Avery Review #10 - Muscat D'Amour

Posted by: Tyler Rippeteau

June 3, 2012

I tasted Avery’s Muscat D’Amour back in March and wrote a thorough review of it, but until now I have not taken the time to edit it and add an intro.  I never planned it this way, but fittingly, Beer #10 in The Avery Project here at 20 Beer in 20 Nights also happens to be Beer #10 in Avery’s Barrel-Aged Series.  The 11^th beer in our project will also be Avery’s 11^th in Barrel-Aged Series beer.  In fact, #10 and #11 were released by Avery on the same day and a friend of mine managed to snag me a bottle of each since I wasn’t able to attend the release party at the brewery.

Both the Muscat D’Amour and it’s fraternal twin, the Recolte Sauvage were barrel aged in wine barrels for 14 months with wild yeast, making them both wine-aged, sour beers.  The big difference between the two is that today’s beer, the Muscat, was aged in Chardonnay barrels and the Sauvage did its time in Cabernet Sauvignon barrels.  Here are the specs on the Muscat:

Addendum to the DIPA Project - Review #21 - Sierra Nevada Hoptimum

Posted by: Tyler Rippeteau

June 2, 2012

For those of you who have been reading the blog since the beginning, you know that we began here at 20 Beers in 20 Nights with The DIPA Project – an effort to drink and review each of the 20 most reviewed Double IPAs on Beer Advocate.  That project was finally completed last fall when my beer trading buddy, Ren, was able to send me a bottle of AleSmith’s YuleSmith (Summer) Ale. 

The YuleSmith turned out to be one of my absolute favorite beers on The List, but it occupied the 20^th spot (in terms of how many times it was reviewed on BA) on the list and on top of that it is a seasonal beer from a brewery that does not have very extensive distribution.  It was destined to fall out of the Top 20 at some point and two months ago it was finally overtaken by two different beers; Green Flash Imperial IPA and Sierra Nevada Hoptimum.  The Hoptimum, however, now holds the 20^th position 19^th position (Also surpassing Moylan’s Hopsickle) and given that nearly 300 people have reviewed this 2-year old release from Sierra within the last three months alone, I would imagine that it will continue to rise in the rankings before this year’s batch is all dried up.

Although the project is technically complete, now that the Top 20 have changed I feel as though it is isn’t.  So, with that in mind, I tracked down a 4-pack with the intent of updating The Project with Beer #21.  The first time I tried this beer was on tap at The West End Tavern here in Boulder.  I thought it was alright, but not worth all the hype.  This review, however, will be done from the bottle, at home, with much better conditions for tasting and without all the distractions of a bar.  So we’ll see how this second chance goes. 

ABV: 10.4%

IBUs: 100

Brewery Location: Chico, California

Style: American Double/Imperial India Pale Ale

Average Beer Advocate Rating: A-/4.06

My Beer Advocate Rating: B+/3.73
Current Number of Reviews/Rank in the Top 20 on Beer Advocate: 889/19^th

Brewery Description: Sierra Nevada Hoptimum Double IPA

Bottled On: NA

APPEARANCE:  (4.5 out of 5) Brilliantly clean, light orange in color, the Hoptimum has a nice, big, thick, foamy and stark-white head.  Good retention as the head has only receded about halfway in the past few minutes.  A big, thick, sticky ring of lacing is also clinging to the edge of the glass where the head has fallen from.  As the beer level recedes, that thick lacing continues.  It is covering nearly 100% of the back side of the glass – gorgeous. 

SMELL:  (2.5 out of 5) Dank is not a word I use very often to describe the smell of a beer, but in this case I do believe it is the only appropriate description.  The resinous pine has a very funky and earthy aroma to it and while I can see how many beer drinkers would enjoy this, it isn’t for me.

TASTE:  (4 out of 5) Although the aroma seems to be too earthy and a little overboard, the funky flavors are nicely muted by a big dose of malt and a bright, slightly bitter fruit profile.  The grapefruit is really sharp in this beer and very pleasant.  That weed-like resin from the aroma is still very strong, but it works really well with the rest of these flavors.  I have to say I am happy I gave it a second chance.

