Big Sky Buckin’ Monk Tripel

Brewed by Big Sky Brewing Company
Style: Abbey Tripel
Missoula, Montana USA

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip

send corrections   |   shelftag   |   edit barcodes   |   add pic

UPDATED: JAN 13, 2009 I just had a bottle that was 4 months old and aged in wine barrels. It seemed to pick up a delicious sourness that made it one of the best tripels I’ve had. Fricken delicious is the only way I can describe it. Very mild acidity, tart sourness cleans the palate, very refreshing. Bottled in a growler from the brewery. Pours cloudy orange with a fizzy white head. Citrus and spice in the nose. Crisp tripel, very fruity with banana esters that mix with the citrus in the finish. A bit of excess alcohol shows, so its hot on the palate, although i’m not sure on the ABV of this. Very yeasty aftertaste, quite a big still in suspension even after letting the growler chill in the fridge overnight.

from growler from the brewery on 11 27 08. light golden color with little white head. apples and spice on the nose. soft and even body with fruit up front and a touch of sourness. slight bitter finish. overall an excellent tripel, very dynamic, full of flavor with some mead like qualities.

Draft pour at Muddy Pig in St. Paul. This beer has a strong alcohol content (~10.5%) but it is well hidden under citrus notes and classic tripel sweetness. I would say that this is a bit ore crisp and light than other tripels that I have had in the past. Very delicious.

750ml from Pick’s poured into my Chimay Trappist glass. 2009 vintage bottle number 2643 of 3000 Pours a hazy gold with 2 fingers of white head. Aroma of citrus and yeast. Taste is medium sweet. Candied sugar, wheat, yeast and light citrus. Medium-full bodied with a thick texture. Lively carbonation and a long sweet finish. The carbonation explodes in your mouth. Very champagne-like. Overall, very good. I’ll definitly be drinking this again, but probably splitting with a friend.

750ml bottle from the BA Gang Bang BIF. Pours a hazy, deep gold with a frothy white head. Looks like it has some heavy carbonation. Nose has tropical fruits, a little cider, candy sugar, a little estery. Flavor is sweet, tropical fruit candy, cloves, a little banana liqueur. Full bodied, sweet but dry finish.

As Buckin’ Monk (c&c). BC 750 from Ledger’s Liquor. Bottle 1230 of 3000 from 2009. In a St. B. goblet (cause I broke my Westmalle chalice). Pours hazy gold with a 4 finger off-white foamy head -big bubbles. Aroma of pale malt, yeast and spice. Full body with creamy carbonation. Flavor is just a bit, more than a bit, kandi. Kind of bready. Spice and mildly hot bits finally show up. Heat is present, but not objectionably so. Finishes rather sweet, bready, yeasty. Not the best tripel but it will more than do. After a long time a touch of honey seems to wander by.

On tap at the brewery. this golden ale poured with a massive off-white head that had to be scraped off. There is a floral aroma and a tasty caramel malt base with some candi sugar and unusual ester tastes, then a bready finish. This is a pretty good tripel.

2009 Buckin’ Monk Limited Edition 750 mL bottle #40 of 3000. Are we sure this is the same beer as the one listed? Pours murky gold with plenty of floaters. No head to speak of, delicate lacing. The most interesting part of this brew becomes apparent very quickly: its super sticky/oily mouthfeel. Fruity aroma, like canned fruit cocktail (cherries, pineapple, pear, peach, apple), light yeast, hops. Very similar flavor: yellow apples and white grapes, pineapple, pear, yeast, light hops. Definitely an Americanized tripel. The booze presence increases quite a bit as it warms. Medium bodied with a silky mouthfeel and a low level of carbonation. Hides the alcohol pretty well overall. Good stuff, love the consistency.

2009 Bottle 750ml Label Buckin’ Monk. Pours out a hazy gold topped with a ring around the glass as the head. Aroma was of fruit notes apple, cherries, and some spice. Taste is more fruit more apples, some white grapes, and a nice light belg spice.

Bottle: Dark straw, dirty in shade, very hazy/cloudy, large rocky white head, clumpy lacing, robust carbonation.   Bready nose, some straw, hints of citrus, melon, and flora.   Bright breadiness on the tongue, warming but not overly alcoholic.   Not getting much of the fruity aspect on the tongue.   Yeah, quite warming.   No indication on the bottle of its ABV, but I suspect that its at least 8%.   Moderate to full body and mouthfeel.   Bready finish, clean, minor floral notes.   Pretty standard, but also well built.   Could stand to be a bit more fruity/floral, otherwise pretty tasty.   Thanks to Matt Long of Big Sky for providing the bottle!