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

andrewjraab

Michigan

4.34/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A. Dark mahogany brown with a thin layer of creamy white froth. Extreme lacing and webbing with each drink.

S. big citrus hops, malts, brown sugar, raisins, floral, and fruity.

T. A hop bomb. A malt bomb. There's a squatch in these woods! Hops stick on the toungue up front followed by the silky and creamy malt flavors, some fruit, raisins, and finishes with an almost whiskey like alcoholic dryness

O. Wow, this is full meal, but I'm enjoying every sip. I Will make this a yearly staple and plan to Kay a few down from this years batch.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 01:19:54 | More by andrewjraab

Guden

Maryland

3.55/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.25

A bottle from 2011 I'm finally opening for my birthday.

A- Medium brown/garnet in color. Very cloudy. One finger head fades to a rim leaving just a touch of lace.

S- Light wood and pine blend with a definite cherry and breakfast cereal character. A bit of licorice in the mix too, yum. So good it has me grinning from ear to ear, I want to live in this smell.

T- A little fruity sweetness and caramel character up front but it finishes with a fairly high and piney bitterness. Not nearly as sweet or complex as I would expect from a barleywine.

M- Moderate carbonation but a bit thin. Not nearly the syrupy barleywine I'm used to and I think the malt flavor really suffers because of it.

O- Far from the best barleywine I've had. The hop aroma/flavor seems to have faded but the bitterness is still too strong. Great smelling though.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2013 02:23:26 | More by Guden

N3rdM3t4l

Oregon

4.11/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

12oz brown bottle into chilled pint glass. 2013 vintage. I should let it age but I just can't.

A: beautiful amber hue like dark honey. Surprising clarity and a small cap of offwhite head thst just sticks to the glass.

S: resiny hops loaded citrus and herb notes. Not unlike the hop aroma of an IPA. Hint of sweet malt body.

T: pallet crushing hop flavor. Opens grassy and bitter with citrus peel flavors. The backbone of this brew peeks through as a sweet rich malt flavor but is very buried under the hop. Finishes off with a lingering bitter and a bit of alcohol warmth.

M: rich and heavy as it should be. Not oily like I would expect from something so hoppy and flavored with whole cone hops which is good. Smooth with just a bit of carbonation to keep it from being like syrup.

O: definitely needs age but I can taste the potential and it tastes fantastic. Might have to buy another and put it away for a year, if I can wait that long.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2013 03:22:23 | More by N3rdM3t4l

gr0g

New Jersey

4.38/5  rDev +5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

03/06/2013: 12oz bottle, 2013 vintage bottled dated December 1, 2012.
Relatively fresh bottle poured into a snifter. Not that big a head, but very nice lace formation. Not noticing much variation from earlier vintages I've tried. Compared with the taste notes below from a year-old 2011 vintage bottle, there is a hoppiness approaching DIPA levels. Very floral and citric aroma with just a hint of alcohol. Hop bitterness is a match for the big malt body. Alcohol is very well hidden. Bigfoot is very much a standard-bearer for the American barleywine style. Drink fresh if you're a hophead, or let it sit for a while. Either way it's excellent.

01/27/2012: 12oz bottle, 2011 vintage. Bottle dated January 7, 2011.
Reddish copper color with a one-finger head that has pretty good retention and leaves some scattered lacing. I must not have saved my notes from the couple bottles I had relatively fresh, but a remember a large amount of grapefruit hop character with plenty of bitterness. On the nose, this year old bottle features plenty of fruity esters, hop notes that are floral and citrusy, and a fuel note lurking in the background.

On the palate, sweetness from the prodigious malt bill hits first, but there's still enough hop bitterness to balance it out nicely. This is bursting with ripe fruit character; an almost equally big citric hop flavor comes in toward the finish. A little bit of booziness that's appropriate for the style. Mouthfeel features a little bit of viscosity and a moderate but soft carbonation - a good complement to a big beer while still reminding you that this is beer, not wine.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2013 00:59:35 | More by gr0g

CaptMaelstrom

Tennessee

4.93/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

Bottle to tulip glass.

A: Damn beautiful. Full head of home, nice sticky lacing down the glass. A beautiful dark ruby red glow when held under the light. You can't ask for a better looking Barleywine.

S: Figgy, date-like fruit smell. Some earthy, but mostly floral hops. Subtle biscuity notes.

T: Sweet with fruity twangs at first, followed by big bold hop flavor. Subsides to a gentle bitterness. 9.6% ABV perfectly hidden.

