beer_name: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
text: An old stand-by, if there's a beer that hooked me on the APA style, it was this one many years ago. Certainly as in most things related to first loves, perceptions can be inflated due in part to relative experience and naivete. It should be interesting to see how this classic holds-up to closer inspection. Appearance is light amber, showing light hints of caramel malt. The head is decent with moderate fluffiness that fades faster than I would like. Overall carbonation, however, holds quite well. The aroma is unimpressive for the style. Somewhat dominated by alcohol odors, but mild doses of caramel malt wisp around too. Surprisingly, the aroma hops are extremely mild and less than I expected from memory. Flavor has mild hop bitterness with tinges of pine. Malt helps to round-out the flavors, but a slight sourness on the finish detracts from the overall flavor profile. Bitterness masks this a little, but the off-flavor is certainly present. The mouthfeel is slightly above average. While it doesn't live up to expectations, this beer will always hold a special place with me and warrant the occasional purchase. It's decently balanced and a good transition to the wonderful world of American Pale Ales. Although I don't live there now, when I first started drinking this beer, I lived in Northern California. I have to wonder if freshness has a lot to do with the perceived drop-off in quality in this review.