Sierra Nevada -- Sierra 30: Jack and Ken's Ale

I've been eying the Sierra 30 for a while but wasn't sure if I wanted to pay ten bucks for it (the glories of being a poor student).  Luckily I have an awesome wife who surprised me a couple weeks ago with a bottle.

I have to say I was intrigued by the champagne style cork.  This is obviously no ordinary brew.  This beer holds itself out as a "collaboration" of pioneering brewers.  Sierra Nevada is 30 years old this year, and so Ken Grossman, the founder, decided to get some of craft brewing's big names together to make a special beer.  Sierra 30 actually has four different beers, one with each pioneer, and then a brewer's reserve.  Each beer donates money to a different non-profit. 

Jack and Ken's Ale is thus with Jack McAuliffe, and Jack decided to donate money to Texas Public Radio.  Jack was in the Navy and then when he came back to the US he couldn't get heavier beers so he decided to home brew.  He then started "New Albion Brewing Co." in Sonoma, CA in 1976, but it closed in 1982.  Jack was the one that inspired Ken to brew.  He showed Ken that a home brewer could become a commercial brewer.  Jack says, "Before the craft brewing movement people didn't know what hops were.  They thought it was a grain." 

You'll notice that Jack and Ken's ale is really dark.  Jack's New Albion Brewing had a beer called "Old Toe Sucker" which was really strong and was said to make toes look attractive.  Was it a porter?  A barleywine?   A black porter?  Even the guy that made it can't qualify it.  With Jack and Ken's Ale they decided to use ingredients that were found in the 1970s; there weren't a lot of bulk ingredients back then.  So in some ways they recreated this mysterious beer.  Cluster hops were the most common, specifically cascade hops.  Single roast pale malt and caramel malt were used.  Ken says that there are no wine ingredients but its reminiscent of ports and sherries. Jack says, "Farmers make wine, and engineers and physicists make beer."

So how is it you ask?  At 10.2% alcohol this beer has some kick.  Its thick and has very little head.  At first it goes down smooth like a very malty beer, but interestingly it has aftertaste like a barleywine.   It has some sweet flavor almost like chocolate.  I was trying to think of what to pair this beer with, but it is 1) very filling and 2) it is sweet, which makes me think this would just be beset on its own like a desert.  This is a very tasty beer but unfortunately it won't be around as a permanent staple.

Now I want to try out the other three beers of the Sierra 30.  Cheers to celebrating craft brewing!


http://www.sierra30.com/#/home