When I think of the word ‘vertical’, two things come to mind. The first and most obvious is Michael Jordan. The second, and most awkward is Olivia Newton John. Now I don’t have an 80’s spandex workout gear crush on Olivia (I actually despise the movie Grease and cringe when that song comes on at weddings), but her song “Physical” gets morphed anytime I hear a word with “cal” at the end. For example:
“We’re going to get vertical, vertical. I wanna get vertical, vertical. Let me hear your body talk, body talk.”
Whatever, that’s how my brain works.
When I think of Bigfoot, I am reminded of John Lithgow in Harry and the Hendersons. An All-time classic movie.
Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine is an all-time classic beer in my book. One of my top five favorite beers. Simply because it’s easy to get (see also: not over-hyped), it’s one of my favorite styles, and it ages very well. So when the end of January came around, I went on the search for Bigfoot. With the help of my buddy Stephen, we had the opportunity to do a vertical of a 2010, 2011, 2012, and a blend of all three.
2010- Maltbomb! As the picture shows, it held it’s carbonation very well. Nose was all bready malt with no hop presence to be found. Like Ms. Newton John, had some great legs for its age as well. Taste was sweet like brown sugar, sweet bread, and toffee. My first and my favorite.
2011- Much more of a hop presence on the nose than 2010. I had actually drank my last 2011 just a few months ago before Stephen brought this one over so it was nice to taste it after a few more months. Much smoother and more blend between the hops and malt than the previous year. Still sweet, but not a thick sticky sweet. Thinner mouth feel.
2012- The baby of the bunch. Least head of the group. Strongest hop presence and much more of a booze mentality. A quality barleywine for its age, but drinks more like a DIPA than a barleywine. The malts are hidden in the matted tufts of the Bigfoots nether-regions.
2010 was choice. Bigfoot has been found.
