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

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

First had: cask conditioned at Ebenezer's Pub, Lovell, ME

This was a 2002 batch, cellared for 9 years, and served on tap at Ebenezer's. It definitely picked up some interesting flavors in the cellaring process that made it distinct from the fresh batch I had the day before.

Poured a dark maroon-amber with more haze than its younger brother, to the point where it was pretty much opaque. Still sweet with rich malts, with rich coffee tones appearing, pine resin, dark fruits, a very woody quality, and a definite alcohol burn. Heavy mouthfeel, but not quite full-bodied. Strong, but drinkable...though perhaps one serving is enough.

Serving type: cask

06-17-2011 23:54:13 | More by Rifugium

Jadjunk

Georgia

4.16/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

"Bigfoot is a beast of a beer, brimming with flavor from massive amounts of roasted malt and spicy hops; brewed in the barleywine style, with a rich, bittersweet body and whole-cone Pacific Northwest hops." Brewed in the style of an American Barleywine. Released annually in January. 2013 marks the realignment of this beer into the 4-pack imperial series amongst Narwhal Imperial Stout and Hoptimum Double IPA. Despite the dropping of 2 bottles, it's still a bargain at under $10 per 4-pack.

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle to a snifter. Served north of 57º Fahrenheit.

(Appearance) Pours a frothy caramel cream head with a mild airiness to it. Body color is a medium hazy red amber with light sediment and moderate carbonation. Retention is slightly above average and lacing is light and thin. Head quality is oddly shallow for the fresh batch. 3.5

(Smell) Aromas of roasted, clean caramel malt, piney, herbal and mellow citrusy hop blends, followed with a pinch of sharp alcohol. Aroma is well rounded with a decent touch of grain husk and hop character to round out the malt sweetness. Altogether it's a very accessible aroma. Potency is medium. 4

(Taste) Up front waves of husky grain malt, rough around the edges and a moderate slick sweetness with a touch of bready smoothness. It finishes out with a peppery, citrusy and herbal hop bouquet with a strikingly bitter and perky dry finish. The alcohol makes its way into the finish but is nicely concealed by an abrasive hop perk. It's a slow sipper, but a worthy one. 4.25

(Mouthfeel) Texture is slick with just a touch of carbonation. Body is medium amongst Barleywines, medium/heavy overall. Balance is slightly hot over bitter over malty. Malt depth is a touch reserved for a fresh batch, but will likely grow bolder given time and thicken up the body some accordingly. Carbonation is just right for the style, not too perky and not too shallow. 4.25

(Overall) Bigfoot Barleywine is a beast of a beer with lots of bitter hop action and a slick, candied malt sweetness to round it out. I spoiled myself by drinking this alongside the verticals and found it a fantastic beer on it's own, yet wait until you try it with some age on it. The possibilities this beer has to age are seemingly endless. This is certainly a great staple representative of the American Barleywine style and I have been picking up some annually for the value and quality it maintains. If you choose to start your Barleywine expedition with any given Barleywine, this is a prime candidate. 4.25

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.'s
Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale
4.16/5.00

Vertical Notes:

2012 Bigfoot (1 Year, 6 Months Aged):

Pours a slightly more golden cream head, thicker in consistency albeit much improved retention and lacing. Sediment is far more heavy. Aroma is notably more husky and robust, collectively less clean. The hop character is fading but still largely intact, herbal hops prevail and the subtleties or citrus and floral notes fade to the background. Alcohol is still notable, although a touch less hot than in the fresh batch. One year makes a difference in flavor with a more revealed sweet malt character and a faded, but still highly potent hop bitterness. The flavor gives way to some unusual yeast characteristics- hints of pronounced pepper, figs and raisins are subtle but far more notable with a milder, more rounded flavor. Alcohol is still very perky and hot, but collectively this is a more drinkable beer than the fresh vintage. Feels very much like a work-in-progress with a half-developed malt and hop profile, still a little rough around the edges and too young to settle down.

