Nice, healthy browns in your creel are a beautiful sight. Sierra Nevada's Tumbler Autumn Brown Ale can be caught later this month. (WCBias.com photo)
WCBias has broken some big stories over the years, but this one takes the cake … or in this case, the case. A case of Sierra Nevada Tumbler Autumn Brown Ale that is.
Still unreleased to much of the country, WCBias has secured a case of Sierra Nevada Brewing Company’s newest seasonal beer — which we’re debuting and taste testing as this week’s WCBias Brew of the Week.
And the timing couldn’t have been better, with the weather feeling like fall and all in the Golden State, Sierra Nevada’s Tumbler Autumn Brown Ale is the perfect brew to pack for your next fall fishing trip to the Sierras (take note Lambo, you owe me a case for those two camping spots on the Kern River next week).
A closer look at Sierra Nevada’s latest addition to its seasonal lineup, which already includes the Glissade, Summerfest and Celebration ales:
WCBias Debut Brew: Tumbler Autumn Brown Ale
Who’s beer: Sierra Nevada Brewing Company in Chico, Calif.
What it tastes like: This is definitely a classic Sierra Nevada ale, like the pale without all the hops. The Tumbler is the latest addition to the Sierra Nevada line, a seasonal batch that will be released nationally shortly. It’s more of a traditional brown, more Big Sky Moose Drool Brown Ale than Lost Coast Downtown Brown Ale — the latter of which is a much sweeter brown without a porter or stout-like taste. The Tumbler, however, is a traditional, malty beer with just enough hops to make it a Sierra Nevada seasonal.
What’s in it: Alcohol content: 5.5% by volume; yeast: Ale Yeast; beginning gravity: 13.6 Plato; bittering hops: Challenger; ending gravity: 3.5 Plato; bitterness units: 37; finishing hops: Challenger & Yakima Goldings; malts: Two-row Pale, Crystal, Chocolate & Smoked.
From the Brewer: “As the nights grow cool, the leaves on the valley oaks begin to turn and fall. In honor of this yearly dance, we bring you Tumbler Autumn Brown Ale and invite you to enjoy the show. We use malt within days of roasting at the peak of its flavor to give Tumbler a gracefully smooth malt character. So pour a glass, and grab a window seat to watch as the leaves come tumbling down.”
Where it’s available: Early release in parts of California, nationwide release later this month.
When to drink it: Anytime. But it’s best in the fall when the leaves are turning and the brown trout are rising.
More info: SierraNevada.com
[rating:4.5]
For a first run, this is one of the better full-flavored browns I’ve had in some time. Which is fitting, because the browns always seem to bite better in the fall, particularly in the Sierra Nevada.
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