30th Anniversary - Grand Cru
750ml bottle into a wine glass. Appearance: Free pour yields about 2 inches of fluffy, bone white head and 2 inches of beer. The head sticks around as long as that of Orval or Duvel, and like the beer it leaves thick, eternal walls of lacing. Pours somewhere between dark copper and translucent ruby. Really, this beer couldn't look better. Smell: Cascade hops. A bit piny and grassy. Mild citrus. Faintly reminiscent of SNPA and celebration (and the hoppy side of fresh Bigfoot). A little danker than usual; the dry hopping did something, for sure. Taste: Hop assault up front, wave of bitterness, then a smoky finish out of nowhere. Bigfoot shows itself in the aftertaste, but like its namesake, it doesn't stick around for long (was nice, caramely and sweet, and very mildly oaky at first, but the hops just blast it away very early on). Tastes like a fresh Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. If I were reviewing that beer, the taste score would be higher. As a dry hopped blend of a pale ale, IPA, and oak aged barleywine, the taste leaves you asking "What was the point?" Sure, I like Cascade hops, and this mouthfeel is great... but if I wanted a SNPA I'd have bought one (or 12, for the same price). Mouthfeel: Along with the appearance, this is where this beer shines. Medium bodied and creamy. The smoothness of oak aged Bigfoot is the star here, but the other components add some nice juiciness. Hop bitterness and kind of oily feel is strong and satisfying. Drinkability: Pretty good pale ale that gets a little close to Lagunitas Undercover Investigation Shutdown Ale with mild sugary maltiness and large hop presence, but not as good. The answer to "What's the point?" seems to be "Beautiful ruby color, creamy feel, and eternal head." That is not a sufficient answer. I was let down by this beer. I've repeated it twice now, but honestly the whole review could have just been summed up with "What was the point?" I will add though, on the whole the Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary series was a success. I loved the stout, and the other two beers were solid as well. This beer is palatable enough, and I don't feel ripped off or anything. Just doesn't live up to the greatness of its three brothers.