Sierra Nevada Kellerweis
July 16, 2010
After recently trying (and loving) the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, dawned on me that these guys make good beer! Granted, I haven’t tried everything they make yet, but what I have tried like their Stout has been really good. I wasn’t crazy about their Summerfest beer, but that was a long time ago and I should probably revisit that beer anyway.
So, when I was cruising the beer isle in search of the perfect beer for this week’s beer exchange with the rest of The Brew Club crew, it made a lot of sense that I grabbed the Sierra Nevada Kellerweis.
Its good logic really. I was looking for something I hadn’t tried before, something that would likely be a good beer, and something nice for Summer. Sierra Nevada Kellerweis seemed to fit the bill – so let’s crack it open and see what happens!
Kellerweis is a Hefeweisen, which is a wheat beer that typically features nice banana and clove flavors, although there are no bananas that are actually harmed in the making of these beers. The banana flavor is a result of the type of yeast used I think – but anyway its a nice beer style perfectly suited for summertime refreshment. I don’t know how common it is, but Sierra Nevada claims that this beer is one of a few American Hefeweizens that is made using a ‘traitional Bavarian-style of open fermentation.” Anybody want to comment on that?
This beer pours a very nice golden color, and it was very hazy with suspended yeast particles floating about. It created a nice white head that produced a good bit of lacing on my glass.
The aroma was in a way typical of a Hefeweizen – spices, in this case clove is pretty easy to pick up, and sure enough banana-like aromas back it up nicely. Overlay that on wheat and you know what it smells like!
Kellerweis tasted great! Granted, I haven’t tried a lot of domestic hefeweizens yet, but this one is just wonderful right off the bat. Like the aroma, and not surprisingly I suppose, spicy flavors of clove come to the front along with that classic banana flavor. There’s a bit of a grainy flavor too, which at the moment I can only attribute to the wheat? I’m not going to overdo it here because to me this beer’s flavor is fairly simple and straightforward – and it works.
This hefe had a great mouthfeel too. While its not watery, its thin enough not
to feel stick or heavy – perfect for a hot summer day. The bottle mentions that this beer has a ‘velvety smooth texture’ and I’m inclined to agree at this point.
Overall, if you couldn’t tell, I was mightily impressed by the Sierra Nevada Kellerweis! I think this 4.8% ABV brew out of California is a great rendition of the hefeweizen style, and I suppose that open-fermentation thing does make a difference. I’ll be getting it again for sure before the Summer is over, but I’m also happy that its available year-round.
Rating: 
If you’re a hefe fan, you owe it to yourself to give this one a try.
Posted in 4 Star Reviews, Ales, American Beers, Wheat Beers
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July 16th, 2010 at 8:39 am
Nice review Scott! I agree, it is a good beer. It’s been a long time since I’ve had one though. There are a bunch of breweries that do open fermentation Sam Smiths, being one. I do it at home pretty frequently. After all the reading I’ve done, I’m not an expert on open fermentation, but there is a much thicker krauzen, and in my brews, I swear the qualities of the yeast really pop from this method.
Is that a tulip glass I spy?
nate´s last blog ..The Mystery Begins- A New Brewer is Born
July 16th, 2010 at 8:51 am
Thanks nate for the compliment and the info on open fermentation. Sounds lambic-ish to me. Is it?
And yes, that’s a tulip you spy. I opted to use it over the bucket I’ve been drinking from as of late!
Scott-TheBrewClub´s last blog ..Sea Dog Blueberry Beer
July 16th, 2010 at 9:03 am
The bucket…eghhh…I had to throw mine out…I had no willpower to keep from drinking out of it.
I’ve got a bunch of notes on open fermentation…think I’ll write up on it. open fermentation alone is different than a Lambic in that yeast is pitched by the brewer into the wort and it’s fermented in an open vessel. Lambic uses an open vessel, but no yeast is pitched wild yeasts and bacteria in the air ferment the beer.
nate´s last blog ..The Mystery Begins- A New Brewer is Born
July 16th, 2010 at 9:17 am
Man I’d love to try this. Wonder if they’ll ever export it to Germany
In all seriousness though, it’s true about the Bavarian Weiss biers , especially the ‘good brews’, are generally brewed with open fermentation.
