https://mybeerbuzz.blogspot.com/2022/02/sierra-nevada-pale-bock-returning-for.html?m=1 Surprised this hasn't spread like wildfire. Thanks to @grantcty for sharing his investigative journalism.
The 12oz label caught my eye. So is this going to be nationally distributed? Or another limited DTC release like the 16oz cans last year? If the former, color me intrigued. If the latter, wake me up when they ship to Illinois on these small batch DTC releases.
Here's the 2021 release thread: https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/sierra-nevada-pale-bock-returns.655286/ https://sierranevada.com/beer/pale-bock/ https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/140/3384/
@Todd -- sorry I forgot that thread (in so many ways). I guess it proves my short-term memory loses steam after 12 months.
12 ounce cans seem to imply wide distribution -- aren't all of the DTC beers in 16 ouncers? @SierraTerence
The last can release stated Malt liquor on the can front. This looks to not have that pointed out. Enjoy
FWIW -- To the mods who edited the thread headline -- the article isn't posing a question, it seems pretty positive the Pale Bock is coming.
Im slowly losing interest in SN because of stuff like Summer Break and Powder Day IPA. The Little Things lineup is like whatever. I did rather enjoy Atomic Torpedo though thats probably not enough to get me excited again. At least Bigfoot is still being made.
I agree. I buy Torpedo a few times a year and Celebration every year( 2 cases or more). I love Bigfoot but it’s been as rare as the real Bigfoot the last few years, I had to order the vert online. Powder day was pretty blah to worst for me, it was $10 so I tried it. Unfortunately most other SN sixers are closing in on $14 and that’s not for me when it comes to SN unless it’s BF or maybe Nar. I want to support them but it gets harder each year. I miss the seasonal mix packs, original Otra Vez, Tumbler and rye. I get they need to change to keep going but it feels like they keep missing and missing. Not sure how they are doing or where they are going but it feels inevitable they will be bought out or go smaller and more local. Not sure how they made money shipping me a 12 pack or BF and 8 pack of BA spiced BF. It shipped from CA to the East coast in two boxes. Enjoy
SN is crushing it locally. Lucky enough to have a friend live in Chico. He’s part of the Alpha Hop Society and has shared all the beers with me. They have been good to great. Plus, all the local Special releases. PB barrel aged Narwhal, Spiced Barrel Aged Bigfoot, Ruthless Rye, Pale Bock etc. they still distro the bulk of their portfolio but seem focused more on their local market and based on the industry trends why not.
Well, it hasn't been widely distributed for a few years, so keep your optimism up (unlike some of the other SN haters who were uninvited... ).
Shoot. If I can drink Delirium Tremens on draught in town, I will definitely be optimistic aboot getting a hold of SN Pale Bock!
I just had Powder Day for first time on Saturday and Atomic Torpedo for first time tonight. Both I thought were excellent. I think they are trending in a positive direction hopefully.
I would love for Sierra Nevada to do another Beer Camp Variety pack (for those not familiar it was 12 different collaboration beers from 12 different breweries around the US and world). Most of those beers were very good to great and style variety was all over the place. It was closer to $30 12 pack from my recollection but for the style variety and quality it turned out to be a good value IMO.
That's great news. I'm not a fan of most pale bocks, but SN's was an exception. From what a friend told me, SN's had quite a few German brewers back when that beer was originally developed.
I too would love this to happen. Heck I would be thrilled if Sierra Nevada would just go back to producing seasonal packs of solely Sierra Nevada branded beers (i.e., four brands per 12 pack) but I am not holding my breath here since Sierra Nevada is doubling down (maybe quadrupling down is more appropriate here) on hoppy beers. The new Sierra Nevada business strategy: IPAs vs. the other brands they used to brew since this = $ as far as they are concerned. As a long term Sierra Nevada customer I personally would prefer otherwise but the Sierra Nevada corporate dudes are seeking 'newer' customers it seems. Nothing personal, just business. Cheers!
SN calls it a spring seasonal in that link, but why don't they just call it a Maibock instead of Pale Bock? Either way, it's my favorite beer style, so I'm in!
Pale Bock, Heller Bock, Maibock -- I think SN is playing to we beer enthusiasts, if not German beer enthusiasts. They know that we know what they're talkin' 'bout.
Totally agree. They have started making decisions more on the larger customer market which is the right business decision (otherwise, they aren't going to survive). I'm a huge fan boy for SN and had been a member of SN Alpha Hops Society from the first year until this year. The beers were originally high quality and focused on variations of traditional styles. Over the last couple of years, it seemed to focus more on being a pilot beer factory for those beer that they wanted to take to market. The quality was fine, but most of them were misses. I will still go to their taproom in Berkeley periodically and get my load of Trips to the Woods (primarily BA Bigfoot) and some of their other beers, but I don't buy much of their new offerings.
FWIW https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/140/55243/ https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/140/3384/
My last purchase of Sierra Nevada beer was a six-pack of Celebration last fall. In all likelihood my next purchase of Sierra Nevada beer will again be Celebration this upcoming fall, presuming the corporate dudes decide to not nix this brand. I have plenty of local craft breweries producing high quality IPAs which I can purchase very fresh (e.g., less than a month from canning) which is what I will buy vs. a Sierra Nevada brewed IPA (which is invariably old at my local beer retailers). Cheers!
In my area (CO), Sierra Nevada's lineup is fresher than most local beers. Trick is, I don't love most of their lineup at the moment. I'll always love SNPA, Celebration, Bigfoot, and Narwhal, but I couldn't care less about the rest. I like the Porter, Stout, Kellerweis, etc....but those aren't sold here.
Right there with you as a giant SN fanboy and 100% agree with everything you say. Don’t blame them at all. Just wish I could get Porter or Stout or Glissade or Nooner or many more.
Aren't going to survive? That seems pretty implausible. They sell enough Pale Ale that they could produce nothing but that all year and survive just fine. Maybe they wouldn't make as much profit, I'll give you that. But would that really be such a terrible thing, if it meant they stayed true to the identity and products that brought them success until now? I wish there were a place in our world - and especially our beer industry - for companies that could be satisfied with being good at what they do and turning a decent profit, focusing on taking care of their employees and serving their core custoemers without having to be constantly looking for more revenue, more profit, more growth, every single year.
As a "giant fanboy" you only buy one six-pack of SN a year? I'll admit to not being a big fan of some of the newer beers in their lineup, but I'll always give their beers a try based on their reputation. Powder Day was a pleasant surprise. Not to mention that I'm very familiar with the Pale Bock and how good it is, so that's an easy choice. And Pale Ale is a frequent go-to over each year. 45 SN beers reviewed and counting.
Same here, although we could get their IPA Hop Hunter fairly easily at some point but not anymore. Very good both of them, and classic old reliable I’d also add. Why can’t I find Hop Hunter anymore? You guys can still get it - people or locations where Sierra Nevada is fairly available at least…?
Hop Hunter isn't listed on the SN website, are you sure it's still being brewed? Ah hah -- https://sierranevada.com/beer/hop-hunter-ipa/ On tap only.
Stopped reading about halfway through the comments, but if they do this like they did PB Cup Narwhal I will be placing an online order. Seems like a solid beer to get.
Between 3-12 weeks is typical, although the last year has skewed things a bit. Getting fresh hoppy beers from a LOT of places has been a challenge. SN stuff tends to be in the 3-6 week range most of the time.
