Sierra Nevada Bigfoot

Brewed by Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Chico, California USA

2009 Bottle. Pours dark amber with copper tints, a huge orangeish tan head towers over the pour and has really good retention leaving very nice, thick lacing as I drink. Aroma is very sweet caramel, lime and blood orange-like citrus hops, toffee, coffee cake, alcohol, some dark fruit and candied pineapple. Flavor is caramel, grapefruit, mandarin orange, buttered sourdough toast, light toffee with nuts, apricot and pine start to come in toward the finish hops. Finishes off with a big helping of pine and bitter hops, some herbal qualities and a general mellow citrus note like dried orange peel. Palate is medium thin, somewhat slick and slightly sticky, texture is a bit oily, could use a bit more body. I really think this beer could use some age to it, maybe calm down those hops that come in toward the end rather abruptly and hopefully coax some fruity notes out. Still this is a good young barleywine that even in its current form has a ridiculously drinkable.

Had on draft. This beer presented an amber color and with a thin tan head. Citrus hop aroma along with sweet malt. Taste is of caramel malts with citrus hops coming in at the finish to balance things off. The alcohol is pretty evident throughout the taste.

Bottle into red wine glass. 2009, and super fresh. Pours a slightly hazy copper-brown, a bit on the red side, with a fluffy off-white head that doesn’t last too long. Nose is piney and resiny, with a citrus and caramel coming on strong as well. Hops come through just a bit green, wonderfully fresh smelling. Some alcohol heat coming through too. Taste is full and rich up front, with sweet, toasty caramel malt sitting underneath a blanket of green, resiny pine bitterness, with rich, sweet citrus where the two aspects meet. Finish is long, lightly bitter, and toasty. Mouthfeel is smooth, syrupy, and with a light underlying carbonation that perks this slow sipper up just enough. For what it is, this beer is dangerously quaffable. The alcohol is subtle and doesn’t slow you down a bit, and the freshness makes for an unbelievably balanced brew.

On tap-2007 keg @ Stateline-Deep amber/cooper colored w/a moderate head & good lacing. Deep malt aroma. Sweet flavors of roasted malt, caramel, toffee, & maybe a touch of molasses or honey. Has a nice bitter finish w/a hop backbone. Full mouthfeel w/a long finish. I have never really been a fan of the few things I’ve had f/ this brewer & I have never liked SNPA, although I’ve never bothered to rate it as so. In my preRateBeer days I always found it too one dimensional & hoppy (it actually kept me from trying other Micro’s for quite a while) but I found this to be quite enjoyable-I have a 2007 bottle I’ve never gotten around to, maybe I need to give it a shot.

Pours gorgeous bronzy deep red with thick ivory head. Thick creamy mouthfeel with taste of alcohol and malt caramel toffee flavors and endnote of piney hop bitterness. Nose is the same. Absolute heaven!

Dark amber pour with a big off-white head. Aroma is a little malty, spicy, and decent hops. Flavor is very smooth, hoppy, spicy, and a little sweet. The high ABV is well hidden and it’s very easy to drink. Outstanding beer.

Pours darker amber with a frothy tan head. Strong aromas of sweet citrus hops, pine, caramel. Flavors of piney hops upfront. Semi sweet. Very bitter. Good lacing. Alcohol tends to overwhelm the other flavors here. But if you try hard enough will notice a little caramel, and citrusy hops. Tastes much like an IPA except for the alcohol. After a few sips the alcoholic taste seems to disipate, and the IPA side comes out more. Very nice all around.