Return to Cold Mountain

There’s a running joke with my group of beer-loving friends, and it’s a bit of a shot at some of the craft beer folks who take themselves a little too seriously. I find nothing wrong with comparing each year’s release of a particular seasonal. It’s a fun way to revisit the past and actually be somewhat mindful about what’s in your glass.
However, it’s those who continually and consistently degrade a beer every time it’s released, saying how much better the earlier vintages were, and how the brewery has just lost the plot. A beer that continually seems to fall into these kinds of discussions is Highland Brewing Company’s winter seasonal — Cold Mountain.
Truth be told, some years of Cold Mountain have been better than others, and the flavor profile has changed. This trend seems
to follow the movement started years before by Belgian brewers around the holidays, and later by Anchor Brewing Company with its fantastic Our Special Ale winter warmer, a beer that offers a slightly different experience every year. This idea began in 1975 with the first edition of Our Special Ale, and continues today with one of the best winter spiced beers on the east coast, Cold Mountain winter ale.
I’ve heard folks say that Our Special Ale is a disaster, a bad beer, while similar-minded people have stopped drinking Cold Mountain because it just can’t match the original standards of the beer. To me, this is ridiculous. These are both great beers. If you don’t like the flavors, fine. If your tastes have changed, and now you only drink highly-hopped, barrel aged sours, sure knock yourself out. But if you’re being a jerk just to seem different, give me a break. Try and take pleasure in the season and the new brews.
This year, as with every year, Cold Mountain serves up slight tweaks to the flavor and aroma profile from years past. Cold Mountain is a definite treat for the nose and the tongue, but it’s a lovely beer visually as well. The color is a hazy, deep auburn that glows in the glass, and presents a creamy head of khaki tones. Lace remains behind, and the head stays with the beer well into the glass.
Cold Mountain smells like the holidays, with hints of sweet malt and nutmeg over top of ripe, dark fruit, and sugar cookies. There’s also a spicy hint in the mix, not exactly pepper, possibly a hint of ginger. The label describes natural flavors added hazelnut, raspberry, cranberry, vanilla beans, and cinnamon stick.
Flavors of this beer are delightful, really perfect for December. Toffee stands out but the vanilla is in check compared with previous years. Berries make an appearance, as do the sugar cookies from the aroma and maybe even cinnamon and caramel candy. This is a sweeter beer, but it’s not cloying, as hops and spice follow up at the swallow.
Cold Mountain is medium bodied; with a moderate amount of carbonation, yet the beer is silky smooth. It finishes slightly dry, as hops make a quick appearance at the swallow as the beer warms, but the sweet maltyness is there as well.
Cold Mountain is a standout in the winter seasonal beer category, still one of the best. Less sweet than in years past, it still makes for one of the most enjoyable seasonal beers I long for every year. Revisit these classic beers and try to remember why they made the holidays so special years ago. Enjoy the brews … Cheers.
Gene’s Haufbrau has more than 200 beers in bottles or on tap. While they don’t have every beer the Beer Snob writes about, they probably have most. Gene’s is located at 817 Savannah Hwy. 225-GENE. E-mail the Beer Snob at publisher@westof.net.