Brooklyn Monster Ale

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

’07 Bottle. Dark copper with small off white head. Aroma: toffee, malt, hops. Taste: a delicious caramel malty sweetness with some dark fruits and just a tinge of hops. I prefer this style to the hoppier barley wines. Would love to try this after a couple years in the cellar.

’07 Bottle: Pours a translucent ruby/amber color with pretty much no head. Aroma is a blend of sweet malts, raisins, plums and some caramel...not much of a pronounced hop profile. Nice, medium-full body, very smooth and silky. Sweet, dry, soft caramel notes dominate which consists of some dark fruits and a mild hop background. Good stuff.

Pours a nice auburn color with a small head. The aroma is nice. I was expecting a knock me over alcohol smell but it wasn’t there - I mean it was there but it didn’t knock me over. Smells very spicey and pit like sherry. Rather smooth for a barley wine, much more so than the Big Foot in my opinion. I am going to save a few to see how ages - I imagine it will get much better.

Vintage 2007. Beer poured a reddish orange color with a standard head of about an inch. citrus aromas with a touch of port or sherry. On the palate it is thick like honey, with great flavors malt and citrus. I don’t know what else to say but go try one today.

2007 bottle. Warm caramel aroma. Dark amber color with a white head that stayed awhile. Medium in body with very mild, nigh creamy, carbonation. Flavor is heat, roasted caramel, and enough hop to be noticeable. Finish is pretty sweet, but there is a lot of hop as well. Interesting. A bit vinous. A bit thin for a barley wine. Flavor is good. I’ll buy vivacious.

2004 bottle. Poured crystal-clear reddish-amber with a short-lived cap of off-white head. The age was evident in the aroma, pairing deep vinous notes and plums with aged caramel.. port wine and sherry come to mind.. peppery alcohol warms up the back of the nose.. tobacco and faint earth provide a final impression. The flavor was chock fulla deep, aged malty compexity with no hops in sight.. dark fruit and sherry pair with lesser caramel and peppery notes.. stronger winey notes rock the finish.. mighty tasty! Syrupy foray onto the palate with lower carbonation.. dry with a feel akin to an older red wine across the middle and through the finish.. very dry and warm on the finish, but no overt alcohol was noticed. This was interesting and perhaps a little too old.. I need to try a newer bottle to confirm.

Pours a lovely amber with a modest head which lasts a good 15 minutes. Nice fresh, sweet aroma - notes of alcohol and caramel. Flavour is very complex: berries, alcohol, very assertive spice. Wow! Light hops and lots of astringency and alcohol in the finish. Body is light but well carbonated. This is a very rambunctious barleywine, and I think it could definitely use some aging. Nothing I don’t like here, except I wish it would prevaricate about the proverbial a little more when it comes to the alcohol content.

Vintage 2005. Ruby red with a low head. Strong aroma of caramel, rum and raisins. The flavours are peach, wood, chocolate, dark bread and alcohol with a bitter finish.