I grew up in red bluff California, which is about 40 min north of Chico. I went to college in Chico and when I was 21 I took a tour of Sierra Nevada with my wife (girlfriend at the time). I knew nothing about beer going into the tour and The first beer they gave us as the tour guide gave an opening monologue was Pale Ale. I’m not exaggerating when I say that beer completely changed the trajectory of my life. I completely fell in love with it fresh from the tap and I completely fell in love with the brewery and beer in general. I now make a living as a brewer and if it weren’t for Sierra Nevada and their pale ale I don’t know what I’d be doing today. Needless to say that is an extremely important beer in American Craft history but for me personally it changed my life. Cheers 🍻
This is a Legacy Beer, that was always in my father fridge. It is the second beer I ever stole from his fridge and it was markedly better than the Coors Banquet I drank before it. SNPA is the yard stick by which all other American Pale Ale will be judged for decades to come.
@@outstandingcruise3613 Having one now, gotta be one of, if not THE most perfectly balanced beer of the thousands I've had. 3 years later, what you say still holds true 👍
This is one of your best reviews. You were very excited, and very accurate with your descriptors. Timeless beer and still one of the most perfectly crafted beers on the planet. In the running for my desert island beer
Glad to see you giving some props to this classic. When I moved to Northern California in 1987 and encountered this beer, it made me a convert to fine American beer, which really hadn't existed before.
Most definitely! I did a revisit on it months later and I could completely appreciate the history behind it and how good it is. Sometimes I just want a 6 pack of this and call it a day lol.
The draught-style on tap weighing in at 5% ABV is a real delight too. I have fond memories of hotel bars with limited tap handles and SN Pale saving the day (err night).
My favorite pale ale is either this or Dale's for a shelfer. But Zombie Dust is phenomenal, i dunno if gumballhead counts as a pale ale but I lvoe that one too. And it's funny you bring up the history of this beer too, I feel like Maker's Mark could be considered analogous since it was created as a rebellion against light blended whiskeys that were popular in the 1950's and 60's.
I didn‘t understand the history, cool. This is the one I was mentioning in your vid about the crystal one. I really like this one when I wanna drink an old taste. Regardless of what people think, I enjoy the after taste linger with this. Some times, its the old flavor beers you tried at that point in life that triggers and brings back memories. lol
It's interesting, I've always felt ambivalent about this beer and the style of pale ale because I felt like the hops actually overpower the malt. I had my beer awakening with really malty classic beers, and I think it was Great Lakes Eliot Ness amber lager that made me fall in love with beer in the first place. After that, I became infatuated with English ales that had this really deep malt complexity, fruity esters, and herbal tea-like hops. At that time while I was branching out I was exposed to craft classics like lagunitas IPA and this one, but I always found that the really sugary sweetness IPAs had did a better job balancing out the extremely bitter hop profile than this one and other pale ales have. With that being said, as I'm sitting here with this beer and really pondering it, I do see the English roots. Underneath all those piney and citrusy hops, I can place the complex malts and fruity esters that English Pale Ales offer. You really have to let it warm up a bit to pick up on it though. I think it's really cool that this is almost a historical beer in that it showcases the birth of the American craft beer revolution. If only the influence of English ales remained and we still had ESBs being made here in the states! Cheers!
OG Stone Pale SN Pale Lagunitas Dogtown FW Pale 31 It's a style that gets overshadowed by IPAs and some of the crazier pales like PseudoSue and Zombie Dust, but it's great to get back to the basics. This one in particular though, it's got a place in beer history with just a few others like Pliny, Bourbon County, Boston Lager, 90 Minute and more for the incredible influence they had in shaping the craft beer landscape. Have you ever done a basic beers on the ESB style? It's one of my favorites and one of the most underappreciated styles in my opinion.
Hill Farmstead - Edward is my all time favorite pale ale but unfortunately not the easiest to get. Whales aside, my favorite easily accessible Pale Ale is Deschuttes - Mirror Pond. Cheers!
@@DarwinsBeerReviews These Sierra Nevada pale ales. To me they are a great beer to drink outside once the weather gets hot and I have alot of work to do around the house outside. I spend most of the year drinking big ipas, so these are my "session IPA." Once the weather gets cold and I'm spending all my time inside I switch to Jai Alais as my everyday beer. I loved the big hazy beers for a while but lately I've wanted something more crisp.
