Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine 2008

April 3, 2008

Sierra Nevada Bigfoot 2008
Style: American Barleywine
ABV: 9.6%

The beer pours a beautiful deep amber color with barely any head, more of a fizzy head that dissipates quickly.
Aroma is a sweet malt smell with a big alcohol essence. A hop smell comes through, which might be the fruit I’m smelling.
A very crisp malty mouth feel that finishes with a nice sweet bite. Light carbonation with a good full body, but very drinkable.
This beer has a good carmel malt, sweet flavor up front with a big hop finish. A definite piney taste and the hops come through as a tart grapefruit taste.
Overall, this is pretty amazing. I’ve only had a handful of barleywines, so I can’t compare it to others, but this is my favorite so far. It’s definitely a sipping beer. As you sip, you can feel the warming sensation of this beer going down. I love the balance between the malt and hops, and the strong alcohol bite at the end isn’t overpowering. I remember having a couple of the 2007 version of this last year, and let me tell you, they sneak up on ya. An amazing beer, good work SN.

Serving type: Bottle – (brandy snifter)
Reviewed on: February 26, 2008
Website: http://www.sierranevada.com/beers/bigfoot.html

Posted in Beer Review