Sierra Nevada Bigfoot - Barrel Aged
Our Bigfoot Barleywine is a craft beer legend. Each winter, this beast of a beer appears and wreaks havoc on unsuspecting palates with its intense bittersweet flavors. This year—in honor of the 30th Anniversary of this style-bending brew— we’re releasing a very special version of this cult classic: Aged in oak whiskey casks for nearly two years, this barrel-aged Bigfoot is incredibly complex. The assault of resinous hops has mellowed, and the influence of the wood has shifted focus toward the malt—with rich burnt-sugar flavors and notes of vanilla, toasted coconut, and raisins. Grab this elusive beast while you can, because it won’t be around for long.
3.9
467 reviews
Chico, United States
Community reviews
I have been saving this beer for a couples of years now. Dark amber pour similar to the non barrel aged version. Whiskey smell with some oak and pine dominate the aroma. Smooth mouth feel. Nice woody finish with a decent hop balance. This beer was worth the wait. Yummy!!!
2015 bottle. Nice pour, dark brown with a frothy beige-ish head and moderate lacing. Aroma is deep dark caramel malt and pine, maybe a little whisky on the back but not as strong as you’d expect. Taste starts sweet, caramel and toffee and vanilla, veins of honey and booze, yet quickly grows a strong, bitter pine backbone. Grows increasingly hoppy, yet the oak takes hold on the back end, giving an herbal, woodsy character with hints of whisky on the periphery. Finishes mildly dry, deep malt giving way to oak and a little smoke, with the Kentucky bourbon finally making its presence known deep into the fade. Still a bit hot for a 18-month-old bottle, but drinkable anyway. Might be a little generous in my rating, but damned if BA Bigfoot didn’t make me feel charitable after a pint.
Preferring English style Barleywines, I usually find ’regular’ Bigfoot a bit harsh. But whoa! This aged version is flat out delicious. Still with plenty of hop character, but mellowed so nicely - with dark fruit (raisins predominate) and vanilla tones. What grabbed me initially was the aroma, which was immense from 3 feet away as it sat on my counter for a minute while it settled just a bit. I see that it’s "retired", though I bought this bottle very recently. Going back to look for some to cellar.
Bottle shared by Seb drank with Max A: soft caramel, whiskey, licorice, alcohol, raisins App: hazy dark copper sparing beige head. T/p: full body with moderate long bitter finish. Soft carbonation. O: Big and bold yet an easy to chug down beer. It’s been a while since I’ve tasted something great coming out of Seb’s cellar.
8 4 8 4 16
Really good barley wine. Really drinks more like a dipa with the extreme bitterness. The barrel adds a vanilla depth that counters the bitterness. Better than the original.
Tap in south Fargo jl beers. Reddish body. Sweet fruity boozy vinous aroma. Taste is the same with a dry finish and bubelgum and vanilla.
Pours copper with a fluffy head. The aroma is oak, vanilla and sweet malt. Flavour is a big oaky, vanilla and Bourbon hit.
Bottle thanks to Owen. Pours deep crimson red with no head. Aroma is caramel and slight oak. Taste is caramel sweet, bitter pine, vanilla sweet, oak.
Pours a thin head on dark brown body.
Aroma is wood, burnt wood, caramel, vanilla and raisins.
Taste is wood, mellowed pine bitterness and vanilla.
Texture is medium.
Good light dark brown body you can see through it anyway and a little head. Yeah, head, these pubs gotta think more about their hatred of head. Headhate! S’bayadd mkay? Heavy heavy ginger on this thing and that is an understatement. Sucking on it I do say. Flavour is overpowered by a frebre3ze style ginger taste with vague hints of malt. No booze but trading ginger in place of it dont’t jive either knowwaddamsayyin.
A bottle on Black Christmas 2016 at 12 Kings. Vintage 2015. Pours a slightly hazy copper with a tan head. Aroma is sweet, fruity, some barrel notes. Taste is pretty the same with a quite high level of bitterness. Very good.
2015 bottle. Pours a dark brown and red mahogany color with a good foam head that laces my glass. The aroma is of caramel sugar, whiskey, some oak, vanilla, and a nice malted grain character. In the description it mentioned burnt sugar and coconut, it showed up in the aroma nicely. As for taste it had a medium bitterness that was rather pleasant, a good mild whiskey favor, and a semi sweet malted grain taste. The fruit like taste blended oddly with the sweet and bitter qualities of this brew. A good sipping big brew, that had a thin to medium body, and the flavors were overrun by bitterness, grains, and booze. Overall an interesting version of Sierra’s Bigfoot but I enjoyed the original non barrel aged fresh version more. Aging this beer held up rather well but it was not needed. This is a great beer to share.
Bomber shared at tasting. Dark copper caramel pour. Aroma is booze and caramel. Taste is similar, some dryness. This is really good.
2015. Gonna dome this while i decorate the tree. Sweet raisin and molasses. Purplish color. Caramel and a bit of vanilla. Some toasty wood on the finish. Complex sipper. Take a while to drink this one
Bottle. Clear deep copper liquid with medium off-white head. Aroma of bourbon, raw sugar, raisins, light dill, oak, caramel and bread. Taste is light to medium sweet and medium bitter with notes of bourbon, hops, raisins and caramel. Medium to full bodied with medium carbonation. Nice stuff!