I would not call The Sierra Nevada Pale Ale a basic beer.Its a classic original prototypical craft beer.What I would call a basic beer is a adjunct Lager such as a BUD/Miller/Coors product.Also all the Mexican lagers as well.Basic beer is what This Hall Of Fame Pale Ale is definitely not.Being S.N., your reviews are greatly appreciated as well as your personal insight.Cheers!
I use it just as a term for showing off the basics of the style. I don't mean to use the term "basic" in a derogatory manner towards the beer or style itself.
Things have gotten crappy I hate IPAs They smell and taste like cat piss Give me a red ale any day if the week I cannot wait untill the IPA craze is over. Yuck !!!!!!
A friend gave me a bottle of SN Pale Ale years ago while I was at his house. He loved it and wanted me to love it as well. As a Miller Lite drinker I thought it was terrible. It was too heavy, too bitter, and I struggled to finish it. I have recently revisited it, and to me it is now watery and bland on my craft beer palette. It can't touch PseudoSue, Zombie Dust, Fort Point, Edward, or even Born Yesterday. I appreciate the groundwork this beer laid for the craft beer market, but then again, I don't drink beer for nostalgic reasons.
Our palates are really shocked by how much more hopping some of these modern pale ales have. It's good to reset and revisit the classics sometimes though.
Don't you mean "classic beers"? A basic beer would be a SMASH. Or something that basic people drink - like, ya know - Budweiser. Nothing was ever complimented by calling it "basic".
*BASIC* ba·sic ˈbāsik adjective 1. forming an essential foundation or starting point; fundamental. synonyms: fundamental, essential, primary, principal, cardinal, elementary, elemental, quintessential, intrinsic, central, pivotal, critical, key, focal I think you need to rethink your understanding of the word basic. Darwin applied it perfectly to describe this beer. What exactly is the point of pulling one word out of an entire video and using it to criticize him though? Last week you were disputing his use of the word *ban* . Just my opinion, but maybe things like this are the reason your channel was never very popular, and hasn't reached the status Darwin has attained.
What greenleaf said. I agree that "Classic" is a better term, but "Basic" in the right context fits as well. I choose beers that are generally accessible and beers brewed to BJCP Style, usually.
If you're going by that rationale, you should just review the beer to BJCP specs then. I reiterate my point: calling the beer "basic" is rather a backhanded compliment. As if classic styles can't be complex. Not everything has to be a smoked-sour-New England IPA with Brett barrel aged with cocoa nibs.
Chad'z Beer Reviews oops touched a nerve. Sorry, about that. Like I said; it’s just my opinion. It’s very possible you only average 50 views per video for a number of different reasons.
I grew up in red bluff California, which is about 40 min north of Chico. I went to college in Chico and when I was 21 I took a tour of Sierra Nevada with my wife (girlfriend at the time). I knew nothing about beer going into the tour and The first beer they gave us as the tour guide gave an opening monologue was Pale Ale. I’m not exaggerating when I say that beer completely changed the trajectory of my life. I completely fell in love with it fresh from the tap and I completely fell in love with the brewery and beer in general. I now make a living as a brewer and if it weren’t for Sierra Nevada and their pale ale I don’t know what I’d be doing today. Needless to say that is an extremely important beer in American Craft history but for me personally it changed my life. Cheers 🍻
Wow, awesome to hear your story. Seems like this beer has done the same for many and their journey into craft.
Great story and that's great Cheers!
Beautiful story
Awesome
This is a Legacy Beer, that was always in my father fridge. It is the second beer I ever stole from his fridge and it was markedly better than the Coors Banquet I drank before it. SNPA is the yard stick by which all other American Pale Ale will be judged for decades to come.
SNPA will always be the classic. It already has become a bit "outdated" though with how many breweries are doing their Pale Ales.
@@DarwinsBeerReviews I disagree This Pale Ale will never be outdated or over looked I promise you that.
@@outstandingcruise3613 Having one now, gotta be one of, if not THE most perfectly balanced beer of the thousands I've had. 3 years later, what you say still holds true 👍
This is one of your best reviews. You were very excited, and very accurate with your descriptors.
Timeless beer and still one of the most perfectly crafted beers on the planet. In the running for my desert island beer
Thank you! Appreciate it!
Great taste analysis, your description of flavor notes + mouthfeel are on point! The historical context you shared was also fascinating.
Thank you so much! Cheers!
One of the first beers to get me into craft beer, many years ago... Cheers!
