Sierra Nevada - Bigfoot 2012 & Narwhal 2012

Sierra Nevada has been in craft brewing for over thirty years - the company was founded in 1979 and if you want consistently good beer and a variety of styles to select, Sierra nevada is an easy choice.  They also have nationwide distribution and are one of the largest craft brewers in the U.S.  One of their new offerings is Narwhal (10.2% ABV and 60 BU) is an Imperial Stout, which is one of my favorite styles and an old offering is Bigfoot (9.6% ABV and 90 IBU) is a Barleywine style ale.  Both of these beers are seasonal offerings and you will need to purchase them when they are available.  Narwhal is in 4-packs and Bigfoot is in 6-packs.  These are appropriate for cellaring and the Bigfoot is almost one year old.  These are big beers and they should be poured into a snifter and allowed to warm up a bit (50 - 55 degrees).  Think of sitting be a fire and slowly enjoying these - you want to savor every drop.  Both of these beers deserve space in your fridge / cellar and I plan to keep back a few bottles of each and plan to do a vertical tasting of these at some point in the future.  I rate both as A beers and Narwhal recently won a medal at the GABF in Oct.  If you want to try either of these styles - Sierra Nevada makes two excellent ones.  

Also - start looking for Ruthless Rye - a seasonal offering that is now available from Sierra Nevada.  

Russian Imperial Stout - http://beeradvocate.com/beer/style/84 - BeerAdvocate
American Barleywine - http://beeradvocate.com/beer/style/19 - BeerAdvocate

Narwhal website description - “A malt-forward monster, highlighting the depths of malt flavor.  Narwhal Imperial Stout is inspired by the mysterious creature that thrives in the deepest fathoms of the frigid Arctic Ocean. Featuring incredible depth of malt flavor, rich with notes of espresso, baker’s cocoa, roasted grain and a light hint of smoke, Narwhal is a massive malt-forward monster. Aggressive but refined with a velvety smooth body and decadent finish, Narwhal will age in the bottle for years to come.”

Bigfoot website description - “Our cult-classic beast of a barleywine.  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.”

Narwhal - http://www.sierranevada.com/beer/high-altitude/narwhal-imperial-stout
Bigfoot - http://www.sierranevada.com/beer/high-altitude/bigfoot-barleywine-style-ale

Double DBA is Awesome

Back at Parry’s for another couple of pints with friends and some great food.  Tibor and I split calzones – he ordered a Buffalo Chicken Calzone and I ordered a Meat Calzone.  I was surprised with the Buffalo Chicken Calzone as I was not sure what to expect; it was excellent.  For beers, Melanie informed me that they just tapped Double Double Barrel Ale from Firestone Walker and I promptly placed an order.  DBA is a very tasty beer on its own and Matt Brynildson, head brewer at Firestone Walker, is at the top of his game.  I think Firestone Walker is the best brewer in the U.S. at this time – period.  Double DBA (12% ABV) is classed as a Barley Wine and is essentially a double strength DBA.  DBA is the flagship beer at Firestone Walker.  Double DBA is excellent and easily one of the best beers I have had the opportunity to sample this year.  DBA has very nice caramel, toffee and oak tastes and is just perfectly balanced with the triad of alcohol, bitterness and sweetness.

Double DBA website description – “DDBA is our flagship beer brewed at double strength.  It is amazingly similar in many respects to our barrel fermented DBA and possesses everything we love about that beer times two.  English caramel malts lend rich toffee character that pairs well with assertive medium toast American oak barrels.”

Firestone Walker - http://www.firestonebeer.com/beers/products/double-dba
Parry’s Pizzeria and Bar - http://www.parryspizza.com/parrysbar/

I also sampled a Sam Adams Old Kentucky-style Ale (7.5% ABV - ??) that is classed as an American Strong Ale.  It is not a bad beer, and is easy to drink.  However, I would suggest not trying it after Double DBA.   Double DBA is a much larger beer and easily overpowers Old Kentucky.  There is very little information that I could find on Old Kentucky Ale and I would like to try it again – first this time.

Sierra Nevada - 30th Anniversary - Jack and Ken's Ale

I was really looking forward to Jack and Ken's Black Barleywine since I had a taste at Denver Brewfest.  Jack and Ken's Ale is another addition to the 30th Anniversary sieres from Sierra Nevada.  Ken Grossman is the founder of Sierra Nevada and Jack McAuliffe started New Albion Brewery.  These two American Craft Beer pioneers created a real gem with this black barleywine and it took gold at the 2010 GABF for the "Other Strong Beer" category.  As the name implies, this pours black and has a nice head that takes some time to recede.  The beer has a great malt aroma with tastes of toffee, stone fruit, good bitterness and hidden alcohol (10.2% ABV).  This is a dangerous ale because it is very drinkable.  If you get the opportunity to sample this one, take your time, let the beer warm up a bit, sip and take in the flavors.  This is a beer that is meant to be experienced and it is a very enjoyable experience.  Thanks again to Scott for this bottle - I do appreciate it - it was very good.  I am very glad this took a gold at GABF - Jack and Ken deserve accolades for this ale and their work for craft beer.  Jack and Ken's ale is one of the great ones and one of the best I have had to opportunity to sample.

