Sierra Nevada Yvon the Great
Yvon the Great is the third beer that I opened up from Sierra Nevada’s Beer Camp Across America mixed pack. It is a 6.3% ABV (50 IBU) Belgian-style blonde ale that was brewed in conjunction with Russian River. Knowing what these two breweries — and all of the other parties involved in this release — are capable of, it feels as though accessibility and approachability are the goal with each bottle and can.
That’s not to say that the beers are boring — far from it. Each beer that I enjoyed has a twist on their style, but don’t match some of the brewing wizardry the pairings are known to wield.
Back to Yvon the Great, we see an easy drinking beer with a light bit of funkiness and a pronounced hop character that adds a good bit of fruitiness and herbal qualities. It’s an easy drinking beer with a refreshing quality and, so far, has matched the previous reviewed brews in terms of depth of flavor and quality.
Appearance
Golden in color, the brew has a dense cap of white foam that dropped relatively quickly to a thin ring.
Aroma
Distant spices (clove is in the mix), herbal notes, grassy hops, light fruits, peppery yeast and a soft bit of funk waft gently from the surface.
Taste
There is a strong fruit character than spices here on the tongue as grains and lightly toasted bread arrive. A moderate sweetness presents itself smoothly as a slightly viscous mouthfeel glides toward a lingering, clean finish. I’d personally like a bit more of that funkiness the nose hinted at
Overall
All in all, Yvon the Great hints at greatness, but still finished well-rounded and approachable. It drinks easy with the standard blonde character, but a touch of funkiness that was a welcome and unique twist. I’d like to taste a bit more of that myself, but maybe that would be pushing it too far.
Rating: 3.75/5
