Located in the Seattle neighborhood of Interbay, near the Magnolia Bridge, and started by friends Colin Lenfesty and Mike Murphy who worked in the local beer business, Holy Mountain might sit at sea level but its name gives nod to Mount Rainier, the ominous holy mountain that looms over Seattle, as well as a song and album by doom/stoner band, Sleep. Holy Mountain’s heart is its foudres and innumerable barrels, which churn out saisons and wild ales that tend to have mild sourness and stunning depth thanks to complex malt bills and a mix of Brettanomyces and local microflora. While Holy Mountain is built on a foundation of oak, they do brew other world class styles, which is the focus of our to-go flight today, Peaks and Pints Pilot Program: Holy Mountain Beer Flight. Bonus: Listen to Lenfesty discuss his beer career and the creation of Holy Mountain on the Grit & Grain Podcast, Episode 6.
Peaks and Pints Pilot Program: Holy Mountain Beer Flight
Holy Mountain Black Beer
4.5% ABV
Black Beer is brewed traditionally with respect to some of the great British brewers. Think of it as hybrid of a dark mild and a porter — a drinkable, malty ale is brewed with roasted and flaked barley, London Ale yeast and hopped with East Kent Golding. Flaked barley helps to increase the mouthfeel while keeping it low ABV. It’s amazing how much strong coffee, super roasty, toasty malt flavor can come from such a light beer.
Holy Mountain The Dark Kingdom
4.9% ABV
The Dark Kingdom is brewed in the Czech style of polotmavy, which roughly means, “half dark.” Holy Mountain uses a blend of different Munich malts along with some Cara and roast malts to create a deep mahogany colored lager. It’s hopped throughout the kettle with Saaz Lupomax for a crisp bitterness and fermented with one of their favorite lager strains.
Holy Mountain The White Lodge
4.8% ABV
The Belgian wit (white) beer is a style that dates back more than 400 years. Holy Mountain’s version, The White Lodge, is brewed with a large portion of wheat along with pilsner malt and oats. The Seattle brewery uses coriander and orange peel in the kettle, lending a blend of citrus and floral characters, and ferment with a traditional Belgian strain. It’s smooth and dry, with coriander upfront, a little citrus and toasted biscuity malt, with a lightly spicy finish.
Holy Mountain Bitter Peace
6% ABV
Extra special bitter, or ESB, is a beer style known for its balance and the interplay between malt and hop bitterness. Holy Mountain’s traditional ESB, Bitter Peace, brewed with the best English malt and hops they could grab. It hits the nose with a blend of bready malt and caramel, plus stone fruit, and malt. Expect more bread and caramel on the tongue with a little toast in the finish.
Holy Mountain Kiln & Cone: Cashmere and Mosaic
5.9% ABV
Holy Mountain released their first hoppy beer, Kiln & Cone, in 2014. It was initially their “House Pale Ale” in the taproom, and the idea was that each batch featured two different rotating hop varieties. This batch incorporates a simple combination of 2-row and Pilsner malts, with additions of malted oats and flaked wheat. Cashmere and Mosaic were used in the whirlpool additions in the kettle, and it was later dry hopped with more Cashmere and Mosaic.
Holy Mountain Involution
7.3% ABV
It’s been two years since Holy Mountain has brewed Involution — a soft and juicy IPA brewed with a simple malt bill of 2-row, Pilsner, and malted spelt. They loaded this version with Citra, Riwaka, and Mosaic hops in the kettle and in the dry hop. It’s juicy, indeed, but has a bitter finish. The Riwaka in the dry hop gives this hazy IPA powerful citrus aromas of pink grapefruit.
LINK: Peaks & Pints cooler inventory
