Estate Brewers Harvest Ale - Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Chico
Style:
India Pale Ale
Serving Type:
Bottle
Alcohol by Volume:
6.7%
Aroma:
Grassy hops, grapefruit, lemon and a little orange
Appearance:
Warm copper body, cloudy but not opaque. Thick and fluffy white head with lots of lacing
Flavor:
Strongly hopped. Definitely bitter but not too much. Hints of orange and grapefruit help balance this beer out a little
Mouthfeel:
Smooth but still has a hoppy bite and bitter finish
If you think terroir is a load of BS, you probably skip this review. You see, this bottle of Sierra Nevada's Estate Brewers Harvest Ale is all about brewing locally and using ingredients produced by Sierra Nevada. The idea is that by being able to control the conditions and quality of the hops and barley, the brewers at Sierra Nevada will be able to create a beer that has a unique sense of place and taste like it came from Chico, California. If that isn't terroir, I don't know what is.
This beer is pretty much spot on with what I was expecting. If you'd asked me what the Chico terroir would taste like, I would've told you it'd taste like hops, water and just a tiny bit of citrus. Well, guess what... that's what the Sierra Nevada Estate tastes like. This beer isn't bad by any means, but it's nothing too exciting. This is still a good beer, it is strongly hopped without being too bitter. There is a hint of grapefruit and orange here that balances out some of the hoppiness.
So if you're looking for a unique tasting beer, don't bother with this one. It's a solid IPA with a great story but it's a Sierra Nevada beer so don't be surprised when all you taste is hops.
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