Local Species - Blue Mountain Brewery

TheBrewo

Michigan

4.08/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This brew was served from the tap at The Blind Tiger in New York, NY. It arrived in a generic tulip glass, glowing a hazy golden brown coloring. It held a two finger head of eggshell bubbles. This retained nicely, leaving patterned lacing clinging around the glass. No haze or sediment was noted, and carbonation appeared active. The aroma gave warmed, soured Brett, grapefruity hops, pale and wheaty malts, sweet and floral orange flesh nectars, light metallics, white sugar, coconut sweetness, and smooth, warming oak. Our first impression was that the flavoring was very floral, with a nice tart wildness to the yeast. The sip opened with pale and lightly caramel malts, soured oak bite, and floral hops. Moving to the peak was wild, soured yeast, plastic phenol bite to cut the malty sweetness, and an enhanced sweetness of strawberries. The end was awash with more of that soured yeast, citric rind bitterness, nickel metallics, and a final cleansing of pale malts. The aftertaste breathed of green grape dryness, metallic yeast, Bretty sourness, lemon flesh, and bittered citric hops. The body was medium, and the carbonation was medium. There was big froth and slurp to each sip, with a nice cream to the lip. Booze added dryness throughout the palate, with puckering astringent bite following a nice coating of biting metallic froth. The abv was appropriate, and the beer drank easily.

Overall, what we enjoyed most about this beer was the aroma. There was a hugely surprising Bretty sourness, adding the bite and tartness on par with some wilds. The flavor, however, continued this excitement only mildly. That sourness does work its way to the buds, but by the end it gets washed through a bit by pervasive malty background. This is a tasty beer and definitely worth a try…or two.

Serving type: on-tap

01-10-2013 02:13:30 | More by TheBrewo

lupercmda

North Carolina

3.75/5  rDev -2.3%

05-18-2013 21:58:46 | More by lupercmda

GinsuDave

Michigan

4.25/5  rDev +10.7%

05-18-2013 01:07:35 | More by GinsuDave

InspectorBob

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev -2.3%

05-16-2013 21:27:40 | More by InspectorBob

FUwolfpacker

South Carolina

3.75/5  rDev -2.3%

05-15-2013 02:21:42 | More by FUwolfpacker

thetachibro

New Jersey

4.5/5  rDev +17.2%

05-12-2013 00:57:19 | More by thetachibro

schaffer9252

New York

3.75/5  rDev -2.3%

05-04-2013 14:32:15 | More by schaffer9252

civicm87

New York

4/5  rDev +4.2%

05-01-2013 23:06:38 | More by civicm87

Chaney

District of Columbia

4/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Best by May 2013 (printed on the cork)

Even though Blue Mountain is in my state and is basically a weekend getaway for BAs in the area, this is only my second brew by them.

Served in an Olde Hickory shaped-glass.

A: Looks like a word-class amber ale: Copper in color, cloudy, and with a nice off-white head that head very fickle bubbles.

S: Very fresh, almost with a hint of sourness, and low on the hop food chain. After sniffing, drinking, sniffing, drinking over time, I got a good bit of the barrel-aging... much more so than I got on the taste.

T: Right away, this tasted like something Brooklyn would make: Crisp in nature (even on their high octane stuff), bright and a bit yeasty on the end, with no trace of oak to my palate whatsoever. Very, very tasty. I'm thinking the mere restain of the hop component was the barrel's real contribution.

M: Bubbly and spritzy, with some nice lacing left on the glass. Not hop bitterness. As a matter of fact, "citrus" is not a word in the Local Species category.

O: Even though I still think $10.99 is still a bit higher than I think this beer ought to be, especially considering it's a local one, this was quite tasty and even better than I expected.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2013 03:40:06 | More by Chaney

jadeal

Tennessee

3.25/5  rDev -15.4%

04-27-2013 19:14:28 | More by jadeal

jpro

South Carolina

3.64/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Just going to go ahead and say drinking this beer was an experience... Corked bottle poured into a snifter.

A: Murky copper; thin, white head.

S: Comments from those in the room: "Smells like a container that once held tuna salad..." "Nail polish..." "Fireworks..." definitely nothing familiar.

T: Belgian yeast spice; tart and slightly oaky; white grapes.

M: Medium-light feel; lower carbonation; kind of dry.

O: An interesting beer, for sure; a variety of tastes not normally encountered with beer! I'd like to find the story behind this one...

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2013 00:21:19 | More by jpro

jtierney89

New Jersey

4.65/5  rDev +21.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

semi-hazed auburn glow with a thin white head. nose is very interesting. Lots of classic belgian notes, bananas and clove, bit of spice and vanilla. Touch of oak but not getting any bourbon really.

You can taste a bit of the bourbon but damn this is an interesting beer.Strong barley malt presence up front with an faint oaky and vanilla flavor from the wood. Belgian yeast flavors quickly take over with a dried chalkyness and horse blanket like flavors. This then quickly rolls into an herbal hop bitterness. Very complex and layered beer. Very faint bourbon notes are present throughout as the beer warms but in no way are the forefront flavor of this beer allowing a lot of these other funky and complex flavors come forward. Extremely complex and layered with flavors that somehow roll into eachother extremely well despite how different they are. Super unique and unlike anything i've ever had. I love it.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 23:51:44 | More by jtierney89

John_Schlaffer

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev -2.3%

04-21-2013 22:35:41 | More by John_Schlaffer

Squidly

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev -2.3%

04-18-2013 22:25:04 | More by Squidly

Daniellobo

District of Columbia

4/5  rDev +4.2%

04-13-2013 13:02:04 | More by Daniellobo

greencovesteve

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +4.2%

04-13-2013 01:08:52 | More by greencovesteve

beernads

Florida

3/5  rDev -21.9%

04-10-2013 09:21:23 | More by beernads

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

3.45/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

330mL bottle poured into tulip

Hazed copper color with a brighter golden hue. Crop of frothy white head dissolves pretty quickly, leaving a thin layering of film and a few spots of lacing.

