Sun Mountain Fiddler
Barley Mow Brewing Company

500ml

My neighbor Dave brought this back for me a couple years ago. Time to cozy up. It's a pretty beverage. It's the color of aged natural leather and ultimately clear. Bubbles rise slowly to the surface. The khaki head is surprisingly robust as it grows to a healthy finger+ on the pour. It eventually settles to a swirling and dense ring that leaves picturesque lacing pasted to the glass. Pretty impressive.

This was a hoppy beverage at one point but they have faded and take on a fruity tea like quality of grapefruit and orange. Leather and caramel abound as does a smattering of candied citrus peel. The barrel aging adds a touch of damp oak but not much bourbon, which is ok in this case because it would decimate the base beer. It's softly sweet and leans toward soda bread. I'm a fan.

The flavor is a carbon copy of the nose. Citric tea qualities kick it off and settle through the finish. Smooth caramel and soda bread make up the malt bill. It's softly sweet and balanced by the hop profile. Damp oak fondles the entirety. with a healthy dose of vanilla from the barrel aging. This isn't the most complex beer but it's certainly good. Nice balance.

The mouthfeel is spot on. It's surprisingly light and airy for such a robust beer. It's moderate in weight but plush. The carbonation is soft and allows the beer to work through at a leisurely pace. The finish dries up and leaves a decent bitterness in its wake. It's dangerously drinkable.

Sun Mountain Fiddler is a good beer. It reminds me of a less aggressive, well aged Bigfoot. It's clean and smooth with a drinkability that's off the charts when considering the abv. I wish I had a couple more of these. It has held up well.