Billy the Mountain
Upright Brewing in Portland, Oregon, United States 🇺🇸
Traditional Beer - Old Ale Regular Out of Production|
Score
7.19
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Inspired by the great Prize Old Ale once brewed by Gales in England, this beer is deeply malty and full of ripe fruit, leather, wine and oak flavors. The Billy is partially barrel aged with brettanomyces yeast, lending a distinct twang and developing unique aromas over time. Bottled still and best served at about 55F to be finished at room temperature. Cellar for up to five years.
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8.1/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
Bottle, 2016 vintage, from Upright, Portland. Aroma is rich malt, caramel, Bretty barnyard funk, overripe fruits, vinous, tart berries, wood, raisins, with notes of red wine. Flavour is tart and medium sour with a dry finish. Body is medium. Nice and fairly complex oaky Bretty Old Ale, good tart sour flavour.
Tried
from Bottle
on 10 Feb 2025
at 04:46
7.5/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 8
Bottle from the brewery. Interesting! Reminiscent of an oud bruin initially, but then has a interesting black treacle element in the background. Aroma has bit of plastic, sharp sourness, malt and spice. Taste is very unique, citrus, sourness, but sweet at the same time. Definite bitterness, licquorice, touch of spice. Can't quite get to grips with it. Think I like it though. Extra points for uniqueness.
Tried
from Bottle
on 09 Sep 2019
at 16:03
6.4/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Bottle - Sour cherry. Murky red with a small white head. Light soured cherry and some earthy notes.
Tried
from Bottle
on 09 Dec 2017
at 23:50
7.5/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 10
Overall 7
Bottle at home. Vintage 2016. ABV 8%. Pours a deep reddish brown colour and a beige head. Aroma of dried fruits, balsamico vinegar, brown sugar, oak and game meat. Hint of chocolate. The flavour is similar with dried fruit, oak, coffee, balsamico vinegar, leather, black currants and brown sugar. Has silky mouth feel, medium to full-bodied and a light bitterness. Both sour and malty. Interesting.
Tried
from Bottle
on 11 Nov 2017
at 16:57
1.9/10
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Appearance 2
Aroma 2
Flavor 2
Texture 2
Overall 1.5
Bottle/Fest. A- Caramel, sour. A- Brown color, murky liquid, no head. T- Sewer water, sour, malty. P- Medium body, average texture, average carbonation, unbalanced finish. O- What is this.....it’s baaaad. I expected something along the lines of a nice scotch ale but the Brett in here made this really twangy and sour. Tasted like dirty dish water with a squirt of lemon juice. Billy must be a goat and the mountain must be his pile of crap. This was bad.
Tried
from Bottle
on 27 Feb 2017
at 12:03
7.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
A bottle on Black Christmas 2016 at 12 Kings. Pours a hazy brown with a beige head. Aroma is fermented fruits, sour and sweet. Taste is pretty the same, very smooth. Good stuff.
Tried
from Bottle
on 12 Dec 2016
at 16:47
7.9/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
Capped 750 from Corti Brothers. Pours very hazy brown with some beige/tan smear. Aroma of very old leather/wood with some slight Brett notes. Med ++ body. Flavor is old wood/leather with some medium dark fruit and definite Brett notes. Missing is the oxidation currently found in bottles of Prize Old Ale, but one cannot have everything. This is pretty good stuff. I should have bought one to age for 20 years!!!
Tried
from Bottle
on 29 Apr 2016
at 20:47
6.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 8
Bottle thanks to John. Pours a cloudy brown with small beige head. The aroma is oak and brett. Medium mouth with dark fruit, fig, wood, very good.
Tried
from Bottle
on 21 Mar 2015
at 20:23
6.8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Dark brown, molasses, some plummy tartness, usual tart barrel stuff; sweet taste, brown sugar character with again a light fruitiness. It’s ok, but I’d prefer the rich old ale straight up as I don’t find the tartness helps it - this is nor on the Gale’s Prize Old Ale level.
Tried
on 04 Feb 2015
at 13:56
7/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
17th January 2014
Almost opaque brown beer, good tan head. Nice light bretty nose. Palate is airy and semi dry and with good fine carbonation. Interesting beer - a medium sweet airy caramel cream base on which rides brett that turns savoury. Nice undertone of mild gueuzey wet wood. Trace of dark fruits. Light semi dry finish. The brett isn’t overdone and that brings drinkability despite it’s big abv. Nice.
Almost opaque brown beer, good tan head. Nice light bretty nose. Palate is airy and semi dry and with good fine carbonation. Interesting beer - a medium sweet airy caramel cream base on which rides brett that turns savoury. Nice undertone of mild gueuzey wet wood. Trace of dark fruits. Light semi dry finish. The brett isn’t overdone and that brings drinkability despite it’s big abv. Nice.
Tried
on 23 Jan 2015
at 07:22