MOUTHFEEL:  (4 out of 5) The Hoptimum has an interesting mouthfeel.  It is sweet and a little sticky, but it’s also very crisp and refreshing.  It would be a little more crisp and refreshing if there were a decent amount of carbonation and sparkle, and the lack of that is a drawback, but it is still has a pretty good feel.

OVERALL:  (4 out of 5) I think I finally understand what people are getting so excited about with this beer and I really do enjoy it.  That said, the aroma is really a turn off for me and (this is the first time I have ever said this about a beer’s aroma) if it were toned down a bit I think I would enjoy the overall experience more.  As a side note, at $9.99 for the 4-pack, this is one of the most affordable, high-quality DIPAs available at the moment.

Barleywine Review #10 - Mad River John Barleycorn Barleywine Ale

Posted by: Tyler Rippeteau

May 18, 2012

I actually reviewed this beer last November during a trip to Oskar Blues in Longmont, but my words have been hiding in the notes on my phone for months.  I kept meaning to break the Mad River John Barleycorn Barleywine review out, but never remembered to.  Now that most of the low hanging fruit in The Barleywine Project has been picked, however, I figured it was time to scroll back through dozens of beer reviews and random thoughts to resurrect the Barleycorn. 

With this being Post #10 of The Barleywine Project it will be time for some half-time entertainment soon.  After that, onto half number two.  One beer is already reviewed for the second half, but it might get tough to track down the remaining nine beers.  Barleywine is no longer in season and many of those that are distributed here in Colorado have dried up for the year.  So, I anticipate the project not coming to a close until late winter or early spring next year.

Anyhow, how bout some specs on the Barleycorn?

Location: Oskar Blues Liquids and Solids, Longmont, CO

Cost: About $8/10oz. pour

ABV: 9.5%

IBUs: NA

Brewery Location: Blue Lake, California

Style: American Barleywine

Average Beer Advocate Rating: B+/3.73 – Very Good

My Beer Advocate Rating: B+/3.88 – Very Good

Current Number of Reviews on Beer Advocate/Rank: 318/18th

Brewery Description: Mad River John Barleycorn Barleywine Ale

Bottled On: NA

APPEARANCE:  (4.5 out of 5) The Barleycorn pours a pretty mahogany with a medium opaqueness.  The head is creamy, white and a quarter-inch thick in the 12oz. snifter.  It isn’t huge, but it is absolutely locked in place even after a few sips.  The lacing is very solid at the top covering about 95% of the back of the glass, but it eventually slides down as the snifter empties creating some holes.  This is a good looking beer.

SMELL:  (3.5 out of 5) Chocolate aromas make a strong appearance in this rich, malty smelling beer.  Some dark fruit and caramel also lurks in the background along with a hint of spice. 

TASTE:  (4 out of 5) The Barleycorn starts out surprisingly mild, but grows throughout the sip.  The ride begins with a semi-sweet maltiness that comes along with some dark fruit; cherries, maybe even strawberry?  A big wave of citrus and hops washes the sweetness away about half way through.  It teeters on going too far in the citrus department, but just as it’s about to go over the edge a wave of brown sugar covers it up and provides enough balance to pull it back.  This is really a complex, rollercoaster ride of a beer.

MOUTHFEEL:  (3.5 out of 5) This is a creamy and smooth beer.  It walks the line between dry and sweet, but ultimately falls on the dry side.  Actually, after a few sips that becomes even clearer, this is a pretty dry Barleywine, there just happens to be a couple little bursts of sweetness in each sip.

OVERALL:  (4 out of 5) The Barleycorn certainly improves with air and warmth.  It is a bit harsh and sharp at first, particularly in the citrus department, but as it warms the puckering lemon flavor fades away and the sweet, malty and sugary flavors emerge.  By the end it is a nicely balanced Barleywine.  It really does need time to warm if it is served cold though.  Oskar Blues does a great job of keeping all their draft beer cold.  I imagine that it was under 45 degrees when it was served to me and I probably should have waited to start it until it was a bit warmer.  Once it was finally there it really did show itself off as a strong Barleywine.

