Sierra Nevada Juniper Black Ale
Originally Beer Camp # 16 from 11/2009. This dark russet-colored beer has an intricate aroma of roasted malt and fruity esters, with a touch of resinous pine note from the use of juniper berries. The flavor is deep and complex with an upfront sweetness and flavors of dark baking chocolate, which give way to a dry finish from a mixture of hops, and a mild hint of juniper. Juniper Black Ale is very drinkable and perfect for a cold winter night.
3.7
357 reviews
Chico, United States
Community reviews
Best beer from this batch of camp beers. Most of these were underwhelming, this stood out as a pleasant surprise. Or maybe it was just the beer that didn’t overly disappoint. Nice beer that had a lot going on. It was surprisingly more delicate than you might think. The alcohol was almost imperceptible. The juniper was very lightly integrated. The beer was black but the malt profile not overwhelming. Lovely beer. Certainly for its category... one of the best that I’ve ever had.
Provides healthy doses of malt and hops. Dark brown with a strong scent of roasted malts and notes of burnt chocolate, it offers sweetness up front and bitterness on the back end. The double IPA (8.5 percent ABV) has a big citrus nose and a hops assault that brings to mind fresh oranges and pineapples.
Bottle: Poured a deep black color ale with a large foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of roasted malt with notes of citrus hops is quite enjoyable. Taste is also a nice mix between some medium dry roasted malt with notes of light pine and citrus hoppy notes. Juniper notes are not easily perceptible though a welcome addition to the mix. Body is about average with good carbonation and no apparent alcohol. Interesting though lacking a bit of character.
As soon as I poured this beer I picked up roasted malt, small amounts of coffee, and chocolate. Nice hops presense. Earthy. Juniper is there I guess (since it’s called that) but it’s barely noticable in the aroma.
When I first tasted this beer I wasn’t to impressed with it. But as you drink this beer it gets better and better and by the time my beer was gone, I wanted another. I almost put another in the fridge but I was a good boy and said one is enough. I am getting old and fat. Anyway back to the beer. The taste is a mix between a Black IPA and Porter. Once again I’ll state that this is not a Winter Warmer in my mind. Up front this is full of roastiness and earthiness. Bittersweet chocolate his in the middle with a bit of spiciness in the end. Maybe the Juniper came through a little bit more on the taste.
Mouthfeel is nice and creamy. Moderate carbonation. Goes down nice.
8.3
12oz bottle from spinrsx. Dark brown with a nice, one finger, mocha head that fades relatively quickly. Very interesting beer - seems to be a bit of a combination of a stout and DIPA - get bittersweet chocolate, citrus, roasted malts, pine resin, some fruit and alcohol. Full body, moderate carbonation, bittersweet but quickly more bitter, very very dry, get malts, citrus, chocolate, quite complex and very tasty. Definitely worth trying out.
Bottle to glass. Aroma contains a lot of roastiness as well as note of pine. Black pour with a medium beige head. has a little bit of spiciniess when drinking it. Nice clean finish for a black ale. I enjoyed this.
Bottle, mix paxk, ty Kelly! Black pour, small bubbly head. Roast and fruity aroma. Big hop and roast taste. Medium thick body holds it all together well. Complex yet drinkable. Another solid offering from this beer camp mix pack.
Name: BC Juniper Black Ale (16)
Date: June 09, 2011
Mode: Bottle
Source: Sherlocks, GA
Appearance: black, frothy beige head, sticky lace
Aroma: light roasted aroma, touch of fruityness
Flavor: big roasted flavor, lots of hops, lots of bitterness from the hops and roasted malts
Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 13/20
Rating: 3.3/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: **+ /4
Sampled in a six pack. By far the best Beer Camp brew that I have had from SN. The Juniper taste matched with the black IPA is really fantastic. Great during the winter or fall. A great brew.
black with a khaki head. nose is chocolate, roasted malts, hops, and a hint of spice. smooth palate, roasted malts, followed by spices, and a bitter hop finish.
In short: A original tasty black beer like no other. That simple. That good
How: Bottle 12oz. Consumed relatively fresh a few months after the 2011 mix-pack release
The look: Almost black body topped by a medium tan head with medium retention
In long: Nose is green scented herbs and flowers all over a molasses covered fruit-cake. Really intriguing aroma. Taste is surprising. Plenty of black liquorice candy, molasses, distant black chocolate, raisins as well as vanilla, roast, rubber, tobacco, fresh pine needles, dark berries, flowers, citrus fruits. There really is a lot a favor elements working together in this beer. There is also a commanding bitterness with a strong fresh pine needles and flowers character. The integration of Juniper berries is very well done. The beer has a a fresh pine-needle juice flavor the likes of which I don’t remember tasting in any other beer. Rather thick chewy body with a well levelled medium carbonation. All in all, this was a complex black beer of some kind but maybe a bit too “flavorful” to be enjoyed in large quantities. I loved that beer. Rating #4400 for me!!! Another milestone. But I’m now afraid that at some point in the future all these ratings of mine won’t just be ratings anymore, they will become evidences.
