Out of the Cellar: Sierra Nevada Bigfoot 2004

Brewery: Sierra Nevada

Style: Barleywine
ABV: 9.6%
Date Cellared: February 2004
Date Poured: May 2009

I have very few beers in the cellar that are getting past five years and this is one of them. Anything that reaches five years of aging has to be sampled, right?

Pours the familiar murky brown with a thin but persistent tan head. After five years, still the distinct aroma of cascade hops in the nose. Rich and fruity maltiness too but the hops are still prominent.

Fruity and rich maltiness in the mouth. Again, still a ton of cascade hops detected and gives it a biting bitteness. A bit of alcohol in the finish. But the flavors are blending very nicely. Could still keep aging! Easily!

25 Beers of Christmas '08, Day 15: Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale

Brewery: Sierra Nevada Brewing
Style: IPA
ABV: 6.8%
Date Poured: December 2008

Yet another yearly tradition at Christmas is Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale. This is the first Christmas beer I can remember drinking. I tried an aged bottle last year and decided that this beer was defintely best when fresh! So here's a fresh bottle for 2008.

Orange body topped by a creamy khaki head with lots of fine lacing on the glass. Grapefruit and orange rind in the nose.

Bitter but juicy citrus flavors, more grapefruit and orange rind. Lightly sweet with a clean finish. A long citrusy hop finish.

Good as ever.


Sierra Nevada Brewing

25 Beers of Christmas, Day 18: Sierra Nevada Celebration 2003

Against my better judgement, I put a bottle of Celebration in the cellar for a number of years. I have heard of other people doing this and while I don't typically don't lay down IPA's, my curiosity outweighed my prudence. It does have nearly 7% ABV and is bottle conditioned so you never know. This bottle has been in my possession for 4 years.

It pours a reddish copper with a quickly dissipating head (from the age I presume). Still quite hoppy in the nose with slight fruity malt and some aromas from mild oxidation.

The hops have faded revealing some lightly fruity pale malt. The body is quite fizzy, perhaps from bottle conditioning creating more carbonation. Some light oxidation and lightly stale cascade hops. Lightly sticky finish.

It's not great but I was expecting a mess. It actually aged quite nicely for the style. Not recommended but an interesting experiment.

Sierra Nevada Brewing

25 Beers of Christmas, Day 13: Sierra Nevada Bigfoot 2004

One of the oldest stashes of beer in my collection is the several bottles of 2004 Bigfoot. Ah, a (nearly) four year old classic! This was the first barleywine I ever had (back in the mid-90's) and it ages wonderfully. Bigfoot clocks in at 9.6% and 90 IBU.

Pours the color of cherry wood with a thin tan head. Sparse lacing on the glass. The nose can still pick out some Cascade hops but mostly is big caramel malt and the oxidized flavors (sherry, vanilla, raisin) mixed in.

The bittering hops are still quite evident in the mouth although greatly muted from when the beer is fresh. The muted herbal hops are now in good balance with the big caramel malt. Fruity flavors from the malt, raisin and black currant. Big sticky mouth. Hops take over again in the finish. Nice.

Sierra Nevada