I just had my first can and agree that the beer is more hoppy than bitter. Where I don’t agree is that it’s over hopped, I was really impressed with the hop aroma, even the empty can smelled great from a foot away. It reminded me of a modern IPA, but instead of tropical flavors, there was the herbal tea like earthiness of noble hops. I drank mine slightly cooler than room temperature, so I’m sure that brought out some hop flavor that I wouldn’t have noticed at cooler temperatures. I also like that they used modern noble hop replicas that taste a lot like their noble parents.
I picked up a second 8-pack this weekend (marked down to $10.99) canned in late August. This is a real summer crusher. Does anyone know if this will be added to SN's year-round offerings or is it a seasonal?
I don’t think I’ve seen this mentioned but if you do the math it’s the same amount of beer in the 8-pack as you get in most German beer 6-packs that come in 11.2 oz bottles. 11.2oz x 6 = 67.2oz 8.4oz x 8 = 67.2oz And it’s priced at the same or cheaper than German 6 packs ($10.99-11.99). So the math checks out. I finished two 8’ers, I thought it was very enjoyable to have a smaller serving sometimes. And the taste was spot on as well, definitely not too hoppy but I don’t think I’ll pick up anymore. Next SN beer I buy will be Celebration.
Had this last week and wasn't impressed. Way too hoppy and incredibly thin. Obviously will still finish the other 6 cans but this made me miss Nooner.
I discussed Sierra Nevada Pils in this weekend's NBW thread: A New (and improved?) Pilsner The new Pilsner from Sierra Nevada has arrived to my area. This new beer drew a fair bit of interest last spring in the thread entitled Sierra Nevada Pils: https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/sierra-nevada-pils.680449/ This beer comes in a small can (8.4 ounces) and on the back of the can is a interesting story courtesy of Brian Grossman (Chief Brewer): “I've enjoyed beers all over the world, but there's something special about a proper Pilsner at a European pub. Crisp, refreshing, and served in a smaller glass to keep it at the ideal temperature and flavor—it's how Pils is meant to be enjoyed.” During my two-week beercation in the Czech Republic a few years ago I had the pleasure of drinking a number of Czech Pilsners at a variety of venues (e.g., pubs, breweries, restaurants,…) and the ‘standard’ serving size there was ½ liter (16.9 ounces) mugs which is essentially two of these small cans. Below is a photo of one of those mugs at the brewery Únětický Pivovar: I have yet to have the pleasure to drink German Pilsners in Germany but from all of my readings the ‘standard’ serving size is: “Serving Sizes: Common sizes for these glasses are 300 ml (11 US fl oz) or 400 ml (14 US fl oz).” So, where did Brian come up with notion of an 8.4 ounce serving size? It would seem that perhaps it comes from Belgium; and kudos to @AZgman for posting about this in the above linked thread. I also found: "In Belgium, you often order them in these little 25 cL glasses and knock them back like water. They are a counterpoint to the incredible local ales, which demand your attention." https://www.beervanablog.com/beervana/2022/12/23/the-next-big-lager-belgian-pils Nothing against the Belgians but when it comes to the concept of “a proper Pilsner at a European pub” my personal first thought is the Czech Republic with Germany a second option. I had the pleasure of enjoying Belgian beers during a business trip to Brussels and I ‘discovered’ Duvel then. Below is how Sierra Nevada is detailed on BA: “Bright citrus and tangerine aromas rise from the glass, balanced with a subtle touch of sweet malt. Old world brewing meets craft innovation. Bringing together the craftsmanship of European brewing with distinctive American flavor. Malt: PILSNER Hops: SAPHIR & CRYSTAL LUPULIN Yeast: LAGER” Let’s see how “old world brewing meets craft innovation” taste like: Served in my Polish Pilsner glass: Appearance: Straw yellow in color with a white head (which dissipates fairly quickly). Aroma: A vibrant and intriguing aroma. Mostly citrus (orange-like) but also a hint of floral and subdued bready Pilsner Malt. Taste: The flavor sorta follows the nose but more subdued in nature comparatively speaking. There is a low- moderate bitterness. Mouthfeel: Light - Medium bodied with a medium carbonation level. There is a dry finish. Overall: Overall this Pilsner is pretty good. The highlight of this beer for me was its aroma. Cheers! P.S. I am not a fan of the small can format. If I ever see this brand in the six-pack/12 ounce format I would consider buying it again. @KOP_Beer_OUtlet @rotsaruch @RobH
I love this beer. Grabbed my first cans earlier this week. Really enjoy the hop aroma and it’s definitely not over hopped in my opinion. When pils gets over hopped (even with noble varieties) the hop oils can get really heavy on the palate when the beer is low in ABV and pretty dry. I get none of that in this. Beautiful aroma and great bitterness. Very akin to something North German like Jever but with a little bit more hop aroma. Love the addition of Crystal. It’s got great noble qualities, very low alpha, but has just enough “American” character to set itself apart from the European low alpha varieties. I don’t quite understand the packaging size but I’m embracing it as I try to drink less these days. Just one of these a night has been enough to get my beer fix while trying to cut back. It’s an incredibly well executed beer. Hopefully it’s successful and sticks around.
We ask industry for high ABV beers to be sold in smaller formats and we get stovepipes for those. Then we are given <5% Pilsners in small formats that no one really asked for from customer base to my knowledge. I’m guessing customers are being ignored and decisions are just being made in the board rooms. I’m still excited for this SN Pils and will be looking for it. Haven’t seen it yet in my area. Actually if it’s getting 6 packs at this 8oz format back to $9.99-$11.99 range for a lot of craft beers, I’d be more on board. Actually craft beer prices overall in retail stores do seem to be coming down a little bit more recently. Anyone else noticing this?
So, more beer than 4 X 16oz. packs. The Chicago area chain, Binny's, is selling it "On Sale" for $9,99.
Even so, I think your point is well taken. I also think it's a solid, well made beer and I agree it's well priced. That being said, it's still not a serving size that anyone asked for or likely wanted. At least not for a low abv. pils. It typically takes me no more than 10 minutes to consume a pint of pilsner. An 8 ounce serving would likely be consumed in roughly 5 minutes. The temperature difference during those additional minutes is negligible (I would argue). I just don't see the point.
Why not just open 2 cans and fill a pint glass? It’s just mental gymnastics really, you get 4 pints of solid pilsner beer for around $3 each.
This. You can always pour more (2 cans) but you can’t save a 12 or 16oz can if you only want to drink 8oz of it in one setting. More people are trying to be healthy these days and limiting amount of alcohol per sitting is beneficial. I like the size. We’ve already said they aren’t charging more per ounce just because they’re putting them in 8 packs; it’s same amount of beer.
How often do you enjoy a 12 oz. beer and then crave another but another 12 oz. is more than you want in that second beer? I look at this small size as making it easier to decide to go ahead and have that second beer.
For me, this is pretty much most of the time. A low ABV 12 oz serving leaves me wanting more but after finishing the 2nd beer, I generally feel like like it’s a little more than I wanted. 16oz of a <5% beer or 12oz of an 8-10% beer is my sweet spot it seems. 5-8% range , usually 12-16 oz is fine, no really noticeable difference. I’m a light weight and always have been, but as I age I trend downward on amount of alcohol vs negative impact to my mind and body.
