Sierra Nevada - Snowpack (Winter Sampler)

Had my hand on a Snowpack case, then spotted (to my surprise that it's already out) a stack of Celebration cases. Bought the Celebration; now wish I'd bought both.

 

Yeah would have been good to double down there.

 

I just grabbed a case today for 23.99 in SE MI. I was about to give up hope finding it, havent seen the 12 packs anywhere around me. Glad I decided to randomly check out Costco. I usually don't buy cases; but I always enjoy some pale ale, and I haven't had porter in a while so it'll be nice. Plus the price is awesome.

 

I had a chance to try the Boomerang IPA (I wasn't really a fan) and the Coffee Stout (loved it). While the Stout is a classic, I wouldn't be too upset if the Coffee Stout replaced it year-round and I think then there would be an even bigger difference between their Stout and their Porter (I enjoy the Porter too).

 

Bought one on Friday, didn't care much for Boomerang IPA, but the Coffee Stout is really good. I also enjoy the Porter.

 

I agree, I would purchase the Coffee Stout in 6 packs regularly.

 

I love love the Coffee Stout and I thought the Boomerang was pretty solid. Its got a more musty sorta smell but tastes really good. Classic Porter and Pale Ale always welcome. Again another winner pack from Sierra Nevada.

 

Tough call to get the Snowpack or a Celebration 12 pack when they are stack right next to each other - guess I'm getting both.

 

Yeah that is what I did @ThreeLloyds !

 

I did the reverse. Did not expect Snow Pack to be out yet but my local mega-liquor store had advertised Celebration for $13 so I went to get one last Saturday and saw they had Snow Pack for the same price. I don't rip through twelvepacks very fast so I only got the SP. Two new brews I had not tried yet and wanting to refresh my memory of Pale Ale, all for only $1.08 per bottle was too good a deal to pass up. I expect I will be getting some Celebration soon though.

 

Like some others, I didn't care for the hop profile on Boomerang but really enjoyed the Coffee Stout. I'm hesitant to pull the trigger on a 12 of Celebration (6 is never a good value compared to 13 here). Will wait for a Christmas party or something.

 

SNPA was something like the 12th Sierra Nevada beer I tried. You see, unlike many craft beer types, I didn't take the traditional route from Bud to Boston Lager to craft. I was a wine drinker whose eyes were Requires by a bottle of Abt 12.

So, I never figured that something I could find at Walmart could be world class, until I tried it i n a variety pack. I'm, now, so happy to know that when I'm i,n 7-11, I don't have to settle.

 

Boomerang and Coffee Stout are both very good brews. Nothing that will change your life, but both are very solid, well made beers.

 

I can see how Boomerang could be a really polarizing IPA: it has such a dank, piney, skunky, funky hop profile coupled with a very neutral malt backbone to let those hops shine. Not everyone will dig that, but I found it to be a refreshing, unique change of pace.

 

A very good 12 pack, for sure. Something old, something new, something coffee, something 'roo. At the price per bottle, it was also a bargain. It's only November, but I already wonder what Bill has up his sleeve for springtime.

 

Given the release creep we've seen, you'll probably be able to pick that up around the first week of December.

 

Similar experience with the dates, if not exactly the same. My biggest complaint is that the outside of the box has a
"Pkgd. 9/24/14" date. Yes it may have been packaged on 9/24, but that's not true to SN's normal practice of having the box match the bottles. Had the box had at least the latest bottle date, it would have been more accurate, albeit by just a little. Of course, it really only matters with the Boomerang IPA since the Pale Ale holds up pretty well and chances are I would have purchased it if there hadn't been a date on the box since it was a seasonal release and the beer couldn't possibly be that old coming from Sierra Nevada.

 

I think the next pack will be the IPA pack again but tweaked. Right @sierranevadabill ? I could use some more Blindfold...

 

I know that saying anything negative about sierra nevada is boderline sacrilige around here, but the Boomerang is just not good at all.

I was expecting new varietal aussie/NZ hops. I got what tasted like a strong noble hop twang, very offputting.

 

Pretty solid variety pack, although I would rather have Celebration than Boomerang.