M: Perfectly creamy/sticky. Huge body to go along with the huge flavor. Let this one breathe a little bit to shed some of the carbonation, even though it's good colder or warmer.

O: An excellent and huge beer. New personal standard for barleywines and maybe my new personal favorite beer of all time. I would like to put some bottles back, but I can't resist their temptation.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 23:02:40 | More by CaptMaelstrom

CurtFromHershey

Pennsylvania

4.06/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Pours a rich mahogany, dense yet silky beige head which hangs around as a thin cap. Good lacing.

Smell is a big hit of pine with a second wave coming through of sweet malt, caramel, and booze.

Taste follows the nose exactly ... big hop presence coupled with nice malt characteristics.

Mouthfeel a bit thin. A little disappointing.

Overall it's easy to see why this sets the standard for American barleywines, and it sets that bar pretty high.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2013 00:43:46 | More by CurtFromHershey

BeerNinja007

New Hampshire

2.53/5  rDev -39.3%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

12oz single obtained for $2.75 at The Beer Store in Nashua, NH. 2013 vintage so this is pretty fresh, feels like I'm robbing the cradle. Code 3004217:53. Served cold in a tulip.

A: Hard pour gives 3/4" of dense orange-tan head, looks like a memory foam mattress. Bright clear cherry red brew.

S: Bright candy sweetness. Just a little mixed hop aroma. Not a whole lot going on in the nose while cold. Maybe it'll wake up as it warms. *later* The only new thing I'm getting now is hot solventy alcohol. Or maybe that's just me smelling my own breath.

T: Gigantic peppery alcohol easily overwhelms everything else, very disappointing. This REALLY needs some age to smooth it out. Hard to get much more than that out of it, it's completely dominated by EtOH solventy heat from start to finish.

M: Moderate viscosity but finishes very dry from the alcohol. Soft carbonation.

O: I hate to rate it this poorly, but I calls 'em like I sees 'em and therefore I have no choice. I've had other vintages and it's been a good brew, but this one is just not enjoyable. Don't drink it young.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 03:56:17 | More by BeerNinja007

jrenihan

Ontario (Canada)

4.05/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2009 vintage.

Dark caramel in colour. Moderately-sized off-white head.

Lots of caramel malt in the nose, along with toffee. A notable hop scent, which surprised me given the age of the beer. Pine and citrus. Remarkably how hoppy the nose is for a beer that is 3+ years old.

Strong flavour. Caramel malt, lots of hops. Seriously pine heavy, strong resin flavour. Spicy. Some citrus (orange), but pine is the focus. Boozy.

Full bodied, moderately carbonated. Very oily,

Overall- a real hop monster, which is not what I expected at all. This beer is over three years old? Hard to believe.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 20:00:36 | More by jrenihan

fx20736

New York

4.41/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

2013 edition. poured from 12 oz bottle into a Chimay chalice, served at cellar temp.

way darker than amber, Bigfoot is the color of Port wine. a thick Creme Brulee head leaves crazy amounts of sticky lacing.

aroma: bursting with grapefruity hops, toasted malts, caramel and dark fruits.

mouthfeel; soft and silky, so creamy.

taste: ruby red grapefruit hops lead the charge, followed by a caramel, toffee like sweetness and some plums in the middle and then grapefruit again.

it's like a cross between an American IPA and a Scotch Ale. This is great beer, bursting with aroma, flavor and character sailing on a superbly silky bed. I bought a 4 pack and am curious how this one will age.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 13:23:03 | More by fx20736

dar482

New York

4.71/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

This pours in an amber/brown color. It has a fresh hoppy and sweet aroma.

This beer is a hop monster. The front is just packed with juicy and big body hops. It then gets a bit of sweetness from the malt and caramel sweetness to pack it up. It settles down with its medium body really well without leaving a bitter aftertaste. A wonderful beer that I would love having again.

The alcohol doesn't come down too hard. I have had much stronger barleywines and if anything, this is more like a IIPA.

Serving type: on-tap

03-01-2013 06:28:18 | More by dar482

Doc_Hops

Pennsylvania

4.54/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

A- Pours a gorgeously deep amber/ light brown color with a fluffy, light tan head that has a bit of staying power and is leaving some beautiful lacing on my IPA glass.

S- You can really smell the green west coast hops at first with a nice burst of citrus notes, followed by some sweet roasted toffee malt.

T- Wonderfully fresh hop taste to start that then gets taken over by some sweet roasted malt that actually leaves traces of dark fruit, perhaps cherry.

M- Here's where the beer shines. This is right where ya want it. On the heavier side of medium bodied, with a strong alcohol character that has a great presence but is not overpowering.

