Sierra Nevada Bigfoot

2009 Vintage. Thick viscous pour produced a maroon body and tight eggshell head that left ringlets on every sip. Aroma exhibits brown sugar, caramel, and pine. Flavor shows some traditional barley wine qualities (molasses, caramel, toffee, honey) but also has a strong hop presence. Citrus and pine resin are also very apparent and will mellow with time. Wish I had the patience to cellar a few.

Dark, hoppy, heavy, and delicious. I was thrilled to find a bottle of this at Otto’s in SE Portland. Between this and my "Kitchen Sink" sandwich, I thought I’d died and gone to heaven, probably thanks to the hgh ABV. Will definitely be seeking this out again.

Wow...definately a barleywine. Very hoppy, but delicious. Good head and color. Finishes like a Sierra Nevada--very Pale Ale-ish. Going on my good list.

12 oz. bottle. Vintage 2009. Pours a thick but rapidly diminishing head, with heavy lacing over a clear brownish (SRM15) body....nose is grapefriut and pine, with some floral wafting through....tastes initially of rich sweet malts, with balancing grapefriut and bitter hops, finish is long lingering fruity hop flavors....mouth feel is rich thick and chewy.

I wait every year for this. Pours garnet with a thin cream colored head. Aroma is hops upfront and sweet malt. Flavor is bitter c hops and the sweetness in the aroma really doesn’t appear when the beer this young. The body is the best thing about this beer so full and it just sits on the tongue after swallowling. I can’t wait until next year.

One of my favorites! Very hoppy but the malts are even bigger here. Syrupy and heavy and it packs a wallop. Caramelish and dark fruits and a bitter kick, with a tinge of alcohol. Really a good beer, but not for the faint of heart.

I was nearly shocked to find such a hoppy aroma in a barley wine. Some caramel and molasses as well, though that wasn’t so strange. Dark amber appearance, with a nice low carb. head. I was downright surprised at the hoppiness of this brew. Just like Rustyham below, I wondered if I had a wrong bad pour. Reoccurring caramel and molasses theme, but the hops ruled the day, which I found strange for a barley wine. Palate was creamy and fizzy. Not a bad beer, but not a fan.

Pours darker than most barley wines - a medium brown. Mostly malts - almost molasses-like. Some oak, even a bit of bourbon - interesting for an ale that hasn’t seen the inside of a barrel. Flavor doesn’t quite pull through - it’s a bit dilute. Slightly smokey, nice and flavorful - some dark fruit in there as well - but the malts really overpower this one.