Sierra Nevada Party Pack

I don't see any emoticons in your post so I have no idea whether you are being serious here or joking.

Cheers!

 

Lots of 4 way IPA's still around here

 

Has anyone seen the Southern Hemisphere 12 pack yet?

 

I guess I'm in the minority, but the Sidecar IPA was my favorite beer in the Party Pack. I was not very impressed with the Kolsch or Sierraveza. They are both okay but fairly bland. Perhaps (in the case of the Kolsch at least) it has to do with the fact that the beers were 2 months old by the time they showed up at my store. I even had to ask for the pack since it was being held in the back thanks to the 4-Way IPA still sitting on the floor.

Oddly, the SNPA was 2 weeks older than the rest of the beers and the hops are definitely fading. Ergo, the Sidecar IPA was my favorite beer in the pack.

Still, I can't really complain given I paid just $12.99 for the 12-pack. And of course the Weihenstephaner Oktoberfest and Fall Pack should be out before too long...

 

How old was the SNPA? We get it from Mills River and get it very fresh but few pales hold up better than that one. I love it just a couple weeks old but at two months, every bit as enjoyable and really hard to discern much drop off (to me)--perhaps a wee bit softer?

 

The date on the bottle was March 14 whereas the other beers were dated end of March/early April. When I drank it I hadn't had anything else to eat/drink recently, but it still could have been a palate thing so I'll be curious to see how the other two SNPA bottles taste. I also have thought of SNPA as holding up well; maybe this wasn't been kept cold while in transit/storage? A fresh SNPA is a delightful beer but this tasted maltier and sweeter than I expected and the hops were not bright at all.

 

The coffee IPA in the IPA pack really turned off a lot of people ? don't know why they have so many 4 way IPA's still around

 

Keep in mind that SNPA is bottle conditioned for two weeks while the others in the pack are not I do not believe. So the Mar 14 date synchs up with the dates on the others given the bottle conditioning of SNPA.

 

Maybe subtle beer styles aren't your thing? Do you drink ipas and BA stouts most of the time?

 

I drink all styles, but what I consume most are Sierra Nevada and Sam Adams seasonal 12-packs. In addition to the variety packs, SN Summerfest, Oktoberfest, and Celebration are annual purchases for me.

I do suspect that my lack of appreciation for the Kolsch is probably on me (or could be due to the beer being 2 months old when I purchased it). But with the Sierraveza...sorry, that is just not an interesting beer at all! Normally the beers in SN variety packs are tasty, flavorful brews (Vienna Lager, Tumbler, Flipside, Coffee Stout, Otra Vez, etc.) or intriguing (coffee IPAs, hoppy lagers, etc.) but Sierraveza is bland and boring to me. Sorry. But to each their own.

 

Sierraveza is an AAL beer.

I am going to go out on a limb here and guess that you are not a fan of AAL beers.

Cheers!

 

You will be safe on that limb, Jack!

AALs are not a favorite style of mine and I rarely drink them. I've never had a Bud Light or Coors Light; according to my beer stats I have only had 5 "light lagers." That said, I don't dislike AALs. I just don't see a need to drink them.

I guess I am just disappointed that SN included one in a variety pack. (I gave it a 3.18 rating, by the way.) It's not a huge deal but Sierra Nevada makes so many great beers and I for one would much rather have seen something else in the Party Pack.

 

It seems that Sierra Nevada wanted to try something different here. Unfortunately this was not a positive change for you.

I discussed Sierraveaza in a New Beer Sunday thread:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/new-beer-sunday-week-691.573622/#post-6027384

For my palate this beer was almost more like a Munich Helles sort of beer vs. an AAL.

Cheers!

 

I'm finishing up my second Party Pack and this has been my favorite variety pack of the year from SN. Thought Sierraveza was perfectly acceptable, Kolsch is fantastic, Sidecare IPA is good (I prefer it to Sidecar Pale Ale) and SNPA is simply a classic.

Throw in some Summerfest and the occasional Torpedo and SN will stay strong in my fridge all summer.

And whenever Oktoberfest hits (can't be soon enough), I'm sure I'll consume a few cases of it. Cheers!

 

It’s been awhile since I grabbed one of the SN mix packs. I’ll prob do it more often now since my budget is tightening up. I got this one today and the lager was about what I expected. The sidecar IPA pleasantly surprised me. Cheers!

 

I’m only really starting to get into SN, but I generally enjoyed the beers in this pack. I think the Sierraveza was decent if you don’t buy the “Mexican lager” aspect and act as though it is an American or Euro Lager. I’m stlll waiting to find a craft brewery that can really replicate the Mexican Lager style. Although, I notice a lot of criticism whenever a blonde Mexican lager comes around, like Night Shift’s atempt at their “Monopolio” beer around last March.

I didn’t care for the Kölsch, but I’m also suspecting that I don’t like most Kölsch anyway. It seems like a tough style to nail down. Of course, I’ll have to reserve final judgement until I visit Cologne for the originals.

Sidecar was surprisingly pleasant, and I appreciated how it was an easy-going IPA.

I’m also glad they threw in the classic Pale Ale. I was meaning to buy a pack, but now I don’t need to.

Also, does anyone know when the next release of Kellerweis might show up? That would go great with my summer lineup.

 

Creepy

 

I bought the current pack last week, looking to get into it this weekend. I do enjoy a Kolsch, especially Gaffel so interested in SN's attempt.

Kolsch - it's just beer, no bad aftertaste

 

I was pleasantly surprised by the Sidecar too. I don't usually care for orange IPAs.