Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine: '08, '09, & '10

I was recently gifted three consecutive years of the Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine-Style Ale by my friend Paul Frink who is quite a beer connoisseur in his own right. This particular brew is reputed to cellar particularly well, and where I lack a climate controlled space in which to attempt this feat of non-drinking myself, I was excited to see what the aging process had done for these beers. These were the 2008, 2009, and 2010 years of Bigfoot, but I’m told Paul has even older vintages currently cellared. I gathered Connoisseur Jon, Mitch, and Shoenberger to help me with this momentous occasion.

The first bottle we popped open was the most recent, the 2010. I was immediately struck by a very hoppy perfumed nose, though there was a background smell of plastic present. The 2010, like all the Bigfoots, poured light brown with a light tan head that dissipated to a persistent lacing. The flavor was both sweet and quite bitter with some of the more aggressive hops I’ve had in a beer recently. There was an artificial, plastic flavor that reared its head during what Connoisseur Jon described as a “long and strange finish”.

We moved on to the 2009 next, excited to see what a year of age had done to this aggressive brew. Upon popping the top, I was assaulted by a nasty, musty, funky smell like a moldy old gym sock. There was much less of the hops present in the nose. The flavor was much sweeter, with a somewhat musty honey taste to it with some bitter hops in the middle, hints of cedar, and a slightly fruity finish vaguely reminiscent of melon rind. It also seemed that this year had a higher alcohol content, possibly from the aging process. With its thick mouthfeel and an undeniable funk, the tasters were split on this one; Connoisseur Jon liked it, while Mitch, Shoenberger, and I did not. Connoisseur Jon said this vintage would pair well with honey and old cheese. I tend to agree.

With some trepidation, we ventured on to the 2008 Bigfoot. On opening this bottle we were suddenly transported aromatically to a poorly maintained pet store. There was even more funk in this bottle than in the 2009! The nose was that of mechanically separated beef and cat treats, a theory we quickly confirmed with the side-by-side comparison of a nearby can of Purina Whisker Lickins Shrimp & Tuna flavored kitty treats. Once we braved the aroma, we were rewarded with the most pleasurable flavor of the trio. The 2008 had developed a much rounder taste, very sweet with a wheat and barley body, and a burnt brown sugar finish. Very pleasant all around flavor, with what tasted like a lower alcohol content than the previous two, though that might have just been a testament to the wonders of the aging process helping this brew finally find its legs. While this was by far the worst smelling of the three, it was also by far the best tasting.

At the end of this adventure we found ourselves contemplating the wonder that is beer-cellaring and thinking about what a little extra time would do for our favorite beers.

- Connoisseur Tom