2011 Bigfoot (2 Years, 6 Months Aged):

Appearance is similar in quality to the 1 year batch, a touch more foamy and lighter in complexion. More intense carbonation and finer sediment. Aroma is similar to the 1 year batch, the malt bill is slightly cleaner and more bready with hints of peppery and herbal hops still permeating, but becoming increasingly one-dimensional in light of a smooth barley-led character. Aroma is rounding out significantly, the alcohol pinch is tough to spot out in the open. Two and a half years has given this beer a great deal of time to mature and round out any off-notes even more. Expect a faint growing dryness amongst a developed slick malt base with just a touch of creaminess and a fuller body. Hop presence is relegated to some mild bitterness, still balancing out the flavors well. Candied malt characters are coming out from the yeast- dark fruits more notable than ever before, yet still traces of the depth this beer has. Alcohol presence is finally backing off. This beer is going places with age, much more committed than 1.5 years but still certainly not at the end of its journey. I'll keep aging a few bottles to see where this takes us in the coming years.

Recommended Vintage: Fresh or 2.5 years+

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2013 03:54:16 | More by Jadjunk

Rosanne

California

4/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

no aroma, hoppy taste upfront, sweet linger.

Shared a taster on-tap as part of four flights at the brewery; Sierra Nevada Brewing Co, Chico, USA. As part of a six-week West Coast beer tour. I rate to taste, not to style. See my blog for more details: carbeers.wordpress.com

Serving type: on-tap

06-14-2013 07:37:56 | More by Rosanne

gleemonger

California

4.48/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Deep reddish brow, mostly clear, with a large tan head. Looks delicious, like a dessert. Good head retention with lots of lacing.

Big hop aromas, with citrus, pine and grapefruit. Plenty of sweet caramel malt. Nice punch, but also smells like it's going to be smooth.

Massive flavors, way bigger than the aroma even suggested. Tons of the same blend of hops I'm getting from the aroma, but with a big bitter smack too. The malts are just as big with the thick caramel sweetness that never takes over the hop show.

Pretty heavy, moderate carbonation, lingering. Bitterness takes away from the smooth drinkability, but that's pretty normal for the style it seems.

Barleywine as a style is pretty hit or miss for me, but this is definitely one of my favorites. There's no medicinal backbone that many have, yet this is definitely all barleywine. I really appreciate the crazy levels of everything here - maybe just a little less bitterness would've taken this one further for me.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2013 19:37:14 | More by gleemonger

utopiajane

New York

4.35/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Pours a mahogany red with 2 fingers of tight creamy foam that fell off when it was good and ready. Amazing clarity. Left some yeast floating on top and some sticky, sticky lace. Just beautiful. Nose is big sweet malt. Delicious and fat with caramel, toffee and grain. Hops round it out with dark fruits, cherry and floral. Touch of spice way, way in back. Malt opens up fat and bold as it warms. It’s sweetness deepens but never goes over the top. Hops character is always forthcoming, enlivening and bursting with resin and bitter. Alcohol stays well hidden until the end and contributes to the dryness in the finish. Balance is perfect between the big sweet grain and the oily bitter. This is a strapping, and downright huge beer that was a pleasure from first sip to last.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2013 09:17:47 | More by utopiajane

BucannonXC5

California

4.29/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Type: 12-oz. bottle
Glass: Manzanita pint glass
From: Bine & Vine Bottle Shop in Normal Heights (San Diego), Calif.
Price: $17.99 for a 4-pack
Purchased: June 4, 2013
Consumed: June 7, 2013
Misc.: 2013 edition

Poured a dark caramel amber color with 2-3 fingers of khaki tan head. Heavy filling lacing on the sides of the glass. Good retention all the way down.

Smelled smooth caramel (like a Rolo), toffee, honey, tobacco, dark cherry, plum, fig and vanilla. Nothing too overpowering.

Tasted dark fruits, mainly plum, figs and dates. Tobacco and vanilla as well. Alcohol is well hidden. Some hops but not sure which kind.

Medium body. Creamy texture. Average-to-soft carbonation. Long, smooth finish. Warming and tasty.

Just a really good barleywine. Not too strong and not too weak. Just right. One of the better ones I’ve had.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2013 08:17:17 | More by BucannonXC5

thegodfather1076

Ohio

4.39/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Presentation: Awesome label in the traditional SN style with great graphics and colors. Front label gives a bit of brewery info. Back label has web info, ABV info, a small description of the beer. Neck label states “2013 Edition”. Cap has Bigfoot logo and 2013 on it along with an awesome graphic on its underside!

