Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

I'm getting fonder and fonder of canned craft beer, just as more and more are being released/converted. I saw my first 12-pack of Sierra Nevada pale ale cans, and could not pass it up for the price. I was in need of two things, some good ol' drinkin' beers in the fridge, and I needed to add this beer to the bitter nib. Voila, here we are, and now I share with you notes from February, 2003:


A pure bright amber color, with a thick and sturdy off-white head, that crackles as it crumbles.

Aroma is bursting over with fruit, peaches, foremost, plus apricots, some citrus, melons, more?

 Great citrusy hop bite greets you on the palate,with a brief and sweetish finish soon after. Smooth texture, light body, but fully flavorful. Uncomplicated and refreshing. Bitterness is low, malt is firm. Perfectly balanced, and infinitely enjoyable!

In past years, I'd given this staple micro less credit than it deserves. I thought all pale ales were alike, and this one wasn't extraordinary to warrant the attention it receives. Just buy the local brew, and keep them in business, I thought. I still believe in that, of course, but I must accept that the flavor and quality in SN PA are really special and unique.
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That was from a bottle, 10 years ago. I stand by it all, but I find the can even better, as it's canned conditioned. Watch out for sediment.

But the second point, the addendum, I still stick with. Some back story to that is that when I took over as bar manager of the Blue Nile, one of my first decision was to remove SNPA from our taps and find something different, especially since we already had Summit EPA on tap. I don't believe they are similar, actually, but back then I felt that they were similar enough and wanted to increase the diversity of style we had to offer.
SNBC makes some terrific beers, but I feel that many of their mainstays are just excellent examples of their particular styles, but each individual market in the U.S. should have their own version to support.