Sierra Blanca Brewing Company - Sierra Blanca Nut Brown Ale

Sierra Blanca’s Nut Brown Ale is brewed with a relatively straightforward malt profile comprised of two row pale, caramel and chocolate malts. Rich hops this tasty treat up with English Fuggles and only English Fuggles. But the hop character is really not what stands out in this dark brown ale. We found it medium-bodied and very drinkable. Look for hints of chocolate in the nose. The flavor is slightly sweet and roasted. Almost a hybrid of a porter and a brown ale. Look for a smooth roasted malt finish. Overall, atypical interpretation of the style that works! Enjoy!

Suzanne and Rich Weber have proven that you can put a brewery anywhere and if the beer is good, you’ll be successful. Located in Carrizozo, New Mexico, Sierra Blanca is surrounded by desert to the southwest, prairie to the east and the 12,000-foot Sierra Blanca mountains to the north. Sun, skiing, and great beer all within a stone’s throw! Carrizozo is the kind of town you might expect to see in a spaghetti western flick or in a documentary about UFOs. With more than one chainsaw sculptor, a number of high-end quaint art galleries as well as tourist targeted shops selling anything from Native American Indian drums to Jackalopes; you could say the town has a bit of Southwestern Flair!

Originally from New Jersey, the Webers got sick of the daily grind and moved west. Rich, who had been an electro-mechanical engineer at Allied Signal, had the perfect skills for brewing operations. Suzanne, a savvy businesswoman, had all the skills necessary for putting together a staff and selling the product.

In just over four years, Sierra Blanca is now the largest microbrewery in New Mexico with a goal of brewing just under 15,000 barrels this year. They have also begun contract brewing for a restaurant in Alamogordo and opened Pub 48, a pub associated with the brewery.

For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call (505) 648-6606 or check out their web site at www.sierrablancabrewery.com.