Sierra Nevada is offering a brand new seasonal for spring, just as they did last year.  Glissade Golden Bock is now available, and it presumably takes the place of Sierra Nevada’s previous one year stint spring seasonal ESB (Early Spring Beer).  ESB was a very tasty offering from Sierra Nevada, and many were surprised to see it axed after only a single year.  We were happy to see Sierra Nevada tackle another German style though, as Glissade is a maibock.  The not too long ago released Kellerweiss was a stellar take on a German weissbier. 

Maibocks are traditionally brewed in the spring, so it makes sense that Sierra Nevada released Glissade at this time.  They are usually lighter in color than a traditional bock, and tend to have a more pronounced hop character than a typical bock.  We could tell right away that Glissade would fit the maibock profile, as it poured a brilliant golden color, and had a touch of German hops on the nose.  The flavor of Glissade was pretty mellow, with some floral and spicy European hops leading the way.  There was an underlying grainy and sweet malt flavor that provided a nice backbone to the brew.  The lager is smooth, clean, refreshing, and highly drinkable for a beer that is 6.4% ABV. 

Sierra Nevada also recently released this years Bigfoot, their delicious and economical barleywine.  Glissade is just another notch on the belt for a brewery that continues to be a pioneer in the world of craft beer.  Unfortunately, another successful beer (ESB) for Sierra Nevada may be gone forever.  Do you think it was a good idea to replace ESB with Glissade?