Sierra Nevada
Chico, California & Mills River, North Carolina
Spotlight: Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest 2016, with Mahrs Brau
In 2015, Sierra Nevada bottled their Oktoberfest for the first time. While the brewery has released editions of this style in the past, the bottled release was a collaboration with Brauhaus Riegele from Augsburg, Germany. Each year, Sierra will collaborate with a different German brewery.
Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest 2016 is a collaboration brew with Bamberg, Germany’s Mahrs Brau. While Sierra Nevada has 35 years of commercial brewing under their belt, Mahrs Brau boasts a few more. The family-owned brewery was founded in 1670.
“We’re excited to be working together with Mahrs Bräu,” said Ken Grossman, “We have so much in common with them in the way we approach brewing, and the way we run our businesses. We’re both independent, family-owned breweries with a respect for tradition, yet we’re not handcuffed by it. We’re not afraid to innovate and to change things up. We both care deeply about the environment, and work to make our respective beers with a mindful eye on how that impacts the world around us.”
This year’s edition (if we recall correctly) is lighter in both body and color when compared to last year’s edition. Flavor is very malt forward, with a touch of straw and sweet malt. A very crisp, and very clean beer. Sierra Nevada’s attention to absolute quality meets hundreds of years of Mahrs Brau craft.
Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest 2016 is hitting shelves in 12 ounce bottles and draft nationally. Reminder, this year is different from last year’s release.
Style: Oktoberfest
Hops: German Magnum, Palisade, Saphir, Crystal, German Record
Malts: 2-Row Pale, Steffi Pilsner, Munich, Vienna
Availability: 12oz Bottles, Draft
Release: August, 2016
6% ABV
Sierra Nevada Maple Scotch, a bottle potential
Sierra Nevada Maple Scotch, a future bottle potential by the California/North Carolina brewery.
By the looks of this release, Sierra Nevada Maple Scotch is a malty scotch ale, brewed with a touch of maple syrup.
Scotch Ales are wintertime staples, known for their rich, malty flavors. This robust beer combines that traditional sweet malt flavor with a hint of maple for and added layer of depth, making this intense beer the perfect thing for sipping near a warm winter hearth.
Sierra Nevada Maple Scotch is a 12 ounce bottle and draft offering. The brewery has not officially announced this release.
Style: Scotch Ale (w/ Maple Syrup)
Availability: 12oz Bottles, Draft.
Debut: TBA
7.3% ABV
Sierra Nevada’s long running brewmaster to retire
Sierra Nevada’s Steve Dressler will retire in 2017. Dresler has been in charge of the brewing program since the early 1980’s.
We’ve gotten to meet Steve at the Chico, California brewery a few years ago. Having a beer with such an iconic brewer in the American craft industry was a great honor. He’s a ridiculously laid back guy that is full of knowledge.
During Steve’s tenure, Sierra Nevada has won 8 World Beer Cup awards and 31 medals at the Great American Beer Festival.
“It’s bittersweet. Steve is an iconic figure in our brewery and in the industry. His talent and personality are legendary, and he has set the tone in our production department for years. I wish him all the best in this much-deserved retirement.” – Sierra Nevada founder Ken Grossman
Dresler will continue in his position into 2017. The brewery will begin the hunt to fill the position immediately.
Sierra Nevada introduces Ovila Mix Packs
The Sierra Nevada monastic collaborative series, “Ovila” will soon have a mixed pack for it’s fans this month.
A collaboration with California based Abbey of New Clairvaux, Ovila Abbey Ales is a modern take on Belgian-style abbey ales. When possible, the beers feature ingredients grown and harvests on the monks’ 600 acre working farm.
Instead of releasing a bottle one at a time throughout 2016, the brewery is releasing all three in a mixed pack. Each box features three different 750 milliliter bottles of Ovila. The styles include:
- Ovila Quad with Cherries
- Ovila Brown with Mandarin & Cocoa
- Ovila Saison with Sage
The Sierra Nevada Ovila Mixed Pack is available across the United States while supplies last.
Sierra Nevada Chocolate Chili Stout coming to High Altitude Series
Sierra Nevada Chocolate Chili Stout is a new big bottle potential from one of America’s most popular breweries.
While Sierra Nevada’s skill is in pale ales and India pale ales, recently they have been showing off their creativity with releases like Otra Vez. Future additions to their High Altitude Series will take that creativity even further, with the imperial stout with cocoa nibs and chilies you see above.
By their very nature, imperial stouts are bold beers. This version takes another step toward the dark side with the use of spicy and aromatic dried chilies and rich cocoa nibs for a complex and intense kick. It features notes of coffee, baker’s cocoa, and dark fruit and a slight twinge of heat.
Sierra Nevada Chocolate Chili Stout will be a 24 ounce bottle offering. If initial rumors prove true, this stout will be a part of a 4-pack of 24 ounce bottles, each a different style.
The brewery has not yet announced this offering.
Style: Imperial Stout (w/ Cocoa Nibs, Chilies.)
Availability: 24oz Bottles
Release: TBA
8.8% ABV
Sierra Nevada Stout of the Union Robust Stout
Sierra Nevada Stout of the Union Robust Stout
Sierra Nevada West Latitude Session Rye, for Beer Camp
Sierra Nevada West Latitude Session Rye will be part of the new Beer Camp Across America mixed pack in May, 2016.
The last round of Beer Camp Across America in 2014 featured 12 hand-picked breweries that created their own unique beer. In 2016, 30 breweries come together to collaborate, paired by geographic locations.
Sierra Nevada West Latitude Session Rye features five Northern California breweries (plus Hawaii) – a collaboration with Bear Republic, Maui Brewing, Faction Brewing, Magnolia Gastropub & Brewery, and Mad River Brewing Co. The team has created a low ABV session ale brewed with hibiscus.
Sierra Nevada West Latitude Session Rye combines our Californian Left Coast love of fruity hops with a touch of Hawaiian “aloha” from the addition of hibiscus flowers, all anchor by robust malts and spicy rye. This session beer is light in body and looks large, like the long shadows of the western sun.
Sierra Nevada West Latitude Session Rye will be a 12 ounce bottle offering in May, a part of the brewery’s Beer Camp Across America 12 pack. The beer will also be featured at the special Beer Camp events across the country.
Style: Pale Ale (w/ Hibiscus)
Availability: 12oz Bottles, Draft.
Release: May, 2016
4.5% ABV
READ MORE: Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Across America
