Sierra Nevada - Bigfoot Barely Wine 2010

Tonight, my friends, is one of those nights where I wanted to drink something that I knew would be delicious.  Something that was full of flavor, hops, body, aroma, and all around fantasticness.  Sierra Nevada has rarely ever let me down with any of their beers.  So what better beer to pick than one that I have been aging for over a year... a 2010 Bigfoot barley wine.  We all know how much I <3 barley wines.  This was a clear choice.

Every year Sierra Nevada has been brewing this glorious concoction.  And every the recipe changes.  I have had the 2011 vintage this year and it is mighty hoppy.  I recall from the 2010's I had last year that they were much less so.  More of an English than an American barley wine.  I enjoyed 2010 much more.  I anticipate that since its had time to age the flavors have come together and mellow out over the year.  Lets see if that is indeed the case!

The pour is a deep, hazy brown-red color.  The yeast sediment is floating freely throughout the glass.  A solid off white crop of foam forms during the pour and recedes only a few minutes after.  The aroma is intense; full of candied fruits, brown sugar, toasted caramel and a bit of citrus from the hops.  My first sip is smooth like Kieth Stone.  Those fruity tones mixed together with a small amount of caramel and malt blend together with a surprising amount of hop bitterness towards the finish.  Over time, hops tend to drop out of the beer.  If you let a beer age longer than 3-5 years you can typically assume your bittering aspect of the hops to be nonexistent.  Over one year old and the bitter bite is still there.  A warming alcohol presence assists this brew on its way down your throat.  The carbonation is moderate and accentuates some of the subtleties this brew has to offer.

Overall 5.1/6.0 - This was a great beer to drink and has certainly aged well.  The flavors were not harsh, the hops played a bold but not powerful role, and the alcohol was mellow.  While delicious overall, I have definitely had better barley wines this winter.  I would never pass up on a Bigfoot and the 2010 vintage is no different.  If you have a bottle aging now is as good a time as any other to crack it open and enjoy a solid American brewed treat.