Draft @ SBWF2011. Rating #8900. Pours a black color with a small off-white head. Has a weak roasted malty spicy juniper aroma with hints of chocolate. Fruity malty juniper and chocoalte flavor. Has a fruity malty spicy juniper finish.
Mostly roasted malt, coffee and porter-like aroma and flavor. Juniper contribution was very minimal. Almost black color with rich head.
Draught at Malmö Brygghus.
Black coloured with a small beige head.
Roasted and hoppy aroma of dark chocolate and pine needles.
Roasted and hoppy flavour of dark chocolate, hops and pine needles.
Roasted and hoppy finish.
Nice.
Pours black with small head. Some lacing. Aroma of juniper berrys (smells like an off hops?), roasted malts, chocolate, toffee, vanilla and hints of smoke. Bitter juniper berrys smack the tongue right off the bat. Some sweetness in the malts shine through into a semi sweet chocolate .Finishes with plenty of smoke. Balance is a little off for me. If a porter and ipa had offspring this is what it would taste like. Interesting beer.
Pours black with a small white head. Nose is roasted and slightly smoky malt with pine hops. Flavor is roasty malt, some coffee and a generous amount of pine hop. Great black IPA and a nice drinker.
Appearance: pours black and burnt browns, finally settling black. Huge head – bubbly, airy, and fades in huge chunks, patches, and lace.
Nose: burnt charcoal, black smoldering ash. Juniper is a subtle pervasion and excellent compliment. Brittle bakers chocolate. Black earth. Burnt pine and hops in the back.
Palate: medium mouthfeel and weight with chocolate, ash, bakers chocolate, and twigs coming in last. Burnt pine and juniper. Long burnt parched finish. Still smoldering black earth. Leather? Starts to grow some tobacco notes – like smoking a fine dry spicy earthy cigar.
Final Thoughts: an excellent marriage of burnt delights and juniper earthiness. Delicious and out of the Sierra Nevada Beer Camp twelve-pack, this was my favorite beer and would make an excellent addition to their regular line-up.
Black body with a tan head. Chocolate notes on the aroma along with some coffee in the taste. Drank very well.
(Draught at Bishops Arms Folkungagatan, 20111116) The beer poured clear and almost black. Its head was very large and lightly brown. Aroma had roasted malts, liquorice, hops and juniper. Palate was medium bodied with medium carbonation. Flavours were hops, roasted malts, pine, liquorice, juniper, liquorice and bitterness. Aftertaste was roasty and bitter. A bit too roasty but otherwise good.
Tap @ Bishops Arms, Linnégatan. Pours black with a off white head. Juniper berries and dark malt in the aroma. Also some hops. The taste is dry and a little one dimensional (the juniper berries takes over).
juniper nose, resolves into a coffee and tar, there are some very dark sugars and fruits involved, very dark, medium body, effervescent, nice finish, not too heavy or cloying. I like it.
(Draught at Bishop’s Arms Folkungagatan, Stockholm) Black colour with frothy, beige head. Malty, roasted nose with ashes, pine needles, juniper berries, liquorice and cocoa. Malty, roasted taste with notes of pine needles, juniper berries, grapefruit, ashes, black coffee and a generous bitterness in the finish. More than medium body, fairly dry. Very nice beer, perfect for a cold winter night.
Dark back stunning appearance, malty burnt aroma, light carbonation with frothy small head. Full of flavor, long bitter finish. Nice initial bite to the palate and the hoppy, malty flavor lingers. Nice beer from the amateurs at beer camp !!
Great beer from Sierra Nevada. Very nice dark appearance and has a roasted malt taste, with hints of coffee and chocolate, and a very nice hoppy, bitter finish. A lot of flavor and a drinkable, nice brew
Black with a tan, almost brown head. Aroma is roasted malt with a slightly herbal component. Flavor is big sweet chocolate malt at first undercut by a somewhat piney flavor provided by the juniper I assume. Finish is surprisingly clean with just a hint of roasted malt on the tongue. Excellent beer, perfect for the recent drop in temperature.
Bottle from Whole Foods, Fairfax. Pours black with a thick tan head. Chocolaty aroma. Flavor is dry and bitter with roast and coffee and notes of chocolate. Very hoppy bitter finish. Hides the alcohol very well and goes down smooth and easy.
Cask.
Pours a deep, dark brown.
Dry, medium bodied.
Spicy, earthy taste, malt, juniper, very bitter and/or tart. Something in both taste and aroma reminds me of cork taint. Disappointing. (2011-10-01)
Draught at Haket, Göteborg.
Black colour with medium-sized brown head. Lots of resin in this one, along with dark malts. Think retsina wine. Woody nose with a dry feel to it already in smell. The actual juniper is not sensed, I reckon that’s the retsina coming from rich juniper additions. A pretty heavy beer but without complexity. Feels woody and tannic, with boatloads of resin, with only suggestions of chocolate. Medium bodied with low bitterness.
Draught at Haket, Göteborg, on October 22, 2011
Black color, tan head. Intense juniper taste, mixed with alcohol in the lingering aftertaste. Smooth to moussy mouthfeel, medium dry bitterness. Juniper, wood, some chocolate, also alcohol scent.
Very special, not sure I like it. You did get used to it, but yeah, sot sure I want to try any more.