Top Sipping Beers

11. Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Ale

Origin: Chico, CA, USA
Beer type: Barley Wine
Price: $10 for four-pack 12 oz.
ABV: 9.6%
Brewed by: Sierra Nevada Brewing Company

Considered to be a cult classic and benchmark for the American barley wine style, Bigfoot has been produced since 1983.

At 9.6% ABV, it’s prized by beer collectors for its cellarability — folks stock up each year in order to compare how the flavors change over time. Sierra Nevada is known for brewing beers with a healthy measure of hops … and Bigfoot logs in at 90 IBUs, bittered with the potent Chinook and finished with Cascade, Centennial and more Chinook hops. Large doses of caramel and two-row pale barley offer an intense maltiness that’s sweet enough to balance the bitterness. The caramel adds a touch of toffee and combines with notes of dark fruit and citrus, after which this sipper finishes with a lip-smacking dryness.

Note: While most beers should be consumed as fresh as possible, some styles of beer progress and improve with age, such as this one. Over time, gradual oxidation adds notes of sherry or port wine and smoothes out the harsh alcohol flavors. If choosing to age this to a vintage beer, store in a dark place with a cool and constant temperature.