Sierra Nevada Vienna Style Lager | Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Brewed by:
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
California, United States
sierranevada.com
Style: Vienna Lager
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 5.30%
Availability: Rotating
Notes / Commercial Description:
Vienna-style beers are among the world’s first light-colored lagers and were on the brink of extinction until American craft brewers helped revive the style; it’s a good thing they did. These delicate and extremely balanced amber beers rely on semi-sweet and bready malt flavors but walk a fine line with both malt and hop character shouldering equal weight. Our take on the style features whole-cone European hops, which add to the dry finish.
Added by ThreeWiseMen on 06-24-2009
HISTOGRAM
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Ratings: 904 | Reviews: 199
3.69/5 rDev -2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75
3.3/5 rDev -12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
look: 4 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
3.69/5 rDev -2.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.34/5 rDev -11.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
3.5/5 rDev -7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.68/5 rDev -2.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.91/5 rDev +3.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Looks a translucent light honey/straw color. Minimal head but some residual lacing with a trace of lacing on glass. Smell is quite muted- mild vanilla,biscuit,earthy smell. Taste is more pronounced than most style lagers. Toasted malt,fresh baked bread,caramel. Reminds me of a "fest beer" in many ways. Feels well carbonated, not slick in any way,almost a dry finish.Some different toasted nut taste is a bonus. Well done, I swear this could pass for a marzen style.
467 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Looks a translucent light honey/straw color. Minimal head but some residual lacing with a trace of lacing on glass. Smell is quite muted- mild vanilla,biscuit,earthy smell. Taste is more pronounced than most style lagers. Toasted malt,fresh baked bread,caramel. Reminds me of a "fest beer" in many ways. Feels well carbonated, not slick in any way,almost a dry finish.Some different toasted nut taste is a bonus. Well done, I swear this could pass for a marzen style.
467 characters
3.44/5 rDev -9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.75/5 rDev -1.1%
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
3.21/5 rDev -15.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
This is from the Sierra Nevada Fall Pack. From the back label in white print: "PKGD 07/18/18 2027"
Appearance: The beer has a body with excellent clarity and is a medium shade of gold in color. It has a frothy head that is just a hint off-white. Very good lacing and retention.
Aroma: The beer has a very faint hop aroma which gives off the scent of lemongrass.
Taste: As the beer crosses over the palate it has a very light bit of cereal grain with just a hint of lemon. It is uniform across the palate.
Mouthfeel: It is on the upper side of light bodied and it has just a faint bit of chewiness to it. It's not as crisp as one would expect but it falls into that category of where most average Vienna Lagers settle.
Overall: It's pretty average fare for a Vienna Lager. It doesn't present itself that well on the palate so I really wouldn't recommend it one way or another. There are better Vienna Lagers on the market and there are worse. This one happens to rest pretty evenly in the middle. I doubt I would buy it again given the alternatives. It's only really worth drinking if you are curious about how Sierra Nevada would craft a Vienna Lager.
1,156 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
This is from the Sierra Nevada Fall Pack. From the back label in white print: "PKGD 07/18/18 2027"
Appearance: The beer has a body with excellent clarity and is a medium shade of gold in color. It has a frothy head that is just a hint off-white. Very good lacing and retention.
Aroma: The beer has a very faint hop aroma which gives off the scent of lemongrass.
Taste: As the beer crosses over the palate it has a very light bit of cereal grain with just a hint of lemon. It is uniform across the palate.
Mouthfeel: It is on the upper side of light bodied and it has just a faint bit of chewiness to it. It's not as crisp as one would expect but it falls into that category of where most average Vienna Lagers settle.
Overall: It's pretty average fare for a Vienna Lager. It doesn't present itself that well on the palate so I really wouldn't recommend it one way or another. There are better Vienna Lagers on the market and there are worse. This one happens to rest pretty evenly in the middle. I doubt I would buy it again given the alternatives. It's only really worth drinking if you are curious about how Sierra Nevada would craft a Vienna Lager.
1,156 characters
3.63/5 rDev -4.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.68/5 rDev -2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.55/5 rDev -6.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
It's German for sure...it has that in aroma and taste. it pours a nice bold yellow with nice whit foam that doesn't last long, but is there and carbonated nice.
The aroma has nice sweet bready malt and slight hops with it. The taste is along the same line...with a sweet caramel malt with a spicy hops finish.