O- Stellar beer right here! This is a great representation of the style and I cannot wait to try a 2013 again in a few months... or years.

Serving type: 12oz 2013 bottle poured into a DFH/SN IPA glass. Thanks for reading.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2013 09:09:38 | More by Doc_Hops

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

4.79/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

12 oz bottle poured into a Sierra Nevada tulip.
9.6% ABV, 2013 bottle

A - A tall pour to the bottom of the glass releases a dense, bone-colored, two-finger head with fantastic retention for the alcohol percent in this beer. Thin, wispy lace coats most of the glass above the beautifully clear and vibrant mahogany-amber beer.

S - Floral pedals, herbal spice, and notes of sticky pine resin and grapefruit citrus waft from this hoppy barleywine. A hint of rye bread meets Vienna toast and caramel sweetness behind the hops. As the head lowers, the aroma becomes grassier and more earthy all while remaining modest in terms of alcohol release.

T - Hoppiness, when compared to the aroma, is overwhelming, really exploding with intensity. Sweet and rich caramel malts have a toasted bread flavor that backs up the mounds of hops pretty well, still finishing with a blast of pine and grapefruit while hinting at herbs and flower pedals. Big depth comes from Bigfoot with little alcohol showing until it warms up, subtly releasing fruity, solvent alcohol.

M - The warming sensation from the alcohol is subtle enough to be welcome here, hiding behind the large hop blast of a pretty bitter finish, really developing in the stomach above all else. Bigfoot is smooth and full-bodied but considerably dry from hops and alcohol with just a touch of carbonation prickle aiding the bitterness on the back of the tongue.

O - Sierra Nevada's Bigfoot is iconic and style-defining, incorporating their love for the green American hop cone of joy into a deep, malty beer. This yearly release is always worth collecting for present and future enjoyment as it's proved, it will age exceptionally with time.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2013 00:45:07 | More by BeerFMAndy

Tomhet

Illinois

4.48/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A rich, translucent ruby/chestnut body rests below a massive , soapy three-finger copper-brown head that's fading away pretty quickly. The aroma has always been a favorite of mine in the way that various layers are revealed as more air in gradually inhaled throughout the sniff. A light breath offers a very sweet, sticky roasted caramel note with strong molasses notes that give the impression of a honey-like consistency. Alongside this light breath is a seriously subtle dark chocolate note that coats everything in its path. A stronger whiff fully reveals the grassy hop profile with a hint of sharp citrus riding on the coattails. Some booziness is there but I personally love the way it meshes with the malt and hop profiles.

Super sweet caramel/dark chocolate hybrid hits the tongue first, which eventually glides along to a biting grassy/earthy hop that dominates the middle and even lingers around after the incredibly smooth, slightly warming finish. The taste of this has always invoked the essence of a cool autumn night of solitude out in the woods; as inviting a character that I can imagine. Body is relatively light and wet, making this dangerously easy to drink at an unsafe pace.

Overall, an absolute classic that should be a staple for the season if you don't wish to feel the shame of passing it up.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2013 10:45:20 | More by Tomhet

gcamparone

Rhode Island

3.29/5  rDev -21.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a snifter . Purchased in Wakefield , rhode island.

A- Pours a clear cherry body with a thick 3" off white head that reduces very slowly to leave a huge layer of foam. Leaves thick non uniform lacing.

S- caramel, toffee, and some pretty hoppy citrus and pine notes. Smells like a hoppy red ale, like nugget nectar.

T- This is where this beer falls off a very high cliff. There are caramel and light fruity notes - but these are taken over by an extremely cloying astringency that is present from the first sip to a few minutes on the aftertaste. Alcohol comes through too.Not sure what's going on here.

M- medium body, medium carbonation

Im not sure what Sierra Nevada was going for here or how people can actually enjoy this beer - it's an astringent mess with really no barleywine character. I'll have to sit on the other 3 and see how they age.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 03:32:04 | More by gcamparone

Gmann

New York

3.86/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Pours a pretty dark amber/copper color with a fluffy off-white head that has moderate sized bubbles. Settles into a solid cap.

The aroma has a caramel like sweetness. The hops are grassy and don't really pop through too much on the nose. The aroma is just kinda of neutral.

The flavor is big and bready. Nice brown bread flavor, a bit woody, a bit toasted, and a big caramel flavor. There is a nice berry fruit flavor as well. The hops are quite grassy with some grapefruit rind. The hops aren't all that flavorful but they provide the needed bitter offset to the big malt. Perhaps a touch of alcohol vapor.

