Do you like sessions beers? You know the kind, moderate in everything they do, low in alcohol, easy to drink several without getting too full or too drunk. If you do, then do yourself a favor and put that six-pack of Sierra Nevada Bigfoot back on the shelf and reach for the High Life.

Bigfoot is a big beer. At 9.6% ABV it clocks in at twice the alcohol level of a typical session beer. So, if you’re used to plowing through three or four before the first TV time-out, chances are good you won’t make it to see the halftime show. So slow down and enjoy a beer of this size. It doesn’t “go down like water,” which is a very good thing. A beer with so much alcohol needs a lot of flavor and body to offset the heat. And Bigfoot delivers well on that count.

The beer pours a dark reddish-brown color with a thick creamy head. Hops dominate on the aroma, reminiscent of the company’s Pale Ale, but not quite as overpowering. The hoppiness serves as a nice balance to the almost overwhelming malt presence on the palate, which consists of layers of fruit and caramel. The finish is once again dominated by the bitterness of the hops and intermingled with the heat of the alcohol, a very nice combination to rein in the sweetness of the malt. This constant tug in the two directions makes for a very well balanced beer, despite its enormous size.