Beer - Mountain Goat Rapunzel (Part 2: Oaked version)

The Mountain Goat team showcased their delicious strong Belgian Golden Ale, Rapunzel, on Friday 26th March, with three versions on tap at the Goat Bar, along with matching food (mussels and frites).

The three versions available were:

1. "Blonde" Rapunzel (regular)
2. "Randied" Rapunzel (infused with peaches and nutmeg through a Randall)
3. "Oakey" Rapunzel (aged in a French Oak chardonnay barrel for 9 months)

As previous blogged, having first tried and loved the regular Rapunzel a few weeks earlier, I was excited to be back for another journey through a glass or two of this special brew...with added character. The Goat Bar was packed with a big crowd of beer lovers looking to do the same thing.

Due to the crowd, there was a fair wait and shuffle to reach the bar, but the Mountain Goat team should be commended for their great work in handling their customers. Plenty of staff were available, all moving quickly and effectively through each order. Furthermore, the wait simply provided more opportunity to enjoy the sights and smells of the Mountain Goat taps pouring each brew.

Poured into a 385ml stem glass, the first noticeable difference of the Oakey Rapunzel was its sightly darker golden colour, compared to the regular "Blonde". However, Oakey also seemed to be clearer, more transparent.

The aroma was also quite different, with still a strong fruity presences, but also a fairly predominate hit of chardonnay coming through. I was a little concerned a first, as it seemed the "white wine" smell would dominated the taste (not a good thing, to me).

Nonetheless, the taste was delicious, deep and complex. Maybe a little too sweet and, yes, at first it was too "winey"...but not for long...as subsequent sips brought out a solid blend of vanilla, apple and an excellent level of hops. Medium body, medium carbonation but also very smooth. The enjoyable 8.5% alcohol was definitely very well balanced.

I followed up the Oakey with a glass of the Randied...and was then well satisfied. Good beer indeed.

Ultimately, I probably preferred the regular "Blonde" Rapunzel, due to the sweetness of the "Oakey". However, the Mountain Goat brewers have certainly succeeded in providing another interesting quality brew with a unique twist to please any interested beer drinker looking to challenge the ordinary. Am looking forward to what they come out with next!

"Randy"...the Rapunzel, peaches and nutmeg filled Randall infuser.

Two sexy Rapunzels, ready to drink(regular "Blonde" on left, "Oakey" on right)