Appearance: I poured this from its 12oz bottle into a 16oz snifter after a 10min warming period. An aggressive pour led to a beautiful deep amber colored beer with a 3 finger spongy looking light golden tan foam head. Lacing was excellent as was head retention with retention lasting 4min 17sec before fading to a thick coating and ring.

Smell/Aroma: Smells of a nice balance of pine resin hoppiness along with a nice citrus hip aspect as well. A nice caramel malt aroma can also be detected along with and alcohol bite.

Flavor/Taste: Taste is very resin hop dominate on the front end with the hops bleeding into the midpoint, while being joined by a bit of caramel maltiness, that is overpowered by the resin hop flavor on the back end leading to a very bitter aftertaste. Slight alcohol heat.

MouthFeel/Drinkability: On the full side of medium bodied with a smooth mouthfeel. Very drinkable but also a very strong and big beer. My be a bit much for the novice drinker.

Overall/Comments: A great beer that is very intense in the nose and on the palette. Sticks with a hop dominate backbone as is true with most SN brews. A must try. Classifed as an American Barleywine @ 9.4% ABV. Consumed 6/4/2013.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2013 02:05:27 | More by thegodfather1076

DMXLOX22

Pennsylvania

4.36/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Found a random 4-pack of this beer at a tiny, gas station in upstate New York. Pretty excited to find it since most places back in PA sold out of it quick when it arrived. Lets see how it matches up.

Appearance: pours a dark brown, chestnut, copper color. Quite nice. The red caramel like coloring makes the nice frothy white head look very inviting. It sits very well and dissipates somewhat quickly. The impressive lacing follows down to the bottom. Simply appetizing.

Smell: simply a sweet tone of caramel brandy. Goes over very nice. A second taking and I sense a fruit-like citric hops. Pretty overload of floral hops. Quite delicious. A slight overload of alcohol scent is noticeable and slightly overbearing. But it is quite good.

Taste: at the first sips, it's sweet and enjoyable. Caramel-like flavors are present. A little surprised of the low hop levels even though they were detected in the aroma part. Orchard fruits are detected and help to really round out and balance the bitterness of alcohol and malts. Syrupy flavors are detected and go down well. I enjoyed all these things.

Mouthfeel: moderate carbonation. Full body and goes down somewhat smooth. Finishes slightly dry, but is tolerable. Very nice.

Overall: coming into this, I was a little excited to enjoy this since I've heard good things. And now, I'm glad I did. Who knew a little trip to a small-time gas station would be worth it. Starting out, this was something special, with the superb lacing and delicious aroma. Then the tasting took it to a whole other level with awesome caramel flavors and a slight strike of alcohol, but overall was well-balanced and good. I would totally enjoy again, especially on tap if I can locate it. I would totally recommend to a friend. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2013 00:40:01 | More by DMXLOX22

pryopen

South Dakota

4.06/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle dated 2356, but 2013 vintage per label. Poured into snifter.

A: Deep amber color with one finger, off-white head. slight lacing with quick dissipation of head.

S: Piney hops up front, underlying caramel maltiness, some spice and floral hops, fruitiness

T: More caramel malt than the smell let's on, toffee, pine and spicey hops

M: Moderate carbonation, oily, viscous, slight EtOH warmth with a dry finish, leaving a bitter aftertaste

O: great barley wine; alcohol present but blends well with flavors; lots of flavor, strong hops presence but not overwhelming due to the matching malt backbone

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2013 05:04:44 | More by pryopen

TheCondor

Missouri

3.88/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

I poured a couple of these tonight for Memorial Day with a fellow Veteran. Side poured with standard vigor from the bottle into a Sam Adams glass

Appearance - Pours a deep amber color with a decent one finger head that sticks well to the glass, leaving good lacing. Head retention leaves a little to be desired. A good looking beer though.

Smell - Seems pretty hoppy for a barleywine. I had to do a double take because I was pretty sure the bottle said it was a barleywine, but I wanted to make sure I hadn't mized up and grabbed one of my Union Jacks or something. Thought I may have lost my marbles there for a second. Very hop forward in the nose, much more so than most barleywines. Alcohol and a bit of malts round out the nose.

Taste - While I have not drank as many barleywines as stouts or many of he other styles, this seems agressively hoppy for the style. A wallop of hops is right up front, pine and floral, with the hops flavor carrying through most of the drink. There is a malt backbone to speak of. Wasn't real wild about it.

