Skiesta
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
- From:
- Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
- California, United States
- Style:
- Helles
Ranked #108 - ABV:
- 4.7%
- Score:
- 87
Ranked #22,699 - Avg:
- 3.84 | pDev: 9.64%
- Reviews:
- 25
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Apr 05, 2025
- Added:
- Sep 16, 2019
- Wants:
- 1
- Gots:
- 3
SCORE
87
Very Good
87
Very Good
This collab with Teton Gravity Research is part ski-beer and all fiesta, with rich malt flavor and a flash of hops. After a day on the mountain, let the stories and Skiesta flow.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by CarolinaCardinals from North Carolina
3.99/5 rDev +3.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.99/5 rDev +3.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Picked up as part of the Costco Cool 24 Pack in Spartanburg, SC on 12-13-24 for $30. Packaged in Mills River on 10-11-24; consumed for review 1-8-25.
Beer poured clear gold with a very nice white head.
Nose is nice, getting notes of white crackers and peppery phenols.
Taste is a crackers and white bread malt base. Finishes with notes of lemongrass and black pepper. Nicely balanced with an appropriate amount of sweetness.
Mouthfeel is light to medium bodied and kind of refreshing.
Overall, this was done nicely by the SNBC team!
Jan 08, 2025Beer poured clear gold with a very nice white head.
Nose is nice, getting notes of white crackers and peppery phenols.
Taste is a crackers and white bread malt base. Finishes with notes of lemongrass and black pepper. Nicely balanced with an appropriate amount of sweetness.
Mouthfeel is light to medium bodied and kind of refreshing.
Overall, this was done nicely by the SNBC team!
Reviewed by BigGold from Mississippi
3.66/5 rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75
3.66/5 rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75
Had Skiesta poured from 12-oz. can, bottom stamped "PKGD 101124," into pilsner glass.
Pours lemon-straw with clarity and 1-finger near-white head, with decent retention, pulling a little splotchy lace down the glass. Big barley malt aroma off pour, soon joined by aromas of mild lemon and a hint of spice, before some finishing funk. On tasting, begins crisp but mildly malty, with a little bitter lemon, then the beer begins drying away until there is nothing left but a little crisp, spicy, lemony bite for a mild finish.
A very pale, unusually dry, but refreshing and crushable Helles.
Jan 03, 2025Pours lemon-straw with clarity and 1-finger near-white head, with decent retention, pulling a little splotchy lace down the glass. Big barley malt aroma off pour, soon joined by aromas of mild lemon and a hint of spice, before some finishing funk. On tasting, begins crisp but mildly malty, with a little bitter lemon, then the beer begins drying away until there is nothing left but a little crisp, spicy, lemony bite for a mild finish.
A very pale, unusually dry, but refreshing and crushable Helles.
Reviewed by malrubius from Vermont
4.44/5 rDev +15.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.44/5 rDev +15.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Can. Pale clear gold with ring. Mild grassy herbal aroma. Super clean crackery honey sweetness with perfectly matched herbal bitterness. Very light body, maybe even light for style, with enough carbo to blend but not bite. Totally excellent.
Dec 30, 2024
Reviewed by VABA from Virginia
4/5 rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a golden color with a slight head and lacing
Aroma has lemongrass hints
Taste has a lemongrass flavor
A medium bodied well carbonated beer
A good Helles
Dec 07, 2024Aroma has lemongrass hints
Taste has a lemongrass flavor
A medium bodied well carbonated beer
A good Helles
Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho
3.43/5 rDev -10.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.43/5 rDev -10.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
12 oz can from Boise Co-op. Clear golden pour, initial head, fades to flat. Grainy aroma, malt, corn. Taste is more bready, grainy flavors, touch of hops at the finish. Full mouthfeel, heavy.
Jun 03, 2023
Reviewed by jockstrappy from Pennsylvania
3.67/5 rDev -4.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.67/5 rDev -4.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Pours a clear golden straw, pillow like white head. Aroma is cereal grain, fresh bread and mild earthy hop. Flavor is a biscuity malt backbone, with a citrus rind hop profile that works together quite well start to finish. Moderately carbonated, mild bitter finish. Great easy drinking brew, would probably satisfy a wide array of palates.
Feb 14, 2021
Reviewed by Jugs_McGhee from Oklahoma
3.35/5 rDev -12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
3.35/5 rDev -12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
Initial gut reaction from my first 12 oz pull-tab can:
Vibrant yellow body. Serviceable off-white head. Looks on the mark for a Munich lager.
Subtly bready with a grassy hop profile and abundant fresh helles malts. Grainy and minerally. Strangely, I'm getting an extremely subtle but nevertheless present smoked malt flavour from it as well, which is quite welcome but quite unexpected. Did Weyermann source malt for this?
Balanced and easy drinking. Not so bready that it's overwhelming or feels like a liquid meal.
One of the better American attempts at a Munich lager, but not quite on par with the best German-brewed expressions of the style. Damned drinkable...the kind of beer I could crush paired with hot wings, pizza, etc.
