Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale
Stubby brown 12oz bottle, 2008 vintage on the cap. Pours a viscous, dark coppery red with a dense creamy-white head. Good retention and great lacing. Citrusy hops hit the nose up front, fruity yeast, faint caramel sweetness finishes. Wow, this isn't lacking in the flavor department. Big fruity hop punch up front, sturdy, thick malt backbone with malty sweetness, and caramel. Leads into a warm alcohol burn and a very, very dry hoppy finish at the back of the tounge. Aftertaste is dry hops and alcohol. Thick and viscous on the tounge, interesting all over the mouth. Nice crisp carbonation. Alcohol is present, but not overbearing given the high abv. Overall a good barleywine, there's certainly a lot of malt in this one. My only complaint is that this beer may have been a bit green/young. I think a few years of cellaring would do this brew very well and round out those rough edges. I will definately buy some more for the cellar.