Avery Review #9 - Uncle Jacob's Stout

Posted by: Tyler Rippeteau

Apr. 22, 2012

So it was 4/20 here in Boulder on Friday, well, I suppose it was 4/20 everywhere else on the planet as well, but in Boulder, CO (and my former home of Haight-Ashbury, San Francisco, CA) the day has some meaning.  As for me personally, it’s not my cup of tea, so I stayed away from the giant pot-smoking festival on campus and instead enjoyed a cigar on the back porch after tasting and reviewing Beer #9 in The Avery Project – Uncle Jacob’s Stout.

Initially I thought I had missed out on Avery’s Uncle Jacob’s, but I had the good fortune of finding myself at North Boulder Liquors a couple of days ago (while unsuccessfully searching for a beer for The Barleywine Project) and I was thrilled to come across this monster of a beer. 

I try not to get too excited about a beer I have not yet tried, particularly when reviewing it.  I have often found that this leads to disappointment, but as with many others in the past, I’m not very good at containing my excitement, particularly when it comes to a style I really enjoy such as this one.

So, the details on this whopper of a beer; Avery Uncle Jacob’s Stout:

Location: North Boulder Liquor

Cost: $10.99 per 12oz. bottle

ABV: 17.42%

IBUs: ???

Brewery Location: Boulder, Colorado

Style: American Double/Imperial Stout

Average Beer Advocate Rating: A/4.47 – Outstanding

My Beer Advocate Rating:A+/4.7 - World Class

Current Number of Reviews on Beer Advocate: 6

Brewery Description: Uncle Jacob's Stout

Bottled On: March 27, 2012

APPEARANCE:  (4 out of 5) This beer pours absolutely black as night.  Not even a hint of light is getting through this dark, viscous substance.  An eighth of an inch-thick mocha colored head appeared for about ten seconds, but vanished even before I could snap a picture.  It left a small ring of tan foam on the outer edges of the glass though.  My guess is that there will be no lacing on this one as the beer is probably heavy enough to drag anything in its path off the side of the glass. 

Yup.  No lacing.  

SMELL:  (4 out of 5) Wow.  Based on the smell, we might have another Bourbon County Brand Stout here…and I do not say that lightly.  The Uncle Jacob’s smells like bourbon.  It has some big oak notes with vanilla, toffee and a little boozy heat underneath.  In fact, in some ways it is reminiscent of a cross between Bourbon County and Rumpkin.  The oak, high alcohol content and what has to be the yeast makes it somewhat similar to the Rumpkin.  The only complaint here is that the aroma could be stronger.  The BCBS really attacks the nose.

TASTE:  (5 out of 5) Wow.  Yep, again, I’m starting a paragraph off with a wow.  This is close.  In fact, this is the most similar beer I have ever tasted to Goose Island’s Legendary Bourbon County Stout.  There’s probably enough malt in here to choke a horse, but somehow it all balances out with an exceptionally pleasant oakiness.  Unlike in the BCBS, chocolate is more dominant than vanilla, but the vanilla builds throughout the sip and is certainly noticeable.  Also, somewhere in this wildly complex brew a tiny, tiny touch of lemon works its way onto the palate and lingers after the beer is gone.  As someone mentioned on Beer Advocate, there also seems to be a hint of cherry.  Again, wow.  There is a lot going on in the Uncle Jacob’s Stout.

MOUTHFEEL:  (4.5 out of 5) There are very few styles of beer that I want to have the mouthfeel of this one, but this is a wonderfully slippery beer.  It is motor oil all the way, but never turns into sludge in your mouth.  In other words, it is not mouthcoating.  Sticky, yes.  Mouthcoating, no. 

OVERALL:  (5 out of 5) Given that Bourbon County will be unobtainable for me this year, I am happy to have found a completely legitimate replacement.  I am not prepared to say it is as good as BCBS, but just like I gave Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout a nice side-by-side comparison with it last year, I think Uncle Jacob’s Stout deserves a shot at it.  While we’re discussing match-ups, I also think this could be the best Avery beer I’ve ever had, but I would have to put it up against Maharaja and Rumpkin.  In terms of hitting the style, this certainly beats both, but as an overall beer, I will need to do a taste test.  Maybe this will be The Avery Project’s halftime show.

