mouthfeel is light bodied and very refreshing.
Overall this is a very nice quaffable beer. Glad i was able to try!
Reviewed by Offa from California
4.11/5 rDev +16.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.11/5 rDev +16.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
I finally tried this on a visit to Chico in August 2023. Gold with medium big white head steadily shrinking to thin lasting foamy top. Hint of lace. Aroma nice grass and grain, faint hint of pear. Taste drying but not super dry-moderate bitterness and sweetness pretty well balanced. Bread and dough with grassy bitterness and some green pear hint in the finish and aftertaste. A nice, clean well made and drinkable beer with some nice character. Bottle bought at the brewery shop, drunk a couple days later.
Oct 18, 2023Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho
3.25/5 rDev -7.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
3.25/5 rDev -7.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Six pack from Save-Mart. Medium, clear golden , small foamy head, streaky lacing. Bready, biscuity aroma. Taste too is pure wheat ale, white bread. Simple, clean.
Jun 03, 2023Reviewed by beergoot from Colorado
3.7/5 rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.7/5 rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Crystal clear body, light gold; dense, lively carbonation; thick, white head, semi-creamy and sculpted, long lasting; spidery sheets of foam and fingers of lacing coat the glass. Light grain scent with a bright sweetness; nice esters, fresh cut pear and apple. Fair flavor; very light cracker; moderate overall hop bitterness. Light, crisp mouthfeel; mainly dry overall.
Nice, easy drinking beer that looks great and has decent other aspects.
Pouring temperature: 45 °F; bottling info: 080122 C
Nov 15, 2022Nice, easy drinking beer that looks great and has decent other aspects.
Pouring temperature: 45 °F; bottling info: 080122 C
Reviewed by jkblr from Indiana
3.76/5 rDev +6.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
3.76/5 rDev +6.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
12oz can stamped 080122 C 09:32 (presumably 27 days old and brewed in California) poured into a wheat beer glass at fridge temp 4.8% ABV. Purchased at the Mills River gift shop two weeks ago. The beer pours bright, light gold in color with nearly white head. The head recedes to an uneven ring and a splotchy layer of bubbles. Full, web-like lacing is left on the glass. The aroma is mild with only wheat malt to my senses. The taste is semisweet wheat and 2 row malt with floral and grassy hops. Mild to moderate bitterness. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with average carbonation and a mostly dry finish. Overall, very good beer. Not in the classic German style, if that's what you're looking for.
Aug 28, 2022Reviewed by RyanK252 from California
3.79/5 rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.79/5 rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Bottle poured into a Sierra Nevada Brewing Co pint glass
A: Pours golden yellow amber with a frothy light tan head that settles to a firm layer and laces nicely.
S: Floral, grassy, fruity notes, a little peppery spice, a bit grainy, wheat twang, and just a touch of sweetness.
T: Floral, peppery spice, grassy, a little citrus zest, underlying fruity notes, peach, apricot, and pear, grainy malt, wheat twang, and just a touch of sweetness.
M: Light to medium body, moderate carbonation.
O: It's been a long time since I had my first taste of this one. Wasn't a fan back then, but I've warmed up to it a bit now. Not as ester-y as I was expecting, it's a fair bit crisper and cleaner. Nice beer for a warm spring day.
Apr 09, 2021A: Pours golden yellow amber with a frothy light tan head that settles to a firm layer and laces nicely.
S: Floral, grassy, fruity notes, a little peppery spice, a bit grainy, wheat twang, and just a touch of sweetness.
T: Floral, peppery spice, grassy, a little citrus zest, underlying fruity notes, peach, apricot, and pear, grainy malt, wheat twang, and just a touch of sweetness.
M: Light to medium body, moderate carbonation.
O: It's been a long time since I had my first taste of this one. Wasn't a fan back then, but I've warmed up to it a bit now. Not as ester-y as I was expecting, it's a fair bit crisper and cleaner. Nice beer for a warm spring day.
Reviewed by True_Bodhisattva from California
3.73/5 rDev +6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.73/5 rDev +6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Very clear beer. Huge head with a good frothy head after being poured into a frosted pint glass. Smell was what you’d expect, typical wheat beer smell. Flavor was not bad: crisp, clean, and with a hint of white peppercorn.
Jan 04, 2021Reviewed by patre_tim from Thailand
3.33/5 rDev -5.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.33/5 rDev -5.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Light golden with a hint of haze, champagne like carbonation and 2 fingers of off white head.
Smells of lemon juice, bubblegum and coriander.
The taste follows the nose and adds a fruity, floral quality. It ends in a light, dull bitterness.
Light body, lots of carbonation.
Got at Trader Joe's in Redding, drinking at Motel 6 North, Aug 5th, 2018.
Aug 06, 2018Smells of lemon juice, bubblegum and coriander.
The taste follows the nose and adds a fruity, floral quality. It ends in a light, dull bitterness.
Light body, lots of carbonation.
Got at Trader Joe's in Redding, drinking at Motel 6 North, Aug 5th, 2018.
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada
3.56/5 rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.56/5 rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Pours a clean with clarity golden color, 2/3" white head on the top, good retention. Aroma was of wheat, grain, husk, slight lemon to it.
Taste, refreshing, highly carbonated, light mouthfeel of a beer. They stayed off the spice rack thankfully on this one. All those words about being crisp, refreshing, light, carbonated, vibrant seem to play here. The malt is light, the carbonation high. Mild citrus notes. A nice clean wheat beer.
Dec 27, 2016Taste, refreshing, highly carbonated, light mouthfeel of a beer. They stayed off the spice rack thankfully on this one. All those words about being crisp, refreshing, light, carbonated, vibrant seem to play here. The malt is light, the carbonation high. Mild citrus notes. A nice clean wheat beer.
Old Chico Crystal Wheat from Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Beer rating:
80 out of
100 with
228 ratings
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