Victory Brewing Co. - Golden Monkey

For the Third Beer of Christmas, I had to be very careful because this beer is like Teddy Roosevelt, it speaks softly and carries a big stick.

Victory Brewing
Golden Monkey

Well, it doesn't speak that softly. It's a flavorful and intensely drinkable beer. And because of that, the 9.5% ABV will sneak up on you and whack you in the back of the head with the aforementioned big stick.

This is a beautiful golden beer. A light haze keeps it from being completely clear, but it's still transparent enough to see through. Tiny bubbles continued to flow to the surface up until my very last drink. Originally, the head formed with large bubbles that quickly dissipated leaving only a small swirl of bubbles across the top. Even though there was no lacing, the small bubbles leaving the brew did cling to the glass at every sip.

Packed with yeasty goodness, the aroma is also lightly floral (not IPA floral) with a hint of caramel and lemon. Digging deep into the smell, there's also just a bit of banana mixed in with that sweet caramel.

Like most tripels, there's a clove-like spice at the forefront along with a sweetness that is much like a saison or farmhouse ale. Drinking at a normal pace, you'll miss the high alcohol esters. So, please, sip this and enjoy them because they are there. Also, if you sip it you'll realize that it is carrying a big stick!

Somewhere between medium and full bodied, the beer leaves a bit of a sweet aftertaste that doesn't quite clear despite the sharp, lingering carbonation.

I had to think about this one. It's not quite what I expect of a tripel. It misses the mark just a bit. However, it's still a wonderful drink. A bastard, if you will, that resembles it's father but also stands on its own. I would definitely drink this again. Scratch that, I will drink this again.


Stats
Brewer: Victory Brewing Company
Location: Downingtown, Pennsylvania
Website: http://www.VictoryBeer.com
Style: Tripel
Alcohol Content: 9.50% ABV
Interesting Note: A lot of brewers have blogs and I'm sure some (that I haven't run across) do this also, but Victory is the first I've seen that uses its blog to celebrate it's employees. As far back and June 2011, their blog contains "Meet Victory ..." posts which introduce you to every from the co-founders to the brewers to the human resources staff to the house band (the Dirty Firkins.) Sure, the blog contains other cool information, but I love that they celebrate their employees with these spotlight articles.