(Chico, CA) – The second largest craft brewery in the country seems to have news to serve up on a near-weekly basis.
[10/22 Update: Per SN’s Bill Manley on Beer Advocate, “We were playing around with a 9 pack of big bottles…but it looks now like it might just be a 12-pack of 12 ounce [bottles].” The mixed-pack will be launched this spring. “It looks like 4 different beers, three bottles each. Distribution should be limited but good…think Estate/Anniversary distribution.”]
Starting with what’s coming up first, Sierra Nevada Brewing uploaded a video on its YouTube page today discussing the making of Our Brewer’s Reserve, the oak-aged ale to be released later this month.
On the Beer Camp front, Sierra Nevada Saison Vice and Saison Versa are the newest beers to hit taps. Per Beer Menus, Saison Vice is a “traditional farmhouse ale, with an essence of tangerine and spicy pepper overtones,” whereas Saison Versa is “a traditional farmhouse ale, with an essence of orange, coriander, and spicy pepper overtones […] refreshing and light with a more complex yeast character than its cousin, Saison Vice.”
Last month saw the release of Sierra Nevada Ghidorah, a “double torpedoed, double dry-hopped” IPA. It may still be on tap somewhere. Click over to Lee Chase’s Blind Lady blog for more. Another Beer Camp hopmonster is apparently coming soon as well according to one of the Beer Camp contest winners:
“We decided to aim for about 9.3% ABV and 100+ IBUs. The grain bill included Pale Malt, Golden Promise, Munich, Light Crystal and a small bit of Special B. The hops included an experimental “Super Chinook,” Citra, Centennial, and wet Estate Chinooks in the hopback. It will be dry-hopped with Citra and then torpedoed in the Brite with Simcoe and Amarillo.”
Finally, the big news. In addition to Ovila Abbey Ales and Sierra Nevada Hoptimum, the brewery has another new project up its sleeve for 2011. According to a recent interview with Founder Ken Grossman (mp3), Sierra Nevada is working on a 9-pack sampler of Beer Camp beers to be released next year. The sampler pack will feature “a bigger bottle” and “a (little) higher end product and package.”
That’s all there is for news on it for now. To get an idea of what beers we might see packaged, check out my Sierra Nevada Beer Camp archive here or click over to the official list (hasn’t been updated recently) over at the Sierra Nevada Beer Camp site.