Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale - Whiskey Barrel-Aged - Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

Trilogy31

California

4.58/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.75

Hoping i am in the right place for this beer as it it appears i am the first to review the newly released 750 bottled version. A slow hiss as i pull the cork, this brew pours a brilliant amber ruby hue with a beige finger of creamy foam - stunning looking. The nose is a beauty as well, bourbon barrel booze esters, caramel, nougat, vanillin. Also bright sugar plums and sticky toffee along with dates and booze soaked figs. Very complex on the nose with a lot of booze as well. The taste is not quite to the level of the nose with the alcohol hiding up some more of the noses nuanced characteristics. Brings oloroso sherry, rye whiskey as well as irish whiskey, somehwhat grainy and drying. The finish is somewhat tannic and very boozy, cannot imagine how amazing this will be in two years after having time to mellow and all the flavors to integrate.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2013 03:12:54 | More by Trilogy31

beernads

Florida

4/5  rDev -4.1%

05-18-2013 06:54:09 | More by beernads

baybassboy

California

4/5  rDev -4.1%

05-14-2013 05:11:14 | More by baybassboy

Beeranator

North Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +7.9%

05-13-2013 17:23:47 | More by Beeranator

alucard6679

Arizona

4/5  rDev -4.1%

05-12-2013 07:56:32 | More by alucard6679

ObiWanKushnobi

Minnesota

4.25/5  rDev +1.9%

05-10-2013 20:51:27 | More by ObiWanKushnobi

justforrazors

Missouri

4/5  rDev -4.1%

05-10-2013 01:56:49 | More by justforrazors

cadaugherty

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +1.9%

05-09-2013 00:05:41 | More by cadaugherty

yoitsarch

California

3.75/5  rDev -10.1%

05-08-2013 19:57:22 | More by yoitsarch

Hoptologist

Michigan

3.75/5  rDev -10.1%

05-07-2013 15:16:43 | More by Hoptologist

C2H5

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +7.9%

05-07-2013 00:21:48 | More by C2H5

MinorThreat

Colorado

3.5/5  rDev -16.1%

05-06-2013 15:41:03 | More by MinorThreat

SkeeterBoganski

Colorado

4.25/5  rDev +1.9%

05-06-2013 12:51:07 | More by SkeeterBoganski

ngeunit1

California

4.33/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Hazy brown with a bit of ruby and a finger of frothy khaki-tan head. Fades normal.

S - Sweet caramel and caramelized malts, oak, vanilla, whiskey, brown sugar, grapefruit, citrus, and pine hops, booze.

T - Sweet caramel and caramelized malts, oak, vanilla, whiskey, grapefruit, citrus, pine hops, resiny bitterness, brown sugar, a touch of dark fruit, booze.

M - Full bodied, moderate carbonation. Smooth with a sweet, warming, bitter finish.

D - Nice big barrel character with enough balance.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 03:20:59 | More by ngeunit1

jzeilinger

Pennsylvania

4.24/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A – Pours dark amber red with nice clarity and one fingered cream colored head that dies down quickly and leaves a thin lacing ring with no carbonation.

S - Lots of bourbon aroma, oak, vanilla, caramel, and toffee, candied brown sugar; overall the aroma is assertively boozy.

T – Follows the nose. Lots of oak tannin and bourbon up front followed by a quick hit of vanilla, caramel, dark fruit, toasted toffee, mild floral, and ends with a boozy, toffee and moderate citrus/grapefruit lingering finish.

M – Thick and full bodied, slick, viscous, and lip smacking sticky.

O – For 12.2%, this is an impressive beer because as boozy as it is, there’s very little to no alcohol burn and as the beer sits for awhile it opens up and mellows. Bigfoot is decent but age it in a barrel and the result is magic.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2013 19:56:41 | More by jzeilinger

kevindp9

Texas

4/5  rDev -4.1%

05-03-2013 19:36:56 | More by kevindp9

IPAyForHops

California

4/5  rDev -4.1%

05-02-2013 23:18:03 | More by IPAyForHops

AlexChillton

Arizona

4.25/5  rDev +1.9%

05-02-2013 07:20:37 | More by AlexChillton

JohnGalt1

Idaho

3.76/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

I have had a few of these now, but wanted to give a bottle a proper review.

Pours with a short lasting khaki head... and only has spotty lacing... the brew is polished deep amber.

Christ it is amazing how hoppy this is... thick resinous pine combines with caramel, lite vanilla and dry toast... pretty damn boozy, not from the barrels but from the 12%.. with warmth, I get something that I associate with coconut.

More barrel presence on the palate helps balance out the hoppiness... again, thicker caramel and vanilla.. hints of dried cherry.. as it warms up, the oak gets a bit drying, almost like a tannic quality... long bitter bite on the finish clashes too much with the barrel presence and the hefty

A lighter than expected carbonation accentuates an already pretty thick brew.

Honestly, a bit of a mess right now, but the bones of a great BA BW are there.. but it is going to take a long sleep in the cellar to round out the flavors/aromas. The hops and the barrel qualities fight each other too much right now.

4/3.75/3.75/3.75/3.75

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2013 03:54:23 | More by JohnGalt1

Pinche_Oso

California

4/5  rDev -4.1%

04-30-2013 05:30:48 | More by Pinche_Oso

facundoCNB

New Jersey

4.53/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

a deep ruby red/burgundy almost black with a finger of creme colored head which gave off some nice lacing. the smell is a blast of vanilla and whiskey, caramel, sweet malt, a banana-like scent makes it overall sweet and leaning towards fruity. oh my.. the flavor is SO SO tasty. the whiskey is as mellow as it is in the central waters bourbon barrel barleywines.. i'd hate to compare it, but this is on par with that. vanilla, banana, whiskey/bourbon (sorry, don't mean to offend people but there's not much of a difference to my palate in the 2 different liquors), oak, tons of delicious sweet malt.
full body with a moderate amount of carbonation for the style. creamy and very subtle with the alcohol warmth but it does catch up to you.

this is a phenomenal beer in every aspect. as a barrel aged beer, it falls nothing short of its promise. as a barleywine, i like mine hoppy, strong, yet sweet.. this one is lacking on the hops, but is still damn close to perfect. as a barrel aged barleywine, it is delicious. a 12% abv that you don't realize until, well, it's too late.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 00:48:43 | More by facundoCNB

TheBeerAlmanac

Kentucky

4.25/5  rDev +1.9%

04-29-2013 00:28:59 | More by TheBeerAlmanac

kodt

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +1.9%

04-28-2013 16:18:49 | More by kodt

cmadd

Ontario (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev -10.1%

04-28-2013 05:30:13 | More by cmadd

WillP22

Oklahoma

4/5  rDev -4.1%

04-27-2013 02:53:19 | More by WillP22