Tony Ball hay me too. This beer has a lot of nostalgia for me.
Really enjoying the basic beer reviews! Love a little history with my beer. Nice work
Thanks!
Great review!
Fast friendly and to the point, with a ton of information! I just bought a case yesterday. It was $40 because I live in PA
Glad it was helpful!
Glad to see you giving some props to this classic. When I moved to Northern California in 1987 and encountered this beer, it made me a convert to fine American beer, which really hadn't existed before.
A classic beer and props to enjoying it back then.
The legendary Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is in my hall of fame of beers. Try it fresh at the brewey very delicious
That's a pick for so so many!
I love how this is more malt forward than the new school pale ales. It gives you a deeper experience.
It's a classic for sure.
Yes and it is by no means a Basic Beer!
Ahhh the classic, this beer is what got me into craft beer! And it’s cool how significant it was when it first came out.
And it still is a classic!
Most definitely! I did a revisit on it months later and I could completely appreciate the history behind it and how good it is. Sometimes I just want a 6 pack of this and call it a day lol.
Great review! Thanks for the history lesson. Looking forward to the next basic beer video!
Appreciate it. Will do!
This is a classic Craft beer original not a basic beer Cheers!
The draught-style on tap weighing in at 5% ABV is a real delight too. I have fond memories of hotel bars with limited tap handles and SN Pale saving the day (err night).
Haha, nice one!
I have not tried this one, might have to try this
This is a classic! Try it out!
My favorite pale ale is either this or Dale's for a shelfer. But Zombie Dust is phenomenal, i dunno if gumballhead counts as a pale ale but I lvoe that one too. And it's funny you bring up the history of this beer too, I feel like Maker's Mark could be considered analogous since it was created as a rebellion against light blended whiskeys that were popular in the 1950's and 60's.
Great analogies. Great evolution of beer AND whiskey.
I didn‘t understand the history, cool. This is the one I was mentioning in your vid about the crystal one. I really like this one when I wanna drink an old taste. Regardless of what people think, I enjoy the after taste linger with this.
Some times, its the old flavor beers you tried at that point in life that triggers and brings back memories. lol
Love those beer memories!
Decent beer I wow my friends with this beer
It's a great entry into craft.
It's interesting, I've always felt ambivalent about this beer and the style of pale ale because I felt like the hops actually overpower the malt. I had my beer awakening with really malty classic beers, and I think it was Great Lakes Eliot Ness amber lager that made me fall in love with beer in the first place. After that, I became infatuated with English ales that had this really deep malt complexity, fruity esters, and herbal tea-like hops. At that time while I was branching out I was exposed to craft classics like lagunitas IPA and this one, but I always found that the really sugary sweetness IPAs had did a better job balancing out the extremely bitter hop profile than this one and other pale ales have. With that being said, as I'm sitting here with this beer and really pondering it, I do see the English roots. Underneath all those piney and citrusy hops, I can place the complex malts and fruity esters that English Pale Ales offer. You really have to let it warm up a bit to pick up on it though. I think it's really cool that this is almost a historical beer in that it showcases the birth of the American craft beer revolution. If only the influence of English ales remained and we still had ESBs being made here in the states! Cheers!
Nice! That's a really in depth comment. Thanks a lot. I do follow your logic on your journey of hoppy beers US and England.
More ESBs would be great!
One of my first beers. Right on brother cheers!
Cheers!
Love your channel. Thanks.
Thank you too!
Just got some. Dont like light or dark beer and wanted something with a medium strength. I read this was good.
Hope you enjoy it. It's quite hoppy for some.
I love it just by hearing about it 😁
A classic!
I’m reviewing it tonight, cheers to you Darwin
Awesome! Hope you enjoy.
Classic and clean, still super affordable at $1 beer which is appreciated
Really? $1 per bottle?
Pete McMahon i agree. This was one of the first few beers that got me into craft beer.
case price at Costco, 12 packs are $15, craft beer big producers cheap at Costco
Yeah, that Costco pricing!
OG Stone Pale
SN Pale
Lagunitas Dogtown
FW Pale 31
It's a style that gets overshadowed by IPAs and some of the crazier pales like PseudoSue and Zombie Dust, but it's great to get back to the basics. This one in particular though, it's got a place in beer history with just a few others like Pliny, Bourbon County, Boston Lager, 90 Minute and more for the incredible influence they had in shaping the craft beer landscape.