Mouthfeel - Dry hop finish with an alcohol presence as well. Leaves the bitter aftertaste. Medium bodied, solid carbonation level.

Overall - I just wasn't that crazy about this beer. I think this would be a good candidate for aging, to mellow out some of the hop character. I'm not much of a hop head, so the aggressive hop nature wasn't really up alley. It was a decent beer, but I certainly could have spent my money elsewhere. Oh well. You win some, you lose some, and I lost this one big time.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2013 02:27:40 | More by TheCondor

AlCaponeJunior

Texas

4.25/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Downright gorgeous to look at, deep amber with copper notes, clear, with a great 3 finger head that lasted forever and laced the glass with sticky chunks.

More like an IPA in the nose, hops are dominant and the typical barleywine smells are secondary. Piney and even grapefruit hops are pungent. A little caramel malt and a little fruitiness provide something other than hops as a side note.

Taste is bold and again, very hoppy. Tastes more like a barleywine than it smells, but still, this one is quite a bit like a DIPA in the taste department. The hop profile is just dominant as hell, this fact cannot be hidden. Fruity and caramel malt flavors do balance out the taste more so than the smell though, and overall it's quite nice!

The body is thick and tangy but the alcohol is surprisingly well hidden. The hops even leave a bit of a bite on the aftertaste.

Honestly, this is a fine barleywine, albeit a lot hoppier and a bit different than I'm used to when I buy a barleywine. I really like this stuff. I can't wait to see how it mellows. I've put a bottle away for a year, and another for two years, will re-try it again next march (and the one after that) and report back.

I really like trying new beers, and I hadn't had this one yet. Overall I'd list it as "must try." Excellent job, SN!

Edit for 2013: once again, they nailed it. The original review is more than a year old, but now I've had 5 different years of vintages, both aged, and for the more recent years, fresh. Every time it's just fantastic! Gold standard of barleywines. Monstrous hops and tons of delicious malts, one of my favorite beers anytime, from any brewery.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2013 07:27:19 | More by AlCaponeJunior

drrone

Utah

4.44/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bottle into a Rogue Goblet. Dated 2013 (on bottle), but dated 2335, so 335 days into 2012.

A - pours a very nice amber/golden color with very about an inch of beige head with an aggressive pours. What head there was faded quickly and left a nice lace crown. There is sediment noted, not a lot but still there.

S - Still a good amount of hops noted, with nice malt and caramel highlights.

T - Really great taste. The hops are still prevalent, but toned down. A very nice nice balance of sweetness which follows with a slight bite. A touch of pine, caramel and grapefruit. Good malt backbone. I don't pick much booze for the ABV. Leaves a little bitter resinous taste afterwards.

M - Medium to full bodied. Good amount of carbonation. Easy to drink considering ABV.

O - Great beer overall. This strikes a great balance of the hops I love and barley wine I also love. Sierra Nevada does a great job. This did well with 6 months on it and I will hang on to a couple more to try at 12 months and beyond.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2013 21:49:55 | More by drrone

Andrew61923

Connecticut

4.3/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

2013 vintage poured into my Tree House tulip. I'm not sure how I've never had this beer before. Picked up on a whim as a single...we'll see if I go back to get more, as you can't beat the pricepoint for such a highly rated beer (given I end up liking it).

A: After an aggressive pour, I'm left with a gorgeous amber body with a soapy two finger off-white head that gradually fades to leave a substantial halo with some perfect lacing. So far, so good.

S: A lot hoppier than I would have expected, as this is one of the more hop-forward barleywines I can recall. Lots of juiciness for a beer I usually equate to more malt-based with a good amount of caramel sweetness in there as well.

T: Talk about complex. I'm having trouble even picking up on what I'm tasting. I'm getting notes of pine, caramel, Grapenuts, and toffee all mixed together quite nicely. Not at all what I was expecting from what I picked up in the nose.

M: Pretty much spot-on. The carbonation is a tad high, but for a beer that apparently ages so well, I'm willing to forgive this. Not syrupy in the least, which I think is most impressive.

O: I would never say that barleywines are my desired style of beer. That being said, I do love hoppy beers and I was pleasantly surprised by the hoppiness of fresh Bigfoot. I will likely pick up another single if I can find one to age for a while to see if I enjoy the brew that way, but I was happy with this. Now I understand the hype!

