Silas Whitley | Crumbs
Beer Comparison
Sierra Nevada and Sockeye offer a different addition to the weekend menu.
Silas Whitley |Crumbs
This week, I compared two pale ales — Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and Sockeye “Hell-Diver” Pale Ale.
Pale ales are typically light beer, hence the name. They can vary in hoppiness quite substantially between brands. Some pale ales are so hoppy they can almost be lumped in with India Pale Ales (IPA).
These brews were almost exactly the same price, with the Sockeye at $1.33 and the Sierra Nevada $1.39. The Sierra Nevada Pale Ale was 5.6 percent alcohol by volume, and the proof of the Sockeye beer could not be found, so I assumed it was less than the Sierra Nevada.
The Sockeye Hell-Diver had a more upfront full flavor. It was sweet and used spicy hops. It had more head and hoppy smell than the Sierra Nevada. On the downside, it was hazier than the Sierra Nevada and didn’t finish as smooth, with a somewhat metallic taste.
The Sierra Nevada was smooth and was generally less bold. It tasted almost fruity, probably from the hops used. Overall, I enjoyed the Hell-Diver from Sockeye more.
| Beer | Smoothness | Taste | ABV | Cost |
| Sierra Nevada | smoother | — | higher | $1.39 |
| Hell-Diver | — | better | — | $1.33 |
Events
Last Saturday was the Brewfest at the Moscow Alehouse, which I sadly did not attend. Last Wednesday was the tap takeover by one of my favorite breweries, Odell Brewing, where I got to try some beers I haven’t had before. “Tree Shaker” a peach IPA, “Wolf Picker,” a citrusy hopped pale ale, and “180 Shillings,” which is a double recipe of “90 Shillings,” but oak aged. I do recommend checking out these beers, or anything else from them.
Works in Progress
On Tap: Srawberry Blonde Ale, Red Ale
Bottles: Red Ale, Pecan Red Ale, Stout
Primary: Nothing
Secondary: Nothing
Queue-to-Brew: IPA, Pilsner
Taproom Review
The Bale Breaker Brewing Company taproom hosts tours to passing enthusiasts.
Silas Whitley | Crumbs
Two weekends ago, I just happened to be travelling through the Yakima Valley in Washington, where rows and rows of hop trellises stood. Hops weren’t quite high enough to be seen over the cover crop between the rows yet. The fields were a really neat sight to see and made me miss my own hops.
We stopped at Bale Breaker Brewing Company to check out their taproom. Bale Breaker makes “Top Cutter IPA,” which is about the only beer from them that can be found in Moscow. It is also commonly on tap at Blues.
The taproom strangely only had three taps, “Top Cutter,” “Bottom Cutter” and “Field 41.” Bottom Cutter is an imperial IPA and Field 41 is a pale ale. The prices were pretty good, so I tried all three and enjoyed them. I didn’t get to tour the brewery, but I sat with a view of their rather large brewing equipment.
Silas Whitley can be reached at [email protected]