Have you ever done a basic beers on the ESB style? It's one of my favorites and one of the most underappreciated styles in my opinion.
Unfortunately, they don't come here fresh usually, but I should seek them out. I just did Fullers ESB.
Hill Farmstead - Edward is my all time favorite pale ale but unfortunately not the easiest to get.
Whales aside, my favorite easily accessible Pale Ale is Deschuttes - Mirror Pond.
Cheers!
Just had an Edward in Burlington. Awesome beer.
I've found it at a couple beer bars in Manhattan, two notably were Blind Tiger and Fool's Gold. Such a perfect beer.
Hearing a lot of good things about this beer. does anyone know if they use corn syrup?
Sierra Nevada? Possible if they use dextrose. They post ingredients online.
🎉
Cheers!
I consider it a modern classic.
For sure!
Your so good thats y everyone loves you
Thank you so much!
Darwin's Beer Reviews just like that nice and simple Beer reviews
I drink about 6 of these every day
What beers?
@@DarwinsBeerReviews These Sierra Nevada pale ales. To me they are a great beer to drink outside once the weather gets hot and I have alot of work to do around the house outside. I spend most of the year drinking big ipas, so these are my "session IPA." Once the weather gets cold and I'm spending all my time inside I switch to Jai Alais as my everyday beer. I loved the big hazy beers for a while but lately I've wanted something more crisp.
I would not call The Sierra Nevada Pale Ale a basic beer.Its a classic original prototypical craft beer.What I would call a basic beer is a adjunct Lager such as a BUD/Miller/Coors product.Also all the Mexican lagers as well.Basic beer is what This Hall Of Fame Pale Ale is definitely not.Being S.N., your reviews are greatly appreciated as well as your personal insight.Cheers!
I use it just as a term for showing off the basics of the style. I don't mean to use the term "basic" in a derogatory manner towards the beer or style itself.
Things have gotten crappy
I hate IPAs
They smell and taste like cat piss
Give me a red ale any day if the week
I cannot wait untill the IPA craze is over. Yuck !!!!!!
What's your go to red ale instead of IPA?
A friend gave me a bottle of SN Pale Ale years ago while I was at his house. He loved it and wanted me to love it as well. As a Miller Lite drinker I thought it was terrible. It was too heavy, too bitter, and I struggled to finish it. I have recently revisited it, and to me it is now watery and bland on my craft beer palette. It can't touch PseudoSue, Zombie Dust, Fort Point, Edward, or even Born Yesterday. I appreciate the groundwork this beer laid for the craft beer market, but then again, I don't drink beer for nostalgic reasons.
Our palates are really shocked by how much more hopping some of these modern pale ales have. It's good to reset and revisit the classics sometimes though.
you didnt say whether you liked it or not
That's not really the point of the video. I do very much enjoy this brew.
I personally thought this tastes like 💩 very bitter......
A bitter place to start for sure, but also a great entry into IPA.
slow your roll man
Talking too fast?
Don't you mean "classic beers"? A basic beer would be a SMASH. Or something that basic people drink - like, ya know - Budweiser.
Nothing was ever complimented by calling it "basic".
*BASIC* ba·sic ˈbāsik adjective
1. forming an essential foundation or starting point; fundamental.
synonyms: fundamental, essential, primary, principal, cardinal, elementary, elemental, quintessential, intrinsic, central, pivotal, critical, key, focal
I think you need to rethink your understanding of the word basic. Darwin applied it perfectly to describe this beer. What exactly is the point of pulling one word out of an entire video and using it to criticize him though? Last week you were disputing his use of the word *ban* . Just my opinion, but maybe things like this are the reason your channel was never very popular, and hasn't reached the status Darwin has attained.
What greenleaf said. I agree that "Classic" is a better term, but "Basic" in the right context fits as well. I choose beers that are generally accessible and beers brewed to BJCP Style, usually.
If you're going by that rationale, you should just review the beer to BJCP specs then.
I reiterate my point: calling the beer "basic" is rather a backhanded compliment. As if classic styles can't be complex. Not everything has to be a smoked-sour-New England IPA with Brett barrel aged with cocoa nibs.
Wow, you can copy and paste from the dictionary website? What talent you have!
Chad'z Beer Reviews oops touched a nerve. Sorry, about that. Like I said; it’s just my opinion. It’s very possible you only average 50 views per video for a number of different reasons.
Best beer ever made
Strong opinion!