Märican Biere Bought and Drunk...

Grabbed 2 cases of Hoptimum just incase it goes quick while there they must have broke open the sierra Nevada summer pack for make you own 6 pack deal grabed a few kolsch and a Kellerweis. plus the latest summer. Paid an extra 20 cents or so per beer but I can try and see what I like Waiting for one to get cold while I kill my last 24 oz sierra Nevada Harvest wild hop Ipa

 

Not that I expeceted any less, HB, but you hit the nail on the head with your description of SN's kölsch, which I'm enjoying on this fine Sunday. Great balanced nose of kölsch yeast and noble hops. The American hops come through more on the palate for me, giving it a little extra oomph, but still, which I find so often true of these well-done German styles, eminently drinkable. Well done, SN.

 

Also tried the Kolsch, going to have another one tonight. I agree, a bit hop-forward, and the American hops strike me as a bit more prominent. But a lovely beer nonetheless, in one word, refreshing. They're not shy about telling you it will be slightly hoppy, but they don't interfere with the overall flavor profile and its nuances.

This is my favorite in this mix pack, but damn, it's a solid mix pack. Quite sessionable too, it's nice to not have a random IPA at 7% thrown in to boost sales. I forgot how solid their pale ale is and their Kellerweis is very nice too. Nooner is probably my least favorite, but it's not a bad beer (if it was Summerfest I'd have to buy 8 cases of this mix pack).

Only gripe is all the bottling dates are late March, I wish it was a bit fresh, but I'm not going to complain about two months.

 

SNBill has addressed the trouble with keeping bottles consistently dated in sample packs. I guess it's just too difficult to brew that batches close enough together then hand-pack the 12 packs and have closer together dates. One of the labels always suffers.

 

I dislike 12 pack varieties always one or 2 you don't really care for and you end up pawning them off to some other beer leecher. but I guess some deserve a crappy beer

 

Found some Summer Sampler Packs in my area -- only 2 places within 25 miles that have it at this point, fortunately one of them is right on my way home!

Jumped right to the Kölsch for the sake of this thread (and my own excitement). "Packaged" on 04.08.2015. Not sure if that's a bottling date or the day they put the 12 pack together, but since it's on the bottle's label I'll lean to a bottling date (sorry @AlcahueteJ -- a little younger than yours).

The SN Kölsch takes the American side of hopping to make it a true Sierra Nevada beer, the use Simcoe and 2 Row keep me from really liking this beer to-style. The Simcoe hits my palate with a resiny character that keeps me from wanting more than a couple -- unlike most German Kölsch.

On the other hand, the overall impression of the beer is that I find it very tasty and refreshing. I can only have a couple... unlike the Summerfest. Where I wholeheartedly agree with AlcahueteJ -- if they'd used the Summerfest in place of the Nooner I'd be buying this 12 pack all summer.

 

Great to see the reviews pouring in from all of you here on the Germany forum. I can't say, having not been to Cologne, that I have a great idea of what a Koelsch should taste like.

It's great to read some reviews on here to see how Sierra's stacks up (in terms of comparison, personal taste is a different matter). I want to say a Sunner I had recently fits the bill, it was definitely less hoppy than Sierra Nevada's, but just as refreshing, subtle (well, more subtle because the hops were less prominent), and light.

 

Just had an SN Kellerweis* from the Summer Sampler, hadn't had it since it first came out. Still a rock solid Weizen. Glad they didn't try to "Americanize" this one, though I did like their Pale Wheat Ale from years past -- it was one of the better-brewed of the style.

*Why only one "s?"

It's one of the few Pale Ales I turn to regularly. I was going to pick up a 12 pack last week, but I wasn't sure I could get thru all those hops without a malt kick -- and justify buying more beer to balance the scale. Glad to find the Summer Sampler with the Pale Ale. Now, about that Nooner.

 

Your take on the Nooner? I did not care for it personally, nor did I like the Hop Hunter, both which I tried right when they came out. There are many SN beers which I really enjoy (SNPA and Kellerweis among them) but these 2 didn't do it for me.

 

We discussed this when it was first released (probably somewhere in this thread), but I didn't like it either -- thus my minor jabs about it being a part of this 12 pack. Would have rather seen their "summer seasonal" in the "summer sampler" pack, you know?

I feel that the Nooner is catering to the U.S. palate and is SN's own take on the style. While not traditional, it will (and has) definitely be enjoyed by the current beer geek crowd. There's also something about Saphir hops that hit me wrong -- really stunting my palate.

Yeah, I'll stick with the Pale Ale for something that's lighter and using North American hops.

 

Finally picked up this recommendation, only grabbed 2 as I'm still suspect of this brewery.

Wonderful floral aroma from the Noble hops. Great herbal flavor and crisp cracker along with the beautiful malt. Low bitterness, quite dry on the finish (to me), both positive attributes for my tastes.

First beer from Jack's Abby that will be a repeat purchase. I think it's well done, no sweetness, very clean. Guess my only knock would be that it is slighly higher abv than Troegs Sunshine.

 

All the Jack's Abby beers I have had have been well-made. That said, the appearance here throws me somewhat. Is it really that hazy?

 

I'm having my first SN Summerfest of 2015. So far for me, the best Maerican beer I have had this year. Sooo well done.

 

Jack's Abby has been sold in my area for the month of April (and still some left in May).

I had the Sunny Ridge on draft and I thought it was a good beer.

Cheers!

 

So I had the first Nooner from the SN Summer Sampler pack and have to admit that it wasn't as over-the-top (to my palate) as the first ones I had. On the other hand... I'm having a Trumer Pils now and wouldn't trade it for Nooner at all. Again, I think it has to be the grain bill and/or mashing that makes the difference.

@herrburgess I waffled between more Summerfest and the Trumer when I was looking at 12 packs and chose the Trumer because I had the Summerfest last time. I'll have to save a bottle of Trumer to taste alongside a Summerfest soon.

 

I was going to ask the same, but maybe the carbonation is still cascading? Be interested to know myself.

 

No, should have put in disclaimer. Had flash on to prevent dark photo. Actual pour was transparent.

 

Saw some other posts that looked hazy, too. http://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/new-beer-sunday-week-493.199858/#post-2651272