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.
Comments
If you like big flavors, try the Bigfoot.
2014 vintage.
Pours a clear and deep burgundy, with two fingers of head. Head is very bubbly and retention is moderate.
Nose is very strong, with some sweet caramel malts, strong citrus and pine resin hops, and a subtle alcohol aroma.
Taste emphasizes the strong hop flavors, although the malt is present, it can't compete with the strong hops. Hop bitterness is moderately high, but there is a strong alcohol dryness at the finish to help keep it from lingering.
Medium full body and low carbonation.
Barleywines are not for everyone, but the Sierra Nevada Bigfoot is about as tame as you can get a barleywine. Alcohol flavors are fairly dominant, and the malt and hops are strong and intense.
Bigfoot will make you grow ample body hair
This barleywine from Sierra Nevada poured a hazy amber into the snifter. A two-finger tan head formed and it receded like a glacier, leaving large chunks of lacing. Smells of piney and grassy hops with a breath of alcohol. Bigfoot's hoppy nose doesn't maintain the domination for flavor. It tastes of hops with just enough malt for me to detect it. The lush body demands that this must be sipped.