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2013 01:29:32 | More by Andrew61923

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

standardcherry

Massachusetts

3.79/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

2002 vintage! I was surprised to find that this was a screw-top.

A: Dark red/brown color. Thin white head with little lacing. Looks alright I guess.
S: Surprisingly this still smells a bit floral from the hops! Never tried it fresh to compare but I imagine it's a hop bomb. A bit of caramel followed by a slight metallic aroma.
T: Huge flavor. Sweet roasted malts, caramel, toffee, a slight hoppy bitterness. There's a bit of a stale flavor, not sure how to describe it. A big alcohol bite as well.
M: Thick bodied, creamy and sticky. Nice carbonation to my surprise.
O: This beer has held up very well for being 11 years old. I will have to try it fresh to compare but I enjoyed this one quite a bit.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 04:56:00 | More by standardcherry

themind

New Jersey

3.81/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Paterson was right, Bigfoot lives! what a good example of a quality barleywine. ABV hidden well with a good aroma and satisfying taste. The brew was pretty smooth, if your looking to try a barleywine beer look no further. This is a great introduction to the BW style for newcomers to the craft beer World.

Bottom Line: Get some!

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 03:59:42 | More by themind

Vogie

Michigan

4.34/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

P: Served in a Duvel tulip glass. Pour is a nice amber color with about a half finger of pancake like head that leaves some lacing around the edges. Added some smoked cheddar cheese on the side.

S: Strong aromas reminiscent of a DIPA. Roasted malts and grapefruit are definitely present here.

T: Very hoppy and roasty. Definitely getting a strong grapefruit presence with some other tropical fruit sweetness in there as well.

M: Light body with a strong bitterness on the backend. Almost gets smoother as it warms.

O: Not a huge fan of this style or hoppy beers in general. I felt the taste was a bit rough and maybe would mellow with some age. However, I am trying to remain objective in this assessment. I did serve this with some slices of cheddar cheese, which was an excellent touch with the hop bitterness. Well made, not my favorite, but I appreciate the complexity.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 20:48:22 | More by Vogie

dc87

Washington

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

A - Very attractive dark red to brown colour. Thin head, a little lacing.

S - Nice sweet caramel/maple smell, particularly after warming up. Getting a little floral hops.

T - Huge, nicely balanced taste. Wonderful sweet caramel taste up front, followed some spice and pine. Boozey. The aftertaste is very bitter and hoppy, with some orange rinds, and a little sweetness.

M - Thick, very light carbonation.

O - Very drinkable. Huge malts and hops. Would drink again.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 01:01:41 | More by dc87

MikeOlheiser

Minnesota

3.6/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

2013 bottle served in a pint glass.

Appearance- one of the best looking beers ive seen in a glass. ruby red with a bit of a brown. almost has a glow to it. has a nice creamy head that sticks around.

Smell- im not big on the smell, some alcohol, and obvious hops and malts in there. I dont get much else.

taste- very sweet with roasted malt. toffee and caramel. and a huge hit of bitter hops. it will linger and even hop heads may not like it. its not my kind of style, but even with the most objective review, this will bite. you get some alcohol in it as well, but not too much.

mouthfeel- syrupy, sticky sweet. a nice amount of carbonation. little creamy. im not big on the feel of this beer.

overall- this is my first taste of this style, and ultimately its a BIG beer. tons of sweet roasted malts, and tons of bitter hops. i wouldnt purchase this again just because its not my style, but for those who are looking for this, you may find alot to like in this beer. 330 calories worth! haha. enjoy.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 04:56:45 | More by MikeOlheiser

nbaeteer

Pennsylvania

4.01/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: 2013 version poured into a wide bottom wine glass. Nice ruby red color that really only lets light through in the center when held up to my tv. Sizeable fluffy cloud like head forms right away but dissapates fairly quickly although a thin layer covers most of the top of the beer all the way through.

Smell: Close my eyes and this could be mistaken for a big double IPA except for the more noticeable alchohol smell hiding behind the hop aromas.

Taste: Would be much, much better with some caramelly, toffee flavor to offset the huge hops. Taste in the back of the tongue balances everything out a little bit. Aftertaste says double IPA and when drank without any food or chaser the bitterness lingers too long for me. I get the feeling I'll still taste this tomorrow morning at breakfast. On the other hand, when paired with a nice blue cheese like I have here in fromt of me it's damn near a perfect pairing.

