I’ve had Bigfoot Barleywine from Sierra Nevada in the past. It’s a definite highlight of the beer year when the four packs are released across the city. The subtle hopped flavor produces a bittersweet balance to this malty behemoth of a beer. This is an easy beer to love. I’ve been curious about its cousin, the barrel aged Bigfoot, since seeing it on the shelf at my local grocery store. Lucky for me, when I asked my fiancé to grab me a bomber on Sunday, she brought home this majestic bottle. When I saw what she brought back my face immediately went into full “Bigfoot mode”
I cracked open the bottle, poured the beer into a tulip glass, and settled in for a long drinking sesh. The barrel aging is pretty apparent at first whiff. Kinda like how Bigfoot probably marks his territory, the aroma was pungent but mellowed after a few minutes in the glass. The beer is a bit hot at first, again, probably like Bigfoot marking his territory, and then smoothed out over time. The bottle itself is pretty neat and contains some old Sierra Nevada artwork for one of the first Bigfoot series labels. If you ever have the chance to grab a vertical flight (where someone has bottles from previous years and you taste all of them together), the Bigfoot Barleywine series, barrel aged or not, is one of the best beers for doing this. Whether Bigfoot exists or not, whether he eats Jack Link beef jerky or raw deer meat from a fresh kill, whether he is a friendly house pet like in Harry and the Hendersons or a hell beast with a murderous streak, these are questions for another time. The Barrel Aged Bigfoot Barleywine from Sierra Nevada crushes it. Its 11.6 percent ABV is as fierce and strong as Bigfoot’s dick. Drink this slowly and enjoy, unlike the real Bigfoot, this thing only comes once a year.