Sierra Nevada Pale Ale Review: The Beer. The Pioneer. The Legend.

This is arguably the beer that started it all. 

The craft beer movement pretty much began in Chico, CA. Check your facts, kids. It's real. 

Speaking of, you wanna get real on this?

Let's.

First of all, look at that pour. LOOK AT IT. That color? Man...

It pours smooth, in a beautiful, boozy amber hue, with a fat slice of head on it. Makes you wanna punch a teetotaler, don't it?

Let's talk a bit about the nose, ok? I'm dying to talk about the nose on this god-sent ale. Can we? Good.

You got a hint of citrus...a bit of pine and mein gott! The malt. The caramelly, delicious malt.

Now, I am not a malty beer drinker. It just isn't my jam. But this malt is the back-bone of the beer, if I say so myself. And best of all, it doesn't overpower the bitterness or insist upon itself. Peter Griffin can bitch about the Godfather, but not about SN Pale Ale.

Shut up, Peter.

Now...

"What about the bitterness?"

What about the bitterness??

Glad you brought that up.

Oh, yeah. It's there. You get it. It's not acrid, it's pleasant, inviting and makes you want to drink it faster, in anticipation of the next pint. And the one after that. Tell the wife you're grabbing a cab home, cuz you got WORK to do.

The body is light enough to chug if the barkeep hollers, "LAST CALL!", but the body is there, if you take the time. It's medium/light bodied, but don't get this twisted. You can sit there and sip this beer and be extremely pleased at the mouth-feel.

Overall score? I'd love to give you one, but I'm too busy pouring another into my glass.

You get the idea.