As a side note, I did not realize this until after I wrote the paragraph above, but I have apparently given the three Avery beers in question nearly the exact same rating - 4.7 for the Maha and Uncle Jacob's and 4.68 for the Rumpkin.  I think a recount is required here and I'll get to work on obtaining the supplies for that now.

Barleywine Review #9 - Three Floyds Behemoth Barley Wine

Posted by: Tyler Rippeteau

Apr. 10, 2012

Big thanks to my guy Jonathan back home in Chicago for this bottle of Three Floyds Behemoth!  I have been looking forward to cracking this beer open again since I first tried it last year on a cool, crisp winter afternoon in Munster, Indiana at the Three Floyds Taproom.  There’s no need for any further rambling, so let’s get into this bottle.

Location: Purchased at Cardinal Wine and Spirits, Niles, IL

Cost: About $18.99/22oz. bomber

ABV: 10.5%

IBUs: 80

Brewery Location: Munster, IN

Style: American Barleywine

Average Beer Advocate Rating: A-/4.2 – Excellent

My Beer Advocate Rating: A-/4.03 – Excellent

Current Number of Reviews on Beer Advocate/Rank: 461/11th

Brewery Description: Three Floyds Behemoth Barley Wine

Bottled On: 2012

APPEARANCE:  (4.5 out of 5) The Behemoth pours a color that rests somewhere between the deep copper color of a great DIPA and the mahogany of a typical Barleywine.  So, it is a little on the lighter side of the Barleywine spectrum in terms of color.  The head is a nice inch-thick with strong retention, in fact, it took about three or four minutes for it to recede into a cap of thin, but full coverage of the surface.  The beer is clear, although the near-mahogany color makes it tough to see all the way through the tulip glass it is in.  Finally, the lacing is decent, but not outstanding.

SMELL:  (4 out of 5) The aroma is fairly strong, but more in the bready and yeasty direction than I remember it.  Citrus, like orange and lemon, along with some pine flavors are present and pleasant, but they lurk behind the breadiness more than I would like. 

TASTE:  (4 out of 5) Rich caramel and toffee are the first and most aggressive flavors to hit the palate, but that breadiness from the nose sneaks up quickly and takes the middle part of the sip.  The finish is big, resinous, pine hoppiness.  Along the way hints of lemon, orange and grapefruit make appearances.  Also, if you pay close attention to the details, there is a tiny, tiny pinch of roasted malt tying everything together and keeping the big, sweet caramel malt balanced. 

MOUTHFEEL:  (4 out of 5) The Behemoth has a big mouthfeel with medium carbonation and slight pucker towards the end of the sip.  That pucker comes with a drying bitterness after a wave of sweetness up front.  This Three Floyds offering is complex even in the mouthfeel.

OVERALL:  (4 out of 5) While this is one outstanding Barleywine, I do have to say I enjoyed last year’s batch a little more – or maybe the difference between the bottle and the tap is greater than I thought.  The bottle had more booze and a stronger hoppy bite at the end.  Neither of those things are necessarily a bad thing in a beer as far as I am concerned, but this particular beer just went down so smooth and easy when I had it on draft at the FFF taproom last winter. 

I know this beer will age very well, so my second bottle is going into the cellar for at least a year (three if my will power is strong enough).  I will buy this beer again, but paying $18.99 for the bomber is a bit much, especially when a 6-pack of Bell’s Hopslam is available at roughly the same time of year in Chicago for the same price, maybe even a buck or two less.   

Avery Review #8 - New World Porter

Posted by: Tyler Rippeteau

Apr. 6, 2012

Review #8 for The Avery Project is the third regular, year-round release we’ll be reviewing from this Boulder institution - Avery New World Porter (Avery IPA and Joe’s Pilsner were the first two).  This beer has been described as a hoppy porter and even by Avery themselves as Black IPA.  But, then again, that’s sort of what Avery does, they put lots of hops in things. 

