Wherever you go in the United States, you likely can find at least one or two varieties of Sierra Nevada beer. That should be no surprise, since the company is one of the biggest craft brewers in the nation. Annually, they brew more than a half million barrels of beer, and although that’s nothing compared to Anheuser-Busch’s 100 million plus barrels, it’s still nothing to sneeze it. So, as I said, your odds of finding bottles of Sierra Nevada beers are pretty good, indeed.

But what about draft? Sierra Nevada beers are pretty easy to find that way, too. Lots of bars and restaurants around the country offer their beers, and rightly so. Well, most of their beers, anyway. Because while you may be very familiar with Sierra Nevada’s Pale Ale, Porter, Stout, and Barleywine, did you know that the company also produces a number of draft-only, limited production specialty beers that are considerably more difficult to find? I’ll allow Sierra Nevada to take over the mike for a moment.

Feeling adventurous? Try one of our specialty drafts. These ales and lagers are available on tap at select locations across the country, including our own Taproom and Restaurant. Brewed in smaller batches, these original interpretations of beer styles from around the world range from light and refreshing to rich and intense.

Our selection changes frequently and all specialty drafts may not be available at all locations.

These beers include a blonde ale, an English-styled best bitter, a Bavarian style hefeweizen, an India pale ale, a crystal wheat, and the beer under consideration today, Sierra Nevada Brown Ale. I enjoyed a pint of this deliciously malty brew at Summits Wayside Tavern the other night while sitting across from fellow beer geek Bryan Carey, who was enjoying a Dogwood Decadent Ale himself). So, if you have ever doubted my existence, perhaps thinking the entire world and all it inhabitants no more than a figment of your imagination, you now have proof. I exist. Just ask Bryan.

The beer itself is quite impressive. Sierra Nevada calls this a traditional brown ale. However, it’s far heartier indeed than a Newcastle Brown, which you may be familiar with. At the same time, Sierra Nevada’s Brown ale is not quite so hoppy as, say, a Brooklyn Brown. It is brewed with specialty malts and hopped with Goldings.

Sierra Nevada Brown Ale pours to a chestnut brown color with a light and creamy head formation and a slightly toffeeish sweet malt nose. The palate has a light touch of chocolate and caramel with a deliciously nutty, slightly sweet dark malt flavor. A gentle hint of fruit is present, too. In the finish, a touch of hop bitterness balances the sweetness out nicely. I would expect no less from a Sierra Nevada beer.

Not really an American Brown, Sierra Nevada Brown ale leans more towards the traditional English brown ale-dark mild category. But it can’t be perfectly pegged in that category, either. Try it for yourself and see what you think, if you can find it.