Tap Handle #826: Big Hole - Mythical White Grand Reserve

Tap size:  11"

Rarity:  10 or less seen, brewery closed

Mounting:  3/8" ferrule on 5/16" anchor bolt

Big Hole Headstrong Pale Ale was tap profile #53 and appeared on this site back in February of 2012. With this Big Hole Mythical White Grand Reserve tap profiled at #826, it means that 773 taps were profiled between these 2 posts, over 12 years apart, which is probably a record for the most profiles between 2 taps from the same brewery on this site. I first spotted a Mythical White in 2011, and really wanted it for the rarity and the fact that unlike the Headstrong Pale Ale, Mythical White looks different from the Red River Valley tap due to the color scheme. I particular like the blue eyes that stand out from the rest of the white buffalo head. The tap material is unknown, it is either a lightweight resin or a molded plastic, I'm unable to determine which it is. The base (shaft) is painted wood. There are 2 versions of this tap: one with a circular sign on top for the label (see photo to right), which I have seen more of, and this one where the shape of the sign matches the shape of the sign for Headstrong Pale Ale, which is less common than the round one. On this version of the tap, the front label has black, red and white lettering on a blue background; while on the backside, it has blue, red and white lettering on a black background. In total, only a half dozen of both styles combined have appeared on the secondary market over the years, with prices ranging from $50-$100.

For more about Big Hole Brewing, see this post.

Big Hole Mythical White Grand Reserve (also known as Grand Cru) followed the tradition of authentic Belgian golden ales. Crafted with genuine Belgian pale malts and yeast, it was spiced with sweet and bitter orange peel, coriander, and chamomile. It was double fermented and bottle conditioned in the Method Champenoise for intensely fruity and spicy aromas balanced by a delicate blend of spice, hop and malt flavors. The idea behind the creation of Mythical White was to take the elements of some of the head brewer's favorite Belgian beers and combine them into something uniquely different. They used the spices of a white beer, the strength of a tripel, the fruitiness of a Belgian red ale, and the tartness of a lambic to create a beer that was really its own style.

Ratebeer:  3.25 out of 5

Beer Advocate:  82 out of 100 (good)