Sierra Nevada Bigfoot

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

2008 bottle from my cellar. Pours a dense yellowish head over a cloudy amber/brown beer. Nose is big barley wine from the get-go, but the taste has a bunch of hop bitterness right up front. Hops dominate the flavors through the middle and end, and I’m a little disappointed at that. There seems too much hops here and the big, sweet barley wine flavors don’t shine the way I was hoping. If I feel up to two of these monsters tonight, I might open one that is a couple of years old and re-rate. I really don’t remember it being this bitter. 2007 the next evening. This bottle is dramatically darker, much less hoppy, much more complex. This one has chocolate, tobacco, molasses, tobacco, caramel, and tobacco. Mouth feel is much smoother but alcohol seems to have come forward with the passing of hops. This brings my rating up .1, but I think this beer wants another year or two. Maybe I’ll pull our an older one tomorrow.

Vertical tasting, 2002, 05, 06, 08. Very interesting. ’02 rating posted. Oxidized caramel aroma outstanding, with menthol, caramel, hop and a bit of funk in the mouth. ’05 had a wonderful big oxidized caramel aroma, but the flavor was a bit off, with lots of peppermint: 8/4/7/4/14. ’06 almost unoxidized, with little nose but a nice, smooth, balanced flavor: 7/4/8/4/15. ’08 also very nice, with lots of fruit and tons of hops. fresh and tasty but still a bit too harsh: 8/4/7/3/15. The menthol / peppermint was surprisingly evident in all but the ’08.

(bottle) (2008) clear, reddish brown colour with small tan head; aroma of longans, dried fruit, some citrus; complex and balanced flavour with long lightly bitter finish; excellent

RATING #1000. Bigfoot mini-vertical 2009, 2008, 2004 in snifter. 2009: Bright amber with lasting flat head and lace. Toasty brown sugar bread and slight alcohol aroma. Toasted brown sugar nuts mild fruit with very assertive grapefruit and resiny woody dry hop finish and slight alcohol warmth. Mouth numbing hops. Excellent. 2008: Bright amber with lasting flat head and lace. Toasty brown sugar doughy molasses and woody hop aroma. Toasty brown sugar ripe fruit assertive earthy grapefruit and woody hop dry bitter finish. Awesome. Almost at its peak of perfection. 2004: Darker reddish amber with a few big bubbles and ring. Earthy woody aroma. Rich sweet brown sugar and ripe fruit with woody toasty sweet wet earth finish. Awesome. Very slight oxidization. I really thought two-year old would be best, but this might be better. One of my all-time favorites for the past twenty-or-so years. I was glad to find that somehow I hadn’t rated it yet, even though I drink at least a case each year, so I could celebrate my 1000th rating with it (not to mention I got married this morning). Whoohoo!!!

Bigfoot 09 bottle, about 10-11 months old by now. Nice rich dark amber, lightly hazy, with a pretty tan head that stays to the very end. Floral, citrusy hops still strong on the aroma, but I get some caramel malt alongside. Rich malt flavor, a little hot, and still a very nice hop presence. Really good at this age. Alcohol is lightly present, which works well, and there’s a nice smooth palate. A pleasure to drink - again and again, the Sierra Nevada brewers prove they know what they’re doing.

Slightly red, copper brown beer with medium beige head. Aroma is exhilarating, strong tropical fruits, pine needles and sweet malts. Flavour is strongly hoppy, malty and bitter in the end and aftertaste is long. Slippery and nice to drink. This beer based on great hops, and that is impressed, but if there would be more freshness, would it be better, maybe or not...

The beer store I frequent has had a six pack with one missing of big foot on top of one of their fridges for quite a while. I finally talked them into pulling it down and it was the 2007 vintage! Yum! This is a beautiful beer, not as dark as most barley wines one sees now days. This is a shining example that is not overly sweet, well developed, deep complex flavors. A real winner, I wish I had one fresh so I could compare, it was probably good but I bet not this good.

I think when you see barleywine, most people will be turned off, or expect some odd-ball brew that is just intended to get you hammered, this is not. When I first strated drinking this I was reminded of a big IPA, but sweeter. The brew is very smooth and complicated, and considering the high ABV, this is very drinkable. This in my opinion was what the DIPA are trying to be, but then again this is a barley-wine so maybe i’m off. Good stuff, must have from one of our great California breweries.