A good example is Schneider Weisse. You can read about it here
July 16th, 2010 at 10:21 am
This looks good, I’ve found a good beer shop near to my office, so will look out for this.
And congratulations on losing the bucket!
Bob the Brit´s last blog ..Paperback Writer
July 16th, 2010 at 11:21 am
@nate – thanks again for the info! That would make an interesting post!
@Nate – I think you have enough access to great beer!!!!
So then the open-fermentation thing is really more common than not. Hmmm.
@Bob – Its worth a try, and with the temps close to 100F again today it would really hit the spot. To bad I’m out of it @ the moment!
The bucket was good, but I couldn’t really appreciate the fine aromas of beers such as this. Perhaps a trough? A sterling silver trough from the 18th century would be classic!
Scott-TheBrewClub´s last blog ..Dundee Summer Wheat Beer Review
July 20th, 2010 at 11:46 pm
The one time I had this beer, I really enjoyed it. Makes for a great light refreshing summer beer. Nates Right, Scott you’re moving up with your glassware, what gives?
Peter at Simply Beer´s last blog ..Terrapin De Proef Monstre Rouge
July 21st, 2010 at 12:35 am
Thanks Peter. Well, I need to keep up with the bling that the other beer bloggers are rolling with if I want to remain fly with the ladies. Nothing does it like ‘want to see my tulip glass?’
They can’t say no!
Scott-TheBrewClub´s last blog ..International Beer Challenge – 2010
July 21st, 2010 at 2:44 pm
My buddies over at Manor House Brewing have made a keller “inspired” by this beer and it was flat out amazing. I haven’t had the Sierra yet (tasting theirs and reading this make it a must-try now) but their version was a little spicy, super crisp and had the most lovely citrus touch to it. I hope they brew it again!
Jim´s last blog ..Avery Sixteen- Summertime In a Bottle!
July 21st, 2010 at 4:50 pm
Jim, if their version was anything like this one, they’ll have a hit on their hands! This was an awesome beer!
Scott-TheBrewClub´s last blog ..Magic Had Odd Notion – Summer 2010
July 21st, 2010 at 6:44 pm
Scott – based on your recommendation I tried this over the weekend. I really enjoyed it; I completely agree with you that Hefeweizen fans should try this beer. It has a heavy yeast component that sticks to the tongue and mouth, but that also gives the beer a kind of velvety and smooth mouth feel. If you don’t mind the yeast thing the flavor is all kinds of smooth and delicious. The aroma has a really great banana bread character.
Also the comments about your fancy new tulip glass made me chuckle. You glassware snob, you!
Royce´s last blog ..Weekend Comedy 7-18
July 21st, 2010 at 11:28 pm
@Royce – I just bought another sixer of it today! (4 gone already!) Great beer, great texture, nice blend of flavors. Love this stuff, and I’m glad you enjoyed it too!
Hey, I gotta step it up with the fancy glasses now and then, otherwise the other bloggers pick on me!
Scott-TheBrewClub´s last blog ..Sea Dog Blueberry Beer
July 25th, 2010 at 3:54 pm
Managed to find a bottle of this at my newly discovered ‘brew monger’ – and yes, I agree with you Scott, this is fine Weiss beer.
It reminded me of a slightly ore subtle Franzikaner, which is no bad comparison.
I think I’d give it 3.5 – 4 stars, but we’re spoiled for Weissbiers here in Europe!
July 25th, 2010 at 11:04 pm
Bob, glad you were able to find it! The ‘brew monger’ would be a great name for the shop actually – or a beer blog!
Scott-TheBrewClub´s last blog ..Thunder Hole Ale – Bar Harbor Brewing Co