Sierra Nevada Bigfoot

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

So for my 2000th rating I decided to choose a beer that has been rated so many times that I didn’t have to say how it tasted and what it looked like. Instead I figured I would write an excerpt. I have enjoyed drinking these 2000 beers. I would like to thank the Seattle Crew for sharing many a fine beer with me, even though most of those are backlogged and won’t be added for months. I would like to thank all the traders I have traded with for sharing the love. I drank this while watching the UFC fight last night, sipping this fine libation while Michito (sp?) put Thiago Silva to sleep. What a knockout! What followed the fight was a nice night of drunkeness at the Tin Hat on 65th, and a monster hangover in the morning. That being said, this was a fantastic beer and I really enjoyed its malt, hops, and aroma. Here’s to a thousand more.

Clear brownish garnet, one-finger head with a solid film covering and terrific lacing. Deep flowery hops aroma with a bit of grapefruit and a strong malt backbone. Unique taste in that the strength of the hops is met by a caramel maltiness just as strong. A big beer in flavor, body and alcohol, which is not hidden but adds to the complexity. Not for the faint of heart.

Deep copper color with a tint of red and a decent head that lingers. Aromas are of caramel and floral hops. Taste is of hops, malt and caramel.

(12oz btl) Pours deep mahogany w/ rocky off-white head. Piney-citrus aroma w/ a hint of malty sweetness. Resinous hops come through in the flavor, along w/ a grapefruit peel spiciness. Chewy malt underscores the hops. Silky mouthfeel is not syrupy or cloying.

2009 on tap. this beer is enormous. tastes of hops, grass, and citrus. big nose with hints of grapefruit and hops. Good hoppy barleywine.

2008 12 oz. I have had several of these over the last year and I’ve waited to rate it out of respect for this cult classic, but I can’t change what this beer is. Smells of strong flowers, sharp hops and a perfumed dark honey or candy. Looks gorgeous dark red almost ruby like, with white rocky head. Taste is once agaiin from the west coast extremist view of barleywine, way overly hopped and almost astringent with the only evidence of malts hitting the tongue just at the first moment and then quilckly disapating, extremely bitter with no balance. Mouthfeel has a little heft, very nice body throughtout temp range. This beer is ample evidence on its own that there needs to be a separate category for american barleywines. Sorry Sierra Nevada. Good one time experience.

355 mL. 2009 version. Pours a deep ruby with a thin yellow head that dissipates. Little to no lacing. Aroma of heavy caramel malt, grapefruit, toffee, pine, resiny hops. Huge hop presence. Taste at first I would swear is an Imperial IPA but the heavy caramel malt reminds that this is a barley wine. Big whole cone hops taste accompanied by citrus, black licorice, and even some fresh mint. Spicy alcohol in the finish quickly covered up by resiny hops and grapefruit. Definitely the hoppiest barley wine I have tried but also my favorite of the style thus far. Excellent.

07 version on tap at 1702. anice aroma ofsweet malt and some biscuit. beautiful ruby color with short lasting whitish head. heavy sweet malt balances quickly with a spicy hop presence. lingering alcohol finish. really surprised the hops are so pronounced after a year. beautiful.