Victory Golden Monkey

With today’s unfortunate news of a Connecticut chimp going bananas, drinking a strong beer named after a Monkey could be considered — well — to be in poor taste.

So let’s just consider this an attempt to balance out the primate news cycle.

Victory Golden Monkey is a Belgian-style Tripel with a fruity aroma and a strong, herbal punch. And unless my nose and taste buds are fooling me, this Monkey has been eating bananas — beneath the distinctive Belgian yeast and the clove spices are banana esters.

The beer’s 9.5% ABV is quite apparent. The alcohol is present in the taste and the aftertaste. While I enjoyed the first several sips of the Golden Monkey, the alcohol taste became a distraction and the overall flavor began to fall apart.

Strangely, as the taste shifted — starting with floral, spice, and herbal extremes, but then becoming more bready, yeasty, and malty sweet — the aroma seemed to pick up the elements that the flavor lost.

According to the label, this beer is:

A magical, mystical Monkey whose golden soul glows with the wisdom of ages. This warming, flavored ale is rich in the spirited tradition of Belgian-inspired brewing. Our Golden Monkey is both playfully delightful and profoundly satisfying. Exotic spices from the East round out this global journey to joy. Get on board. This Monkey’s bound for glory!

Okay? Ummm… Am I missing something? What the heck does that mean?

I enjoyed the beer, but overall I didn’t find the Golden Monkey to be very consistent. Would I drink another? Yes, absolutely. Would I select this beer over other Tripels? Probably not.

Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA

Just when I thought I couldn’t be surprised by another IPA, I found myself in the sights of a Torpedo.

Torpedo Extra IPA was released in January of this year as Sierra Nevada’s first change to its list of year-round brews (since the brewery started in 1980). There’s been a lot of discussion about Torpedo in the beer community, and now I know what all the fuss is about. This beer had a huge flavor!

The Torpedo poured from the bottle looking like any other IPA — a nice amber, mostly clear and bubbly, with a narrow but fluffy head. But the strong citrus aroma, like a fresh sliced grapefruit (and maybe a touch of pineapple) was the first sign of something unusual.

And the taste, Wow! Such a “green” flavor; like biting into a delicious, extremely bitter vine.

(more…)

Southern Tier Raspberry Porter

The lineup for this Valentine’s Day weekend was designed as a progression — first raspberry, then chocolate, and finally a chocolaty raspberry.

Though I’m not a fan of fruit beer, I could appreciate that Rübæus was very good for its style, with a full and genuine raspberry taste. And since the bold and outstanding Choklat was going to be a tough act to follow, I choose another Southern Tier brew — the Raspberry Porter — to close out the experience.

Alas, this is a case where the whole is less than the sum of its parts. The Raspberry Porter from Southern Tier is a weak porter with so-so raspberry flavor.

You’ll wonder how I could have been surprised. Especially since the description on the website isn’t hiding anything: (more…)

Three Floyds for Valentine’s Day

While Cupid was busy making love connections on Valentine’s Day, the Alpha King at Three Floyds Brewery was making our frothy fortunes come true. My Valentine and I hearkened back to our Honeymoon’s delight by visiting a unique craft brewery. During our post wedding wonderment, Stone Brewing Co. inspired love with its tranquil landscape and teeth-tingling IPAs in California. This weekend we sought a similar sensation, but something within closer reach. The 30 minute Zipcar jaunt from Chicago’s Loop to Munster, Indiana – a nook of a town tucked in the pocket of Midwestern crossroads – proved a perfect sampling experience of the bubbly love potion we most enjoy.

(more…)

Southern Tier Choklat Imperial Stout

Roses and chocolates form the cornerstone of most Valentine’s Day celebrations. But this Valentine’s Day, I gave my wife the roses and kept the “Choklat” to myself.

I first learned of Southern Tier’s Choklat and its Blackwater Series from a review on 52BREWS, which praises, “Southern Tier hit it out of the park with this Choklat Imperial Stout.”

Given my mixed experience with chocolate stouts so far this year, I decided to read a few other reviews before choosing Choklat for Valentine’s Day. Southern Tier’s tip of the hat to the ancient Maya and their “beverage known as xocoatl (ch-co-atle)” seems to have received universal praise. And if I am allowed a moment of foreshadowing, I believe I couldn’t have picked a better chocolate-flavored beer for Valentine’s Day.

The moment I lifted the cap, a high, sweet smell of chocolate began wafting from the bottle. I stuck my nose to the narrow opening and pulled in the smell, feeling a touch disappointed. There was little special in that one-dimensional scent from the bottle. But as I poured the beer and watched the thick, black brew splash and swirl, the oxidation generated a much richer and warmer aroma with a combination of chocolates. I imagined cartoon aroma tendrils ascending and caressing my face.

(more…)

Last Consumed:

My wife and I usually select a Christmas Tree during the weekend after Thanksgiving, and we were thrilled to discover the farm down the road from us is selling trees this year. She and I stopped by the farm while walking our Boston Terrier, Caesar, who helped us sniff out a good one. After my wife and I dithered over the best tree for several minutes, Caesar weighed in with his selection by lifting his leg on a plump Fraser Fir.

I hope that means he liked it.

The tree went up on my shoulder, I carried it home (drawing chuckles from several people driving by), and our Christmas season officially began. We’ve been listening to Christmas music, drinking hot chocolate, and generally sickening all humbugs spying through our windows.

So it should come as no surprise that I’ve selected the “Hoppy Christmas Ale” from Belgium’s Brewery De Ranke. The beer — Père Noël (imported by Shelton Brothers) — intimates the reason for Father Christmas’ jolly cheeks and rosy nose; the label depicts Santa embracing the frothy, 7% ABV Strong Pale Ale.

(more…)