Review – Sierra Nevada 2008 Bigfoot Barleywine

Sierra Nevada 2008 Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale
9.6% abv

Poured from a 12 ounce bottle into a chilled pint glass.

Appearance
Dark reddish brown in color. Mostly opaque with only shimmers of light passing through. The light yellow/brown creamy head weighed in at about an inch thick and left loads of tiny bubbles on the glass.

Aroma
Super duper hoppy with very earthy smells. Reminded me immediately of fresh dirt but in a good, wholesome way. The background is plastered with flowery bouquets, a delight for the nose.

Taste
Excellent bitterness from the vast amounts of hops used. This beer has hints of sourness and is very big and bold. Piney notes also help bring out the earthiness.

Mouthfeel
Very sticky and thick, leaving little deposits of resin from the hops.

Overall
This beer made me a huge fan of barleywine style ales. I cannot think of another that I have ever tried so this may be the first but it will certainly not be the last. I have other barleywines in my beer fridge as we speak and can’t wait to try them. As a special 25th anniversary release this year, Sierra Nevada has really outdone themselves with this spectacular beer!

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