Bigfoot - Barrel-Aged
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

Bigfoot - Barrel-AgedBigfoot - Barrel-Aged
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From:
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
 
California, United States
Style:
American Barleywine
ABV:
12.2%
Score:
92
Avg:
4.15 | pDev: 9.64%
Reviews:
282
Ratings:
1,372
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Mar 26, 2023
Added:
Dec 05, 2006
Wants:
  186
Gots:
  595
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by tectactoe:
Photo of tectactoe
Reviewed by tectactoe from Michigan

3.73/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Thanks to Jeff for cracking this one open and sharing, saved me from having to search the city for it. Pours a murky, deep-amber color, nearly copper and almost on the verge of being called raw sienna. The light-tan head settles rather quickly and leaves very spotting lacing on the edges of my glass.

Light whiskey and bourbon on the nose - more standout-ish on its own, rather than integrated into the rest of the aromas. Slight wood and oak with some sweet plums, crispy burnt vanilla, and brown sugar. It's hard to remember how similar this is to the regular Bigfoot, but I believe this one packs a more powerful punch. Of course, that's to be expected, given the whiskey barrel aging and all.

The taste is full of brown sugar and an underlying bourbon heat that starts off on the smaller side, but crescendos throughout the sip and actually becomes quite hot. Sweet figs and dates which tasted like they were soaked in a bourbon bath for years. The malt provides a huge caramel and molasses backbone which becomes washed out a bit by the booze and fruits.

This one is also quite hoppy, and if I recall correctly, the original Bigfoot had a nice hop profile to it as well. They seem even a bit stronger, here. Ashy and leafy, providing a small amount of bitterness to the aftertaste, which is largely dominated by boozy dark fruits and wet wood. Thick body all around with a slick and sticky mouth feel, medium carbonation.

A nice addition to regular Bigfoot, although the whiskey barrel aging made this one quite hot and somewhat difficult to easily drink. Hopefully this one will become more readily available, because I'd like to pick up a few more and age them to see if it blunts the heat a little. Thanks again to Jeff for this one.
Feb 10, 2013
More User Ratings:
Photo of drdiesel9483
Reviewed by drdiesel9483 from Ohio

3.69/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Had in 2023
Look - amber brown with nice rimming and lacing
Smell - caramel toffee and malty
Taste - very slight barrel but mostly a caramel toffee malty
Feel - medium full body lighter carb
OVerall - not much barrel
Mar 26, 2023
Photo of dafla67
Rated by dafla67 from Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
2015 bottle; drank Jan. 14, 2023.
Jan 14, 2023
Photo of q33jeff
Reviewed by q33jeff from New Jersey

4.16/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
**
2/2/2022

2015 bottle to snifter....following up a 2015 regular bigfoot.

Still boozy sfter 6+ years. Whiskey, hint of rum character.

Also lots of raisin, oak, leather ,

Sappy sticky finish.

Strong and bold and still untamed.

**
Feb 03, 2022
 
Rated: 4 by leinie13 from Ohio

Aug 28, 2021
 
Rated: 3.98 by Mikexw from New York

Feb 26, 2021
Photo of misteil
Reviewed by misteil from Ireland

4.13/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
had this, 2016 bottle, while on a zoom call with my friends on what would usually be our yearly wine and cheese night, covid got in the way of those plans, also barelywine has wine in the name so good enough, this beer was crazy, so complex, such great depth of flavour, very floral and earthy, lot of pine, whiskey, brandy, dark malt flavours, pumpernickel bread, ovaltine, honey, caramel, honey, nicely sweet, medium to high bitterness on the finish, malt flavours linger, great beer
Dec 27, 2020
 
Rated: 3.77 by Dbot from Delaware

Dec 18, 2020
 
Rated: 3 by RickS95 from Indiana

Oct 03, 2020
Photo of EMV
Reviewed by EMV from Pennsylvania

4.31/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
2015 vintage. Poured form a cork'n'cage bomber into a Dogfish head tulip

L: Cloudy chestnut brown pour. Thick foamy white head leaves great lacing.

S: Bourbon and vanilla. Booze... sweet sugars and spice.

T.F: Follows the nose. Brown sugar and toffee... bourbon and booze. Dark fruit, bread, and whiskey. Complex... some vanilla and spice. Thick and heavy bodied... sticky mouthfeel. Some bitterness comes through as well. Boozy but dangerously drinkable. Better as it warms a bit.

O: An outstanding BA barley-wine. It's hard to do this style this boozy this well, but Sierra Nevada nailed it. 5 years in the bottle and drinks like a dream.
Jun 28, 2020
 
Rated: 4.5 by tittyfish from Minnesota

Jun 13, 2020
Photo of jlindros
Reviewed by jlindros from Massachusetts

4.43/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Been waiting to do this for a while. A long day with lots of yardwork, I'm sore. Then campfire and smores with the kids, this is a nice top off, 2015 vintage

It has the consistency of fresh motor oil when it pours, thick and viscous, light foamy off-white head fair retention, fair lacing as well, long sticky legs, dark hazy mahogany brown color

Nose brings a great barleywine aroma, juicy malts, lots of sweet candy like malts but not too sweet, toffee, caramel, really nice soft almost winey aged slight oxidized malt character with some malt-derived ester fruits like plum, little raisiny, rich caramel, vanilla cream and mild barrel notes, with some smooth whiskey in the background almost Irish whiskey,

Taste starts with more of the rich malts, but this time big whiskey comes through, more American whiskey almost bourbon like, lots of vanilla barrel and vanilla cream, a little toasted oak, plenty of sweet malts, burnt brown sugar, candi sugar or rock candy like, lots of caramel and toffee, with more malt-derived fruity esters, light plum fig like, and a little aged malt slight oxidized sherry or port wine characters, toasted oak and a little baking spices, touch of coconut even, typical Bigfoot hoppy note, earthy spicy hops kick in with med-high bitterness, mild sticky finish with a bit of stickiness and lingering spicy hops

Mouth is med to fuller bod, rich almost chewy, med foamy carb, light warming alcohol

Overall what I expected, delicious, wish the barrel was a bit more, but maybe age dropped the barrel out a bit, hops are still very prevalent, and aged malt characters were nice, so overall still a great beverage, but hard to justify the huge price tag
May 03, 2020
 
Rated: 5 by doctorgary from New York

Apr 13, 2020
 
Rated: 3 by RiceOwls27 from Texas

Apr 07, 2020
 
Rated: 4.25 by Patches826 from Massachusetts

Mar 07, 2020
Photo of Lucular
Reviewed by Lucular from Maryland

3.73/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
5 oz pour on tap. This is a big, boozy barleywine that features caramel, oak, toffee, and citrus/pine hops with some bourbon. Too sweet and boozy for my taste. Mouthfeel is surprisingly thin. Unfortunately this one is a letdown for me.
Jan 09, 2020
 
Rated: 4.18 by shelby415 from Oregon

Dec 24, 2019
 
Rated: 4 by Uconnelmo from Connecticut

Nov 14, 2019
 
Rated: 5 by tp1962 from Illinois

Sep 29, 2019
Photo of 1EyedWilly
Reviewed by 1EyedWilly from Colorado

4.74/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Tasted and bought at Sierra Nevada Brewery. Bigfoot has always been a favorite. Barrel aged (and aged again) just makes it that much more interesting and special.
Aug 23, 2019
Bigfoot - Barrel-Aged from Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 92 out of 100 with 1372 ratings