New Styles

Beer: Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine Ale
ABV: 9.60%
Home: Chico, California, USA
Slogan: "Our cult-classic beast of a barleywine"

The aptly named Bigfoot is a strong, intense beer with a bittersweet finish. The hops are a little much for me, but the beer has a warming effect, which would make it great during the colder months. From what I understand, a barleywine is simply a beer that has the intensity and alcohol content (ranging from 9-13% ABV) of a wine. Barleywines are not wines since they are brewed from grain (barley) rather than fruit, but they can be aged. I want to try that out!

Beer: Troeg's Pale Ale
ABV: 5.40%
Home: Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA

Well, this one isn't a new style for me, but seemed like it would be a good break after the barleywine. The Troeg's pours a golden color with a small, quickly receding head. This beer is light-bodied with a mild bitterness. There's a slight sourness to the taste, though, which probably wasn't intended. Nevertheless, I thought this beer was pretty solid.

Beer: Anchor Steam Beer
ABV: 4.90%
Home: San Francisco, California, USA
Slogan: "A San Francisco brewing tradition"

Now here's a uniquely American - and more specifically, Californian - beer style! Steam beer. It turns out this style was, in fact, invented by Anchor during the 19th century. During those times in California, where refrigeration was a big luxury and there was year-round warm weather, brewers had to improvise. They started using lager yeast that could ferment quickly in warmer temperatures more suitable for ale. The origin of the word "steam" for this beer style is uncertain, but Anchor's website suggests that it might relate to how the beer was fermented on San Francisco rooftops in the foggy night air, which naturally cooled the beer and caused steam to rise from the shallow, open-air fermenters. That said, this beer pours a deep amber color with a light head that leaves great lacing behind. I was expecting bitter hops, like many West Coast beers, but was surprised at the light body and smoothness of the Anchor Steam. Very drinkable.