East Coast/West Coast Feud...Sam Adams or Sierra Nevada?

[Crankie Avalon]

Which of the two oldest and still best-selling craft brewers do you prefer? Sam Adams or Sierra Nevada? This is taking all of their beers in their totality.

For me, there is no contest. Sierra Nevada all the way. And I say that as an East Coaster. I don't think I've ever been disappointed by any of the Sierra Nevadas I've sampled, whether it's Bigfoot Barleywine, Celebration, Anniversary Ale, and on and on, right on up to the new Torpedo IPA. I can't say the same for Sam Adams. Of course, they have Utopia, but that one is so expensive it's a once a year beer (if that) and so it almost can't be counted.

Of course, I think Stone blows either of the Big Two away, but this poll is just about a direct comparison between the two grandaddys of them all.

So, what'll it be? Sam Adams or Sierra Nevada?

[EndersDame]

1. Third Coast- Any Real Ale

http://www.realalebrewing.com/

[XemaSab]

2. Sierra is my local brewery

I support them 100%.

[NightWatcher]

3. Dale's Pale Ale, Colorado should have a pony in the race

[KamaAina]

4. Sierra's Torpedo IPA is actually available at my nearby gas station mini-mart!

I'll probably make a run over there on Friday after work... :beer:

edit: header

[Crankie Avalon]

6. The deli across the street from me sold out of it...

...couldn't find it anymore when I went last night. Was real disappointed too because the guy had sold me a six the night before for $10 (fantastic price for NYC) and there were still 3 six packs left at the time. It's still at another deli in the neighborhood, but that guy wants $14.

Enjoy!

[TK421]

5. I voted Sam Adams...though I'm no big fan of them

Sierra Nevada always seemed too bitter for me...I gave them a shot, though....

Here is one you can't debate on!

http://images.google.com/url?source=imgres&ct=img&q=&usg=AFQjCNFtFReewu5zMR_BwBY52iDr1OY1hA


Seems many people across the states want this stuff...and it just started a brewery in Tampa not too long ago!!! Gee....envy much? P.A ( it's where the REAL beer is at )!

[Crankie Avalon]

7. Not my kind of brewer, and not crazy about lagers in general unless they're something special but...

...if you'd like to give a top craft brewer from PA a try then go with Victory if you haven't already.

It sounds like you don't like hoppy beers, so try their Storm King Imperial Stout and also Golden Monkey (a Belgian style Tripel). My own favorites from them are Hop Wallop and Hop Devil which are both up there with the best West Coast IPAs (which is saying a lot), though again, if you don't like hoppy beers ("bitter"), save your money on those last two and stick to the first two.

Here's Victory Brewing Company's list of beers from Beer Advocate:

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/345

And Yuengling's too, in case you're curious about what else they might be brewing:

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/182

[TK421]

8. Yeah, I know all about Victory and their line....I've had all of those varieties you mentioned

excellent beer there, and I know about Yuenglings line as well...it's pretty much all around here in SE P.A

[Beer on a stick]

9. Why choose SN? There are FAR better WC breweries than them. Oh, and Sam Adams blows

[Crankie Avalon]

11. At no point in the OP is anyone saying either of the two of them are the best...

...but as the OP states, they are still the BIGGEST craft brewers on the east and west coasts. They're the two major pioneers that helped to create the market for craft brewing that we see now and paved the way for the craft brewers that followed in their footsteps and surpassed them in quality.

It would be a little silly to try and poll which craft brewer is the best. A lot of them aren't widely known, for one thing, so how could everyone vote on them. But everyone knows the two giants so a comparison of them is a pretty simple and straightforward proposition.

[Initech]

10. I love Sierra but how about the best West Coast ale:

[Crankie Avalon]

12. Again, this isn't about which is the "best" but about which of the two giants people prefer...

...if you read my OP you'll see that I say Stone (the brewer of AB) actually blows away both of them. Well, in my opinion at least. Speaking of which, it's also my opinion that Double Bastard blows Arrogant Bastard away.

[Initech]

17. Definitely west coast then!

And yeah Double Bastard kicks ass. It's a lot harder to find though. I also like Stone Old Guardian.

[Crankie Avalon]

20. Never seen that one where I am, but I'll definitely be sure to try if I ever find it.

You can't go wrong with anything from Stone. Probably my favorite brewery (I'm assuming yours, too?). Even Levitation Ale (which I consider the least of Stone's line) is a fine example for what it is: a lighter and lower alcohol amber.

Besides Double Bastard, Ruination and Imperial Russian Stout are among my favorites, too.

[tigereye]

16. Arrogant Bastard! love that stuff

and my son thinks the name is hilarious because he gets to say "a swear word" :rofl:

[CatholicEdHead]

13. Neither, I like Ales from "flyover country"

aka Wisconsin's own New Glarus Brewery and Spotted Cow.

[KansDem]

14. No problem: just mix the two.

Large mug, of course...:beer:

[Zomby Woof]

15. Sierra Nevada

Much truer to its micro roots in flavor, body, and color/opacity.

[deucemagnet]

18. I gotta go with Sierra Nevada here.

I love Sam Adams brews, but Sierra Nevada does "bold and hoppy better", which is what I prefer.

[One_Life_To_Give]

19. Who is/was Sierra Nevada?

Actually I don't remember ever seeing it. Although my proximity to Boston might have something to do with it. Not much of an Ale fan. Prefer a dark beer myself.

[Crankie Avalon]

21. It's quite popular and their beers can be found all over the US...

...especially a beer town like Boston. It's even sold in 7/11s. If your palate is attenuated for a hoppy beer you'll enjoy them very much.

There are plenty of ale styles that are dark, like porters and stouts (both of which Sierra Nevada makes very good versions, if you don't mind a porter or stout with some hoppiness to it). Ale has more to do with the type of yeast used during fermentation than what the actual color the beer will be. There are two major types of beer: ales and lagers. Ales are made with a type of yeast that ferments at a higher temperature and that releases more sugars/esters. Lagers ferment at a lower temperature and don't release the sugars/esters that ales do. Therefore, ales will generally have more complexity whereas lagers will have a cleaner, crisper flavor/feel. For color, there are dark and light varieties of both. For example, a pilsener is a "light" lager whereas a double bock would be a "darker" one. A white ale would be a "light" ale and a stout would be a "dark" one.