Apr 6, 2017

Sierra Nevada Sidecar Orange Pale Ale

I cracked open this bottle of Sierra Nevada Sidecar Orange Pale Ale shortly after the company’s new year-round offering started hitting shelves. I’m a huge fan of the brewery’s flagship Pale Ale, but I don’t always purchase that hoppy treat. People like myself and the ever-increasing number of breweries competing for my attention has driven Sierra Nevada to push new products out in order to fight marketshare loss.

Sidecar Orange Pale Ale is brewed with a blend of Cascade, Equinox, and Mandarina hops as well as orange peel. The citrus skin is present across the beer’s life, from dominating the aroma to adding an earthy, fruity to the flavor. Grapefruit and piney resin are in the mix, as well as a moderate-to-high hop bite. The level of bitterness surges briefly before fading evenly to the lightly drying finish.

Crispy and refreshing, Sierra Nevada’s new pale ale is a tasty treat of a beer. It falls in line with the modern, fruit-forward brews that have been the trend the past couple of years. I’m just thankful that it still packs a decent hop bite instead which bucks the trend a bit, though it’s not quite as bitter as their classic Pale Ale. Sidecar is a decent beer, but to be honest the company already has much better beers in their portfolio.