My personal experience with this beer is surprisingly limited.  It is not easily found on tap and when I am at the tasting room here in Boulder I typically reach for what I cannot just pick up at the Liquor Store.  While I have had a few tasters of it, I have never actually had an entire New World Porter from Avery all to myself.  So, here’s to new experiences!

Location: Boulder Liquor Mart

Cost: About $1.89/12 oz. bottle

ABV: 6.7%

IBUs: 45

Brewery Location: Boulder, Colorado

Style: American Porter

Average Beer Advocate Rating: B+/3.92 – Very Good

My Beer Advocate Rating: B+/3.88 – Very Good

Current Number of Reviews on Beer Advocate: 438

Brewery Description: New World Porter

Bottled On: NA

APPEARANCE:  (3.5 out of 5) This is a pretty dark beer, black all the way through with a pale, red light breaking through at the edges.  The head is about a quarter-inch thick and seems to be fairly strong, but disappears quicker than I expect it to.  The lacing is fairly strong.

SMELL:  (3.5 out of 5) Raisins, chocolate malt and a touch of coffee greet the nose with less hoppiness than I expected lingering in the background.  The aroma is quite pleasant, but not as strong as I would like it to be. 

TASTE:  (4 out of 5) Here’s a shocker, Avery hit the nail on the head in terms of the style, but they made it hoppier than most other beers in the category.  Roasty malt flavors begin each sip as some lemony citrus notes creep in.  Chocolate, toffee and coffee all enter the mix mid-sip and then the Columbus hops (one of my favorite varieties) take over for the finish providing some spicy, bitter and earthy characteristics that almost make it taste like a black IPA.  In fact, the bottle calls it “A Pioneer Black IPA”.  It also then goes on to say that this beer is “Expanding the porter category”.  Anyhow, as it warms caramel enters the mix, however, the citrus component becomes stronger as well, maybe a touch too heavy.  Despite that minor criticism, though, this is a surprisingly tasty beer.

MOUTHFEEL:  (4 out of 5) The New World Porter is creamy and smooth, but it still has a decent sparkle to it.  It is medium bodied and while it leans towards the sweet side up front, it finishes on the dry side. 

OVERALL:  (4 out of 5) The last review here at 20 Beers in 20 Nights was of Avery’s Hog Heaven Barleywine (Although it was not reviewed for The Avery Project, it was reviewed for The Barleywine Project instead).  In that review, I defended Avery’s decision to call it a Barleywine since many people, including some Avery employees I have spoken to about it, think it should be renamed Hog Heaven Double or Triple IPA.  In the case of the New World Porter, which Avery themselves also refers to as a black IPA, there is a stronger case for renaming it New World Black IPA.  This beer does have many characteristics of a Porter, and ultimately, it still is one, but it is a very, very American-style Porter with a lot of IPA traits.  It could easily be recategorized and no one would bat an eye.  Finally, at 6.7%, the NWP can sneak up on you.  It tastes like a much more sessionable Porter than it really is, but the near-7% gives it a punch.

Barleywine Review #8 - Avery Hog Heaven Barley Wine

Posted by: Tyler Rippeteau

Apr. 5, 2012

The Avery Hog Heaven Barley Wine is a particularly interesting beer for us here at 20 Beers in 20 Nights.  To begin with, it is the only beer that potentially belongs to both projects we’re currently working on, The Barleywine Project and The Avery Project.  So, I had to decide whether or not to be lazy and just count it as a review for each project or just for one.  I went with the latter. 

In order to complete The Barleywine Project, Hog Heaven is necessary.  For The Avery Project, though, it is optional.  I would rather give another of Avery’s beers a chance to shine, particularly since I have such great access to them.  This is the same reason that I will not re-review The Maharaja from Avery as I already reviewed it for the DIPA Project.    

Anyhow, the second reason The Hog is interesting is because it is one of only two offerings on our Barleywine list that is available year-round.  The other is Uinta Brewing Company’s Anniversary Barley Wine Ale.  The Uinta is brewed in Utah and just recently snuck onto the list in the number 20 spot.  Whether or not it remains on the list until I get to it is another question. The DIPA Project list changed occasionally, but the Top 20 always remained intact, with a few beers simply switching positions a few times.  The Barleywine list has proven to be much more volatile so far.   

