Sierra Nevada Bigfoot

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

Bottle (2005 edition). Cloudy dark red/brown, small off-white head. It pours a thick liquid. Aroma: Very sweet - malts and cherrysauce. Taste: Very hoppy, dry, some malty sweetness. Aftertaste: Aggressively hoppy.

(Bottled, 2006 version, 8-5-7-4-15=3.9) Hazy dark red with a smallish, lacy and beige head. Strong, very grainy-malty, very aromatic-hoppy, yeasty, fruity and oaky aroma with some alcohol hints. Strong, perfymy-flowery flavor with lots of grainy malt and bitter hops, (straw)berries, and evident alcohol. Quite young and unrefined feel at this age, especially without yeast. Almost full-bodied, somewhat alcoholic palate with quite low carbonation. In small quantities it’s pretty good, but you should definitely pour in the yeast right away! (Draught, 9-5-7-4-15=4.0) Very nice deep red color with a small, lacy but vanishing head. Aromatic-hoppy, wineous, perfumed licorice aroma. Woody and aromatic flavor with flowery perfuming and herbs. Bitter, aromatic, sticky finish. Alcohol is quite well hidden, but warming. Medium-bodied, low-carbonated slicky palate. A nice and enjoyable, well-hopped brew!

Most recently rated from the 2007 bottle (updated 2008) ... Bright and shiny red, with any color only evident with a bright light. Solid head. Big hoppy aroma, like an American Imperial IPA; the supersweet burn of the alcohol overpowers the potentially wonderfull flavors underneath ... butterscotch, caramel, big American hops. Big beer, big buzz. Beautisimous.

Bottle 2005 version from ølbutikken, KBH: Deep amber with a red hue and fine creamy white head. Incredible lacings on the side of the glass. Roasted malts and caramel, hops and a very little moderate alcohol touch. Sweetnss from malts + bitter hops. Very nice balance. Creamy smooth & full body. Sticky hops. Very very nice Barley wine!

Re-rate Wooden, vanilla, marzipan, oranges and nut aroma. A bit belgian yeast funk. Hazy dark red brown, stable white lacing head. Heavy malt, burned coffee hops and wooden spices. Cognac, fruit, wood, raisins - fire in the end. Medium heavy and oily. Wooden aftertaste. Powerfull stuff - slowly gets too much though.

Bottle. Nice head with ok duration. Color is dark amber. Aroma is malt, hops and alcohol. Taste is likewise.

I tasted the 2002 and the 2003 side by side tonight, so I will give an overview and note some differences. Both poured a ruby amber color with a small yellow/tannish head that left alittle lacing on the glass. The 03 had a strong aroma of hops, grapes, and alcohol while the 02's aroma was much less noticable, but it certainly was fruity. The 03 tasted still way too bitter, nice hop bite, had a slight red wine taste (hence barleyWINE style) and a warming alcohol presence. Whereas the 02 had already began mellowing out nicely while still being fruity and hoppy. My conclusions: the 03 is still too young, so I know for the future, glad I have 3 of each year left. Rerate, 2004 sample, I needed to bump this up a couple points. This is a super fine, hoppy barleywine. Very enjoyable.

Bottle.Dark brown colour with a beige head. Aroma is hop, licorice, citrus. Flavour is pleasent, hop, licorice, citrus alcohol . Bitter finish. Nice beer.