Sierra Nevada Bigfoot

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

Bottle. It pours a dark, translucent copper with a lasting off-white head. The aroma is heavy in tangy dark citrus with noticeable piney hops. There is a lot of caramel and wood as well. As soon as the brew hits the tongue, I’m pleasantly greeted by an explosion of hops. Bitterness grabs the tongue and doesn’t let go. A dark fruit tang is accompanies by strong notes of pine. Towards the finish, the malty flavours explode. Sweet caramel and toffee mixes well with the intense hoppy bitterness. Hops are huge in this beer and shadow over everything. However, the malts seem to be intense enough to follow closely behind. The finish is dry and bitter with very noticeable caramel and toffee. I’ve never been much of a fan of the Barley Wine style, as they tend to be too malty and sweet for my tastes, but man, this is something else. I love the amount of hoppy bitterness this has as well as a great amount of maltiness.

2008. murky chestnut waters. im sorry but i smell gummy bears and back porch and i like it. bittersweet is an apt term. the hops go on and on and on. kinda like burnt cherries. very full taste. very soft and smooth feeling. just a touch too sour for me at the end though. taste some juniper too. one at a time.

2002 bottle- Pours dark reddish brown with a thin off-white head. Aromas are initially very fruity, with some cherry and strawberry jam, along with caramel, chocolate, and a faint hoppiness. Overall a really nice smell. The taste is an explosion of flavor with strong tastes of caramel and chocolate, along with some dark fruits, that then yields to a nice dry bitter tea-like finish with hints of cocoa upon exhaling. A good balance has been struck between the sweet and bitter. Medium mouthfeel, that’s smooth and viscous. Aging has done wonders with this beer, as I’ve found fresher vintages to be too overly hopped and abrasive.

2008 - sweet, hoppy aroma, inviing reddish brewwith medium head.Hoppy taste over powers the malty flavor but the finish is fairly smooth.

Reddish brown color. Medium, beige head. Aroma is very strong, fruity and flowery hoppy. Flavor is also strong with flowery/aromatic hopness and grain malts. A bit toffy and dry. Palate is full-bodied, low carbonated and oily.

1 June 2009, Vertical Tasting of ’01,’04 & ’09 at the Malt House: 2001: Pours a light ruby red colour with a medium vanilla head in the sniffer. Gritty, dirt floor and earth for sure. But super smooth, it might be runnign it’s course. 2004: In the sniffer glass, pours a darker orange-reddish colour caramel, syrup and and dank herbal notes. Bready and heady but wicked smooth and just the way it should be. Perfect to open this up if you’re sitting on some. The winner for sure! 2006: My first Bigfoot! (I think...) Pours a caramel colour body with a large beige head. Aromas of nugget, grass and some spices. Taste is generously hopped and astringent but lingers on with an incredibly smooth finish. 2007: Despite all the 8’s and 9’s I would like to say that unless youve experience the barleywine, the taste may be a little different then what youre used to. Gorgeous colour and a rich pleasent mouthfeel. This was great, not the best american barleywine I’ve had, but it suites my palate well. See Flying Dog Horn Dog. 2008: Pours an intense deep mahogany colour with small head but great lacing. Really nice, it without a doubt re-affirms my rating. 2009: The last one of the vertical tasting. After trying the other, much older BF’s I owuld have to say that this needs to sit for a while. Pours a beautiful mahogany colour. Big off white head again. Citrus notes, candi sugar, brown sugar dominate the nose. With underlying hops all the way through. It’s hard to ignore the earthiness of this beer. It seems so immature compared ot the others. Wait a little bit my friend, it will be your time in a few years.

From a 12 fl. oz bottle with a lot code of 7026A0831. 2007 edition. The pour is a ruby-brown but the head is very creamy, almost like a cream stout. Aroma of sweet barley and malts. Pungent but crisp. Flavor is bitter and sour and laced with barley, hops, and caramel. Alcohol is prevalent. Heavy in the mouth and a wicked dry finish. Unfortunate aftertaste but I guess it goes with the territory for a bareleywine with 9.6% alcohol. Not something I would drink regularly but most definitely a memorable experience.

Pours a ruby color with a fluffy white head that lingers. Aroma is sweet and slightly hoppy. Flavor is also malty sweet but countered with some bitterness. Palate is slightly heavy from the bitterness, but its just fine for a sipping beer like this. Overall a really good beer that I wish was a year round offering from SN.