B- (3.35) / WORTHY
Jun 05, 2020Vibrant yellow body. Serviceable off-white head. Looks on the mark for a Munich lager.
Subtly bready with a grassy hop profile and abundant fresh helles malts. Grainy and minerally. Strangely, I'm getting an extremely subtle but nevertheless present smoked malt flavour from it as well, which is quite welcome but quite unexpected. Did Weyermann source malt for this?
Balanced and easy drinking. Not so bready that it's overwhelming or feels like a liquid meal.
One of the better American attempts at a Munich lager, but not quite on par with the best German-brewed expressions of the style. Damned drinkable...the kind of beer I could crush paired with hot wings, pizza, etc.
B- (3.35) / WORTHY
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada
3.61/5 rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.61/5 rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Had Jamie #2 pick up a 6er of this, but then she fell off the map so I got my own at Craft.
Pours a golden color that seems the standard for helles. Dig the design for that .25 bump. Skiing rules. 3/4" white head. Aroma of that bready kind of pilsner like malt body. Lager yeast was pretty neutral here.
Soft grain notes dominate the taste hitting those oft repeated "bready" descriptors, but they're repeated because they're accurate here. Even though its Sierra Nevada, they show good restraint with the hops here. Average carbonation in the mouth feel.
This 6 pack got destroyed right quick by the ladies for the most part once those end of Summer Naturday 30 racks were gone. I liked it too. Its a good beer to have around, its crushable, no taste or mouth feel aspect is extreme, but its also not watery and just an alcohol delivery vessel either. I think I said on the Memoria review that helles aren't my thing, but yet here I am, writing 2 positive helles reviews in one day. You could do worse.
Apr 22, 2020Pours a golden color that seems the standard for helles. Dig the design for that .25 bump. Skiing rules. 3/4" white head. Aroma of that bready kind of pilsner like malt body. Lager yeast was pretty neutral here.
Soft grain notes dominate the taste hitting those oft repeated "bready" descriptors, but they're repeated because they're accurate here. Even though its Sierra Nevada, they show good restraint with the hops here. Average carbonation in the mouth feel.
This 6 pack got destroyed right quick by the ladies for the most part once those end of Summer Naturday 30 racks were gone. I liked it too. Its a good beer to have around, its crushable, no taste or mouth feel aspect is extreme, but its also not watery and just an alcohol delivery vessel either. I think I said on the Memoria review that helles aren't my thing, but yet here I am, writing 2 positive helles reviews in one day. You could do worse.
Reviewed by CTHomer from Connecticut
3.79/5 rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.79/5 rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
A: crystal clear; medium gold in color; 1 finger finely pored white head that receded to a skim cap; OK lacing;
S: light malt, a little apple, and a little spice;
T: sweet for a moment, then balanced; follows the nose; a touch sweet in the aftertaste;
M: light bodied; moderate carbonation; moderately dry finish;
O: refreshing; easy drinking;
Apr 22, 2020S: light malt, a little apple, and a little spice;
T: sweet for a moment, then balanced; follows the nose; a touch sweet in the aftertaste;
M: light bodied; moderate carbonation; moderately dry finish;
O: refreshing; easy drinking;
Reviewed by teromous from Virginia
2.37/5 rDev -38.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2
2.37/5 rDev -38.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2
From the bottom of the can: "PKGD 121219C07:03"
Appearance: The body of the beer is hazy and gold colored. It has a large slightly off-white head that seems to dynamically rise and fall as the bubbles rise in the glass. Decent retention.
Aroma: There are notes of sweet-smelling cereal grain. A light herbal hop aroma is present.
Taste: It has a tart flavor which is very off-putting. There are notes of grain and some lemon-like flavors but the beer is very tart. There is a bit of a chalk-like aftertaste
Mouthfeel: Light bodied and uncharacteristically tart. The finish of the beer is gritty.
Overall: The beer can states that this is a "BAVARIAN-STYLE LAGER" and it really did not present itself as one. It was very tart and the beer did not have a crisp clean body one would expect. It's pretty poorly executed. I wouldn't buy it again and I would recommend buying something else.
Mar 13, 2020Appearance: The body of the beer is hazy and gold colored. It has a large slightly off-white head that seems to dynamically rise and fall as the bubbles rise in the glass. Decent retention.
Aroma: There are notes of sweet-smelling cereal grain. A light herbal hop aroma is present.
Taste: It has a tart flavor which is very off-putting. There are notes of grain and some lemon-like flavors but the beer is very tart. There is a bit of a chalk-like aftertaste
Mouthfeel: Light bodied and uncharacteristically tart. The finish of the beer is gritty.
Overall: The beer can states that this is a "BAVARIAN-STYLE LAGER" and it really did not present itself as one. It was very tart and the beer did not have a crisp clean body one would expect. It's pretty poorly executed. I wouldn't buy it again and I would recommend buying something else.
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