I've gotten to the stage in my beer stash whereby all I have left are things I was saving either for an occasion, or just to age. Luckily, I had a couple of Bigfoot 2012s, a beer I think I can still replenish. Decoding Sierra Nevada's cryptic bottling date number told me the ber in hand was a little over a year old.
So, how does 14 months in isolation treat Bigfoot?
Pretty well, by the smell of things. Sharp zesty hops are to the fore on the aroma, with big grapefruit notes, pungent, oily citrus fruit rind and of course, deep malty sweetness that brings Scots Clan to mind. After a while, I even got a trace of cinnamon in there. The intensity of the aroma is matched by the taste, with a big, powerful balance of potent, bitter hops and thick chewy malts. There's a honey and brown sugar sweetness and even a dark chocolate note that pulls Brooklyn's Black Chocolate Stout to mind, while pine needle, clove and bitter fruit notes stimulate the tongue and the inside of the cheeks.
The harshness of youth is definitely toned down a bit here, but it's still a bit hot at the finish. Delicious as ever, looking forward to having one of these next year with 2 years of ageing.
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