About the beer:

Victory Brewing Company’s Golden Monkey is an American adaptation of the traditional Belgian-style strong ale now commonly found around the world. We’ve talked a lot about Belgian-style ales here at Beeriety and there are several themes that make this beer uniquely different than that of its predecessors from across the seas.

The Victory Brewing Company was founded in 1996 by Ron Barchet and Bill Covaleski in Downingtown, PA. Victory Brewing is know for their innovative approach to new-age brewing methods including their commitment to clean, renewable energy  such as the use of solar panels that were recently installed at their brewing headquarters. With over 12 varieties of beer available year-round and a host of seasonal offerings Victory has become an award winning brewery and has established themselves as a staple of east coast brewing.

But back to the beer! This Belgian-style tripel ale boasts a high-octane punch, clocking in at 9.5% ABV.  As the name suggests this style packs triple the amount of malts than a regular ale, which gives this beer its big and complex flavor.  As we’ve previously mentioned Belgian-style ales are also a fantastic alternative to the traditional champagne toast because of their sometimes sweet flavor and high carbonation levels.

In A Nutshell:

The Golden Monkey is a great American take on the Belgian-style but doesn’t come close to the classics. Beeriety 3 out of 5: Worth A Try!

Beeriety Review:

Golden Monkey was one of the first Belgian-style ales I discovered when I first got into craft beer. This Belgian set the stage for future strong ale tastings and at the time it was an eye-opening experience to try such a complex beer that offered so much flavor and spice. At a time in my life it certainly ranked among my favorite Belgians, so you can understand the conflicted nature of my review and my frustration with my own palate.

I really want to love this beer, but looking at it now it really doesn’t hold up against the traditional Belgian greats like Duvel, Chimay Blanche and other Trappist ales. I have a huge affinity for Victory brewing and love their American take on a Belgian strong, but ultimately it is the lingering liquor taste of the Golden Monkey that detracts from the overall offering. There are a lot of strong ale options in the beer world and it’s a shame that the high alcohol content has such a substantial impact on the flavor of this beer. There is still a lot to love about this beer, from the aroma to the spicy notes that weave in an out as the beer warms up. I certainly would never shy away from trying one on tap, I guess I’ve just moved on and discovered better Belgian beers.

Beeriety Rating:

3 out of 5: Worth A Try

What are you drinking? Try a Golden Monkey this week and tell us what else you’re drinking. Tag your Twitter updates, Tumblr posts and Flickr photos of your Beer of the Week with the #mybeer hashtag to tell us what you’re drinking!

American Craft Beer Fest

On Saturday, Team Beeriety and some friends including Susie from We Are Not Martha headed down to the American Craft Beer Festival on Boston’s waterfront. It was an amazing array of 75 American brewers with over 300 different craft beers to sample. There was a lot of unusual beers and beer lovers at the festival and we did our best to check out as many of them as we could.

Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project

The beer was fantastic and while we all had our individual favorites, there was a general consensus that Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project was the break away star. Considering this small brewery run by a husband and wife team has only been around for about a year their beers show an astounding amount of sophistication and deliciousness. Their labels also live up to their name as some of the prettiest I’ve seen in awhile. They are surely a brewer to keep an eye on.

Brooklyn Brewery

Another favorite was Brooklyn Brewery’s Intensified Coffee Stout. Brooklyn has long been one of the most prominent craft brewers in America and this new brew showcases why. I’ve known and loved many coffee stouts, but never have I tried anything that so thoroughly captured the taste and mouthful of French press coffee and stout.

For a more detailed look at what beers grabbed our attentions take a look at our individual favorite lists:

Carleton:

• Brooklyn Brewery – Intensified Coffee Stout
• Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project – Baby Tree
• Ithaca Beer Co. – Cascazilla
• Cambridge Brewing Co. – Imperial Skisbsøl
• Dogfish Head Brewery – Sah’ Tea

Chris:

• Brooklyn Brewery – Intensified Coffee Stout
• Southern Tier Brewing Co. – Jah-va
• Watch City Brewing Co. – HellHammer Oatmeal Stout
• Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project – Cofounded Mister Sisyphus
• Terrapin Beer Co. – India Style Brown Ale

Erin:

• Ithaca Beer Co. – Flower Power IPA
• Southern Tier Brewing Co. – Imperial IPA.
• Victory Brewing Co. – Wild Devil
• Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project – Jack D’or
• Terrapin Beer Co. – Sunray

Ryan:

• Brooklyn Brewery – Intensified Coffee Stout
• Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project – Baby Tree
• Brewery Ommegang – Three Philosophers
• Left Hand Brewing Co. – Oak Aged Imperial Stout
• Southern Tier Brewing Co. – Cherry Saison

Susie (from We Are not Martha):

• Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project – Baby Tree
• Terrapin Beer Co. – Side Project 90 Shelling
• Brooklyn Brewery – Intensified Coffee Stout
• Dogfish Head Craft Brewery – Midas Touch
• Left Hand Brewing C0. – JuJu Ginger

Woody Chandler, Beer Monk

There was also plenty of interesting people in attendance, like Woody Chandler, the ‘beer monk’.

Pretzel Necklaces were all the rage

Several people also had curiously placed a necklace of pretzels around their necks, which I’d never seen before but seems like a great way to snack while keeping two hands free for beer. We’ll have more on the beer fest and exclusive interviews from the floor with brewers and attendees alike once we have a chance to sort through it all.

Until then check out the rest of the photos from the fest on the Beeriety Flickr account and let us know if you attended and what you were drinking in the comments!