To me it's not hoppy at all. It's like drinking a hoegaarden with a higher alcohol content, a bit less floral, and more pale. You won't be disappointed.

Damn Liquor Store didn't have it.

Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Ale '09 version. Fish approves...



Okay, this is a fan favorite at Beeradvocate, et al. This years version weighed in at 9.6%. My barleywine experience was limited to Stone's '08 offering which was over the top hopped like, "hi, here's a mouthful of weeds." But on Friday I went out to a place in Brea called Taps. I noticed cask ale on the menu so that's what I ordered. The waitress came back and all I could hear above the din was "blah blah blah brewmaster blah blah cask blah blah blah barleywine blah blah blah." I'm exceedingly easy to please so I say ship it.

The Taps barleywine was one of the best beers I've had. It was well balanced, oilier, and much darker that the BF you see above.
The BF is on the hoppy side and has a strong alcohol smell. It's probably not fair to compare it to a small batch, hand crafted brew or only two other BW's but w/e. Not nearly as thick as either the Stone or well balanced as the Taps BW.

The BF is a good beer and I'd def recommend it to anyone wanting to explore BW's or try something different, but I don't think it's best in class.
I'll give it and keep exploring.

i wouldn't say duvel is hoppy at all, or tasted like hoegaarden either which tbh i really cannot stand

russel,

Keep in mind there's American BW and English BW, and the difference is generally the same as the difference between American and English ales most of the time: American leans more towards hoppy with classic American hop flavors. English is balanced towards malt. I'd bet the one you had at the restaurant is an English BW.

WRT Duvel and hops, it uses continental hops in any case. They're not citruisy and piney/woodsy like the west coast hops used in SN, but more floral and spicy.

Saying you don't like hoppy beer is, to me, like saying you don't like beer at all. Everyone likes beer. You just haven't found the right one for you yet.

My local liquor store didn't have sixers of Duvel. It had singles (12oz) for $4 each!

Instead I got La Fin Du Monde...awesome.

Yeah, there was a subtle warning about the price of Duvel earlier, but as you found it, it's pretty expensive. Hell, even the LFDM on the pricier side, but about half as much. It is indeed delicious. Have you had it before?

I have had it once before but it was at a restaurant and I had already been drinking. LFDM was about $6.50 for a 750ml bottle that was worth every penny.

Recommend me something to enjoy tonight...

Give Delirium Tremens a shot if you like the Unibroue stuff. I thought Maredsous was very good.

I just picked up a 750ml bottle of Duvel at lunch (warm). I have it buried in the snow outside my office so it will be nice and chilled after work. Report to come.

Heh. Better hope it doesn't freeze and explode.

Now I'm all paranoid. In high school we used to bury sixers in the snow & hit the slopes for 4 or 5 hours. But that was Miller Lite.

High alcohol content = lower freezing point = less likely to freeze

Well, yeah, but it still wouldn't try this in Nome.

I was disappointed. The head on this beer was incredible...it was almost like a whipped cream consistency that floated on top. I don't really have any "fru fru" language or anything to describe it, but I tasted like I was drinking a malt-liquor. After my first sip, the first thought that popped into my head was Mickey's. The aftertaste was too bitter for my taste and although it had a nice fruity aroma, it had overtones of strong alcohol.

I am not going to say it was bad, and I would drink it again if it were offered to me, but I would never spend money on it again.

Compared to La Fin Du Monde (my last purchase), I would call it a letdown & unenjoyable.

Well, LFDM is in a class of its own. I find Duvel to be a very easy drinking, higher ABV content beer. It's almost pilsener like in a way.

After cutting grass, yard word or just making some burgers there is only one choice

[IMG][/IMG]

good beer is to be savored I only chug beer on hot yard work days so it's coors.

Now if I go to a movie at the drive in or having company out comes the lobotomy bock or widmer

Put down the Girls Light and pick up a can of the official beer of summer yard work:

The problem is that at least for me, LFDM is cheaper than Duvel, so I don't have much enthusiasm for buying it.

http://www.sfbeerweek.org/

http://www.strongbeermonth.com/Welcome.html

The best month of the year in the Bay Area IMO. I'm gonna do all the Strong beers this time for sure.

You mean that you don't have much enthusiasm for buying Duvel right? If LFDM is currently my favorite beer (and it is basically impossible to have an absolute favorite I guess), can you recommend me another one to try that I might like based on my LFDM taste?

Well, the rest of the Unibroue line is a start, but particularly Don De Dieu and Trois Pistoles. You might also like Southampton's Grand Cru and Double White, just about anything from Allagash, and most anything from Ommegang.

Good call, the whole Unibroue lineup is outstanding.

If I'm ever in Quebec, I'm touring their facility, if they do that sort of thing.

Victory Golden Monkey is a tripel and very good, but I have had not had a LFDM in a while so I can not really compare.