Sidecar Orange Pale Ale | Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Brewed by:
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
California, United States
sierranevada.com
Style: American Pale Ale (APA)
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 5.30%
Availability: Year-round
Notes / Commercial Description:
This beer has a pop of bright orange flavor that emphasizes the natural citrus-heavy character of Cascade, Equinox and Mandarina hops. Brewed with orange peel added directly to the kettle, and all the classic hop flavor you'd come to expect from our all-new take on the hop-forward fruit beer.
Added by gillagorilla on 07-18-2014
View: Beers | Place Reviews | Events
Ratings: 624 | Reviews: 166
3.73/5 rDev +0.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.75/5 rDev +1.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.75/5 rDev +1.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.85/5 rDev +4.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.04/5 rDev -17.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.75
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.75
2.4/5 rDev -35.1%
look: 3 | smell: 1.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 2
Hazy golden colour, small head with short retention. Good lace.
Aroma is just like a dishwasher, some oranges and pine.
Full body, creamy texture, fizzy carbonation.
Taste of oranges and fruits. Not something I'm going to drink again.
234 characters
look: 3 | smell: 1.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 2
Hazy golden colour, small head with short retention. Good lace.
Aroma is just like a dishwasher, some oranges and pine.
Full body, creamy texture, fizzy carbonation.
Taste of oranges and fruits. Not something I'm going to drink again.
234 characters
3.57/5 rDev -3.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
"Pkg date of 06/28/17." But once I smelled and tasted this I figured the rest was worthy to discuss here.
This was poured into a becher pint glass.
The appearance was a slight bronzed copper transparent color with a two finger white foamy head that slid off at a moderate pace. Some soapy lace ran around the glass fairly nice.
The aroma had some sweet orange peel, slight amount of pulp with a little bit of zesty rind bitterness. Slight grassy bitter ends ran here and there.
The flavor was moderately zesty with a substantial sweet to bitter balance rounding out the orange pulp and grassy sweet to bitter hop ends. Zesty pulls of the hops play with some orange pulp and rind in the aftertaste.
The mouthfeel was between light and medium bodied with a fair sessionability about it. Carbonation felt fine. ABV felt on par. Light dryness on the back of my tongue, but still a nice mobility for the most part. Slight sticky sort of finish.
Overall, I was expecting this to be awful and actually was proved wrong and with the fact that I'm only having it now, well, hey look at that, I'd have again, preferably fresher.
1,118 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
"Pkg date of 06/28/17." But once I smelled and tasted this I figured the rest was worthy to discuss here.
This was poured into a becher pint glass.
The appearance was a slight bronzed copper transparent color with a two finger white foamy head that slid off at a moderate pace. Some soapy lace ran around the glass fairly nice.
The aroma had some sweet orange peel, slight amount of pulp with a little bit of zesty rind bitterness. Slight grassy bitter ends ran here and there.
The flavor was moderately zesty with a substantial sweet to bitter balance rounding out the orange pulp and grassy sweet to bitter hop ends. Zesty pulls of the hops play with some orange pulp and rind in the aftertaste.
The mouthfeel was between light and medium bodied with a fair sessionability about it. Carbonation felt fine. ABV felt on par. Light dryness on the back of my tongue, but still a nice mobility for the most part. Slight sticky sort of finish.
Overall, I was expecting this to be awful and actually was proved wrong and with the fact that I'm only having it now, well, hey look at that, I'd have again, preferably fresher.
1,118 characters
3.77/5 rDev +1.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.59/5 rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
This was only an ok beer for me. I didn't get much in the way of hop flavour despite the description which includes the 3 varieties of hops used. Sure, there was a light orange in the aroma as well as the flavour, but there wasn't much more in the hops department than the traditional S.N Pale Ale. No unpleasant flavours, but then again, not as much flavour as I'd want in an APA either.
391 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
This was only an ok beer for me. I didn't get much in the way of hop flavour despite the description which includes the 3 varieties of hops used. Sure, there was a light orange in the aroma as well as the flavour, but there wasn't much more in the hops department than the traditional S.N Pale Ale. No unpleasant flavours, but then again, not as much flavour as I'd want in an APA either.
391 characters
3.52/5 rDev -4.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.96/5 rDev +7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
I've had this beer many times but I finally came around to reviewing it.
This brew pours a clear copper-gold body with a healthy towering, soapy, slightly off-white head (2 and a half fingers settles to a quarter finger around the edges and the middle).
