Sierra Nevada puts out a version of their Bigfoot Ale each and every year. Bigfoot Ale is their take on Barleywine. I like Barleywine (heck, I like almost all beer, who am I kidding 
)Here is our review of the 2009 edition:
This is a big Barleywine with lots and lots of hops. The hops are all over this beer but don’t overpower it because of the large amount of malt that is used. There is a fair amount of sweetness, as there should be with a barleywine. The ABV is 9.6%
The beer pours a nice dark golden amber and has a creamy head that sticks around a bit. When you smell the beer you get that typical barleywine sweetness but there is also a distinct hop smell that is right behind the sweetness. The taste is a lot like the smell with the hops providing a pine/citrus complement to the sweetness and fruit of the malt.
This is a good beer. It drinks well but is a bit “harsh” because of the hops. I don’t mean harsh in a bad way at all, just that the hops adds that slight level of bitterness that makes the beer a little unique. It might not be for everyone, especially those that are not fans of hoppy beers, which is perfectly fine. I, on the other hand, really enjoyed the beer. I even have a couple of “extras” set aside to drink later
Here is the score(new scoring system):
- Appearance- 9 points (out of 10)
- Smell- 7 points (out of 10)
- Taste- 16 points (out of 20)
- Drinkability- 6 points (out of 10)
Total 38 (out of 50) Points- A 4 Mug Rating
Here is Sierra Nevada’s website: http://www.sierranevada.com/
