Trip in the Woods: Bourbon Barrel-Aged Vintage Bigfoot
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

Trip in the Woods: Bourbon Barrel-Aged Vintage BigfootTrip in the Woods: Bourbon Barrel-Aged Vintage Bigfoot
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From:
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
 
California, United States
Style:
American Barleywine
Ranked #19
ABV:
12.1%
Score:
95
Ranked #1,431
Avg:
4.33 | pDev: 5.54%
Reviews:
38
Ratings:
84
Status:
Active
Rated:
Oct 22, 2023
Added:
Mar 27, 2019
Wants:
  4
Gots:
  3
A combination of one-, two-, and three-year Kentucky bourbon barrel aged Bigfoot.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by hockeypuck:
Photo of hockeypuck
Rated by hockeypuck from Maine

4.23/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

May 03, 2020
More User Ratings:
Photo of NevadaBill
Reviewed by NevadaBill from Nevada

4.59/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
On tap at Sierra Nevada. (Oct, 2023) Poured in to an 10oz. glass. Small head, nice deep brown appearance, solid lacing.
This has a big Barrel Aged front end nose. It is super floral. There is a light "Mead" character to this beer. The gravity is certainly reaching up there in to Mead territory. It has a Trappist Belgian character in the taste, in that the active carbonation and lacing are enhancing the flavor a great deal. It is almost Brandy-like. There is a good deal of Vanilla, medium-light body, somewhat malty, and it is very boozy. This could stand some cellaring in my opinion. It is not hoppy (at around 30 IBU). It has an acidic character to it also. There is no aftertaste. In summary, this is a very attractive beer that took some real skill to craft, and I am looking forward to taking some of the bottles (from the gift shop) home later to find out just how tasty it can be with other foods. It is quite unusual and gets very high marks for me. Especially from SN. After Note: This is nothing like any Bigfoot that I have every tasted, really. It is not an American Barleywine style at all.
Oct 22, 2023
 
Rated: 4.25 by paulish from New York

Feb 21, 2023
 
Rated: 4.84 by doctorgary from New York

Jun 15, 2022
 
Rated: 4.29 by Dreyski from England

Mar 09, 2022
Photo of Benish
Reviewed by Benish from Utah

4.25/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Poured a dark amber with a beige head. Knowing it’s Bigfoot, of course it tastes and smells like the classic American Barleywine. The hops seems to be a little less pronounced, or faded from the aging if you will. Smell and taste heavy dark fruits with hints of vanilla. Not much of bourbon but heavy oak and must at the finish. Overall very decent sipper, this is something I would return to regularly if it wasn’t for the large format bottles.
Jan 11, 2022
 
Rated: 4.18 by shelby415 from Oregon

Jan 05, 2022
 
Rated: 4.25 by j37geogaddi from Massachusetts

Dec 08, 2021
 
Rated: 4.35 by steverx8 from England

Dec 03, 2021
 
Rated: 4.35 by GClarkage from California

Nov 30, 2021
Photo of ovaltine
Reviewed by ovaltine from Indiana

4.58/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Pours a gorgeous mahogany brown with the slightest hints of ruby on the edges, mostly clear body, and a rich, creamy tan head. The nose has the slightest hint of booze, a lot of oak, and loads of vanilla, caramel, and stone fruit. Wow.

The taste has all the notes mentioned for the nose, with the caramel and stone fruit (primarily plums) being most prominent, and there’s a delicious hop flavor that approaches pine that elevated this significantly for me. Truly a delicious BA barleywine.

The mouthfeel is a smidge on the thin side for a beer of this magnitude, but that doesn’t detract from the beer for me at all - it is a delicious, well-executed flavor ride. World-class stuff, IMHO.
Sep 12, 2021
Photo of TreyIsWilson
Reviewed by TreyIsWilson from Michigan

4.28/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
A - Pours a dark reddish brown with a thin off white head. Tons of soapy lacing.

S - Aroma Is raisins, toffee, oak and bourbon.

T - The taste is raisins, plums, caramel, vanilla, oak, piney hops and

M - Medium body with medium carbonation. Creamy mouthfeel with soft finish.

O - Pretty awesome sipper. The alcohol is noticeable, but doesn’t detract from the enjoyment.
May 09, 2021
 
Rated: 4.29 by mattmarka1 from Minnesota

Feb 15, 2021
Photo of AmeriCanadian
Reviewed by AmeriCanadian from Tennessee

4.24/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Absolutely fascinating beer. Surprised how mellow it is. One of the better beer labels I’ve encountered in terms of nailing the notes and components involved, though I picked up much less apple than other mentioned notes. Amazing dark fruit notes, brandy components, light chocolate, molasses, oak, fig, dark plum, wheat wine, doughy malt, tea leaf, tobacco leaf, and big toffee notes. The butteriness is sublime, but this one has Sierra Nevada written all over it in that nothing is huge or overly bold. Just a wonderful sipper.
Jan 18, 2021
 
Rated: 4.25 by a77cj7 from South Dakota

Dec 13, 2020
Photo of hreb
Reviewed by hreb from Washington

3.88/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
700mL (that's 1 pt. 9.4. fl. oz) cork-topped bottle of "Trip in the Woods: Vintage Bigfoot". Served in a stemmed wine glass. Deep ruby color approaching mahogany, nearly still, with a rich aroma of raisins and prunes. Very fine bubbles. The taste offers a lot of oak and strong booze. It doesn't burn, but it makes its presence known. After that initial onslaught of dark fruit and wood the rest of the beer is comparatively flaccid. The flavor profile is right on but I just don't think this has the complexity I'm looking for, and I think I might actually prefer the regular Barrel-Aged Bigfoot. To me it's like all of the massive malt bill has been reduced down to these small set of fruit notes, without leaving anything behind to taste bready, or nutty, or cocoa, or toasty. Which doesn't take anything away from the impressive feat of making a 12.1% ABV ale that's actually enjoyable to drink... it's just not outstanding.
Nov 28, 2020
Photo of Scotchboy
Reviewed by Scotchboy from Idaho

4.18/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A delicous corked & caged 750ml popped at a recent event. Dark, mostly clear brown color with a foamy & creamy off-khaki head and lacing; lots of dark fruit and raisins combined with a strong bourbon barrel character without being too hot; malt is prominent, with plenty of brown sugar and dark caramel, raisin, and whiskey; woody spicyness; bourbon barrel hits with presence but not too boozy at all; creamy, smooth body drinks lighter than 12%. Hops are completely diminished at this age, which is fine. Overall a delicious Bigfoot variant, leaning more towards an English barleywine at this stage.
Nov 22, 2020
 
Rated: 4.43 by Luscious_Malfoy from Illinois

Oct 25, 2020
Photo of stortore
Reviewed by stortore from Illinois

4.21/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
750 ml bottle into a snifter. Bottled 3/6/19, had 9/19/20.

Pours a mostly clear medium amber, with a one and a half inch foamy head and soapy lacing. Aromas of bourbon, caramel, tobacco, brown sugar, vanilla, raisins, oak, some plums, light char. Flavors of bourbon, caramel, malt, brown sugar, tobacco, plums, some leather and vanilla, some hop bitterness. Smooth, a very good medium body, well carbonated.

A little disappointed at first, it really grew on me as it warmed. Great barrels, the base beer is a little light for the style but good, there’s a nice profile of aromas and flavors. Very enjoyable.
Sep 29, 2020
 
Rated: 4.5 by GregSemenza from Connecticut

Jul 06, 2020
Trip in the Woods: Bourbon Barrel-Aged Vintage Bigfoot from Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 95 out of 100 with 84 ratings