Bigfoot 2003: Worth the Wait
Written: Aug 06 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Prototypical West Coast barleywine; ages very interestingly; shopkeepers aren't always smart about pricing
Cons: released once a year
The Bottom Line: Drink beer.
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| davidmanning's Full Review: Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Ale |
Sierra Nevada has been releasing its Bigfoot "Barleywine-style Ale" for the better part of two decades now, always in late January or early February. And each year for the past several, I've been stashing away a few bottles, whatever I can store comfortably. There are probably tens of thousands of like-minded individuals across the country who do the same. It's probably the most-stashed American beer.
This year, distribution in New York City got screwy. My beloved Bigfoot (while the kegs came out more or less on time) didn't reach store shelves until much later; the 2002 stuck around a while, disappeared, and then the 2003 variety finally showed up a couple months late. I heard it chalked up to the distributor wanting to flush all stocks of the 2002, or that they just didn't care because they were getting out of the business. Whatever the case, it took what seemed like forever.
You know what really annoyed me? Supermarkets cut back heavily on their orders for Bigfoot 2003. A little secret around these parts was that supermarkets would price Bigfoot as they would, say, the Pale Ale. So Bigfoot would ring up at $7.99/six instead of its intended retail several dollars higher. Without dumb supermarkets, my only option was specialty beer stores selling it at its proper price.
But in the end, Bigfoot bottles came to town, in fewer places than normal, but pretty darn fresh.
A Bit About Barleywine
Etymology on the name barleywine has been done to death, but I'll note this: while barleywine is ancestrally an English style of beer, English barleywines tend toward the 6.5%-8% alcohol range, are much more malty and toffeelike (as opposed to hoppy), and are quite subdued.
American barleywines, particularly those made on the West coast, are in-your-face hoppy, with just tons and tons of malt thrown in for a big firm malty backbone and balance to the extreme bitterness, and often top 10% alcohol by volume as a result. They also, in my opinion, benefit far more as a group from aging (assuming they are bottle conditioned) than their English counterparts, gaining a complexity of malt profile after the hoppiness drops that breathes new life into an already intriguing beer style.
But that's just me.
Drinking the Beer, Six Months Old
Each year, Bigfoot is now more or less the same; it used to change a bit more with each vintage--I have been taking notes since 1997's version--but nowadays it seems to change less year-over-year than before. No matter; this is an excellent hoppy barleywine.
Bigfoot 2003 is the same hazy, ruby-brown color as always; it is topped by a thick, creamy light-tan head that lingers atop the beer as long as it lasts in the glass. At 9.6% alcohol by volume (maybe slightly more by now), it's rather strong; a deep whiff announces a cloud of pepper-y alcohol spiciness, cloaked somewhat by the pungent citrusy, resiny aroma hops. The hops are virtually unrestrained by any malty undertones, and they do not seem to have diminished since my first bottle several months ago.
The taste reveals, well, a big earthy hoppiness almost puckeringly tart. But this time it's accompanied by a big malty fruitiness: that standard barleywine plumminess, and a dry fruitiness like currants. A healthy dose of alcohol is apparent as well. The bitterness of the citrusy hops seems to coat the whole mouth, and refusing to pipe down, they dry out the finish almost completely. While the body doesn't seem as full as I originally thought, it's still pretty thick, even as the malt flavors dissolve into the background and let the alcohol and hops shine through.
Despite the alcohol, it's still a easy-drinking barleywine. I was sad when I discovered I'd finished the bottle, really.
Verdict
Sierra Nevada Bigfoot, 2003 vintage, is the perfect accompaniment to a day mowing the lawn, shearing sheep, or just deep-sea fishing off the coast of New Jersey. It will make you more attractive to both sexes, and remove most household stains.
Recommended:
Yes
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davidmanning
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Location: New York City
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