REVIEW 18: GOLDEN MONKEY

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:  USA

BREWERY:  Victory Brewing Company

STYLE:  Tripel

ABV:  9.5%

PURCHASE:  13-oz. draft, $6.00 (three in all)

SERVING:  Poured into tulip glass. Initial head of close to an inch; perhaps 7/8". Not particularly retentive, especially for this style.

APPEARANCE:  It's called "Golden Monkey." I think you see where I'm going with this. Fairly transparent. White head and decent lacing.

BOUQUET:  Like most tripels, this is aromatically on the malty side of the spectrum; hops are barely detectable. A bit zesty. A bit floral. On the whole, a pleasantly blended aroma of wheat, subtle spice (coriander, I think), and gentle dark fruit notes abounds and crescendos softly; it doesn't come at you all at once as with a lot of beers. Faint wisps of banana and, I think, fig, round out the nose quite well. 

PALATE:  Somewhat heavy body with standard carbonation. My nose was right, as there are figgy undertones to each sip. Entry and early mid-palate seem lacking in dimension, but come latter mid-palate, the mouthfeel becomes much more rounded and realized. The back witnesses an emerging peppery quality--though one kept in check. Finish and aftertaste feature this as well as a soothing, warming sensation. 

MUSINGS AND METAPHORS:  The golden monkey is an endangered species of monkey originating in central Africa. It lives on primarily fruit and bamboo, and sometimes insects. Read all about it here! Is that why the folks at Victory Brewing Company in Downingtown, Pennsylvania decided to call this beer "Golden Monkey?" How should I know? You people think I have all the answers?

Nomenclature aside, this is a beer that fits the old cliche, "Good but not great." Victory's offering to the tripel market is ultimately satisfying, even intriguing, but doesn't hold a candle to the true elites of the category like La Fin du Monde or St. Bernardus. FYI:  It's mixed with Asian spices, per Victory's own website. So the connection is likely Chinese, and not African. Oh well. 




GRADE:  B