Tonight’s review is from the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company.  Located in Chico, California, Sierra Nevada has been one of the most important of all craft beer pioneers.  Continually turning out a solid product regardless of style.  They are so good at what they do that I sometimes take them for granted and don’t fully appreciate how wonderful they truly are.

With that being said, I want to partake in sampling their Springtime seasonal:  The Sierra Nevada Glissade.

Some notes from the brewer found at sierranevada.com.

As winter begins its slide toward the sunny days of spring, we bring you Glissade Golden Bock to help you enjoy the ride.  Glissade is a remarkably mellow take on the traditional spring bock.  

With restrained sweetness, we emphasize subtle malt flavor, balanced against delicate aromas of spicy and floral European hops.  This complex balance helps Glissade slide across the palate-bracing us against the last cold nights of winter, while its bright golden color turns our thoughts toward spring.

Let’s pour!!!

 
This 12oz. bottle comes in at a sturdy 6.4% ABV.

With a rather aggressive pour, this brew shows a clear golden, straw color.  A huge, bright white, soapy textured head that had good retention, but only average lacing.  I figured that this fresh a beer would have bubbles screaming to the top, however it did not.  Only a few slowly rising.

The aroma was a very fresh and very clean grassy/grain hop bouquet that had a subtle, but genuine bready/biscuit malt.  A bit floral also.  The hop characteristic was remarkably similar to a German style cone, which conjures up a congruence to a well made Pilsner.  The smell was well balanced, although I thought it was a tad restrained.

The flavor revealed the, previously mentioned, grassy/grainy distinction, however it also had a slight “beer” taste.  I haven’t yet encountered that with previous Sierra Nevada efforts.  A pretty good amount of bitterness peaks my interests so as to keep things interesting and a indicative bready malt finish rounds it out.

The mouthfeel was medium.  Crisp, refreshing, smooth and properly thirst quenching.  It was mostly dry and had a creditable amount of carbonation.  Not a lot of flavor was left on the palate, but it was ok considering the style.

This brew would, like the description states, be a respectable Spring and Summer drink.  It’s super easy going down, very refreshing and invigorating.  A Pilsner/Bock style is not normally my first choice when choosing a beer, however I wouldn’t turn this down nor would I have any trouble knocking a few of these back during one sitting.  It’s worth a try and could be a brew that I may visit again.  I wouldn’t necessarily put this on par with their flagship brew, the Pale Ale, but it’s a very solid and very well made beer.   

Thanks for reading!!!

What did you think of it?

Score:  3.65 out of 5
Grade:  B