21st Amendment - Monk's Blood

As almost all of you have heard by now, 12.12.12 was the date that the monks at the St. Sixtus Abbey who brew the famed Westvleteren 12 allowed some of their beer to be sold in the United States.  This was all over the news even outside of craft beer circles.  As this beer is often mentioned in discussions about "The Best Beer in the World," it was highly sought after and was sold out almost instantly at any location that was given an allotment of the six packs, despite its $84.99 price tag.  Needless to say, I was not able to buy any, but have a bottle of Dark Lord ready and waiting (plus a mystery Bonus Bottle) for anyone that is willing to trade.

Because I'm a little full of sour grapes right now, today's review will be for 21st Amendment's "Monk's Blood."  It's a Belgian-style dark ale that is made with cinnamon, vanilla, oak chips, and dried figs.  The new ingredients intrigue me and at 8.3% ABV it also sounds like it packs quite a punch.  Oh, and for those not willing to read the old-timey text written on the can, it reads as such,

"Legend has it that in the evening, the monks would retire to their chambers & settle in with a few passages from the Good Book.  But Brothers Nicolas and O'Sullivan had other plans.  Working in the brewhouse all day, they were forced to repeat the same old recipes the elder monks had invented years before.  They needed a little diversion, And found it in the cellar of the monastery with a fresh twist they put on the beer and the way they enjoyed it.  Brother Nicolas (or 'Nico' to his close friends) brought some hand-rolled cigars.  O'Sullivan, the outspoken one, broke the vow of silence by spinning a remix of some Gregorian chants.  Together, they'd thrown down a could nice hands of Texas Hold 'Em and savor the handcrafted brew they crafted in secrecy.  Everything was good.  Or so it seemed. But deep in his heart Nico knew they were drifting into the 'dark side' of beer.  Next thing you know, they'd be skipping Lent.  Then one night they'd face the Judgement for their actions with a hard knock at the door.  Outside, the Abbot and elders would be holding stones in the air.  A threat the brothers were sure would lead to the spilling of "Monk's Blood"

Maybe they should just stick to brewing, but as always they feature a kick-ass can design.  This particular brew was canned on March 5th, 2012.  Let's pour!

Aroma 11/12

All the things that make the strong Belgian style great come rushing out of the glass.  Lots of cloves are quickly overwhelmed by even more of the yeast's banana notes.  Raw sugar (or likely Belgian candi sugar) and vanilla intertwine, while the figs and warmth sit back at first.  Eventually the figs come on strong and mingle with the banana delightfully, even if the figs edge out the banana ever so slightly.  Warmth grows stronger as well, but never becomes intrusive.

Appearance 2/3

I'm afraid this isn't a very attractive beer at all.  Have you had or seen prune juice before?  Yeah, it's that color.  Even when held to light it's that same milky brown hue.  The head was modest in size, beige in color, and crackled and popped its way down to a ring on the surface's edge.  There is also a lot of sediment in this brew, so pour gently.

Flavor 18/20

The first sensations of this drink are much brighter than anticipated, given the prominence of the dark fruit in the aroma.  It begins with a delicate, playful vanilla and some citrus-like tones.  However, it rapidly grows dark like a bank of storm clouds being pushed across the sky.  Very quickly there are the dark figs, the cinnamon, and the earthiness of spice all present and dominating the flavor profile.  Thankfully, the cinnamon avoids my worst fears and refrains from overwhelming all other flavors.  These dark flavors are intense and feel even larger with the strong alcohol warmth.  In the finish, things remain dark but also become bitter thanks to the earthiness from the cinnamon and the newly detectable oak.  It's a combination of dark fruits, bitter, and some boozy vanilla to wrap it all up.    A word of caution to those of you who enjoy slurping to enhance certain flavors!  In this brew, all you'll find is a brash alcohol.  

Mouthfeel 5/5

This beer is appropriately carbonated, which in a strong Belgian means there's a bunch of it.  Good news though, it seems to be taking the same advice as the cinnamon and is not a distraction by being overly prickly on the tongue.  There is some of that sensation, but it's mostly due to the cinnamon and not the bubbles.  Warmth plays a large roll in this brew and is not shy about it.  I dug it.  It makes for a strong beer, yet didn't suffer the same failure as many of the new "bourbon barrel-aged" beers by tasting like "two fingers, neat."  A full body carries all these flavors perfectly.

