Alpha Hop Society: Barrel-Aged Nectarine Blonde Ale
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

Little floating chunks of yeast or nectarine peel. Ruby hue.
Boozy. Overripe nectarines to the point of cloying sweetness. Gin flavors lost in the booze. Maybe if it wasn’t 10.5% it would be a more palatable blonde ale.
I don’t want to rate too harshly, but on the other hand it was a drainpour for me.

Thanks to Tom for this one! The nectarines absolutely dominated here, rendering the gun barrels all but indiscernible to me. The fruit is intensely sweet, almost citrus like. Fun and refreshing overall.

Poured a deep golden orange with a fine white head, slowly fading to a solid ring. Smell is extremely pronounced with sweet nectarine fruit! Taste is a jammy nectarine mouthful. Body is slightly syrupy with light, spritzy carbonation. Wow, this one surprised me. I didnt know quite what to expect with a gin barrel aged nectarine blonde ale at over 10%, but this one is perfect for an after dinner drink or a slow sipper on a summer afternoon. Very impressed!

this is downright incredible, one of the best beers i have had in months, and one of the most unique beers of all time, so many thanks going on, all of them working in perfect concert, this level of creativity combined with this level of refinement is rare, reserved for the very best in the world, i wish more of this kind of stuff escaped into the wild, sierra is way way way cooler than most people think they are, cant even believe how great this is. a strong imperial blonde base, seemingly simple, but spiked with what must be a metric ton of nectarines, and aged in gin barrels! its a little hazy and orange from the fruit, but i can also tell its not from malt, like it was blonde at one point, i have no doubt, and its fizzy with an almost belgian looking head with a slow fade. aroma is insane, instantly mouthwatering, real nectarine to the dome, like distinct from peach or apricot or anything in the same family, i get white wine too, maybe from the oak, the gin botanicals are there but subtle, juniper with the nectarine is glorious, i get floral honey as well, and there is some light fruity sweetness to this, sauternes and light bready malt, starburst candy, minerals, and its almost got that refreshment thing that super cold and super pure water has when you are parched, even without tasting it, just from the smell, insane! the gin and nectarine are just as bold in the flavor, i mean the nectarine is so juicy and real, and the juniper, sage, chardonnay, pine, key lime, and even hop notes in the gin just accentuate it so well, not to mention all the wood, this is dynamic, regal, and impossible unique, executed to such a degree that its borderline unforgettable. the alcohol is crazy well hidden and the champagne carbonation makes it drink so light and easy, airy even for its strength, just nuts. fast finishing for how complex it is. this is epic stuff, possibly a beer of the year candidate for me!

 

Picked up AHS Release #4, which was six-16oz cans, on 6-23-22 from the Mills River Gift Shop.

Beer poured a deep blonde with a nice white head with the original pour.

Nose is fresh stone fruit forward with a hint of gin in the background.

Taste is a large pale malt base infused with tons of nectarine that is balanced very nicely by the gin barrels. Finishes with a stone fruit bite.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and pretty refreshing for such a big beer.

Overall a unique ale in which the fruit and botanicals work nicely together!