What was I drinking?

Sierra Nevada brewery's
Bigfoot Barleywine style Ale

Ahhhh, they had me at "Barleywine."

Sierra Nevada has long been one of my favorite microbrews, who have gone "big" without compromising their quality. Brewmaster Steve Dresler has been with the outfit since 1983, when they were producing 30 barrels a week; they now have an annual production of some 700,000 barrels of beer. They operate out of Chico, California and have recently expanded their operation from "Brewery/Taproom" and Restaurant, to now include a music venue that features top acts from the Country, Bluegrass, Blues genre. They are also a very environment-responsible company, and plan to be operated entirely via fuel cell technology by the end of this year.

"Bigfoot" is a seasonal ale with a gorgeous red body. It is as "stinky" as its namesake -- the maltiness is quite strong, and has a good bitter hoppiness to it. It's quite sweet and has a lingering aftertaste. It goes great with cheesecake, and raspberries. Top-fermented yeast, added with two separate bittering hops and three different malts, make this a heavy ale. It is a classic barleywine, what Latvians call "Gumijas āmurs," or "The Rubber Mallet." It will give you a good whacking and make you dizzy. Alcohol by Volume: 9.6%, so like its namesake, "Bigfoot" is not a beast to be trifled with.

A true afficionado will certainly appreciate this fine brew, especially in moderation and in concert with some sweets. Those just looking for a buzz will find it pretty skunky.