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Brooklyn Brewery Monster Ale (2012)

Hey everyone, thanks for coming by!  Tonight I am going to be drinking a glass of Brooklyn Brewery's 2012 batch of Monster Ale.  Monster Ale is an English barleywine style ale and can be found on store shelves between the months of November and February.  I'll be saving a few of these bottles to age to see how the beer changes over time.

Brooklyn Brewery Monster Barleywine Style Ale
Brooklyn Brewery Monster Barleywine Style Ale

Monster Ale
English Barleywine
10.1% ABV
47 IBUs
12 oz bottle poured into my Chimay goblet

Brooklyn Brewery Monster Barleywine Style Ale
Brooklyn Brewery Monster Barleywine Style Ale

Brooklyn Brewery's 2012 Monster Ale poured a clear copper color with a 1/2 finger width head that diminished very quickly.  After pouring, I let the beer sit for 15-20 minutes.  There are aromas of sweet fruit, malts and alcohol.  I'm not able to pick out any specific aroma from the hops.  As I sip on the beer, the malt and the alcohol take center stage.  There are flavors of caramel, dates, plums, toffee and and a smooth alcohol finish.  The mouthfeel on Monster Ale is sweet and medium bodied.  The carbonation starts off intense, but mellows out as the beer sits.

Overall:  This beer is wonderful.  It doesn't overwhelm with hops, but has just enough to cut the sweetness from the malt.  All the flavors blend together deliciously, and is a great beer to sip on at night while relaxing.  I can't wait to see how this beer does with some age on it.

Have you had Brooklyn Brewery's Monster Ale?  What are your thoughts?  Let me know in the comments!

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Comments

  1. Allen HuertaFebruary 20, 2013 at 9:22 PM

    I have not had this but am really in the mood for a Barley Wine right now! I only have a Bigfoot... funny enough, but not sure if I want to open that yet. I'd love to give this, and other Brooklyn beers a try.

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownFebruary 20, 2013 at 9:29 PM

    I think I liked Monster a little more than Bigfoot. It really depends what kind of mood you're in though, whether you want the classic SN hops, or something a bit more subtle. I love them both though.

    Does Brooklyn distribute to your area? I'm still waiting on that order to come in from my local liquor store on the Hopfen-Weisse. I'm thinking of stopping in tomorrow b/c they said it was in stock in their warehouse!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Allen HuertaFebruary 20, 2013 at 9:34 PM

      Yes, they do. I am picking up a #1 I think they call it sometime soon (1001 Beers), but I have only had a few of them. My buddy from NY introduced me to them in TX. I appreciated it haha

      Delete

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