Blue Mountain Barrel House - Snow Day

The Blue Mountain Barrel House Series is a delicious range of specialty releases made in the Blue Mountain production brewery known as The Barrel House. Every one of these we’ve tried has been an exceptional experience, and we’re excited to offer the brewery’s incredible Snow Day to our Rare Beer Club members this month. This lush imperial stout has been aged for three months in freshly emptied charred American oak bourbon barrels with Korintje cinnamon, ancho chile, cardamom, Ghanian cacao nibs, and Madagascan vanilla beans. Snow Day is only available on-site at the brewery’s two pubs in Virginia, but they were kind enough to bottle some up in 750ml bottles exclusively for the Rare Beer Club.

Blue Mountain’s Snow Day pours a super dark, near pitch-black color with almost no light getting through near the edges. Long lasting dark-tan head that leaves a thin perimeter of bubbles behind as it’s consumed. This barrel-aged imperial stout shows decadently generous aromatics from the initial pour, and this only increases as the beer’s allowed to warm up in our glasses. The bourbon barrel’s presence is handled so well throughout, with rich char and vanilla and spirit notes showcased throughout the full expression of this beer. The base imperial stout is beautifully done, offering up exceptional amounts of dark chocolate notes, deep roast, vibrant licorice, and some malt-driven nuttiness, but the added spices, cacao nibs, and vanilla beans steal the show. First, the Korintje cinnamon captures our attention leading to earthy ancho chile spice, followed by the cardmom’s bright ginger-like notes. Then the Ghanian cacao nibs bring indulgent chocolatey flavors that are a perfect match for the velvety Madagascan vanilla beans.

This full-bodied imperial stout has a smooth and creamy mousse that plays well with all the sweet spice notes. The core maltiness in this beer provides a great base for the bourbon barrel flavors and pronounced spices, as rich layers of flavor build on the palate with every nuanced sip. Mid-way through, the subtle warmth of the ancho chiles comes along giving a nice complement to the chocolate and vanilla flavors. From start to finish the craftsmanship of the brewer is showcased and lasts long on the palate. Blue Mountain Barrel House’s commitment to creativity and quality sets them apart in the world of craft brewing.

The Blue Mountain Barrel House Snow Day has plenty of potential for long term aging as its 10% abv provides a sturdy backbone. We recommend drinking it now of course, but even after a fews years the depth of the spices, cacao nibs, and vanilla beans should be very complementary of each other. Snow Day is a perfect match for chocolate or vanilla driven desserts or by itself as an after dinner drink. Cheers!

Blue Mountain Brewery, based in Virginia, has become a prominent player in the state’s craft beer scene, earning multiple Great American Beer Festival medals since opening in 2007. While many breweries typically opt for the conventional path of expansion, focusing on production facilities and maximizing their bestselling offerings, Blue Mountain Brewery took a distinctive approach.

By 2011, the demand for Blue Mountain beer had surged throughout Virginia, surpassing the production capacity at their original location in the city of Afton. This led them to embark on the next phase of their brewing journey, The Blue Mountain Barrel House. This much larger facility, geared towards production of barrel-aged beers, boasted nearly ten times the capacity of the Afton one. However, they didn’t want to simply build a larger brewery, it had to be unique. That quest took Blue Mountain to a picturesque 15-acre site in the southern part of Nelson County, offering breathtaking mountain views. Being in the most mountainous county east of the Mississippi River, the prominent Blue Ridge line became an integral part of their inspiration, situated amidst 4,000-foot mountains near the George Washington National Forest. The facility design went beyond the ordinary, equipped with special capabilities for crafting the barrel-aged beers that now define the Blue Mountain identity. Featuring a distinctive brewhouse and temperature-controlled barrel aging room, Blue Mountain now proudly operates one of the largest barrel-aging facilities on the east coast. The Barrel House currently houses hundreds of barrels, including those from Maker’s Mark, Wild Turkey, Four Roses, and Elijah Craig, allowing for a diverse range of experimental beers and blending programs.

We’re pleased to offer RBC members the Blue Mountain Barrel House Snow Day, a delicious, bourbon-barrel-aged imperial winter stout that is based on one of our favorites from Blue Mountain Barrel House: Dark Hollow.