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Sierra Nevada Porter

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
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🌍 United States · Porter · One of 94 Porters in hopIQ

One of the brewery's oldest recipes, brewed in a hoppier American manner. Black, chocolate and roasted malts with Munich and caramel malt give it a deep brown to near-black colour with a reddish edge. Black coffee and cocoa lead, backed by toffee, a faint dark-cherry fruitiness and toasted bread. Aurora and Yakima-grown Golding add an earthy, lightly herbal bitterness. The body is medium, not heavy, and the finish is dry with lingering roast.

ABV
5.6%
Bitterness
Noticeably bitter32 IBU
Roasted bitterness
SRM
dark28
See all Porter alternatives →
How it drinks· Its pace, balance and relationship to the style.
Pace
sessionsipper
Balance
malt-ledhop-led
Where this beer sits· Four axes, the same for every beer in hopIQ.
Body
Substantial body.
lightfull-bodied
Sweetness
Off-dry finish.
drysweet
Bitterness
Moderate bitterness.
mildbitter
Texture
Balanced mouthfeel.
crispcreamy

A frame with real heft — the palate has plenty to hold onto through the finish.

Character· What makes this beer itself — not just another Porter.
Hop character
earthy
herbal
Malt character
roasted
coffee
chocolate
caramel
toasty
bready
Distinctive notes
dark fruit

Tasting Notes

AI-generated sensory profile for Sierra Nevada Porter

◎ Appearance

Deep brown to near-black colour with a subtle reddish edge visible at the rim. The body holds opacity and density without turbidity. Head retention is moderate, with fine carbonation evident in a steady stream of small bubbles.

deep brown-blackclear, densemoderate headfine carbonation

◌ Aroma

Black coffee and cocoa dominate the nose, grounded in roasted grain character. Beneath lies a faint dark-cherry fruitiness and toasted bread notes that add depth. Earthy herbal notes emerge from the Aurora and Golding hops, subtle but persistent.

black coffee, cocoaroasted maltdark cherryearthy, herbal

◐ Taste

Entry is smooth with pronounced roast and chocolate flavours. Mid-palate reveals toffee sweetness from the caramel malt, balanced by the dry, earthy bitterness of Yakima-grown Golding hops at 32 IBU. The medium body feels lean and drinkable rather than heavy.

chocolate, roasttoffee sweetnessearthy bitternessmedium body

◑ Finish

Dry finish with lingering roasted grain and coffee notes that fade gradually. Bitterness persists without harshness, leaving a clean, toasted aftertaste.

dry, roastedlingering coffee
78
hopIQ score
Aroma
80
Taste
78
Appearance
76
Finish
76
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Serve & Enjoy

How to get the most out of Sierra Nevada Porter

Serve at 10–13°C
Refrigerate, then rest 2 min

Serve at 10–13°C. Too cold mutes the roasted complexity that makes a good porter worth drinking slowly.

Pint glass
Recommended for this style

The classic — versatile, comfortable to hold and keeps the beer cool. No frills, no distractions: just the beer.

Drink within 6–12 months for best results. Baltic Porters can be aged longer.

Food Pairing

What to eat with Sierra Nevada Porter

About Porter

Style guide · what to expect · how to find alternatives

What is a Porter?

Porters are dark ales with 4–6.5% ABV and IBU 18–35. Roasted malt brings chocolate, caramel and toffee — medium body with a clean finish.

Finding a similar Porter

hopIQ matches by flavor profile — not just style label. A beer with the same roasted, coffee, earthy character as Sierra Nevada Porter will score highly even if brewed in a different country or under a different sub-style name.

Other Porters in hopIQ

Compare with another beer →Explore all Porter beers in hopIQ →New to Porter? Read our guide →Browse United States beers →