Soft notions of hops in the nose, oak barrel and soft warmth. Yeasty funk, touches of spice and bready sweetness.

Peppery and slightly sweet with touches of fruit. Pears and apples, toasted oak, hints of bourbon and vanilla. Belgian yeast, soft hoppiness and buttery biscuits. Finishes a little bitter, sweet and warm.

Medium body, slightly higher carbonation, a bit dry and sticky on the tongue. An interesting take on the style, although the barrel character was a bit more muted than I was expecting.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2013 00:43:40 | More by xnicknj

devinmah

District of Columbia

3.98/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into Chimay chalice from a 750ml Cork & Cage labeled best by May 2013 (Just a few weeks left on this bad boy)

A: Pours a hazy copper with a tight head that dissipates and lightly laces.

S: Had to work hard to pick up anything. Lemon is there and light caramel barely present, and slightly sour

T: Not sure if my bottle has turned, but this tastes like a flemish sour, like Bell's Oarsman. Funky, pleasantly sour, slightly metallic, citrus up front. Develops on the palate to an apple-like sweetness and hints of oak and caramel.

M: Nicely carbonated, but this beer feels a bit oily.

O: Based on other BA's reviews I think my bottle has developed into something different from what was originally there. Regardless, I thought it was a definite winner, perfect for a warm spring day. I found that each sip invited the next, and I enjoyed it more as it developed on my palate. Will look for a fresh one in the future to see how different it tastes.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2013 03:31:51 | More by devinmah

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Oh sweet Jebus! Best before date of March 2013! I just missed it by a few days. Crikey.

Great looking beer. Nose is nice. I have high expectations based on as much. The flavor delivery is...odd. At first I thought the goal was a Flemish tone on things, but I question if this was intentional. Seems to be off, with an aftertaste that is...off putting. Although, it seems to get better as time goes on. But it took a lot of time. A lot. A for effort, C (at best) for execution.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2013 22:02:39 | More by RblWthACoz

Jadjunk

Georgia

3.86/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

"Different, secret, native. A creation of deep-drawn well water, special barley malts, American hops and Belgian yeast. Aged in charred American White Oak bourbon barrels. A beer as original and beautiful as our native Brookie. Best by date is March 2013. Brewed at the Blue Mountain Barrel House Late 2012.

Poured from a 750ml bottle to a snifter. Served north of 50º Fahrenheit.

(Appearance) Pours a thick creamy head of an eggshell white color over a medium hazy deep orange amber body with ample carbonation. Retention is very good and lacing is medium and consistent. Body color is a bit darker than usual for the style. Appearance is solid. 4.5

(Smell) Aroma consists of a bready belgian pale malt, a mild citrusy and resiny hop blend and a mild spice blend, mostly coriander. Notes of orange zest and lemon peel is also notable, slight fruity yeast notes otherwise. This finds a comfortable spot between a Belgian Pale Ale and a Belgian IPA. Potency is mild. 3.75

(Taste) A light pale malt character, subtle hop blend and cracker yeast profile constructs the meat of this beer. All flavors together make for a very light drinking beer but it's capable of more flavor and body for the style. A medium dryness and faint wood tone on the finish is indicative of barrel aging, but otherwise it doesn't impact much character into the flavor. Overall it's a touch saccharine but the hop and yeast character does a good job at balancing it out. The end result is more positive than negative, although there are some notable gripes in how it comes out. 3.75

(Mouthfeel) Moderate carbonation with a wooden dry, relatively clean cracker malt finish. The body is light/medium for the style and light+ overall. Good pairing for the style. 4

(Overall) Some experiments work out very well but this one was a rather strange. The body of this beer is quite light with cracker malt and the hops and malt profile are also light to pair. The oak aging is a unique twist and does contribute a nice flavor, but a sharp dryness to the beer. Another interesting beer by the brewery. 4

Blue Mountain Barrel House's
Local Species Ale Aged in Bourbon Barrels
3.86/5.00

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2013 02:18:47 | More by Jadjunk

whatname

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +4.2%

03-28-2013 00:45:43 | More by whatname

brez8791

Pennsylvania

2.5/5  rDev -34.9%

03-23-2013 23:57:52 | More by brez8791

GuinnessAtRogerWilco

New Jersey

3/5  rDev -21.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

12.7oz bottle with cork poured into a Chimay chalice glass.

AP: thin 1/4" head that dissipated fairly quick, dark golden amber colour.

AR: first whiff is Bourbon and vanilla, which gives me a good vibe. Caramel, candi sugar/fruits, raisin and fig.

T: First sip I get slapped on the tongue by an off metallic taste. Wait a bit then take a second sip and it's still there but not as strong. This isn't at all like the aroma suggested. White raisin, caramel and Belgian yeast are the other players I discern. The Bourbon and vanilla are MIA in the taste. I am pretty much disappointed by the taste.

M: slick and oily texture on the tongue, more thin than creamy.

OV: On the whole, disappointed with this brew. That off metallic flavour is stronger than the rest and I thought there weren't enough other flavours that could have been here that were missing. I wouldn't buy this one again, sorry to say.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2013 03:45:43 | More by GuinnessAtRogerWilco

ShemRahBoo

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +4.2%

03-18-2013 07:12:38 | More by ShemRahBoo