Sierra Nevada, Colonel E.H. Taylor Hit Home Run With Beer Collab

Sierra Nevada (Photo: Sierra Nevada)

In early October, California-based Sierra Nevada — the seventh-largest brewing company in the U.S. — announced the launch of Colonel E.H. Taylor Bourbon Barrel-Aged Bigfoot. The barleywine-style ale is a new spin on Sierra Nevada’s Bigfoot Ale. Sierra Nevada’s highest-ABV release ever at 15%, Colonel E.H. Taylor Bourbon Barrel-Aged Bigfoot was aged seven years, the final year in Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Small Batch Bourbon Barrels.

We tasted the ale and are here to report back.

Tasting Sierra Nevada Colonel E.H. Taylor Bourbon Barrel-Aged Bigfoot

The ale pours a dark copper hue with a deep maroon tinge and little head.

On the nose, a creamy aroma wafts forth and delivers sweet molasses, dark-roast coffee, oak and orange peel.

With a medium viscosity on the palate, Sierra Nevada Colonel E.H. Taylor Bourbon Barrel-Aged Bigfoot is sweet and malty, with loads of caramel and molasses on the palate, as well as some vanilla and honey. Those notes are accompanied by hops and serious citrus and dark fruit flavors — namely orange, cherry, honey-soaked lemon and a bit of lime — which poke through the sweetness to add some variety and make this refreshing despite its bruising 15% ABV. The sweetness is pleasantly balanced by citrusy goodness and a charred oak character. The sweet, citrus and bitter notes intertwine beautifully and dance on the tongue with a healthy amount of carbonation.

The finish leaves you with tannins, coffee grounds and fresh-squeezed orange juice.

Overall, this is a lovely beer that hits all the right notes, achieving sweetness without reaching cloying territory, sharpness without distasteful bitterness and complexity without sacrificing balance. The bourbon influence is mild, as the barleywine style rules the structure throughout. However, the charred oak flavor is unmistakably bourbon-gifted, and a bit of that vanilla and caramel sweetness might just be enhanced by the E.H. Taylor barrels, too.

Is Sierra Nevada Colonel E.H. Taylor Bourbon Barrel-Aged Bigfoot Available?

Fifteen thousand bottles of this beer went on sale on the Sierra Nevada website the morning of Oct. 4 and sold out that day, Sierra Nevada Product Management Terence Sullivan told Whiskey Raiders.

Additionally, a “minimal inventory” of bottles are being distributed in California, Kentucky, Pensylvania, New York City, Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island and Vermont, Sullivan said. If you happen to find it on shelves, there’s a good chance your local retailer has marked up the price beyond the MSRP of $29. If you do find this beer at MSRP — snatch it up. $29 is an absolute steal for 750 milliliters of a beer this good.

If you’re not able to find it — well, there’s no word yet on whether this release is a one-off or if the brands will work together to release it in the future. After tasting it, though, we’re certainly hoping it returns.

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