The Beer I Drank Today: Bigfoot and Beer Geek Breakfast

The Beer I Drank Today: Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barley Wine Style Ale

Style: American Barley Wine

Color: deep copper

Head/Lacing: sticky and thick

Aroma: This is one of the hoppier-smelling barley wines I've had and I just attended a barley wine tasting on Monday.

Flavor: hops, caramel, malt

Context: I left the house this morning on the hunt for beer. I intended to hit Arena up for a Mikkeller Stateside IPA (first Mikkeller in a local store) and to see whether Hopslam had hit COMO. The Mikkeller is now safely in the stash and the Hopslam doesn't arrive until Tuesday. Anyway, Hyvee had a ton of the Bigfoots, so I bought a sixer. This was very exciting since I don't think it came through last year. I drank one bottle while cleaning the kitchen and hanging out with Lu. The rest will be cellared.

Would I recommend this beer to you? Yes. This might be the most instantly drinkable barley wine I've had. It will be hard not to break open another bottle, but the promise of how good this beer can be will hold me off for the time being.

(What a terrible pour.)

The Beer I Drank Today: Mikkeller Beer Geek Breakfast

Style: Imperial Stout

Color: black

Head/Lacing: tan, frothy head with some nice lacing

Aroma: a little chocolate, dried fruit, bitter coffee, and a touch of hops

Flavor: bitter coffee with a slight touch of chocolate and hops, roasted malt, leaves the mouth dry with a bitter aftertaste

Context: I am not completely sold on Mikkeller's beer, but their marketing and packaging get me every time. I bought this one in STL a while back and have been waiting to give it a try ever since. R left to see Slumdog Millionaire with a friend. I bathed, fed, and put the kid to bed. So, I thought a nice ending to the evening would be to sample this stout.

Would I recommend this beer to you? Yes. However, it's not nearly as creamy, thick, or chocolaty as imperial stouts by Bells or Great Divide. Plus, at ten bucks a pop for 500mL, you can do better with your money. However, if you want to avoid the dessert-like qualities of most imperial stouts, this is a good choice.