Sierra Nevada's Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale: The Beer of My Year

Sierra Nevada's Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale is a somewhat unique offering; beers from moderate to large craft breweries quite rarely sport the type of deep quality, richness, spice, and punch that Bigfoot Ale so exceedingly and blessedly provides. I am not alone with my applause, either-according to Sierra Nevada's website; the beer has merited no less than nine gold medal awards over the years.

Wait just a minute...years? Where have I been? I thought this was a new product, as I have been happily imbibing Sierra Nevada beer, (most frequently their obscenely dark Porter) for a decade. Nevertheless, it seems I somehow overlooked this magnificent barleywine style ale. If you like darker, strong beers, do not make my same mistake. According to their website, Sierra Nevada is available all across the country. Their informative website includes an interactive map that can be used to look up your nearest distribution center.

Although I am sure the site's suggested pairing with desserts such as cheesecake or sharp cheeses is right on base, I have found that it is an excellent, informal dinner or lunch beer with an uncomplicated meal, such as pastas with butter or garlic sauces, vegetable based sandwiches, a cheesy potato dish, and even chips and guacamole. The alcohol content is quite high at 9.6%, and is therefore perfect with a meal. Bigfoot's powerful, bittersweet bang is tempered nicely when followed by a bite of simple comfort food.

So...what exactly does 'barleywine' mean? According to its wikipedia entry, it is the strongest of the bitter class of beers, a 19^th century English invention, and appropriated officially in 1901 by Bass, to refer to its No.1 beer. Because of its characteristic high alcohol content, it is as strong as a wine, and referred to as such in name. But because it is brewed from not a fruit as a true wine, but a grain, barley, it is thusly named barleywine.

According to this same wikipedia source, it is meant to be sipped and enjoyed slowly. That fairly blows my lunch recommendation out of the water, but in matters of the palette, sometimes the water is deep and wide enough to retain its battleworn lunch recommendations intact. I heartily stand by my experience. Although not exactly gulpable, Bigfoot Ale is definitely swigable. And if you like a good beer with lunch or dinner, you know the merits of swigability. And it goes really, really well with scalloped potatoes.

Another bonus is also Bigfoot's modest price-in my area, only about 8 bucks for a six-pack. Lovers of the sublime but more pricey and formal "Delirium Tremens", or "Chimay Ale", will be pleased to find a more affordable and everyday, similarly-spirited choice in Bigfoot Barley Wine Style Ale.

Oh, and the ultranerdy appropriation the iconic, cryptozooloical Bigfoot is pretty much the epitome of cool, too. It somehow makes sense-this beer is supernatural, full of mystery, somewhat elusive, and deserves to finally be captured and proven--not unlike the beloved Sasquatch. Drink deeply!