Smell isn't too strong but it follows the clean orange citrus quality you would expect. The flavor is pretty on point - orange peel, fruity oils, lots of cascade and mandarina hop frutiness and medium bitterness. The orange definitely lingers on the back of the tongue. Soft malt backbone supports the mild carbonation and almost creamy mouthfeel of the beer.
616 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
I've had this beer many times but I finally came around to reviewing it.
This brew pours a clear copper-gold body with a healthy towering, soapy, slightly off-white head (2 and a half fingers settles to a quarter finger around the edges and the middle).
Smell isn't too strong but it follows the clean orange citrus quality you would expect. The flavor is pretty on point - orange peel, fruity oils, lots of cascade and mandarina hop frutiness and medium bitterness. The orange definitely lingers on the back of the tongue. Soft malt backbone supports the mild carbonation and almost creamy mouthfeel of the beer.
616 characters
3.35/5 rDev -9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
4.12/5 rDev +11.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.71/5 rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.83/5 rDev +3.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.75
(12 oz bottle, packaged 07/24/17 0641... poured into a Belhaven pint glass)
L: perfectly crystal-clear, scotch-amber colored liquid; pinky-width head, compact foam, rolling contour, couple random fisheye bubbles... good amount of barnacle-y bands of lace
S: orange creamsicle or orange-iced cake, mellow hopping... fresh, green-leafy (chlorophyll) hops, shortbread maltiness... little alcohol presence, weak intensity of aromas overall
T: mild, English Bitter-like flavors with a richly-concentrated yet delicate orange peel flavor in the finish and lingering in the aftertaste... quite fragrant through the palate up into the backs of the nostrils... hops leave a pithy bitterness but very little spice; polished, clean, faintly toasty malt at its core
F: smooth, soft carbonation; clean, lovely, light viscosity... dry finish, with a mellow rug-burn warmth left over... not much to tweak here, excellent
O: subtle flavorings, not at all sweet or overdone, which is great... technically, a very well-made brew... pretty enjoyable, in spite of the fruit
1,058 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.75
(12 oz bottle, packaged 07/24/17 0641... poured into a Belhaven pint glass)
L: perfectly crystal-clear, scotch-amber colored liquid; pinky-width head, compact foam, rolling contour, couple random fisheye bubbles... good amount of barnacle-y bands of lace
S: orange creamsicle or orange-iced cake, mellow hopping... fresh, green-leafy (chlorophyll) hops, shortbread maltiness... little alcohol presence, weak intensity of aromas overall
T: mild, English Bitter-like flavors with a richly-concentrated yet delicate orange peel flavor in the finish and lingering in the aftertaste... quite fragrant through the palate up into the backs of the nostrils... hops leave a pithy bitterness but very little spice; polished, clean, faintly toasty malt at its core
F: smooth, soft carbonation; clean, lovely, light viscosity... dry finish, with a mellow rug-burn warmth left over... not much to tweak here, excellent
O: subtle flavorings, not at all sweet or overdone, which is great... technically, a very well-made brew... pretty enjoyable, in spite of the fruit
1,058 characters
3.69/5 rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.75/5 rDev +1.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
4.75/5 rDev +28.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Sidecar has a thick, ivory head of foam, a hazy, orange-gold, bubbly appearance, and some glass lacing. Aroma is of orange, which quickly dies away, not to return, sweet, white bread crust, and the flavor is of fairly bold hops (for an almost 4-month-old ale), bitterness, hop oil, white bread, white bread crust, and maybe orange. Mouthfeel is high medium, and Sidecar finishes medium dry. Not a lot of orange, at all, but lots of pleasant flavor, nonetheless.
RJT
467 characters
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Sidecar has a thick, ivory head of foam, a hazy, orange-gold, bubbly appearance, and some glass lacing. Aroma is of orange, which quickly dies away, not to return, sweet, white bread crust, and the flavor is of fairly bold hops (for an almost 4-month-old ale), bitterness, hop oil, white bread, white bread crust, and maybe orange. Mouthfeel is high medium, and Sidecar finishes medium dry. Not a lot of orange, at all, but lots of pleasant flavor, nonetheless.
RJT
467 characters
2.06/5 rDev -44.3%
look: 2 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2
.....I have read where the Hillary campaign manager was now making beer...well....Side Car was the first effort...BRUTAL...
123 characters
look: 2 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2
.....I have read where the Hillary campaign manager was now making beer...well....Side Car was the first effort...BRUTAL...
123 characters
3.32/5 rDev -10.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25
Sidecar Orange Pale Ale from Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Beer rating:
52.7% out of
100 with
624 ratings
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4