Bottle at The Gingerman, Manhattan, New York, USA. A deep amber/red coloured pour with a medium off white head on top. Sweet, boozy, hoppy, malty, caramel, bourbon aroma. Tastes similar, hoppy, malty, caramel, bourbon, some vanilla. A rich tasting heavyweight, very nice indeed.
Sample @ SB&WF 2016. Classic Bigfoot base, albeit less hoppy, with a nice addition of oak and vanlilla. Enjoyable.
On tap at the Chico brewpub. Pours a murky brown. Nose is a nice mix of sweet malt and barrel. Really nice flavor for a barleywine. Not too sweet with a perfect balance of flavor from the barrel. Really nice thick body as well. Really enjoyable beer.
Clear red brown colour, white head. Aroma of malts, honey, hops and apricot. Sweet flavour, caramel, vanilla. Bitter finish, caramel and hops.
(from 65cL bottle @ RBBSG IV, the Hot and Sweaty Edition, Gent 2015. Thanks for sharing, tderoeck!)
Keg at SBWF. Clear mahogay colour, small head. Woody whiskey aroma. Sweet and caramelly with full body and dense, rounded mouthfeel. Fudge and oak, warming finish where whiskey on pears lingers.
Sample at SBWF 2016. Hoppy smell with caramel, dried fruit and oak. Similar taste with dill and oak. Nice smell!
Draught at SBWF 2016. Small but lasting white head. Smooth and barrel aged aromas with vanilla and piny hop aromas. Nice and smooth malty taste with a big body that is balanced with a firm bitterness.
4 pack from Costco, 22 ounce bottle poured to wine glass
Sight: Brown hazy liquid, dark tan foam, quickly disappears
Smell: aroma of grains
Taste: low bitterness, hint of sweetness
Aroma: long finish, alcohol comes out
Overall: very good beer, ok to repeat but not look for
Drank: 9/22/2016 8:33 PM
At SWBF 2016. Pours caramel with a low white head. Aromas of caramel, bourbon, oak, butterscotch, figs, dates, raisins, plums. Holy fuck that aroma! Taste is loads of caramel and candied fruit with prominent toasted oak notes. Mouthfeel is smooth and a bit oily with moderate carbonation. Just wow.
Draft at Slaters. Aroma of vanilla, toffee, caramel, cinnamon and booze. Soft flavor of creamy herbal caramel, riasin, toffee, buttery vanilla and some malt. Very sticky sweet beer.
Poured from big bottle. Smelling that bourbon barrel oak. Amber mahogany with lacing. Tasting oak, vanilla, big alcohol, caramel, roasted malt, dried fruit. Mellows nicely as it warms. A bit strong, but excellent.
on tap at the Mills River brewery; deep amber to red color; fantastic aroma - sweet malt with hops and bourbon - mostly bourbon, with hints of oak; intense bourbon flavor; oak and hop notes; the bourbon really overwhelms everything else - not that I have a problem with that
BOTTLE. Ruby/crimson in colour with off white head.. Smells of sweet toffee apple, malt biscuit & booze with some warmth.. Warm boozy caramel malt, goes to a sappy texture finishing with dried fruits & a hoppy kick. .Sourced Cape Cellars
Type: 24-oz. bottle
Glass: AleSmith Barrel-Aged Reserve snifter glass
From: Costco in Goleta (Santa Barbara), Calif.
Price: $7.50 ($30 for a High Altitude variety 4-pack)
Purchased: May 29, 2016
Consumed: Aug. 5, 2016
Reviewed as: American Barleywine
Misc.: Packaged on March 29, 2016 at 10:12 a.m. PT; ABV is actually 11.6 pct.
This was the crown jewel out of the four I got from the high altitude four-pack for $30 at Costco, down from a previous price I saw for $40 at Barons. Would be extremely disappointed if this wasn’t the best of the four I tried. Gave the non-BA version a 4.30.
Poured a light brown, clear color with two fingers of frothy, khaki head. Lots of bubbles coming up from the bottom of the glass. Good spotty lacing. Very good retention. (Sight - 4.25)
Smelled bourbon, chocolate, oaky wood, tobacco, fig, vanilla, maple syrup, sugary caramel and toffee. (Smell - 4.25)
A bit hot on the tongue initially. Also got boozy bourbon, oaky wood, vanilla, earthy tobacco, fig, caramel, dry maple syrup, toasted toffee and unknown hops. (Taste - 4.00)
Medium body. Sticky texture. Average carbonation. Long, woody, warming finish. (Feel - 4.00)
This was good, but not as good as I thought it would be. I prefer the base version more. NOTE: Digging it more two days later. Jumped it from a 4.00 to a 4.25. (Overall - 4.25)
4.13 92 A-
Packaged on 3/29/16 - from Costco.
Not a ton of barrel characters, but the ABV is very well hidden for 11.6%.
Hints of vanilla, in there - but overall a good