Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale - Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

damndirtyape

Ohio

4.03/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz 2011 bottle (bottled 10/07/10 if I'm reading the stamp right) poured into a snifter.

Appearance: Hazy dark copper orange-red with a very thin off-white foam on top. Ring at the edge, tiny thin skin in the middle, but big sheets of persistent lacing all over the glass. Good looking beer.

Smell: Very hoppy. Pine, grapefruit, citrus, and tiny hint of mango, all smashed together and tempered with a bit of malt and just a hint of alcohol as well. More of the malt comes through as the beer warms up.

Taste: Bitter up front, quick malt in the middle, and long lingering pine, grapefruit, and earl gray tea (bergamot in here too) hop finish. Hops mellow out just a tad as beer warms up and a little bit of the malt shows through in the middle, but even then, the hops dominate. This beer is a showcase for the hops and little else.

Mouthfeel: Quick carbonation on the tongue, and then it's gone and replaced with a thick and creamy mouthfeel followed by all that hop oil sticking to the teeth.

Overall / Drinkability: Quite a monster this one. Good but smacks you around the head and shoulders with the hops. A slow sipper for good reason. I wonder what it would be like aged another year since if I've read the date stamp right, it's been about a year in the bottle and it's still massively hoppy. Might try it again sometime or pick up a bottle now and cellar it a year to see if the hop profile changes and the malt comes out more.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2011 22:17:31 | More by damndirtyape

thampel09

New Jersey

4.5/5  rDev +7.9%

05-20-2013 13:37:20 | More by thampel09

Kmat10

Alberta (Canada)

4/5  rDev -4.1%

05-20-2013 04:06:24 | More by Kmat10

YeastEnthusiast

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev -10.1%

05-20-2013 03:30:30 | More by YeastEnthusiast

Dcunicelli

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -10.1%

05-19-2013 22:21:52 | More by Dcunicelli

birdsellam

Indiana

4.5/5  rDev +7.9%

05-19-2013 18:07:42 | More by birdsellam

Fubar1453

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -4.1%

05-19-2013 14:17:41 | More by Fubar1453

nick_asian

Nevada

4.25/5  rDev +1.9%

05-19-2013 07:17:51 | More by nick_asian

jkroese

Iowa

4/5  rDev -4.1%

05-19-2013 02:48:49 | More by jkroese

AGoodStout

Kansas

4.75/5  rDev +13.9%

05-19-2013 02:19:56 | More by AGoodStout

Photekut

Azerbaijan

4/5  rDev -4.1%

05-19-2013 02:02:39 | More by Photekut

bluestar0828

Virginia

3.75/5  rDev -10.1%

05-18-2013 21:09:11 | More by bluestar0828

schopenhauerale

British Columbia (Canada)

4/5  rDev -4.1%

05-18-2013 20:18:47 | More by schopenhauerale

beernads

Florida

3.5/5  rDev -16.1%

05-18-2013 06:54:33 | More by beernads

BrownAleMale

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev -4.1%

05-18-2013 06:17:29 | More by BrownAleMale

megamass

New Jersey

4/5  rDev -4.1%

05-18-2013 05:55:49 | More by megamass

davemathews68

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev -10.1%

05-18-2013 00:29:09 | More by davemathews68

inanity

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -16.1%

05-18-2013 00:12:44 | More by inanity

jkrug5

Maryland

4.5/5  rDev +7.9%

05-17-2013 22:27:12 | More by jkrug5

hackmann

Michigan

4.13/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: copper body with a one finger beige colored head; not much on the lacing

Aroma: nice spicy hops tingles the nose with a rich malt backbone

Flavors: spicy hops up front, pine on the mid and finish along with alcohol, white grapefruit peel on the aftertaste, brown spice bread in the background,

Mouthfeel: rich style, thick, oily, alcohol warmth and alcohol peppery feel, moderate fizzy carbonation, bitterness up front followed by the sweet brown spice bread, white grapefruit lingers on the palate, full body, more bitter than sweet

To the Point: I like this ale; it is a sipper;

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 19:46:33 | More by hackmann

verge

California

3.95/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

2013 12 oz bottle from Total Wine & More in Brea, CA. Cool label and funny drawing inside the bottle cap of Bigfoot enjoying a beer with two humans!

Poured into a snifter/goblet forming half a finger of head. Gorgeous deep ruby/copper color, with just a hint of haze.

I can already smell this beer while it sits on the desk in front of me. A deep whiff reveals complexity, some smoke, dark malts, hops, and some alcohol as well.

My first sip is while the beer is still cool (I expect the flavor to develop as it warms), but it is already a perfect harmony of the malts, hops and yeast, with each taking its separate place but also supporting the others. No alcohol flavor yet, but there is some warming after gulping it down. Also a lingering dry hop aftertaste.

(My palette is not the best at finding specific flavors in the mix, but I've drunk enough good beer to recognize interplay between parts.)

As it slightly warms, I find the bitterness taking over more, and some alcohol shining through, and less of the malt is holding up. The balance is lessening, and it seems it's actually becoming more harsh.

A little bit of malt sweetness returns now after a few more minutes have passed. This seems to be the optimal temperature now, with some sweetness in the beginning, some alcohol in the middle, and minutes of hops at the end. Definitely complex! The balance is complete right here. Take note: serve slightly cool, not refrigerator cold!

Mouthfeel is right in the middle. Not creamy, not too prickly, maybe just a little on the watery side.

I'm still new at barleywines. This is a BIG, bold, hoppy version of one, which I'm sure would mellow out with age. Not really my thing, but I can certainly enjoy this as I drink it. Lots to take note of during consumption. Certainly wouldn't turn one of these down if offered to me again.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 19:28:18 | More by verge

barefoot71

Texas

4/5  rDev -4.1%

05-17-2013 15:41:50 | More by barefoot71

Xzfgiimtsath

Texas

4.5/5  rDev +7.9%

05-17-2013 12:43:33 | More by Xzfgiimtsath

iHeartMNBeer

Minnesota

3.75/5  rDev -10.1%

05-17-2013 04:40:16 | More by iHeartMNBeer

vancean2

South Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +7.9%

05-16-2013 22:35:08 | More by vancean2