Finally, one last point about the Hog Heaven before the review, in terms of a Barleywine it is somewhat controversial.  Many people claim that it is more of a Double or Triple IPA.  In fact, I have heard some people who sell it claim that they believe it would sell better if it were renamed Hog Heaven Imperial or Double IPA.  This is one of Avery’s oldest recipes, though, and from what I hear it is one that is close to Adam Avery’s heart, so the likelihood of it changing anytime soon is slim.

In all honesty, I have found myself on both sides of this controversy at times.  It is a beer I am familiar with and have tried many times and in many different forms.  I have tasted it in the Taproom at Avery, I have had it in the bottle, I have tried it fresh and I have been lucky enough to sample two, three and four-year old Hog Heaven.  With that said, I have never reviewed it, nor was I ever in a position to seriously focus on it for the sake of determining what style it should be called.  I just wanted a big, flavorful beer.  So, I suppose we should just call this post the Myth Buster’s edition of 20 Beers in 20 Nights.  Is Hog Heaven really a Barleywine?  Let’s find out.

Location: Boulder Liquor Mart

Cost: $2.39 for 12oz. bottle

Glassware: Funkwerks Tulip Glass

ABV: 9.2%

IBUs: 104

Brewery Location: Boulder, Colorado

Style: American Barleywine

Average Beer Advocate Rating: B+/3.97 – Very Good

My Beer Advocate Rating: A-/4.23 – Excellent

Current Number of Reviews on Beer Advocate/Current Rank:

Brewery Description: Avery Hog Heaven Barley Wine

Bottled On: NA

APPEARANCE:  (4.5 out of 5) The Hog Heaven pours a penny copper color with a half-inch thick cap with some staying power.  Others who have reviewed this beer have reported a haziness to it, but that has never been my experience and even after pouring the entire contents of the bomber into my glass, the beer underneath is crystal clear with hundreds of bubbles drifting northwards towards that cap.  As for the lacing, I would call it superb – look at that!

SMELL:  (4.5 out of 5) The nose on this one is delicious.  A big dose of pine blends with banana, clove and maybe a little brown sugar.  For a Barleywine that has been dismissed as a mislabeled Double or Triple IPA, this smells an awful lot like a Barleywine.  The only difference is that those Barleywine aromas are just accented with some strong hop aromas.

TASTE:  (4 out of 5) The first sip confirms that the Hog Heaven is most certainly a Barleywine; a hopped up Barleywine, yes, but still a Barleywine.  OK, now that that argument is settled, what else is going on in this one? 

To begin with, there is plenty of hop flavor packed into this beer, but despite the 104 IBUs, the typical bitterness associated with the hop is muted.  Instead, a big, sweet wave of caramel and bananas crashes into the palate right off the bat and any bitterness comes in later in the form of grapefruit and lemon which are riding a second wave of floral and piney hoppiness.  The finish leaves an interesting medley of slightly puckering bitterness along with a sweeter taste from the flowers, pine, caramel and banana.  The Hog Heaven really stays with the palate.

MOUTHFEEL:  (4 out of 5) Big, sticky, rich, smooth and creamy.  This Barleywine goes down incredibly smooth and leaves a nice bittersweet finish on the palate. 

OVERALL:  (4.5 out of 5) Again, for all the talk about this beer being more of a Double IPA, it sure seems like a nicely hopped Barleywine to me.  After tasting this beer with purpose and without distraction, it is hard to see how I ever believed it was more of an IPA, but at the same time, it is pretty damn hoppy.  Given that intense hop flavor, this is one of the better Barleywines to taste fresh.  With the complexity, intense malt flavor and high ABV, though, it also makes an excellent candidate for aging.  I’ll be putting a couple bottles in the cellar soon.

By the way, Opening Day at Wrigley Field is today - in the words of the late, great Steve Goodman "Hey Chicago Whatd'ya say the Cubs are gonna win today.  Go Cubs Go!"