Full bodied, chewy but almost crisp due to the carbonation. A big sweet blast on the palate which is equally offset by the bitter drying finish. Good balance despite the bold flavors.

A different sort of barleywine. Very malt driven but not syrupy sweet. A very drinkable barleywine.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 02:50:22 | More by Gmann

Yoda22

North Carolina

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

Poured 2013 edition from 12oz bottle

A- Pours a cloudy deep amber with 1 finger tan head and solid lacing. Looks incredible.

S- Hops aroma really hits your nose first, I would say piney/resin is the dominant characteristic. But this nose is not without some serious malt either. There is a sweet malty, almost caramel malt quality to the smell once you get past the hops. Also some faint bready/yeast and a little booze on the nose.

T- Oh wow. So much going on. Much like the nose there is some good hop bite to this, especially in the aftertaste. Well balanced with the malts with the main things I taste aside from hops being caramel malt and some roasty malts. A solid amount of alcohol comes through as well, but to be expected with a barley wine especially one at nearly 10% ABV. I think I might sense a little vanilla and honey-like flavor in the aftertaste as well, but tough to say with so much flavor packed into this.

M- Smooth/slippery mouthfeel accompanies a full body that coats your whole mouth; the carbonation seems medium-high and leaves a prickly sensation.

O- Just a really great complex beer here. Would definitely drink again. Plan on aging a few. Can't believe I never had it before even though i'd heard of it for years (I guess I rarely if ever saw it on the shelves before it flys off them, now I know why!).

It's definitely quite bitter (but also balanced out by Malt) and strong as hell - but if you like that type of beer this is a must try. Closest comparison I can make is DFH Burton Baton which is another favorite of mine.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 01:28:10 | More by Yoda22

BWED

Pennsylvania

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

Picked up a 4-pack of the 2013 vintage, $10.99 at the Downingtown Wegman's. I've never had Bigfoot before, and I've heard some like it fresh, some like it aged. I decided to pop this one open, and save the other three for other times.

Poured into a tumbler.

A- Translucent copper/amber with a 1 1/2 finger head. Yellowish/light tan, and solid. Retains where it pours. Sticky lacing, and lots of it!

S- Hop sting up fron but hanging on a sweet malty backbone. Some slight caramel, but the resiny spice is most intense.

T- Quite a bitter citrus flavor overshadows a sweet caramel and biscuit background. Once again, the hops do a lot of the talking.

M- A little thick and quite sticky. Bitter tang finish, and just a slight sense of warmth from the alcohol.

O- The hop character is a little overwhelming, which I can see why many people like this fresh. I, for one, enjoy malt, and more balance. I am looking forward to aging the others and tasting a more mellow Bigfoot. A beautiful beer, though.

Bonus review (from my beer and hop hating fiancee): "It tastes like I'm deepthroating a skunk's anus."

I thought that was creative.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 18:47:19 | More by BWED

rodlavers

Pennsylvania

4.19/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

2013 vintage poured into a snifter. 1-finger, light mocha/tan head, recedes fairly quickly leaving just bubbles and some lacing, not much. Beautiful hazy deep ruby red in color, looks amazing when held up to light, with little bubbles rising to the top.

Aromas of booze, malty hops, resinous piney caramel orange rind.

I definitely get that quintessential hop blend that's present in many of the SN beers I enjoy most, but this one is very dank, like Hoptimum, but more bitter, with a different style of sweetness to it. Caramel, some vanilla flavors with spice clearly present as well. it's really very good, I like this quite a bit. All the elements of the nose are present and accounted for in the taste.

Full-bodied/carbonated feel leaves a delicious blend of aromas and flavors at the end. It's bitter, but very good.

Overall Bigfoot was not what I expected. I think I expected something almost too sweet, and way more boozy in general. This is sweet, but not syrupy, or too much like candy, and the booze is well-hidden/integrated. It's really very good, and has many of the elements that I find so tasty in other SN brews. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 06:21:08 | More by rodlavers

smcnulty1981

Rhode Island

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

2013 version

A: ruby red color with a light brown hue about 2 fingers of a on off white head that sticks around for a while with a good ammount of lacing with carbonation streaming up the glass also there where a good ammount of alcohol legs

S: deep dank smelling the nose with lots of caramel and orange hints on the nose however there is a little bit of alcohol detected on the nose

T: fairly bitter on the taste with hints of orange juice followed by a good caramel malt background but there is a detectable alcohol heat when drinking it

M: good full mout feel coats the mouth very well but th is a good ammount of carbonation which helps balance it out

O: fairly well balanced beer perhaps with some time and aging the alcohol may dedicate leaving it a little smoother on the taste and nose

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 02:02:43 | More by smcnulty1981

KYGunner

Kentucky

3.94/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 4

Deep ruby hue with a deep creamy head this Barleywine set up with a beautiful body and texture.

