Brooklyn Monster Ale

Brewed by Brooklyn Brewery
Style: Barley Wine
Brooklyn, New York USA

Serve in Snifter

02.04.2012 - Houston, TX Bottle Bursting at the seems with flavor and hops. Twinge of sweetness to round it out. Fantastic beer to sip and potent at 10.8%!

Bottle. A very faint scent; malt with a twinge of citrus hop. The appearance was a half inch head, quick to dissolve, and a dark copper pour. Very creamy palate with a sticky textured finish over the thick body. The taste was a biting hop, sticky sweet cream middle, finishing with notes of honey and dough.

This is a good barley wine, and a great value. This is not overly sweet, and has a good hop presence. After taste is a bit warm from the alcohol, but I like that. Not bad... quite good, but pretty straight forward.

355ml bottle. Pours a slightly cloudy copper colour, with a thin tan head. The aroma has quite a bit going on. Raisins, coconut, currants, mild cinnamon, pastry dough, red wine. Taste is of course initially sweet, with a bitter hoppy finish. In between that there is a sourness, with some dark sugar notes, earthiness, faint coffee, woodiness, and of course alcohol. It’s good, but I would have preferred a sweeter finish.

(355mL bottle from the LCBO, consumed right after purchase). Served in a large wine glass at cellar temperature. Clear copper pour with very thin cream-coloured head that faded immediately. Rather pale for a barleywine. Initial aroma is strong citrusy hops with a bit of pine, then sweetness from the malt and some red fruit (cherry?), mild rasin and caramel aromas. Sweet initial flavours like candied cherry, caramel malt, citrus hops, some grains. Finish dries out a lot, bitter pine hops, bit of alcohol, some roasted notes. Mouthfeel is moderately sticky, soft carbonation is appreciated, not overly boozy. A nice American-style barleywine that has a lot of potential, but I think some age is needed to knit together the wide range of flavours which would boost the rating.

bottle. 2011? (purchased January 24, 2012) Pours hazy amber with a thin off white head. minor lacing. Aroma of fuggle hops, malt and caramel. mild bitterness... Good but nothing special?

This was fine. It’s a beautiful looking dark copper with a nice head. Aromas of dark fruits, toffee, grapefruit and pine hops. Syrupy sweetness cut with a pungent bitterness.

355 ml 2011 bottle from LCBO. Pours a deep, slightly hazy orange colour with small off-white head. Aroma is sweet toffee-ish malt, some tropical fruit, a little dark fruit and some spiciness. Flavour is toffee, candied sugar, citrus, raisin and spice. Piney hops in the finish. Solid.