30th Anniversary - Jack & Ken's Ale
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

Cork almost shot off when I popped it, and out came this delicious, mesmerizing sweet and boozy smell.

True to its name, the brew pours dark black, topped with a tan head that darkens as it slowly collapses, leaving behind wide, thin lacing. As the brew gets lower in the glass, it becomes apparent that it is a very clear nut-brown color.

Boozy, sweet aroma; dark fruit; some chocolate; a bit of oxidation, but nothing overpowering. Kind of unfair to ding it for the age in the aroma, as I've never had it fresh.

Dark fruit, raisins, toffee, chocolate, oak, and a hint of bourbon. Flavors are all kind of mingling together; nothing really stands out. Long, bitter, earthy, and chocolatey finish. Exceptionally bitter, actually, with a kiss of caramel.

Surprisingly thin mouthfeel; oily retention; lots of back-end heat, but no hint of alcohol on the tongue. Long wet finish.

This is a surprising beer, even considering that I didn't know what to expect. It's a big beer, very smooth, but not incredibly interesting; for such a special release, I'd rather it be interesting than smooth. Which isn't to say it isn't good; it is very good, in fact.

Bottled in 2010; 4 years of age on it.

RB transfer

Poured from the cage and caork 750 ml bottle.
A - Chalkboard dark color, still a vibrant cap, no lacing per se
S - Hops, cocoa, alcohol. a bit of black pepper, and currant
T - All the aromatics, plus candied orange peel, dark malts,
M - Medium in body, a touch of slickness. amazing dry finish
O - Black IPA/Barleywine mash up, all the best elements of both styles. Impressed how well this offering ages.
Sadly our last bottle

Bottle at RBSG 17 grand tasting. Dark, ruddy brown small beige head. Sweet aroma, molasses and brown sugar, roast malts. Taste is also sweet, right on target, and has held up reasonably well over time. Some odd citrus elements here too, a bit of warmth also.

This was something unique and special. with lots of black malt. Very nice with sweetness but also some breadiness. Aged well.|A beer well remembered.

 

Damned impressive. All of the 30th anniversary beers, but particularly the stout and the black barleywine. Aroma and flavor remain vibrant, mouthfeel is off a little but at 10 years, what can one expect? A good pop of the cork when I opened it presaged a real shock.

Tried on 3/3/19, so 9 years aged. Nose is similar to barley, but flavors of stout.
Tried again in 2021, 11 year old and was excellent. Very robust yet smooth. Hints of caramel.

 

 

 

Pours dark brown. Thick, medium, tan had that Fades slowly.

Smells roasted malts, caramel, dark fruit and light bitter chocolate.

Tastes roasty, raisin, Plum, caramel, brown sugar, Light Citrus and light chocolate. Finishes dry with a roast and light Char linger. Medium body and smooth lower carbonation.

Would have rated higher this tastes really good but more like an black IPA

 

 

 

 

 

Brewed once in 2010? Correct.
Retired listing? Yep.
Bought this at the brewery a year ago and just drank it? That's right!

Why were they selling a 6 year old beer at the brewery? As this was a beer they thought would age well in the bottle, they kept some back and sold some of the fridge-aged version a year ago, thinking it was probably peaking. No doubt they sampled it along the way every few months. It kept getting better as the hops mellowed allowing the maltiness to become more forward, while retaining a strong, bitter after taste. I had some a year ago. Really remarkable. So smooth, so delicious. Its 10% ABV, but the alcohol is pretty far back. Dark sweetness and fruity flavors that are amazing. They probably thought that after 6 years it must be peaking. They were wrong, an additional year of closet storage has improved it still, and that would probably be 2 to 3 years of fridge storage. Certainly one of the best liquids to ever pass my lips!