Sierra Nevada Summerfest | Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

3.75/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

3.68/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Very nice Pilsner that would be great to drink on a hot summer day. Clear golden color with just a little lingering head and lacing. Smells of malt, grain and just a touch of lemon. Tastes similarly, along with some trace hoppy notes. Clean finish and mouthfeel, not too much of that “lager” aftertaste. Good carbonation.

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4.14/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

4.44/5  rDev +21%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

3.79/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

3.81/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

3.68/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

3.54/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

3.83/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

4.1/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2.39/5  rDev -34.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2.25

3.77/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

5/5  rDev +36.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

3.48/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

3.54/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

2.84/5  rDev -22.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

4.6/5  rDev +25.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Very crisp and clean. Great for a hot summer afternoon or evening relaxing on the deck. Pours smoothly with very little head. Very reminiscent of a true German lager as found in-country (not imported or brewed over here in the USA). Slightly sweet, but with just a hint of spicy undertones. Beautiful light amber color. This could quickly become one of my favorite lagers.

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3.59/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.75

4.26/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The clear light golden yellow colored beer pours out into a Duvel glass with a 3/4” white head that slowly but visibly recedes while leaving some rings and a spider web of leggy lacing on the sides of the glass. Eventually the head becomes a thin cap that then becomes an irregular thin island of foam with a thick ring around the glass. Sipping leaves a couple of arches along with patches and legs of lacing on the sides of the glass.

The aromas are light and mostly about the floral and spicy hops with their grassy, herbalists hop character. There’s also a bit of crackery malt.

The flavors are much as expected from the nose with a nice mix of spiciness, floral and herbal bitter hops backed up by crackery malts that bring along a slight sweetness. The balance, however, is a bit different than expected from the nose in that the herbal, spicy bitterness is more forward.

The mouthfeel is on the light side of medium bodied, clean and crisp with the moderate, slightly prickly carbonation. The finish begins as the malt character and it’s light sweetness fade away to leave a slightly spicy and herbal dry finish.

Overall this is an enjoyable and easily drinkable beer that has some nice light spicy, grassy, herbal and floral character that makes it very refreshing and dry in the ending. A really good beer for the warm summer evening and relaxing on the back porch with friends.

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3.68/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

4.75/5  rDev +29.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

I have been obsessively trying American lagers over the last couple of years. In my opinion, most American micros are either making a variant of American Adjunct/Pale Lager or, if they attempt to get more flavor, are simply making a session IPA or watery APA.
Sierra Nevada Summerfest is the single exception that I've encountered. This beer has all the complexities of great German or Czech lagers. Dry, with awesome malt/hop/yeast complexity, this is truly a special American beer-one that can stand with the best lagers in the world.
I'm guessing the reviewers that scored this beer low or said that it was bland aren't fans of the world's great lagers.

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4.29/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a roughly six week old 12 oz bottle. Nice clear golden straw color with a foamy white head. Smell is bready malts with some hop spiciness. On the palate, I get some lightly sweet doughy and bready malts that are balanced by a nice snap of spicy hops with a touch of grassy and floral and just a dab of fruitiness. A beautifully balanced pilsner, this beer has quickly made it onto my favorites list for lagers. Lots of flavor, while at the same time really easy drinking and refreshing.

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4.34/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

3.76/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

4.04/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4