3.6 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 16/20
UPDATED: MAR 2, 2004 Wow, could not find one review that mentions this, but I think Bigfoot must have stepped on a campfire. This one starts out very promising but finishes not only *very* bitter but just plain BURNT! To the point of giving up on the glass before half of it was gone - I do like bitter and I really did try to hang in there with this but the burnt flavor was way too prominent. Something was wrong, could I have gotten a bad bottle? Re-Rate 2/04: Had the sampler or 98', 03', & 04' draft at Stuffed Sandwich. All were better than the 03' bottle I had last year, nothing really seemed 'burnt'. BUT, the 98' was so much better and mellowed than the more recent vintages I would venture that this stuff could not really be considered "finished" until you cellar it for some time.
3 AROMA 5/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 12/20
The hops from this brew will bowl you over. Huge hops in the aroma and the flavor. Pours a deep red color, with a pretty big tan head. Aroma has slight citrus notes, and lots of hops. Flavor is dominated by hops and is pretty bitter overall. Have I mentioned that it's hopy? I like barleywines, but this seems more like an imperial IPA. Way hopier than a barleywine, and it's missing a lot of the malt and sweetness that seems to characterize most barleywines. I did not taste any of the maltyness that others have noticed. If you like big, hopy brews, this one's for you, but I was not crazy about it.
4.1 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
UPDATED: FEB 6, 2004 2003 - Beautiful brown color with red highlights. Thin, but long-lasting, rocky, off-white head. Big fruity and citric hop aromas, caramel apple. Quite bitter, but not so much that this can't be enjoyed young. I wouldn't call this "balanced" due to the high bitterness, but the robust malt flavors do hold their own. Bitterness dries out the finish slightly.
2004 - Seems a bit sweeter and fuller bodied, slightly less hop aroma, but still as bitter as all hell. Beautiful lasting head, which I don't remember seeing before.
5 AROMA 10/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 10/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 20/20
UPDATED: APR 15, 2003 this beer is awesome. ive started a collection of barleywines to age and this is one. best enjoyed outside in the dusk of the mountains. bitter as hell. a little bit of bottle conditioning adds to the texture. the foam lace clings to the glass like glue. bravo
4.2 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
2003: Dark brown color with a slighty ruby hint, decent lace. Nice aroma of hops and alcohol. Powerful flavor, lots of malt and lots of chewy hops, tied together nicely by the alcohol. Has a carmel/nutieness to it that is excellent. Extremely bitter finish, which is normaly not my thing, but I realy like it here. Far and away the most powerful beer I have ever had, I wouldnt mind the biterness toned down a little, but this is excellent stuff.
3.5 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
2003 VINTAGE: A nice light red-brown color and generous off white head start this one. Aroma is lightly hoppy, and quite nice. The flavor is quite hoppy with a medium bitterness...very nice, but a lot of hops wear down the palatte by the end of this pint. A good barley wine, and one that I suspect might get more depth of flavor with aging.
3.4 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 5/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
2003:
Deep red-brown body with a nice, beige head.
Sweet, malty aroma with some hop bouquet..
Sweet and malty big intial taste with an intense hop bite in the end. Extremely sweet. Notes of alcohol can be detected in the very bitter aftertaste.
Huge, full body. Smooth palate.
3.8 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
Smells like a sack of grain with a few hops tossed on top. Nice burnt copper profile with a substantial, lasting head. In the mouth: Wow, much more than I expected from the aroma, a big, big taste, much like a chimichanga made from barley tortillas and hop guacamole. The hops just last and last, like a good hot salsa. A big hoppy barley wine. Eat up.
3.9 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
rating 2002 nice brownish red color. i don't know much about barley wines but this is pretty good. very hoppy i probably could have aged it more but oh well. citrisy and hoppy flavor.
4.5 AROMA 10/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 18/20
2002: Deep amber/red color, thinly laced head, and HOPS HOPS HOPS! Needs to age some before it's at it's peak - the first few sips are acidic and almost unpleasantly bitter. Settles down a bit after that, though and is terrific. This beer give you a lot to chew on. Very nicely done Sierra!
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