Bigfoot By Sierra Nevada
It isn’t very often that I pick up a barleywine when I’m at the local bottle shop. So I wasn’t too surprised when I realized I’ve never tried Sierra Nevada Bigfoot.
Despite being a classic, it wasn’t a beer I’d been motivated to try. Partially because I wasn’t too familiar with the style and previously had a few that I didn’t care for.
But after having a few other barleywines at local breweries, I decided it was finally time that I gave this one a shot.
Let’s take a look at what this American barleywine has to offer.
Review Of Sierra Nevada Bigfoot
First off, there are two different types of barleywines; American and English. Each has its own unique flavor profile. There is a significant difference between the American and English versions of this beer.
The American version is hop forward while the English is malt forward.
Bigfoot is an American style which means you should expect huge hoppy bitterness compared to the sweet malt forward English variety of this style.
Sierra Nevada Bigfoot is 9.6% ABV and 90 IBUs.
Here is how Sierra Nevada describes it:
Bigfoot is a beast of a beer, brimming with bold flavors of bittersweet malt and heaps of aggressive whole-cone Pacific Northwest hops. First introduced in the winter of 1983, Bigfoot is a cult-classic beer brewed in the barleywine style, meaning a strong, robust, bruiser of a beer with the refined intensity of a wine. Bigfoot is prized by beer collectors for its supreme cellarability. Under the proper conditions, it can age like a fine wine, developing new flavors and character as it matures in the bottle. Each new release or “expedition” is vintage dated. Collect your own and see the flavors develop and progress.
Initial Thoughts
There were a lot of mixed emotions when I decided to open this one up. It’s a beer that many had recommended to me over the years so there was an expectation that I should enjoy it.
But based on my past experiences with American barleywines, I was skeptical.
Upon opening, there is a noticeable earthy hop aroma. When poured, it is a very heavy dark amber color with a slightly off white head.
It seemed to coat the glass as it was poured with led me to believe that it would have a very full mouthfeel and possibly a sticky texture.
Tasting Notes
I dove right into this one as I didn’t want my hesitation to cloud my judgement.
The initial flavor is a nice sweet malt but that passes almost instantly. It’s momentarily replaced by the booziness of the 9.6% ABV.
All of that leads you to a deep, rich, and harsh hop flavor. It’s earthy and pungent. This hop flavor overpowers any of the other flavors and it holds on long after you swallow.
The interesting part about that is it makes each sip slightly different than the last as the hop forward character continues to build and be the main flavor.
It has a medium body and is slightly sticky which makes it a very filling beer to drink.
Final Thoughts
Just as I expected, this American barleywine had huge earthy hop flavors. And while I normally love a hoppy beer, I’m not sold n American barleywines just yet.
This is one of the better I’ve had but I’ll stick with the English barleywine as they are malt forward and typically sweet.
If you are looking to get into American barleywines, Bigfoot is a great option and has a modest price point too.
And I can’t leave out that these beers age extremely well. In fact, many claim that Bigfoot is only worth drinking after aging it for a few years. Most report that the hop flavor mellows out considerably year after year making it much more enjoyable.
Check out my article on aging craft beer if you decide you want to try it.
Conculsion
While this wasn’t a beer that I loved, I can appreciate this style for what it is. And I will continue to explore the American barleywines when I find a new one – especially if it’s on tap at a local brewery. I believe that some beer styles take time and repetition before you can truly enjoy them. And this is one of those styles for me.
If you already enjoy barleywines or want to give it a try then this is well worth picking up. It’s well known for being one of the best representations of the style.
If you’ve aged Bigfoot, I’d love to hear from you on your experience. How much of the hop flavor fell off after the first year or two?
