Sierra Nevada Glissade Heller Bock

Once again, it’s Pint Nite at Tyler’s Taproom in Durham, and up on the block tonight is the Sierra Nevada Glissade Heller Bock. Mark, Drew, Zach, Charles and I hit the taproom after work and ordered up a round of the golden brew. Bocks are lagers originally from Germany, and a “Heller” bock is a pale version of the style (as opposed to the dark beers that were the original style of this family).

Sierra Nevada describes the Glissade as “remarkably mellow”, and that might be an understatement. It’s not a bad beer, but it is mellow in every sense of the word. Drew even admitted that he didn’t really like it – it didn’t have enough kick for him, I guess. I enjoyed the bock, but I can see where the rest of the guys were coming from. There’s nothing overpowering but the flavors blended well into an ultimately drinkable beer. It kind of reminds me of Boddingtons in that sense (minus the nitrogen, of course); I described it as a “Breakfast Beer”. It would be great on a hot day in the sun.

The free glass for Pint Nite was probably the best I’ve seen. The multi-color logo featured a picture of a gorgeous, peaceful valley with a silver-blue river running through it. The entire image is framed by the regular Sierra Nevada branding. The entire thing was intricate and beautiful. It fails to get the top score only because the logo is on just one side (an arbitrary rule, but one that I have, nonetheless).

Free Pint Nite Glass Score: 9/10
Beer Score: 6/10