Mountain Lager (Dry-Hopped)
Appalachian Brewing Company

Every once in awhile you stumble across a beer that completely perplexes you. Whether it be the time, place, description, etc. In this case ABC has done it again; an absolute paradox of beer style and description. Mountain lager (in it's base form) is a dortmunder lager paying tribute to the Appalachians. Let me see if I got this right, brewing a geographic specific style of beer that targets Dortmund Germany pays tribute to the Appalchians how? I lived my entire life in the Appalchian region and think something along the lines of American adjunct lager would be more fitting of an American style but OK. I don't want to lose focus here but when your bartenders proclaim mountain lager as ABC's substitute for BMC perhaps it is time to re-evaluate. Correct me if I am wrong but if you brew a BMC substitute, shouldn't it also come in a matching style specific frosted mug at nearly freezing temperatures so you can't taste it?

ABC does this one-off into a cask so that it could be served at temps nearing piss-warm. To make matters worse, its spiked with honey which absolutely wrecks the base pilsner-like brew and turns it into something completely different yet strangely, somewhat enjoyable if it was left as a "mystery beer."

Pulled from a cask this brew appears a light hazed golden yellow color with a crisp white cap. Pretty decent retention that sticks in thick patches about the glass. The aroma is quite grassy and dominatingly so. A light amount of sulfur mixed with minerals and honey sweetness brings in the back of the nose with an all around herbal and somewhat fruity feel.

The taste is grassy, grainy with a light sweetness and a touch if lemon-like sulfur twang. A mild bitterness contrasts the sweetness of the grain mixed with honey flavor which leads me to believe the honey never had a chance to ferment out. In this case having the honey ferment out and accent the dryness of the style would have been welcomed, instead it produces a out of character sweetness which is not pleasant when paired with the herbal and sulfur components.

This is a medium to light bodied brew with a light amount of carbonation. It is easy drinking if you don't care about the way it tastes... Praise all things holy that the alcohol never has a chance to show itself or this could have been a train wreck on a whole new level. To say I had this on cask is an experience I'll never forget. Hats off to ABC for keeping me on my toes and throwing this wildcard into the loop.