Sierra Nevada Estate Homegrown Ale. Abv 6.7%
"Taste fresh-from-the-field flavors with this handmade, homegrown, and completely natural ale. Made with organic wet hops and barley grown at our brewery in Chico, this remarkable ale is the only one of it's kind."
You don't say? Well, let's pry off this wax-laden cap, and pour…
Clouded, crimson look, smallish off-white head, slim but sticks around.
Pop! There she is! Grapefruit aromatics all over the place, with dark fruits as well, some cherry, apple, plum… sweet and scrumptious. Very nice.
Taste: Bitterness grips the palate, far and wide, but lush, sweet malt is big and in charge, holding firm and keeping command. Bright, fresh, floral, brimming with bitterness. Caramel malt, a little toasty, biscuity. Earthy, and nutty. Solid malt backbone, brisk, bitter hoppiness above.
All in all, though…ah, I'm not crazy about this one. Is it the curse of the organic ale? Personally, I've never found an organic ale that ever really did anything for me. Something's always lacking. I can't tell you what, why, or how, they just seem lackluster.
As nice as this is, it lacks a certain spark. For a wet hop ale, I expect a little more. It fades off the palate a touch too quickly, doesn't have the force I'm looking more.
Maybe it's that "earthy, nutty toasted caramel malt" doesn't quite match the hop profile I'm wanting. For a wet hop ale, I want the hop featured, and it's canvas is cluttered with too much else.
1 comment:
Interesting review. I saw it when we were out last night and was wondering if it would be any good. Before moving to Portland the only organic beer that I found to be really good was Eel River (CA I think). However there are many organic beers out here and a really great organic brewery a mile from our house - Hopworks. So don't give up on the organics, but keep the skepticism.
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