 

Avery Maharaja, At Least Someone Agrees With Me

Posted by: Tyler Rippeteau

Mar. 20, 2012

Back in April of last year we here at 20 Beers in 20 Nights were right in the middle of our DIPA Project - our quest to drink and review the 20 Most Reviewed Double IPAs on Beer Advocate.  It was time to review a personal favorite of mine and a classic, the Avery Maharaja.  The Maha, in my opinion, proved to beat Russian River's Pliny the Elder, a point that many have disagreed with me on since.  However, this afternoon I came across a YouTube review of Maharaja and found that at least one other person agrees with me, so I thought you all might like to check it out.  Here, from the San Diego Beer Vlog; Avery's Maharaja:

Barleywine Review #7 - Green Flash Barleywine Style Ale

Posted by: Tyler Rippeteau

Mar. 9, 2012

I tracked down the Green Flash Barleywine Style Ale a couple of weeks ago in Denver at Seventeenth Street Liquors.  As a Boulder resident I don’t get to Denver as much as I would like, but Mountain Sun’s Vine Street Pub was calling me with Pliny the Younger.  Yes, I finally managed to track down some of Russian River’s super-hyped-up-but-probably-worth-it Double (or Triple) IPA.  That story is for another time, however.  The point here is that since I had driven an hour for one beer, I was going to check out the local selection and try to bring something back with me.  So…I found Seventeenth Street.  The selection was limited, but decent and the prices were pretty good. 

I ended up snagging two bombers of Green Flash beer; the Imperial IPA, which I have had before and thoroughly enjoyed and the Barleywine Style Ale.  As you can see above, I thoroughly enjoyed it again this past week (along with a hop flavored cigar) when we had a gorgeous 73-degree day here in Boulder earlier in the week.  As for the Barleywine, well, that was saved for a quiet night at home when I could split it with Emily. 

So, last night I finally cracked it open, poured a glass for each of us and wrote this review.  Here’s what I found:

Location: Seventeenth Street Liquor, Denver, Colorado

Cost: $6.99 for a 22 oz. bomber

ABV: 10.9%

IBUs: 85

Brewery Location: San Diego, California

Style: American Barleywine

Average Beer Advocate Rating: B+/3.85 – Very Good

My Beer Advocate Rating: A/4.38 - Outstanding

Current Number of Reviews on Beer Advocate/Rank in Top 20: 357/14^th

Brewery Description: Green Flash Barleywine Style Ale

Bottled On: 2011 Vintage

APPEARANCE:  (4 out of 5) Deep mahogany, typical Barleywine color with a very light brown, half-inch head that stuck around for about 90 seconds or so.  Once the head settled a thick layer of multi-sized bubbles hid most of the reddish surface of the actual beer. 

SMELL:  (4 out of 5) The Green Flash is spicy, fruity and very bready.  There is a ton going on in the nose of this one.  The spice is cider-like and accented with some caramel and toffee notes.  Of course, apple is part of the fruity smell, but so are banana and a touch of citrus.  The breadiness is distinctly wheat.  Overall, this is a great smelling beer.  I would give it a higher rating, but it is of only a moderate intensity and I wish it were stronger.

TASTE:  (4.5 out of 5) This is one of the more interesting Barleywines I have experienced during The Barleywine Project.  It is solidly bitter all the way through the sip, but unlike Avery’s Hog Heaven, this isn’t really a slightly mislabeled Triple IPA, it still has a boat load of malty richness along with a lot of spicy and fruity flavors.  Banana, caramel, toffee, pine, tart apple and fall-like spices all make appearances in each sip, but a subdued grapefruit and orange along with a hoppy bitterness carry this beer from start to finish.  Speaking of the finish, the Barleywine Style Ale ends on an enormous note of wheat bread.  I’ve tasted bready beer before, but this is a bready monster and the aftertaste might as well be the crust from some wheat toast.  I thought it was odd about 15 minutes ago when Emily said “You know what would be great with this?  Some toast with cheese melted on it.”  Now, it makes perfect sense, and oddly, I’d recommend some cheesy wheat toast with this one – never thought I’d write that on this blog, but there you go.

