Blue Mountain Barrel House Blitzen

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

Pours nearly crystal clear ruby red color with a very large very dense light khaki head with great retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Spotty foamy lacing clings around the glass, with some moderate streaming carbonation. The aroma is of big cherry, plum, raisin, pear, apple, caramel, molasses, candy sugar, toast, brown bread, clove, pepper, floral, herbal, and yeast earthiness. Damn nice aromas with good balance and complexity of malt and fruity/spicy yeast notes; with good strength. The taste is of cherry, plum, raisin, pear, apple, caramel, molasses, candy sugar, toast, brown bread, clove, pepper, floral, herbal, and yeast earthiness. Lingering notes of cherry, raisin, plum, pear, apple, caramel, molasses, candy sugar, toast, brown bread, clove, herbal, and yeast earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice balance and complexity of malt and fruity/spicy yeast ester flavors. The mouthfeel has a great malt/yeast flavor balance and zero cloying sweetness after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a moderately slick and slightly syrupy mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a small warming present after the finish. Barely got the wire cap off and the cork virtually exploded from the bottle.