Not my cup of beer, but a very drinkable brew for the right bratwurst occassion!!
392 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
It's German for sure...it has that in aroma and taste. it pours a nice bold yellow with nice whit foam that doesn't last long, but is there and carbonated nice.
The aroma has nice sweet bready malt and slight hops with it. The taste is along the same line...with a sweet caramel malt with a spicy hops finish.
Not my cup of beer, but a very drinkable brew for the right bratwurst occassion!!
392 characters
3.67/5 rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.54/5 rDev -6.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
Sierra Nevada Vienna Style Lager - 5.3% ABV - 25 IBUs.
Date: 07/18/18, tasted on 09/18/18.
Appearance: Clear, but rich gold in color with a rapidly dissipating fizzy white head.
Aroma: Smells…German. Standard German hops, some yeast, and a bit of bread like malts. Additionally, the is a faint spiciness. Vienna also smells a little on the sweet side.
Taste: Light spicy hop notes hit first before Vienna switches halfway through to more of a doughy taste. The hops are fleeting here, but the malts have a nice cooked biscuit flavor which lingers for a few moments. For a lighter style beer, this is actually quite nice.
Biased comments: While I don’t think this is one I would actively seek out, as low ABV more pedestrian style beers aren’t my thing, it is a decent brew. It would be perfect for cool weather session drinking or pairing with fatty meats in tube form.
880 characters
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
Sierra Nevada Vienna Style Lager - 5.3% ABV - 25 IBUs.
Date: 07/18/18, tasted on 09/18/18.
Appearance: Clear, but rich gold in color with a rapidly dissipating fizzy white head.
Aroma: Smells…German. Standard German hops, some yeast, and a bit of bread like malts. Additionally, the is a faint spiciness. Vienna also smells a little on the sweet side.
Taste: Light spicy hop notes hit first before Vienna switches halfway through to more of a doughy taste. The hops are fleeting here, but the malts have a nice cooked biscuit flavor which lingers for a few moments. For a lighter style beer, this is actually quite nice.
Biased comments: While I don’t think this is one I would actively seek out, as low ABV more pedestrian style beers aren’t my thing, it is a decent brew. It would be perfect for cool weather session drinking or pairing with fatty meats in tube form.
880 characters
3.69/5 rDev -2.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.95/5 rDev +4.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Classic optics, would have liked a little more assertiveness from those European hops, they malt is crisp & tasty just a little bit one-note, not a super deep style in general but still could use another layer
209 characters
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Classic optics, would have liked a little more assertiveness from those European hops, they malt is crisp & tasty just a little bit one-note, not a super deep style in general but still could use another layer
209 characters
3.97/5 rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
3.87/5 rDev +2.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
12oz. bottle served in my Spiegelau pilsner glass. Pours a lovely burnt orange hue with a slight haze to the clarity and tight, quarter inch, bright white head. Clean nose - grassy notes and hints of noble hops. Taste reveals some caramel, bready sweetness with a mild earthy/herbal hops presence at the back. Mouthfeel is light-medium in body with a consistent carbonation and a hint of dryness at the finish. Overall, pleasant and drinkable although it doesn't totally come together for me. That said, reminds me a bit of a festbier - perhaps the caramel sweetness.
573 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
12oz. bottle served in my Spiegelau pilsner glass. Pours a lovely burnt orange hue with a slight haze to the clarity and tight, quarter inch, bright white head. Clean nose - grassy notes and hints of noble hops. Taste reveals some caramel, bready sweetness with a mild earthy/herbal hops presence at the back. Mouthfeel is light-medium in body with a consistent carbonation and a hint of dryness at the finish. Overall, pleasant and drinkable although it doesn't totally come together for me. That said, reminds me a bit of a festbier - perhaps the caramel sweetness.
573 characters
3.93/5 rDev +3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.59/5 rDev -5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.25
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.25
3.91/5 rDev +3.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Sierra Nevada Vienna Style Lager from Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Beer rating:
3.79 out of
5 with
904 ratings
0 characters. We love reviews! Turn your rating into one with ≥ 150 characters.
Explain why you're giving this rating. Your review must discuss the beer's attributes (look, smell, taste, feel) and your overall impression in order to indicate that you have legitimately tried the beer. Nonconstructive reviews may be removed without notice and action may be taken on your account.