Mountain Goat Barrel Breed Barley Wine – 2018

TASTING NOTES

This 2018 Barleywine was brewed with a blend of New Zealand specialty malts and all-Australian hops. The wort weighed in at a hefty 24 degrees Plato, making this a job for super Yeast – Whitelabs San Diego Super Yeast, to be specific. This aggressive strain attenuated the fermenting beer to Mountain Goat’s desired range, resulting in a strong, balanced beer with a dry finish. At the end of fermentation, it was aged for two months in Tennessee whisky casks, lending it the vanilla and slight boozy notes characteristic of these rough-hewn American Oak barrels.

BREWERY SNAPSHOT

Mountain Goat started out back in 1997 when two mates decided they wanted better tasting beers and were determined to do something about it. Mountain Goat beer started to be brewed under owner Dave’s careful watch in the basement of the Scottish Chiefs Hotel in Geelong and then Grand Ridge Brewery (where Dave later took on the Head Brewer role, as well as doing their Goat beers). The first keg of their Hightail Ale, an English style amber ale, was tapped at the Great Britain Hotel in Richmond. Dave and co-owner Cam admit that, for the first few months, the biggest customers were themselves buying rounds for their mates to make sure the keg got drunk. Eventually, folks they didn’t know were also buying Mountain Goat beer and other venues were keen to start stocking their beers.

DID YOU KNOW?

Mountain Goat usually have something special on tap at their Richmond Brewery – a barrel aged beer, a limited release beer or a single keg of a recipe the brewers are tinkering away on. They also have a handpump, serving a dark beer ye ol’ English way and a randall – a beer infuser in which they can try some different flavours through.