Santa Fe Chicken Killer and Ska Natural Blonde Ale

Santa Fe Brewing offers a number of different styles and I wanted to try their Chicken Killer Barleywine (10% ABV).  It pours cloudy amber with little head, has a nice aroma, and tastes good.  It is not as hoppy as some of the barleywines I have had and there is an emphasis on malt sweetness.  The website describes Chicken Killer as “The flavors of the beer are at first as overwhelming as the intense Santa Fe sun. But in the same way our sun gives us the unrivaled brilliant colors of Santa Fe, the potency of Chicken Killer gives us the remarkable spectrum of flavors that can be found in no other beer, in no other city.”  Santa Fe is a great city to visit.  The next time we go to AZ I plan to stop in Santa Fe to eat some wonderful food at Maria’s and I’ll have to stop by the Santa Fe Brewery. 

Ska is a brewer based in Durango, Co and is known for craft beer in cans.  I really liked Modus Hoperandi at the Winter Brew Fest and I would like to try more offerings from Ska.  Natural Blonde Ale pours a clear straw yellow and has a large head – be careful pouring.  This is an American Blonde Ale (5.3% ABV) and has a slight citrus / lemon aroma and taste.  It is not a bad beer, but I will probably choose other offerings from Ska to try in the future.

Grand Cru and Old No. 23

I had two great beers last and these were fantastic.  Great Divide – Grand Cru is a Belgian-style Dark ale with an 11% ABV.  Great Divide has the words “Elegant” and “Exquisite” on the label and these two descriptors are spot on.  Great Divide describes Grand Cru as “our very special Belgian-style dark ale. Imported malts give it a round malty richness, and the fruity complexity and slightly spicy character come from brewing with a proprietary Belgian yeast strain. Don’t let the name fool you; while it may be a special occasion beer, this medium-bodied, elegant incarnation is anything but snobbish.”  This beer is a seasonal release (Jan. – March) that is released in 22 oz. bombers and this is a sipping beer that you just need to sit back, relax, and relish in the deliciousness. 

Old No. 23 Barleywine won a silver medal for American Barley Wine-style Ale (ABV – 9.14% & IBU – 34) at the 2010 GABF.  Bristol Brewing is based in Colorado Springs and is a brewery I want to visit this year.  No. 23 is a limited release and is available in a 4 pack of 12 oz bottles throughout Colorado.  Bristol describes No. 23 as “an annual Bristol tradition, Old No. 23 revives an English farmhouse brewery practice of making a complex ale to set aside for special occasions. Our version, while painstaking and time-consuming to brew, rewards the connoisseur with an ale that has the depth and complexity of a good brandy or single malt scotch. Massive quantities of malt and hops, a long aging time and limited availability make this a special ale worthy of its reputation.”  This pours a tan / orange and with a nice head and it is just a pleasure to partake.  This is another beer to just sit back, relax, and slowly enjoy this beauty.  I will be buying more if it is still available.

Lagunitas - IPA and Gnarly Wine

Lagunitas is a brewer from Petaluma CA and Gnarly Wine is their 10.12% ABV Barleywine.  This is an annual release in January and is sold in 22 oz. bombers.  This one pours a nice amber with nice one finger head.  It has a sweet malty aroma and the taste is more malt focused – like a Scottish Ale – than hop / bitterness focused.  This is well-balanced and goes down easy.  Barleywine is one of my favorite beer styles and this is another good.  The American Craft Brewers are doing a great job with this style and I have been impressed with the complexity and overall taste of these Barleywines. 

Lagunitas IPA (ABV – 6.6% and IBU – 45) pours a orange / amber color with a large head – be careful pouring.  I paired this with a grilled pork chop and rice with a chili verde sauce, and sautéed mixed vegetables (onion, carrot, jalapeno pepper, and asparagus).  This beer paired well with dinner and I like the classic West Coast IPA style with this meal.  I would like to try some other offerings from Lagunitas – these two are good.

Sierra Nevada - Bigfoot 2011

An American-style Barleywine has large quantities of malt and hops in comparison to English-style Barleywine.  I enjoy the larger beers with malt-emphasis and with hop-emphasis and Barleywine is a great mixture of both – this is a style that is one of my favorites.  Sierra Nevada produces an annual Barley Wine at the first part of the year named Bigfoot.  Bigfoot has an ABV of 9.6% and an IBU of 90.  This one pours a cloudy dark reddish tan with a nice head that takes some time to recede.  I like to allow Barley Wine to warm as this style should be enjoyed at 50 – 55 degrees.  This would be a great beer to cellar and I plan to purchase some more for storage.  The aroma is excellent and filled with malt sweetness – candy like.  Taste is excellent with caramel / toffee and a chocolate undertone, then finishing with a nice balanced bitterness from the hops.  It is a bit hot from the alcohol and hops and I known this will be even better after a couple of years of cellaring.  This is a nice one and I understand why Bigfoot has won a number of awards.