Mythic Brewing “Mons Eiger”

Style: Belgian Dubbel
ABV: 7.5%

Nick’s Take

While perusing the shelves and coolers of Jarvis Street Bottle Shop here in Greenville, I happened upon a beer with an ogre or yeti-like figure on the can. After inspecting the label more closely, I read that it was a beer brewed in Rocky Mount, NC, not far from where we live. “Mons Eiger” is crafted by a brewery I am not too familiar with – Mythic Brewing – but am very interested in checking out after discovering that I could get there in under an hour’s drive.

The red-copper hue of this beer leaves it quite opaque and difficult for light to pass through. When we poured this into our glasses, the initial buildup of foam quickly disappeared and left nothing behind – not even a hazy ring around the edges. I was curious how this would be an indication of the mouthfeel.

I borrowed a tulip glass from Joe and I think this was helpful in identifying some of the subtleties in the aroma. The first thing on the nose that was noticeable was the estery smell it produced, which is not surprising for a Belgian style of beer. I also was finding some astringent notes like those of tannins in red wine. A soft sweetness was coming through as well, but I couldn’t put my finger on the origin – perhaps dried fruit of some variety.

There was a little bite of carbonation initially, but that didn’t persist too long, as it evolved into a sort of foamy, soft mouthfeel. It ended with a soft finish, and it was light to medium-bodied. It was not overly drying in my experience, nor did it contribute any kind of mouthcoating. 

While the flavor of banana-like esters came through (as expected), I discovered sweet tones that appeared to be cocoa and some fruit. The red wine attributes I smelled earlier were seemingly making their way into the flavor, as it produced a slight bitterness. It was balanced enough by the sweetness that it drank smoothly.

I think the change from sweet to slightly bitter makes this a beer that you can enjoy slowly and would not be considered crushable. I tend to enjoy a slow sipper from time to time, as it typically indicates a complex and flavorful beer. The ABV is a little high but for a Belgian dubbel, “Mons Eiger” sips very smoothly. It was a great selection to enjoy after dinner. I definitely recommend checking this one out, and my interest for Mythic Brewing has been piqued after drinking this brew.

Joe’s Take

This is an ogre of a beer… well at least in name. “Mons Eiger” by Mythic Brewing is a play on an ogre of the Eiger, a mountain of the Swiss Alps. The creatively named brew is a Belgian dubbel, a style we have yet to review on ECBB. In fact, I believe that I have not tasted too many Belgian inspired brews other than a few offerings here and there. I thought this was something you should save for a trip to Belgium, but it turns out you can have some pretty tasty offerings locally as well.

“Mons Eiger” poured a formidable red copper hue. The beer was opaque and hazy but some light still manages to make it through. A foamy tan head existed very briefly before it dissipated into nothing. This gave the beer a somewhat flat appearance but that was by looks only.

The aroma was strong in my tulip glass and gave off notes of caramel, molasses, biscuit, and a hint of fruity esters. The aroma reminded me of a sweet dark bread, similar to cinnamon swirl toast if that arouses any memories. There was minimal hop character as this beer was all yeast and malt.

The mouthfeel of the Belgian dubbel was bubbly and medium-bodied. A fair amount of carbonation tickled the tongue while residual malt sugars left a mouthcoating feeling. The beer was slightly drying on the finish but not in the typical way strong bitter hops impart the sensation. It seemed to be more of a byproduct of the mouthcoating from residual sugar.

The taste of “Mons Eiger” featured notes of dark fruit and molasses. I instantly thought of oatmeal raisin or molasses cookies that my parents used to pick up on the way to visit my grandparents. A sweet biscuity flavor was soon cut away by a smooth bitterness that seemed to slowly intensify as the initial flavors of the sip subsided. There seemed to be subtle hints of spice and fruity ester that pulled through on the finish. To me, there didn’t seem to be strong notes of banana or bubble gum, but just a hint of spices such as cinnamon or nutmeg that tied together the dark fruit and molasses flavors.

“Mons Eiger” is definitely not a session beer. It seems to exist in a plane between dinner and dessert beer. The sweet molasses and dark fruit lend it toward dessert characteristics to me. However, I could see the flavors playing well with a savory dish. It is smooth and drinkable but I would leave it at one, as to not spoil the flavor I could enjoy on another evening.