Sierra Nevada good???

It could've been an old bottle or mishandled.

Why? What about it was so bad?

I'm not asking to be a smart-ass, but because, depending on what was wrong with it, it could very easily be the fault of a whole bunch of people other than SN.

-Steve

I worry for the nation.

-- Lew Bryson

Their clothes are weird, their music sucks and they drink malternatives. And now you tell me they probably don't think Sierra Nevada is cool? This is what the passage of years does to you: It makes everyone around you more stupid. -- Michael Stewart 6/24/02

I just didn't think it was good... seemed a "light" pale.. not very hoppy, not much flavor. Maybe it was mishandled, I'll give it one more shot.

You're darn right about Lakefront's pale. It's weird to hear New Glarus is making an IPA. A few years ago they were very much a lager-bock brewery and made that Zwieckel (?) lager with yeast that was interesting.

It is certainly not on the high end (gravity, bitterness, overall malt and hop character) of the range of beers that could be categorized as American Pale Ale. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is considered by many to be the archetypal APA. That said, there's a huge difference between something that is "vile" and something that merely doesn't meet your expectations for a given style. I've certainly had my share of SNPA that tasted old and tired, but still wouldn't label it "vile."

New Glarus has made a range of beers for quite awhile now. I probably first tried their IPA (which is more like an APA) several years ago. They also are most well known for their "Belgian" fruit beers, not lagers.

Belgian Red & Raspberry Tart!!!! Love 'em.

Best regards, Bill

This is generally a decent, tasty beer

My definition of vile is something that goes down the drain. The last one to accomplish that mission was Buffalo Bill's Pumpkin... Even here, in Casper, the SNPA tastes ok at worst.

Best regards, Bill

OK, vile is definitely too strong. I decided to pick up a six of it today and give it another go... I'll change my opinion of it to "not too bad". Definitely an american pale though... Not very hoppy, but a nice bouquet and taste. My better half even thinks it's good! I must've gotten a bad bottle before, because it's much better now. I'd even go so far as to say I'd buy it again...

I wouldn't say that they are most well known for their fruit beers though they might be... Just in Wisconsin here, there's not many places that carry the big, more expensive, fruit ones. Just the bigger liquor stores...But everybody carries their other beers - spotted cow is very popular, and quite good as well. I'm fond of their coffee stout, and IPA myself. Recently they started brewing a seasonal apple ale which is very hard to get, and quite expensive - $3 for a single 12oz - and they only sell in singles. But I think it's fantastic... I have yet to try the raspberry, but love the belgian red (cherry) - it's almost as good as Lindemann's kriek.

Good man! By God, I have to admire a guy who would take a big ration like we hand out, and go back to check his opinion. Points for you, Dave.

-- Lew Bryson

"GOOD or SHITE?" -- Michael Jackson, "Thriller", 1982

Thanks Lew! I respect the opinions in this ng so I figured it must've been me, or a bad bottle, and not the SNPA. Well, it _was_ the SNPA, but not a typical SNPA, so I thought I owed it another try. I'm glad I did.

Have a great New Years!

I know Lew already posted to this effect, but I have to chime in and say kudos for giving the beer another try and posting that your initial impressions didn't match with your subsequent impressions. It's tough to give a new beer a second chance sometimes, and it's definitely tough to come back and say "hey, this stuff's better than I initially thought."

And it's good to break out of beer ruts we all form once in a while. There are lots of beers out there that I have no interest in making an everyday sort of thing, but I'm glad I revisit them periodically to get reminded of how damn good they are.

-Steve

Maybe because it still adheres to the early 90's version of a pale ale, while most beers labelled as pale ale nowadays could have passed for IPA's in 1993.