Sierra Nevada 1999 Bigfoot Barleywine

I ordered a glass of Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine from 1999 at Max's Taphouse in Baltimore. The beer pours a copper color with a thin white filmy head. The aroma consists of caramel, toffee, and light pine. The taste is huge on caramel with excellent pine, lemon, and grapefruit accents. There is a hint of grape and raisin on the finish and the after taste has oak accents. The alcohol content is 9.6% ABV. I thought that the hops have subsided over time in the Bigfoot but provide excellent balance to the sweetness of the caramel. While the hops mellow over time, the beer becomes a wonderfully sweet tasting beer.

Sierra Nevada 2010 Bigfoot Barleywine Ale

I picked up a bottle of Sierra Nevada 2010 Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale from Ron's Original Bar & Grille in West Chester. The beer pours a copper color with a frothy white head. The aroma consists of caramel and light fresh hops. The taste is fresh hops on the front end and has a light citrus lemon taste followed with some caramel accents. There are some flower tastes on the finish. The alcohol content is 9.6% ABV. I really enjoyed the Bigfoot. It may be a little hoppier than most barleywines, but it was a great variation on the style and extremely complex.