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.

The Barleywine Project

Posted by: Tyler Rippeteau

Oct. 6, 2011

Last month I announced the Avery Project and began the process of reviewing 20 Avery Brewing Company Beers here at 20 Beers in 20 Nights.  In that announcement I also mentioned that I would simultaneously work on another project – The Barleywine Project.  Well, I have finally reviewed the first beer on that list and it is time to officially launch the project.

The Barleywine Project will be very similar to the DIPA Project.  Like the DIPA Project, the list of beers for the Barleywine Project will consist of the Top 20 Most Often Reviewed American Barleywines on Beer Advocate, in other words, the 20 most popular Barleywines according to one of the largest and most informed beer communities on the planet.

Just as was the case with the DIPA Project, the Barleywine Project consists of a number of seasonal brews, beers which are not distributed where I live and even two beers that are no longer produced.  In fact, none of the beers on this list are available year-round, they are either seasonal or available on a rotating basis.  So this list will be much harder for me to complete than the DIPA Project and a ton harder than the Avery Project. 

Just in case you were too lazy to click that link above, listing which Barleywines will be on this list, here you go:

           1.       Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale – Sierra Nevada Company

           2.       Old Horizontal – Victory Brewing Company

           3.       Old Ruffian Barley Wine – Great Divide Brewing Company

           4.       Third Coast Ale – Bell’s Brewery

           5.       Olde School Barleywine – Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

           6.       Hog Heaven Barley Wine – Avery Brewing Company

           7.       XS Old Crustacean – Rogue Ales

           8.       Olde GnarlyWine – Lagunitas Brewing Company

           9.       Flying Mouflan – Troegs Brewing Company

           10.   Founders Nemesis – Founders Brewing Company

           11.   Doggie Claws – Hair of the Dog Brewing Company

           12.   Backburner (Imperial Barley Wine Style Ale) – Southern Tier Brewing Company

           13.   Behemoth Blonde Barleywine – Three Floyds Brewing Company

           14.   30^th Anniversary – Jack and Ken’s Ale – Sierra Nevada Brewing Company

           15.   AleSmith Old Numbskull – AleSmith Brewing Company

           16.   Barleywine Style Ale – Green Flash Brewing Company

           17.   Smuttynose Barleywine Style Ale (Big Beer Series) – Smuttynose Brewing Company

           18.   John Barleycorn Barleywine Ale – Mad River Brewing Company

           19.   Bourbon Barrel Barleywine – Central Waters Brewing Company

           20.   Old Boardhead Barleywine Ale – Full Sail Brewery & Tasting Room & Pub

Of these 20 beers, about six or seven of them should be easily attainable for me here in Colorado, a few others might require some extra hunting in the local liquor stores and bars and still a few others should be attainable for me through trips back home to Chicago over the holidays, but it will undoubtedly take some trading and/or travelling for me to complete the list.  So, if you have access to any of these great beers (particularly Founders Nemesis) or know where I can find them, please feel free to leave a comment or send me an email to StoneTSR@gmail.com.  I will be happy to work something out for some of our great CO beer.

As mentioned above, I have already reviewed one beer on The List, so stay tuned to 20 Beers in 20 Nights for the next few days to find out which one it is.