Sierra Nevada Bigfoot

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

2009 bottle. Aroma is big! Hops are huge in the aroma along with some nice pine. Smells like a hoppy Christmas. Pours a clear mahogany with a soapy head. Flavor is a journey from beginning to end. Some malt sweetness up front, hops begin small and grow towards the finish. Aftertaste is bitter and dry with some alcohol burn. A complex beer for so young, I’d love to try it after a few years.

The look and smell of this barley wine is beautiful to say the least. This brew is balanced very well also, however this example tends to be a bit on the bitter side. Though not as high in alcohol as other brewery’s barley wines, Bigfoot Ale packs a well rounded malt punch with a extremely intense hoppy bitterness. If you are a fan of barley wines but not so much IPA (or Double IPAs) I would shy away from this beer, otherwise, Step in with a BIG FOOT.

Okay... the big Bigfoot vertical.

’97 Dark brown with no head 3. Aroma is cola, oxidized, sweet with slight alc 8. Flavor is sweet, bitter with rye whiskey, alc, oxidation and pepeery 7. Meidum and syrupy body 4. This one probably held up the best out of all of the aged ones, surprisingly 16. 3.8

’98 Same not head 3. Aroma is a little maple syrup, sweeter, oxidation nose, sherry 6. Flavor is hairspray, alc, sweet brown sugar, peppery, dirty 6. Medium body and a little watery 3. ’97 has held up better than this one 12. 3.0

’99 Same appearance with slightly thin head 3. Aroma is cooked, vegetale, and sweet 6. Sweet flavor with alc, vegetale, a little bit of a mess 5. Medium body and watery 3. Med 11. 2.8

’00 Murky with a little more head 4. Osidation, cardboard, a little maple syrup, peppery, different in that way, also sweeter 7. Sweeter cardboard flavor with some citrus, astringent, flavor is not as good as the aroma 6. Medium body and watery 3. Aroma is good but the flavor is lacking 13. 3.3

’01 Murky but same head 3. Maple syrup aroma with brown sugar, sherry, port, alc, a little less than ’00 6. Sweeter flavor with maple syrup, bitter, vegetale and cooked, dry with alc 6. Medium body and low carbonation. Actually not bad with a tad bit of bitterness 12. 3.0

’02 Same color but a little clearer, a little less head 3. Sweeter fruit aroma, some hops, sherry, actually seems kind of fresh 8 sweeter, citrus, a little alc, a little maple syrup, grapefruit 7 medium body and slightly creamy 3 really nice 15

’03 clear, small head 4 aroma is citrus, fruit, orange, fresher 8 really maple syrup forward, oxidation, peppery, sweet, alc, hot 6 hot, medium and creamier 3 good aroma but hot and oxidized 15

’04 red and clear, no head 3 red fruit, citrus, fresher, sweet, chardonay, slight alc 7 sweet maple syrup, oxidation, alc, hops 7 medium and creamy 4 tasty 15

’05 slightly murky red with medium off-white head 4 oxidized, cardboard, citrus, vegetal, 6 alc, citrus, cardboard, slight pepper, sweet 6 medium and syrupy 3 oxidized, maple syrup, hot 13

’06 cloudy red, creamy, medium off-white head 4 fresh citrus, alc, maple 8 sweet, hot, citrus, red fruit, maple syrup, woah 7 medium and creamy 4 hot hot hot, citrus, woah 16

’07 clear brown with beige head 4 citrus, some maple, fresh again 7 fresh citrus, grapefruit, dirty fruit, alc, sweet, maple syrup, its good 7 medium and creamy 4 sweeter but bitter 15

’08 clear, red small beige head 3 maple, citrus, first caramel 7 citrus, vanilla, alc, maple, hoppy 7 medium body and medium carbonation 4 tasty but hot 15

’09 clear red with medium beige head 4 citrus, alc, pine, sweet 8 sweet grapefruit, apricot, alc, hairspray, 7 medium and creamy 4 hot but really nice, hop presence 16

12 oz bottle - 2009. Pours a dark amber - almost brownish color with a nice tan head. Nose of hops, caramel, citrus and alcohol. First taste is of alcohol then the citrus and the hops come through with some spice, malt and pine. Nice aftertaste of malt. This is more like a kick ass IPA than a Barleywine - regardless of what you call it, this a an awesome beer that I would buy everytime I see it on the shelf. A couple of the the ones I have are going to be saved for next year to see how much it improves over time.

Fresh bottle. Cloudy, maroon/red color with a small white head. Big nose of malt and booze. This one tastes more like a spicy IIPA than a barleywine with that peppery spice flavor. Bitter, very boozy finish that lingers for awhile. Great stuff, and if I remember correctly, it’s better with age, so I’ll have to rate an older one

pours a beautiful burgundy color with a nice fluffy beige head. The smell kind of took me by suprise, instead of the normal barley wine smell, it was much more sharp with the smells of hops. The taste was very dissapointing, way, way too hoppy. this beer kind of reminds me of the old saying, "just because you can doesnt mean you should". Just becuase you "can" add a ton of hops, doesnt mean you should.

I’ve had a vertical from 2000-2008, so far but i really enjoy this most fresh. Pours an amber body with an off white head. Lots of dark fruits and a strong bittering earthy hop bite, tobacco and caramel. Nice brew.