Brooklyn Monster Ale

Not terribly impressed. Aroma of interesting caramel notes. Flavor was kind of bland though.

THOUGHTS: Really nice, but not the best barley wine. The alcohol was a little harsh, but not bad in this beer. Seemed a little more like an American strong ale than a barley wine. At first I first I liked the flavor more than the aroma, but halfway through my opinion switched. TECHNICAL: Bottle. Poured a clear, medium to dark, amber with a small, off-white head that mostly diminished and left fair lacing. The aroma was moderate caramel, light grain, light to moderate hops, light almost leathery yeast, brown sugar, sort of a maple syrup not, light alcohol (very light for the ABV), fruits, something like duck sauce and a little cream. The initial flavor was sweet and bitter just like the finish, which had an average to long duration. There was fruit, caramel, peach, pancake syrup, and metallic and piney hops. The medium to full body was a little syrupy with fizzy carbonation and a slightly metallic, moderately to heavily alcoholic (but not bad for the ABV) and sort of dry finish.

bottle, 2007 vintage, golden brown colored with fast disappearing foam, aroma of honey, brown sugar, some resiny hops, flavor is similar, honey, hoppish, slight metallic, alcohol is not prevalent

just rode 8 miles home from work in rough weather, hail, ass load of rain and win. cherry creek was flooded, but i rode through it. road bikes with slick tires and flooded creeks are a fun combination. got home soaked and coated with mud. it was a great time, except for the hail, that shit hurts. so i need a good pick me up, lets see what this beer is made of. 08 looks reddish brown as mauer just cranked one over the fence on the game that i’m watching. poured heady but settled quick. smells of raisin, figs, and something earthy with a nice hint of orange peel like notes. yeah, this is a nice englishbarley wine. warming, lots of dark fruit, cinnamon maybe? spicey alcohol bite. well turned double play. hops are still a bit dominant, but this is really working well for me.

(Bottle, 2004 vintage, at Pikkulintu, Helsinki, on 2009-05-07) Dark reddish brown and clear. Small white head. Raisin and malts in aroma. Full bodied and dry palate with little carbonation. Malts, raisin, saltiness, light sweetness, little bit of chocolate, dates and bitterness in taste. Raisin and malts in aftertaste.

I had the 07 version on draft at the Craft Ale House. I wasn’t really all that impressed with this beer, especially given some of the hype. The beer pours a dark copper color with an off-white head. There is an ample amount of lacing around the glass. The nose is full of fruits, especially grapes. There’s also a tiny bit of caramel and alcohol in the aroma. The body is fairly full, but smooth and drinkable. The flavors are mostly of fruits, again mostly of grapes, but with notes of alcohol, sugar and yeast. It’s certainly not one of my favorite barleywines.

2008 bottle. Pours dark copper color with thin white head. Dark fruit, caramel and sugar aromas. Dark fruit and brown sugar flavors. Slightly boozy and somewhat medicinal. Medium to full body with minimal carbonation.