Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. 2008 Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale, 25th Expedition
No kids tonight, so a little solo session. Finished with this beer, so I attempted the following drunken review:
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co’s 2008 Bigfoot Barleywine weighs in at 9.6% ABV; this is no beer to be trifled with . As an aficionado of IPA’s recently, I am pleasantly surprised by the citrusy, piney aroma of obvious hops. The hoppy aroma is followed by caramel sweetness. The color is a dark red/brown. On the palate, the obvious hop citrus/pine/flower flavors are balanced by a bushel of malt sweetness. Long, bitter finish. Quite poundable despite the high alcohol; or maybe that is the drunkard in me talking. The high alcohol, sweet flavors seem to inhibit the refreshment factor of this beer a little (hot today, sorry.) I would never age this beer as many have suggested. Why lose the hoppy goodness provided today? Drink up.
As I take a step back, I realize I am trashed. I was whining the other day that this stuff (Bigfoot) doesn’t come in the 22 Oz. variety, but maybe it’s for the better. This beer was preceded by an Avery Maharaja, a Ballast Sculpin, and possibly some other illicit activity, so adjust your score/impression accordingly. Slowly disappearing from the market…
90/100 on the Boozereviews Scale. Admitted bias: how could I score it any higher as a non-IPA? Still, probably my favorite American style barleywine.
(7 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Quite poundable eh? Sounds like it’s a good thing Bigfoot didn’t make it into the “small-footed” Bier Boot, or your step back would have been a tumble! Sounds like a good one to try in a cooler environ, I’ll have to give it a shot!