Mouthfeel: Viscous. Thick. Nice level of carbonation considering the style.

Overall: Man, with this amount of hops I would imagine this would be a great candidate for aging. Would be just awesome to do a ladder for a bunch of them and see how they age from one year to the next.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 05:22:03 | More by nbaeteer

nootch23

Massachusetts

4.3/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

This review is for a 2004 vintage bottle. Poured in a tulip glass.

A - poured a dark maroon, molasses color. Can't see nothing through it. Very little to no head on this.

S - all booze. Smells like a barrel aged beer would smell. Picked up on dark fruit notes, cherries, raisins, caramels underneath the booze smell.

T - absolutely delicious. Tastes nothing like it smells. Very smooth, fruity, no booziness to the taste. A little tartness to it which was expected but the fruit tastes definitely are in at the forefront of this little number. Really picked up some raisins, apricot, a little oakiness to it. Bunch of caramel.

M - didn't leave too much of a dry finish. Very smooth going down. Mouth was left with tastes of cherries and dark caramel. Really tasty aftertaste.

O - I was very impressed with how this bottle aged. When smelling the aroma, the booziness made me a little nervous since big boozy beers aren't my thing, but once I took a sip I was impressed with the different flavors that came to the front, more so than a bottle of a fresh Bigfoot. The smoothness really made it enjoyable to drink and it definitely mellowed out over time. Very well crafted barleywine perfect for aging.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 14:04:49 | More by nootch23

Apellonious

North Carolina

4.21/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

12 oz bottle from 4-pack, 2013 version.

A - Cloudy dark ruby red. Thin head. Decent lace retention.

S - Grapefruit, dark fruit sweetness, toasted grains, faint booze

T - First sip is a decent punch in the face for your tastesbuds. A little harsh, but this is new, so I guess that is to be expected.. You get some dark fruit and bitter up front, toasted grains in the middle, and some sweet tartness and alcohol on the finish. The tartness makes the mouth water. Which makes you want more right away. Which makes this dangerous.

M - If I knew what perfect was, I would say this is close. Carbonation is on the milder side, almost creamy, but enough to keep it from being overly slick or sticky.

O - Still getting accustomed to the barleywine style, but this is one of the better offerings I have tried. WIll be setting aside a few of these for some years (at least that's the plan, we'll see how that goes) to see how they pan out.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 00:06:24 | More by Apellonious

Dave1999

Virginia

3.84/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Pours a bright reddish brown with a small white head.

The smell is sweet and malty with some citrus hops.

The taste is very bitter with a sweet malty backbone. The hops are definitely at the forefront though. There is also a burnt flavour coming through.

The mouthfeel medium bodied with medium carbonation.

A pretty good beer, I wanted to like it more but the bitterness is a little to dominating.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 02:16:13 | More by Dave1999

flayedandskinned

California

3.91/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2013 vintage
Poured into a standard tulip glass

Appearance: Pours a lightly hazed amber/orange with a towering, frothy 3 finger off white head that has amazing retention. Loads of web like lacing left behind.

Aroma: Big resinous pine-y hops and sweet, juicy grapefruit. Wow, very hop forward for a barleywine. There are notes of sugar-y bready vanilla infused malts tucked underneath the hops. A little bit of alcohol shows more and more as the ale warms in it's glass.

Taste: A big wave of juicy grapefruit and pine resin similar to the nose strikes your palate immediately before a sugary and bread-y malt backbone calms everything and brings the flavor profile back into traditional sweet barleywine territory. The beer finishes off dry and bitter with even more notes of woodsy pine needles and sweet caramel malt left dancing on your palate. There is a light alcohol presence that becomes more apparent as the beer slowly acclimates to room temperature.

Mouthfeel: Full bodied, somewhat viscous in texture with moderate carbonation.

Overall: This is the first time I've had this beer in a few years, and I can definitely see why it is often heralded as an American Craft Beer classic. It is definitely hard to believe that this beer has been brewed for over 30 years. It's bitterness can definitely stand up to a lot of imperial IPAs that are brewed today. It is somewhat stripped down in it's complexity, as this bottle very young, but I can definitely tell that this beer will just become deeper and deeper with a couple of years of age on it.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2013 03:15:21 | More by flayedandskinned