The Sierra Cascade Ale only took three weeks to brew, and after a few weeks in the bottle they are tasting very good. This bottle was a 16 oz and had a little less carbonation than some of the others during the pour, but was nicely carbonated while drinking.
The beer pours out with a nice head. The smell you first encounter is a nice hop aroma created by the Cascade hops that were used to dry hop the beer. There are some notable grains in the smell as well.
The Sierra Cascade Ale starts off with a malty flavor on the tongue, and this smoothly progresses into fruitiness and bitters from the hops. The beer is very well married, the flavors blending into a nice hoppiness which resides after taking a drink. The hops are not overpowering, and the malts have a good presence. The mouthfeel is pleasantly light and the beer is definitely drinkable.
Jeff and I tried some of these side-by-side with some Sierra Nevada Pale Ales. The Sierra Nevada has more malt character in their beer, partly due to the fact that the are making all-grain batches compared to our part-extract recipes. The hops in both are the same Cascade hops which have such a nice aroma. Our Sierra Cascade has a subtler flavor but a nicer hop finish than the Sierra Nevada, and both are very tasty and enjoyable beers.
We will probably make another recipe like this very soon. It was a quick brew, it turned out very well, and there is lots of room for experimentation.
Tags: beer, review, sierra cascade ale
Had one of the last few of these beers today, a day that is going to break the record for hottest temperature, and this beer is even tastier than before.
Pours with a much more aggressive head, and I had to let it settle down for a moment to finish the pour. Strong smells of Cascade hops and subtle malt characteristics.
The beer is very smooth in the mouth and the flavor has melded well over the three months since it was bottled. The hops and malt mix even more smoothly now, but there is that nice residual hops that stays with you and reminds you this beer is an APA.
I wish that I had a few more of these left, but that only means that will need to make another APA style soon.
Drank one of the two of these I have had sitting in my private reserve. It is now a little over a year old, but it has aged very well.
Nice sunny day, drank it out in the backyard. It had a very nice hop aroma when opened, and the foam slowly crept up the neck of the bottle. It has a very smooth mouthfeel and a nice hop finish, an excellent APA. I think the next thing I brew will be another batch of this, it’s a solid beer and I’d love to have some more.