Monday, December 2, 2013

Belgian Pale Ale Project – Blue Mountain Barrel House’s Local Species (#23)

12.7 ounce bottle decanted into a tulip.  6.6% ABV.

Appearance:  Mahogany brown with ruby highlights.  Almost no head to speak of and a slight haze (3.5/5).

Aroma:  Wood and booze.  The beer was aged in charred American White Oak bourbon barrels, so that makes sense.  These two smells are so dominate that little else is allowed to come through.  Maybe a touch of piney hops, and a little bit of maple syrup, but I’m really hunting for them (3.75/5).

Taste:  The oak comes through before anything else.  This is followed up by a hint of Belgian yeast esters and a floral hop bitterness.  As it warms the bourbon comes forward, and eventually overpowers everything else (3.75/5).

Mouthfeel:  Medium body, light carbonation.  Also a touch of astringency from the oak, a bit of warmth from the bourbon (4/5).

Overall:  It’s nice to have at least one barrel aged example in this project.  It’s not the purest example of the style, but it is close enough that I’m willing to include it.  Overall I’m happy with the beer, but I would have liked to have seen just a little more beer and a little less bourbon.  This same beer, with the booze dialed back about 25%, would be absolutely amazing.  As it stands, the branches can’t support all the decorations (3.75/5).

-Matt

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