Sierra Nevada Bigfoot

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

2008 release, so maybe still a little too green- 3cm head that is sticky, rich garnet amber color. Full hop dominance in the aroma, a bit of caramel malt saying "i’m here too". Very big flavor, creamy malt body with plenty of fruity flavors and dark caramel get washed away by a crashing tsunami of resinous hop waves. So tongue coatingly bitter, you can feel the sticky hop oils gluing your tongue to the roof of your mouth. Fully drinkable now if you enjoy that fresh hop wallop, let’s revisit in a couple of years.

Wrote a long rating of this only to click “add rating” and realize that ratebeer has crashed AGAIN! So here it is in short(er). Great reddish brown pour with big creamy light tan head. Aroma is great: malt characteristics are dough and caramel, hop characteristics are piney. While malt seems to dominate aroma, hops definitely dominate flavor – very refreshing, but malt should play a bigger role in flavor IMO. Long coating resiny hop finish. Medium to heavy body – could be a bit thicker, but still nice and rich. Overall: great brew for barley wine lovers and hop heads alike.

Draught @GLB Xmas in July 08’. Deep amber brown with nice head. Served in a tulip. The nose was hops and soft malts. Warming and bitter. Piney hops dominate with citrus and alcohol in the back. Almost too much burn and bitter for me. Well rounded and great at the price point.

2007 vintage, bottled. A clear deep amber beer with a huge, persistent and lacing white head. The aroma is nice and powerful, even if a bit monodimensional and focused only on the hops. Some underlying caramel malt, but there are mainly notes of geapefruit, pine, resin, alcohol, maybe some berries. The flavour begins with a medium sweetness and then come the hops, very aggressive and maybe too much abrasive. Medium to full body, average/lively carbonation, very long finish with enormous bitterness lingering on your tongue. The alcohol is felt. Still a bit young after a year and a half and not very balanced. Nice appearence and lacing, nice aroma, but I would like to taste an older bottle. However still more than decent.

12oz bottle from KIngdom Liquors (Tampa, FL). Pours a dark mocha color with a white-tan head. One finger head that settles slowly and provides ample lacing on the glass. Aroma is ripe, sweet citrus (especially grapefruit and orange), some hints of dark ripe fruits and coffee. Some notes of sweet malt, caramel and honey. Flavor is very hoppy with strong grapefruit notes, some sweet malt and candy sugar. The bitterness of the hops overwhelms the palate on this one. Medium body with a bitter, lingering finish. If you like hops, this is your kind of beer.

2001 Vintage, 12 oz Bottle Pours an opaque dark amber color with a small creamy off white head. Nose is pungent, caramel, fig, dark fruits and candy sugar. Initial taste is extremely rich caramel and dark fruits pours across the palate. Moving into the displays of warmth, spiciness of the alcohol, almost like bourbon being displayed here. Finishing with some fig, caramel sticky and sweetness. Impressive hop balancing characters that were completely unexpected. Carbonation is still good and actually held up well. Palate duration is above average. Great to try this vintage.

Sierra Nevada on steroids! This beer packs a mean punch and the hoppyness is off the charts! If you like hops this is the beer for you. This beer is super hopy with a bittersweet ending that will knock your socks off! Limited availability so if you see some then stock up because the good stuff never lasts!

Thanks to Piscator for sharing the sample with me. Normally I am not a big fan of the Barleywines, but this was very tasty. I quite enjoyed it to the last drop.