Bigfoot
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
- From:
- Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
- California, United States
- Style:
- American Barleywine
Ranked #68 - ABV:
- 9.6%
- Score:
- 92
Ranked #3,733 - Avg:
- 4.14 | pDev: 11.35%
- Reviews:
- 3,235
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Mar 28, 2025
- Added:
- Feb 06, 1998
- Wants:
- 448
- Gots:
- 1,934
SCORE
92
Outstanding
92
Outstanding
Bigfoot is a beast of a beer, brimming with bold flavors of bittersweet malt and heaps of aggressive whole-cone Pacific Northwest hops. First introduced in the winter of 1983, Bigfoot is a cult-classic beer brewed in the barleywine style, meaning a strong, robust, bruiser of a beer with the refined intensity of a wine. Bigfoot is prized by beer collectors for its supreme cellarability. Under the proper conditions, it can age like a fine wine, developing new flavors and character as it matures in the bottle. Each new release or “expedition” is vintage dated. Collect your own and see the flavors develop and progress.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by EH33905 from Florida
3.75/5 rDev -9.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
3.75/5 rDev -9.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
I get why people love this beer. I am just not into hoppy beers. Hate IPA's, but I do get it. Smells like a quality beer for sure but I like the more malty barleywines.
Mar 28, 2025Rated by Hopdini from California
4.18/5 rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.18/5 rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
tasty expression of the style. Sierra Nevada is boss.
Mar 24, 2025
Reviewed by TheAncientSwiller from New Jersey
5/5 rDev +20.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
5/5 rDev +20.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
I’ve been drinking this beast, since circa 98’. Nothing much has changed(and that is a great thing) my favorite barleywine. You want it hop forward? Drink it young. 50/50…wait a year or 2. Malt forward? Cellar it. Regardless of your tasting method…she’s a beauty. Indian red/brown like the crayola color crayon. Molasses/orange-y/west coast hops/hefty/robust/sweet but not cloying/bitter but not crazy bitter. The malt does its job. It doesn’t get any better.
Mar 20, 2025
Rated by crazyspicychef from Pennsylvania
4.34/5 rDev +4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.34/5 rDev +4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Although I prefer English style barleywines, this one is a classic
A yearly tradition.
A hop monster, but with the malts to back it all up.
Mar 12, 2025A yearly tradition.
A hop monster, but with the malts to back it all up.
Reviewed by Bluerabbitbell from Pennsylvania
4.29/5 rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.29/5 rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
On tap at Apothecary Ale House in Morgantown WV.
Big hop aroma and slight caramel hints come through in aroma for this bitey offering!
Alcohol comes through extraordinarily, making it that "bruiser of a beer"! Slight candy taste on the first sip that explodes into a bright, bitter, sharp alcohol flavor, which surprises with a soft and smooth mouthfeel.
Beautiful deep copper color... And the lacing is beautiful!
Mar 02, 2025Big hop aroma and slight caramel hints come through in aroma for this bitey offering!
Alcohol comes through extraordinarily, making it that "bruiser of a beer"! Slight candy taste on the first sip that explodes into a bright, bitter, sharp alcohol flavor, which surprises with a soft and smooth mouthfeel.
Beautiful deep copper color... And the lacing is beautiful!
Rated by Billet from Michigan
5/5 rDev +20.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
5/5 rDev +20.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Essentially perfect!
Feb 26, 2025
Reviewed by WYeates from North Carolina
4.34/5 rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
4.34/5 rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
2025, Vintage
Pours to a large foam head and a non-transparent dark reddish brown color. Smells of orange citrus, a bitter hoppy aroma, light bread, and a unique purified water smell that adds intrigue. It feels mildly heavy on the tongue as a slight skunk bread taste hits the tongue, the bitter hoppiness isn't overly, but you are reminded of it every time a caramel flavor greets your tastebuds.
It's my first Barleywine, and does the style justice as this thick and pleasantly bitter beer is perfect for a specific mood of something strong, but not overwhelming.
Feb 21, 2025Pours to a large foam head and a non-transparent dark reddish brown color. Smells of orange citrus, a bitter hoppy aroma, light bread, and a unique purified water smell that adds intrigue. It feels mildly heavy on the tongue as a slight skunk bread taste hits the tongue, the bitter hoppiness isn't overly, but you are reminded of it every time a caramel flavor greets your tastebuds.
It's my first Barleywine, and does the style justice as this thick and pleasantly bitter beer is perfect for a specific mood of something strong, but not overwhelming.
Reviewed by wmeckley44 from Tennessee
4.52/5 rDev +9.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.52/5 rDev +9.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
2023 vintage, into a snifter.
Pours a nice reddish brown with lingering white foam. Not fully clear, but no haze. Smells like candied oranges, some spicy, syrupy hops, and a lot of rich caramel and sherry. Flavor is lovely. Very American, with tons of C hops which present as sharp, piney, resinous bitterness. The caramel is also quite present, but in the background to how bitter and hoppy this beer is. Finish is sweet and sticky but still quite delicious. Mouthfeel is good, there's a huge body and depth of flavor to this beer but it's still very drinkable and exceptionally smooth.
Overall, Bigfoot vs. 120 Minute, I think 120 Minute wins, BUT Bigfoot is far more drinkable. 120 Minute is such an intense, aggressive beer, and I found this 2ish year old Bigfoot to deliver the same flavors in a smoother, more approachable package. It's absolutely delicious and I can tell the aging did good work on this bottle. The harsh edges are smoothed off and there's some extra depth and darkness to flavor that I haven't seen in fresh barleywine. Great stuff from one of my favorite breweries.
Feb 09, 2025Pours a nice reddish brown with lingering white foam. Not fully clear, but no haze. Smells like candied oranges, some spicy, syrupy hops, and a lot of rich caramel and sherry. Flavor is lovely. Very American, with tons of C hops which present as sharp, piney, resinous bitterness. The caramel is also quite present, but in the background to how bitter and hoppy this beer is. Finish is sweet and sticky but still quite delicious. Mouthfeel is good, there's a huge body and depth of flavor to this beer but it's still very drinkable and exceptionally smooth.
Overall, Bigfoot vs. 120 Minute, I think 120 Minute wins, BUT Bigfoot is far more drinkable. 120 Minute is such an intense, aggressive beer, and I found this 2ish year old Bigfoot to deliver the same flavors in a smoother, more approachable package. It's absolutely delicious and I can tell the aging did good work on this bottle. The harsh edges are smoothed off and there's some extra depth and darkness to flavor that I haven't seen in fresh barleywine. Great stuff from one of my favorite breweries.
Reviewed by SGTBeer
3.18/5 rDev -23.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
3.18/5 rDev -23.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
I love Barleywine but this was disappointing. Honestly, you could have mistaken this for an IPA.
I know American-style Barleywine is supposed to be more hop-heavy, but this was too much. Just a shame.
Feb 08, 2025I know American-style Barleywine is supposed to be more hop-heavy, but this was too much. Just a shame.
We love reviews (150 characters or more)! Check out: How to Review a Beer. You don't need to get fancy. Drop some thoughts on the beer's attributes (look, smell, taste, feel) plus your overall impression. Something that backs up your rating and helps others. Thanks!