Overall Impression 8/10

This is a very well put together beer: the gentle flavors come out and the big flavors are not permitted to destroy a lá General William T. Sherman.  The lighter, sweeter flavors are quite nice and I wish they played a larger role by perhaps utilizing a less quick and dramatic shift to the dark, strong flavors.  However, this is a Belgian strong and it is supposed to be both dark and strong so the beer can't be faulted for that.  I enjoy the  interpolations that 21A has introduced here as a change of pace, even if my personal taste would prefer something lighter.

Total 44/50

Let me just say that I am comparing beer from a can to some of the best Belgian beers that I have ever had.  To those that for some crazy reason still doubt that amazing beer can be canned, this beer stands in direct opposition to your argument.  It is a great Belgian dark with its own twists and I always love trying new takes on old styles.  This particular beer is still well worth your time, especially if you normally find some Belgian varieties too sweet.  The earthiness and dark flavors help tone those down a great deal.  I didn't get much of the oak throughout the beer, but that's OK.  There were more than enough other flavors to compensate for it.  Also, I'd like to mention that this beer left my glass far too quickly.  I was fighting to ration it the entire time so that I'd have enough beer for later parts of the review.  So while my tiny, tiny gripe is that I wish the up-front sweetness lasted long or had a larger role, the proof was in the pudding as I drank this beer faster than I could write about it.  If you have some, great!  If not, you may want to find a kind trading partner as 21A has made it official that Monk's Blood will be taking an "indefinite hiatus."  Which begs the question, if they're shelving a tasty beer like this, then what do they have in the works?

Harpoon - Winter Warmer

First off, you may be thinking that it is a tad late in the year to be reviewing winter seasonal beers.  You may be right, but let me defend my decision by saying that the bottle clearly states, "Best by 03/15/11."  So not only is this bottle at its best, but it is my duty to drink it before it becomes otherwise.  This beer was recommended to me by a friend during the holiday season and I had tried it then and enjoyed it.  I recently came upon it again and decided to give it a thorough evaluation.  Thank you Kelly for the bottle and Jim for the suggestion!  Lets pour.

Picture is my own.  Bottle art image used without permission for educational uses only

Aroma 8/12
The spice smell is super present, but not so much that you cannot detect notes of sweetness underneath.  The malt is of bread and carmel - maybe even a bit toasted.  There must be a fairly complex malt at work here, I only wish I could detect it through the spice.  The hops could be present (and earthy if so), but I think I'm merely smelling the spices again.

Appearance 2/3
The color is fantastic for a winter seasonal.  A warm dark color like pure maple syrup.  It is bright and clear with a nice tan head.  The head dissipates quickly and leaves only a collar with no lacing.  Its texture while present is light and smooth.  EBC is about 36.

Picture is my own.

Flavor 15/20
The aroma is not lying; there is an abundance of spices in this beer and they are the first thing to greet you from the glass.  It is followed by the sweet, lightly toasty malts, whose flavors make up the majority of this beer.  This beer has a lightly hoppy finish to try and balance out all the malt and leaves a pleasant bitter aftertaste.  The sweetness of the malt plus the spicy cinnamon are almost reminiscent of orchard bought apple cider.  Please do not take that to mean there are any fruity esters in this beer.  It is simply a connection that my brain finds unavoidable.

Mouthfeel 4/5
This beer features a combination that is tough to beat: a nice medium body, but light enough to be drinkable.  The carbonation is just fine, though some might find carbonation this high to be more appropriate in a summer seasonal.  It hints at warmth, but again, I believe that to be the cinnamon playing games.

Overall Impression  7/10
Spices?  Check.  Sweetness?  Check.  That should be all you need, right?  I wish that I could say so.  It is a darn tasty beer, but feel it relies to much on its one strength - spice.  In fact, this beer may be substituting "spice" for "dark."  Winter is time for the nut brown ales and doppelbocks to rear their heads and sweetness usually takes a backseat to darkly roasted malts.  This is not the case here.  Both are present, but Harpoon's priorities to be inverse from the norm.

Total 36/50
While both this beer's spiciness and sweetness do make a great winter seasonal, the beer could be improved with a bit more balance.  I would love to have more carmely malt notes shining through the flavor.  Can we not give the spice as much importance?  Could we invite some earthy/woody hops?  That said, I would have no problem sharing a sixer of this at a holiday gathering.  This beer earns a "very good" ranking and my recommendation to sample it this winter.