Lots of variety in scent I get raisin, cherry, prune and a sweet malty backbone.

The taste is quite hoppy, but there's malts and raisin. The grappy, raisin, prune or date flavor is strong on the tongue but its dry. The flavor is robust and distinctive. Where this Barleywine goes wrong is where it is dry in taste it is drying in mouthfeel. So much that my tongue actually felt parched and my palate ruined for the rest of the night.

It was enjoyable in body, scent and taste but came up short in feel.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 01:55:16 | More by KYGunner

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.8/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

Poured from bottle into snifter glass

Appearance- The beer pours a mahogany color with ruby red highlights and a small white head. The head fades quite quickly leaving a great level of lacing on the sides of the glass.

Smell – The aroma is big and malty with a strong presence of a pine and earthy hop aroma. Mixed with these aromas are some port alcohol and spice aromas as well, giving the brew a very warming smell.

Taste- The taste of the brew is as the nose would predict. It begins with a strong malty and bready base with caramel, toffee, and cherry flavors that bring a nice balancing sweetness to the taste. As the taste advances further some of the hops detected in the nose begin hitting the taste buds with the sweetness losing much of its potency. The hops are mainly of a pine and herbal taste and grow stronger as the taste moves to the end. Along with the hop flavor so too arrives flavors of the alcohol and spice that were sensed in the nose. These flavors grow stronger more toward the end as well and when all combined the flavors leave a heavy and warming taste to linger on the tongue.

Mouthfeel- The body of the beer is on the thick and chewy side with the carbonation level on the lower side. The thick and chewy nature of the brew wonderfully suits the robust flavors, and when coupled with the lower carbonation, it makes this a slow sipper, just as the brew should be.

Overall- A hoppy style barleywine a little on the drier side. While not my favorite barley it is a good drinking and enjoyable brew.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2013 01:38:03 | More by Darkmagus82

M_C_Hampton

Georgia

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

A: poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass, pours a dark amber red brown with a short light tan head that dissipates immediately leaving little lacing, clear

S: sweet and boozy with a noticeable hop presence, pine, caramel malt, complex, spicy, earthy

T: lots of bitter hops and sweet and sour malt flavors, peppery, spice, notes of dark breads, pine resin, oak, cumin, toffee

M: oily and viscous with a very noticeable alcohol presence, good carbonation

O: I've tried American and English Barleywines several times before. This is the first time I've been able to tolerate, and even enjoy the style. There are many complex layers of flavor in this beer almost to the point of being overwhelming. If you are into DIPAs try experimenting with this style.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2013 03:13:01 | More by M_C_Hampton

Moose90

Colorado

4.58/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

2013 Edition, finally found it on the shelves.

A – Deep, dark mahogany red. Head is thin but provides nice lacing down the inside of the glass.

S – Big earthy hop notes, balanced quite well by a solid helping of malt. The hops here are spicy and organic. A little bit of fig, date and plum on the nose too. Little alcohol comes through.

T – Very complex, starts off malty and boozy. Develops into a really nice hop body, again earthy, organic and spicy, fit very well and balances out the sweet malt from the beginning. Some dark candied fruits come through as well.

M – Understandably thick for the style, but the hop profile does make for quite a nice balance.

O – Very nice, hoppier than other BW's I've had, but this is unique in its own right. Very well balanced, and great overall.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2013 01:48:46 | More by Moose90

capnamerica

Arkansas

4.26/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A: Beautiful, a rich dark red. Not quite transparent. Thick cream colored head.
Nice lacing.

S: I get plenty of hops and alcohol. This is how I envision every beer smelling in a perfect world.

T: Silky smooth and complex. Great balance.

M: Intense is the best way for me to describe it.

O: Great beer, highley recommended!

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2013 00:16:43 | More by capnamerica

Beer-A-Lot

Virginia

3.99/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Poured into a snifter.

A - Beautiful amber color, superb head, excellent lacing on the glass, even on my snifter.

S - Not nearly as spicy or fragrant as the taste, kind of neutral.

T - Very hoppy and spicey, smooth. A bit too much hoppiness for my taste. Still, pretty balanced and hides alcohol well.

M - The mouth is pretty full and rich. Well done.

O - This is a good beer, even if hops are more than to my liking. Not a typical barleywine, so be prepared for that.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 00:56:29 | More by Beer-A-Lot