Sierra Nevada Nooner Pilsner?!

hopefully we get the pils, hoppy lager and ipa pack soon, my local shop has been out of celebration and snow pack for what seems like a couple weeks. anyone seen these in nova?

 

Picked a single up here in Phoenix AZ might try this tonight!

 

Nooner is drier, crisper and with more hop character than Summerfest. It's a pretty straightforward German-style Pils, while Summerfest is more in the Bohemian style, more malt flavor and grassier hop flavor.

 

Picked up a single last week and really liked it. Crisp, clean, refreshing. Went back and bought 6 yesterday.

 

Here's a question that I don't believe has been asked yet: Will the Summerfest still be released with Nooner as a year-round beer?

 

Bill, do you know the measured IBUs of this beer?

Cheers!

Jack

 

As per Sierra Nevada's website Nooner will have 38 IBUs.

 

Thanks Bill er ah I mean Patrik.

Based upon my highly calibrated IBU measurement system (otherwise known as my palate) it appears to me that Nooner will be as hoppy (and perhaps hoppier?) than Jever from a bitterness perspective.

I personally look forward to trying Nooner!!

Cheers!

Jack

 

I'm hoping it makes an apperance on shelves over here at some point, since it sounds like it should be a really tasty beer. I've never tried Summerfest so I'm quite curious to see their take on a lager beer style.

 

So the session IPA is a gone. And is it /will it be replaced.

 

Truth be told, Jever is one of my top 5 desert island beers. To me, Nooner is of that caliber and a bit hoppier. Since Nooner has been available to me, I haven't been without it in my home. 12-pack cans all the way!

 

Yep. Summerfest will remain as our summer seasonal. It'll be fun to drink the two pilsner-style beers fresh side-by-side.

Bill

 

Patrik,

Overall, Sierra Nevada makes quality lager beers. They had a recent Fall variety pack which included a Vienna Lager and an Oktoberfest. I personally greatly enjoyed both of those beers! IMO, the Vienna Lager was a very good traditional Vienna Lager. The Oktoberfest was a bit ‘out of the ordinary’ but I really enjoyed drinking that beer.

You have already seen Bill Manley’s comments on Summerfest vs. Nooner. I have not personally had Nooner yet but I fully expect that Bill’s comments will be consistent with my impressions. A quick review of the ingredients/specs of Summerfest vs. Nooner is interesting:

Malt

· Summerfest: Two-row Pale, Pilsner, Munich

· Nooner: Two-row Pale, Pilsner, Munich, Acidulated

Hops

· Summerfest: Bittering: Perle, Finishing: Saaz, Spalter Select

· Nooner: Bittering: Perle, Finishing: Saphir, Tettnanger, Strisselspalt

IBUs

· Summerfest: 28 IBUs

· Nooner: 38 IBUs

Fermentation/Attenuation Characterisics

· Summerfest: 5% ABV, OG = 12.2° P, FG = 2.8° P

· Nooner: 5.2% ABV, OG = 11.7° P, FG = 1.9° P



Needless to say since I have not tasted Nooner yet my ‘knowledge’ is simply the data listed above and Bill’s tasting comments.

I have had Summerfest before but frankly it has been a number of years since I tasted it so maybe it would be best to just concentrate on the information above?

Some comments:

The grain bill of the two beers appears to be essentially the same. Apparently the Sierra Nevada brewers decided to use some acidulated malt in brewing Nooner for mash pH adjustment.

The hops and IBUs are different between these two beers. As you are aware the stereotypical Bohemian Pilsner is Pilsner Urquell which is hopped at around 40 IBUs (according to the Brewing Techniques article). Sierra Nevada chose to use less bittering hops in their Bohemian Pilsner of Summerfest. Summerfest is finished with Sazzer type hops (Saaz/Spalter Select) which is consistent with the Bohemian Pilsner beer style. The Nooner will have more of a German Pilsner character with the finishing hops of Saphir and Tettnanger; the selection of the French hop of Strisselspalt is interesting for the context of German Pilsner. As you well know, the bitterness levels of German Pilsners vary and 38 IBUs while not typical in a contemporary, industrial German Pilsner context it is also well within reason. Needless to say but there is no way to quantify hop flavor/aroma to compare these two beers.

From an attenuation perspective, the Summerfest is more less attenuated which should yield a bit more body (typical for the Bohemian Pilsner style). The Nooner is more attenuated and therefore expectations should be a beer that is drier in mouthfeel (as was mentioned by Bill Manley).

It will be interesting to see if Sierra Nevada continues to brew Summerfest as a summer seasonal given that Nooner will be a year round beer. Perhaps they have already made this decision or maybe they are waiting to see how Nooner is accepted by US beer consumers. I think you are well aware that quality brewed Pilsners are in general not top selling beer with the US craft beer community. With the recent introduction of Firestone Walker Pivo Pilsner it could be argued that the market for quality Pilsner beers in the US is getting near capacity? Or maybe the introduction of Nooner will be more along the lines of the ‘build it and they will come’ business strategy? Who knows?

Cheers!

Jack

 

“Since Nooner has been available to me, I haven't been without it in my home. 12-pack cans all the way!”

Bill, as always I love your enthusiasm!!

Cheers!

Jack

 

This is starting to pop up in my area and one store not too far from me had it but by the time I got there, it was already sold out...I was told that they only got one case this time around and it sold quickly. I know it will be showing up all around me very soon so I wasn't too upset about this news, and I was actually happy to hear that it sold so quickly; Pilsners are one of my favorite styles and SN does Lagers well so this is a good sign.

 

Seen it at Total in ATL. Bottles only for now.

 

Grabbed a 6 pack last night, loved it! I was certain that I would, though, seeing as Pilsners are one of my favorite styles and SN has proven that they can do them well.

 

I just put some in my belly.

 

Very solid. I had it right after a Hoppy Lager. I found them similar in some regards. Yeast and overall mouthfeel/body lent to them being similar in my eyes.. I actually liked the pilsners balance a bit more. The back end bitterness and heavier sweetness of the hoppy lager didnt make it quite as refreshing as it could have been (I don't think I caught much in regards to hoppy aromatics either, so straight bitterness was a touch off for me). The nooner pils was definitely bone dry, with some bready pilsner malts hitting in the back end. Slight bitterness. But just a crisp fun beer to drink. Definitely on par with some local pilsners I like to drink (marble pilsner). This is right up there with Weihenstephaner, among the only pilsners available around my way in a package form... I have had prima pils and FW pivo, both of which are about at this same standard.

Great price point and very solid product once again

 

Anyone seen this in MA yet? This will probably be in my fridge constantly once I can get my hands on it.