Blue Mountain Mandolin (Barrel House)

Brewed by Blue Mountain Brewery
Style: Bière de Garde
Afton, Virginia USA

Serve in Stem glass, Tulip

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Barrel House corked and caged bottle from the brewery into a brewery goblet. Pours a surprisingly clear amber. Almost no head and what does appear fades fast and leaves no lacing. Not much of an aroma, but whats there is apples and a slight bit of vinegar. Taste is fresh, fresh hops with a beautiful bitterness. The aforementioned apple vinegar comes through, but it is unabrasive.This is a truly excellent, dangerously drinkable beer.

UPDATED: OCT 12, 2012 (bottle) A hazy amber beer with a medium off-white foamy head that fades slowly. Aroma of pear, yeast, some apple, peach, lightly peppery, caramel, medium alcohol. Medium body , lots of soft carbonation, chewy.

Bottle pours amber with a thick, frothy cream colored head with large bubbles. Aromas a spicy, earthy, and funky. Taste is a good amber malt body with fruity notes, hay, and a light funk. Very true to the bier de garde style. Very tasty and well constructed.

750 bottle. Pours a slightly unclear medium orang with large lasting white head. Smell is fruity yeast, sweet crisp malts, floral. Taste is floral, honey, light fruitiness, touch tangy/tart, medium yeast. Finishes dry with a lingering honey sweetness. This is a delicate brew and I found my expectations were exceeded.

Crisp, clear amber coloured body with a bit of a copper glow and a thick, rich, dense four centimetre tall tan head - very nice. Aroma of hay, grass, yeast, honey, apples, pears and a bit of funk - but not much; fairly nice and herbal/airy. Medium-bodied; Strong yeastie flavour at first with an earthy and barnyardie maltiness with a definite alcohol kick, some pleasant pear/fruity sweetness with a herbal and grassy bite and some good complexity on the back end. Aftertaste is fairly complex with a good biere de garde barnyardie and yeastie kick and some sweetness that lasts at the end, all with a herbal and grassy freshness. Overall, a nice beer for the style and once you drink this, you can differentiate this and a saison immediately. Nice to sample and might make me try more from this brewery, but perhaps not when they aren’t cheap. I sampled this 75 cL bottle purchased from Arrowine in Arlington, Virginia on 19-September-2012 for US$11.99 sampled at home in Washington on 27-September-2012. Cork States: Best by March 2013.

Bottle @ home. Pours lightly particulate amber with a medium-small, frothy off-white head, short retention with spare lacing. Aroma is apple, pear, and stone fruit esters, biscuit and toast malt with cellar notes and light perfume alcohol notes. Flavor is fruity esters, lightly tart and sour, cellar and earthy notes, light spicy and peppery alcohol, toast and biscuit malt with a dry finish. Medium-full body, medium carbonation, light alcohol warmth, and slight astringency.

750ml cork & cage bottle bought at Norm’s. Pours a deep orange / amber with a big 3+ finger off white head. Big saisonesque nose with nice yeast qualities leaning towards the spicy phenols. Med to full body with a heavy front filled with dark fruits, candi sugar, yeast esters and spices. Lighter bottom. Bitter and sweet, dark fruit, spice filled finish... But ends a bit uprupt and chalky almost.

Tap at Brewers Choice. Pours hazy orange with nice peppery barnyard nose. tastes grassy, yeasty, of honey, apples, pears, light woodiness and barnyard. there is a slight alcohol kick and and some spice on finish. interesting brew

Pours an orange color with a white head. Smells of dates and some brown sugar. Medium amount of carbonation with some figs in the taste. Pretty decent taste.

Aromas of raisiny esters, honey, and floral hops. Clear, dark gold with a mostly fading, white head. Lightly sweet, lightly bitter, and a touch of sour. Light-medium bodied with moderate carbonation and a fruity, clean finish.