MOUTHFEEL:  (4.5 out 5) Rich and very full-bodied.  The carbonation is moderate (more than I expected for the flavor) and a nice tickle along with the dry, bitter finish helps cleanse the palate following the slightly sweeter mid-sip.

OVERALL:  (4.5 out of 5) My experience with Green Flash so far has been very positive and this is no exception.  However, most of the other beers of theirs I’ve had have been great due to their accuracy in style.  The Barleywine is certainly an exception to that rule.  While drinking this beer I am reminded of Founders Devil Dancer in the respect that it never breaks out of the style, but it pushes the envelope and uses all available space within the style’s parameters. 

In light of my last review, one of the things that really stands out to me about this Barleywine is how wonderfully it works fresh.  The hoppy bitterness is certainly part of that reason and even once that fades I’m sure the beer will still taste great, but I really wish I had a second bottle to split at the moment.  I will be purchasing this again in the near future.

Barleywine Review #6 - Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale

Posted by: Tyler Rippeteau

Mar. 7, 2012

The problem with working on a project like The Barleywine Project here at 20 Beers in 20 Nights is that in order to be fair to each beer on The List they need to be reviewed in their current (or at least most widely available) state.  Barleywines age exceptionally well, but if I were to take a Bigfoot from 2007, a fresh Old Ruffian and a two year old Doggie Claws it would be tough to compare them on equal grounds.  That said, beers like Founders Nemesis are no longer being made, and therefore will have to be reviewed with some age on them.

The point is, that I strongly believe the beer I am reviewing today, the Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale would do much better if it were of an older vintage, but in my effort to keep the playing field as level as possible I will be reviewing the 2012 vintage.  So, now that my little disclaimer is out of the way, here’s my review:

Location: Boulder Liquor Mart

Cost: $2.39 for 12oz. bottle

Glassware: Funkwerks Tulip Glass

ABV: 9.6%

IBUs: 90

Brewery Location: Chico, California

Style: American Barleywine

Average Beer Advocate Rating: A/4.42 – Outstanding

My Beer Advocate Rating: 3.65/B - Good

Current Number of Reviews on Beer Advocate/Current Rank: 2,430/1st

Brewery Description: Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale

Bottled On: NA

APPEARANCE:  (4.5 out of 5) The Bigfoot pours a deep, dark reddish brown that lets very little light through.  A foamy, white head rests on top with moderate retention before it settles down to a nice coaster-sized cap.  The lacing is very nice and covers the majority of the back side of the glass.

SMELL:  (3.5 out of 5) A nice dose of malt hits the nose first with a helping of brown sugar and a mild roastiness.  A faint hint of grassiness also lies underneath a backbone of clove and other spices.

TASTE:  (3.5 out of 5) The fresh Bigfoot has a lot more of a bite than I expected with some bitter and citrusy hops smacking the palate up front and then returning to round out the end of each sip.  In between is a wave of sugary malt that highlights caramel, brown sugar and clove.  The 9.6% ABV is also apparent and when the hops return to close it out, they leave an intense grapefruit bitterness on the tongue that last until another sip is taken.

MOUTHFEEL:  (4.5 out of 5) This is a very well carbonated beer.  While it is rich and sweet, it also has some of the palate-cleansing properties more typical of a big, citrusy IPA.  Each sip starts out on the creamy side and builds throughout until a pleasant, dry and bitter finish takes over and clears the palate for the next sweet sip.

OVERALL:  (3.5 out of 5) As the name should suggest, Bigfoot doesn’t do nuance.  Instead, this is a big, bold, smack-you-in-the-face type of beer.  The hops hit with the right, then the malt connects with the left and finally the bitter, citrusy hops complete the combo with another right.  Do not ever use this beer to try to turn your fizzy yellow drinking friends into craft enthusiasts.  In fact, don’t use it to turn anyone on to Barleywines unless that person is a seasoned IPA drinker already.  Of course, all of that is said about a fresh pour of this beer.  Once it ages a few years it will be a completely different story.