Tonight's beer: Sierra Nevada Bigfoot (2011)
Bitterness up front—floral and grassy, with maybe a touch of pine—with dark bread, toast, caramel filling in right behind. That lovely buttery flavor (that's not diacetyl) I get from some highly-caramelized malts lingers through the middle, along with flickers of citrus and dark dried/candied fruit. Whiskey-ish impressions, and sprinklings of spices, around the finish.
KInda thick and chewy, with lots of prickle that's probably part carbonation and part alcohol. Eventually, scrubbing almost to the point of scouring; it takes a while to get there. A bit drying and a bit warming into and after the finish.
I'm thinking this is pretty close to its peak: The hops have mellowed a bit, and the beer as a whole is impressively well balanced and integrated. Still plenty intense and complex. Only a trace of alcohol presence, relative to the 9.6% ABV on the label, and plenty sippable on a chilly late-winter evening. Clearly, we need to get another 4-pack of the 2013 so we can get a revolving vertical in line. Yum!
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| Sierra Nevada Bigfoot (2011) |
Bitterness up front—floral and grassy, with maybe a touch of pine—with dark bread, toast, caramel filling in right behind. That lovely buttery flavor (that's not diacetyl) I get from some highly-caramelized malts lingers through the middle, along with flickers of citrus and dark dried/candied fruit. Whiskey-ish impressions, and sprinklings of spices, around the finish.
KInda thick and chewy, with lots of prickle that's probably part carbonation and part alcohol. Eventually, scrubbing almost to the point of scouring; it takes a while to get there. A bit drying and a bit warming into and after the finish.
I'm thinking this is pretty close to its peak: The hops have mellowed a bit, and the beer as a whole is impressively well balanced and integrated. Still plenty intense and complex. Only a trace of alcohol presence, relative to the 9.6% ABV on the label, and plenty sippable on a chilly late-winter evening. Clearly, we need to get another 4-pack of the 2013 so we can get a revolving vertical in line. Yum!
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