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: 918 | Reviews: 205
3.77/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.84/5 rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bottle poured into a Sierra Nevada Brewing Co pint glass
A: Pours golden copper amber with a frothy off white head that settles to a light layer and leaves some
S: Grainy, slightly toasty bready malt, grassy, herbal, spicy, and herbal notes, faintly fruity, and a touch of honey sweetness.
T: Bready slightly toasty malt, a bit grainy, spicy, herbal, grassy, and earthy notes, a little fruity towards the back end, pear and apricot, and touch of honey sweetness.
M: Medium body, moderate carbonation, crisp.
O: It might not be my favorite style, but this one is well done.
581 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bottle poured into a Sierra Nevada Brewing Co pint glass
A: Pours golden copper amber with a frothy off white head that settles to a light layer and leaves some
S: Grainy, slightly toasty bready malt, grassy, herbal, spicy, and herbal notes, faintly fruity, and a touch of honey sweetness.
T: Bready slightly toasty malt, a bit grainy, spicy, herbal, grassy, and earthy notes, a little fruity towards the back end, pear and apricot, and touch of honey sweetness.
M: Medium body, moderate carbonation, crisp.
O: It might not be my favorite style, but this one is well done.
581 characters
3.11/5 rDev -17.9%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3
look: 2.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3
3.25/5 rDev -14.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
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
3.38/5 rDev -10.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A: Light amber-honey in color with an icy haze.
S: Caramel malts are highly represented. White pear, summer's end peach jelly.
M: Light to moderate body propped up some by a its sweet slickness.
T: Lots of honey, sweetened white bread pudding with peach compote; quince syrup. Drier, toastier notes as it warms with some peppery hops as well.
347 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A: Light amber-honey in color with an icy haze.
S: Caramel malts are highly represented. White pear, summer's end peach jelly.
M: Light to moderate body propped up some by a its sweet slickness.
T: Lots of honey, sweetened white bread pudding with peach compote; quince syrup. Drier, toastier notes as it warms with some peppery hops as well.
347 characters
4/5 rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
First review of a 12 pack variety pack by Sierra Nevada.
Pours a crystal clear light gold with an abundant head that slowly reduces itself to a thin skin with excellent side glass lace.
AROMA: Surprisingly, I get some light hops with lemon scents along with some breads.
TASTE: Yum! A little more of bread malts. Some sweetness with a hint of caramel. Some spicy hop balance present.
Dry at the finish.
402 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
First review of a 12 pack variety pack by Sierra Nevada.
Pours a crystal clear light gold with an abundant head that slowly reduces itself to a thin skin with excellent side glass lace.
AROMA: Surprisingly, I get some light hops with lemon scents along with some breads.
TASTE: Yum! A little more of bread malts. Some sweetness with a hint of caramel. Some spicy hop balance present.
Dry at the finish.
402 characters
3.66/5 rDev -3.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Pours a crystal clear, beautiful amber producing 3+ fingers of beige, frothy, somewhat lasting head that leaves motes and strings of lace. Aroma is thin but a blend of toast & biscuity malt, fruity with white fruit hints, honey and floral hops hints. Taste is malty-sweet and fruity up front with jelly/marmalade like notes of pear and peach cobbler, more honey than the nose followed by notes of biscuit, toast, caramel with floral and earthy hops. Drying late in the finish. Aftertaste is soured fruit, increasing bitterness and faintly astringent with a hint of mineral & metallic. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with moderate carbonation, smooth but not clean with a nice prickle over the tongue.
696 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Pours a crystal clear, beautiful amber producing 3+ fingers of beige, frothy, somewhat lasting head that leaves motes and strings of lace. Aroma is thin but a blend of toast & biscuity malt, fruity with white fruit hints, honey and floral hops hints. Taste is malty-sweet and fruity up front with jelly/marmalade like notes of pear and peach cobbler, more honey than the nose followed by notes of biscuit, toast, caramel with floral and earthy hops. Drying late in the finish. Aftertaste is soured fruit, increasing bitterness and faintly astringent with a hint of mineral & metallic. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with moderate carbonation, smooth but not clean with a nice prickle over the tongue.
696 characters
3.75/5 rDev -1.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Okay Vienna lager and quite enjoyable. Not quite as good as a few others I drink such as Double Nickel and DB but good none the less. Malty and slightly sweet yet lacks some of the thick taste I look for.
206 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Okay Vienna lager and quite enjoyable. Not quite as good as a few others I drink such as Double Nickel and DB but good none the less. Malty and slightly sweet yet lacks some of the thick taste I look for.
206 characters
3.77/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Another decent offering from SN...
A lager that has some very good qualities - dark amber-colored liquid with a nice thick head; the smell was malty but light; a mouthfeel that's carbonated but crisp; and a taste that was tangy and spicy; overall, finding it pretty good though not the best lager I've had.
308 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Another decent offering from SN...
A lager that has some very good qualities - dark amber-colored liquid with a nice thick head; the smell was malty but light; a mouthfeel that's carbonated but crisp; and a taste that was tangy and spicy; overall, finding it pretty good though not the best lager I've had.
308 characters
3.67/5 rDev -3.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.77/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
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
3.68/5 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
Sierra Nevada Vienna Style Lager from Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Beer rating:
3.79 out of
5 with
918 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.