Winter Seasonal Beer Beard Mountain Winter Ale - Cold Mountain Clone

- 9 lbs Pale 2-row
- 1 lb Vienna
- 0.5 lbs Special B

- 1 oz Perle @ 10 mins
- 1 oz of Tettnang @ 55 mins

- 2 cinnamon sticks (crushed up) @ 50 mins
- Whirlfloc tablet or Irish Moss @ 50 mins (optional)
- ~2 tablespoons of Hazelnut extract at Kegging/Bottling

- Boil size ~ 6.4-gals
- Mash @ 152 F for 60 mins
- Strike temp ~165 F

This is my take on the Cold Mountain Winter Ale from Highland Brewing Co. in Asheville, NC. I converted this from an extract recipe I got at a HBS in Asheville a while back. Very simple grain bill, easy on the hops, not too much spice and an ABV of around 5%. When I brewed the extract version, the guy at HBS said Highland's recipe varied per year and at the time recommended I try using almond extract vs. hazelnut. It turned out great but now I'm curious of how the hazelnut will turn out. I just brewed this up last night so I will provide updates as I go. Any critiques or recommendations are encouraged. Enjoy! :rockin:

I've been trying to get a clone recipe for years. I hope this turns out good for you. I get a 1/6 barrel of Cold Mtn every year for our Ugly Sweater party and it is always a hit! It is noticeable that the spices are changed up a bit every year but I haven't gotten a keg I didn't like yet. This will be our 3rd year as we ordered the keg yesterday! let us know what it turns our like!!!

Thanks. Been looking for this.

Going to give it a shot.

I've only had Cold Mountain once, last year, and it was great. There was a noticeable hazelnut taste, so this should be very good.

Just kegged this up tonight. So far it tastes spot on with the hazelnut. My OG was 1.048 and I ended up at 1.008 so the abv is about 5.25%. The color also came pretty great. Can't wait to do a side-by-side taste test with actual cold mountain when this is carbed up.

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This Years Cold Mtn is Amazing!

2BeerSpeer said:

This Years Cold Mtn is Amazing!

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We live up outside of Chicago now so I placed an order through Bruisin' Ales in Asheville. We got 12 bombers ready to be consumed!

nice

I'm looking for something to do with my washed Wyeast Abbey and this looks like it could be a go! The Special B will suit it nicely.

Although I don't like using extracts so I'll have to use something else. Maybe some vanilla beans - won't be true to the original style but that's the fun

daggers_nz said:

I'm looking for something to do with my washed Wyeast Abbey and this looks like it could be a go! The Special B will suit it nicely.

Although I don't like using extracts so I'll have to use something else. Maybe some vanilla beans - won't be true to the original style but that's the fun

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Go for it! I now agree on the extract. Next time around I'm either going to barely add any or go with what you suggested. It came out a little too in your face this first time around. I may also try and beef up the grain bill to make it a little more malty and even more flavorful.

Any luck with the vanilla bean? Planning on brewing this on up today. I'll probably bump the hazelnut down 1-1/4 tbsp and see how that turns out

I never got back to this one this year. But if you do, abosolutely back off on the whatever you use for the spice. Let us know how it turns out!

Will do, I'm a bit nervous already. Yesterday while brewing i didn't calculate my temp drop while doughing in so it was only around 145 until i added some heated water and finally got it up to 150. And then my OG came to 1.056, not sure how that's going to effect it. And finally i used Wyeast Abbey but didn't use a starter and I haven't any activity from the fermenter yet. I'm going to give it another night and if i don't see any movement I'm going to add a half pack of yeast with a starter this time. Rookie mistakes

Beardo21 said:

I never got back to this one this year. But if you do, abosolutely back off on the whatever you use for the spice. Let us know how it turns out!

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Hey Beardo, wanted to check if you've refined this recipe any further?! I was just exposed to Cold Mtn. for the first time over Thanksgiving in Tenn., really itching to attempt a clone!

Cheers,
Patrick

Recently brewed this but used approx 1/25 tbsp of Almond Extract rather than Hazelnut. (I couldn't get the hazelnut). After primary there was a distinct cinnamon scent. But after kegging with the Almond added the cinnamon faded to the background. I served this at our company holiday lunch and it was very well received.
There is a slight spice to the taste and as I said before both the almond and cinnamon are very faint in the background in terms of scent. It's a definite keeper as a winter seasonal. I will have to try it with the hazelnut as well.

Thanks for the recipe.