Brooklyn Monster Ale

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

Serve in Snifter

send corrections   |   shelftag   |   edit barcodes   |   add pic

Bottle. Dark golden in colour with a medium sized off-white head. Malty and sweet. The cascade hops dominate the alcohol laden nose. A roasted feel. A slight hoppyness. Notes of dark fruit.

[Vintage 2001 sampled November 12, 2003] The aroma is sweet malty with notes of alcohol, and apples. A fantastic aroma. The color is dark amber and it has a beutiful though disappearing head. The flavor is slightly fruity and sweet malty in the beginning with good notes of slightly sour apples, bananas, and burnt caramel. In the middle a slight but undistingable alcohol runs over the tongue. It starts out gently but explodes in a cascade of flavor impressions in the end. A beer doesn't get much better than this. Great thanks to Garret Oliver for bringing this one to Denmark.

(Bottle 35,5 cl) Vintage 2004 at 11% ABV. Vaguely hazy, amber golden with a creamy, yellowish head. Fat aroma of overripe fruit and alcohol. Very full body with a smooth mouthfeel, lots and lots of sweetish caramel and overripe fruit. Lightly oxidized because of age making this very mellow and soft on the palate, madeirasized and a bit low in carbonation. Also the hops have mellowed. This has aged gracefully without losing its potent alcohol. 150506

355 mL bottle (2006). Pours slight hazy amber with an off-white to light brown head. Sweet and and dried fruity aroma, malty as well. Quite fruity, very sweet and hoppy flavour, very strong hoppy finish with a solid bitterness and warming alcohol. Notes of cane sugarish sweetness. Quite complex sweet malt heavy brew with a very strong floral/fruity hops bouquet. Very nice.

Bottled. Dark amber, big beigish foamy head, lacing. Very citric, fruitish aroma with flowery hints. Bitter citric flavour. The following few sips gives a very winelike alcoholic feeling. Not to drink fast.

Bottled (2005 vintage, 10.8%). Clear amber, brief head. Aroma of rum, fruit annd lightly citric hops. The bodh is rather slim for a beer this size. Grainy malt combines with alcohol and fruit. Hops dries it the finish and provided a lastign salty bitterness. Less hoppy than most American barley wines, instead more balanced.

Bottled. Orange colour with a small fast disappearing head. Sweet aroma with lots of sherry, plums, alcohol and with notes of hops. Sweet flavour with hops, plums and alcohol. Nice, but I prefer barley wines with less bitterness.

Bottle. Shiny clear chestnut colour. Malty and sweet caramelly flavour with peppery caramel aftertaste. Might be a bit cloying if not for the generous carbonation.

UPDATED: JAN 17, 2009
Name: Monster
Date: June 06, 2001
Mode: Bottle
Source: Chevy Chase, DC
Vintage: 2000
Appearance: hazy amber, scant head
Aroma: slightly sweet malt aroma
Flavor: rich malt flavor, big long bitter finish, warming

Aroma: 5/10; Appearance: 5/10; Flavor: 5/10; Palate: 5/10; Overall: 10/20
Rating: 2.6/5.0
Score: *4

Name: Monster
Date: March 23, 2003
Mode: Draft
Source: bardo
Vintage: 2002
clear amber, thin head, hoppy, malty, fituity, depth of character, alcoholic, everything at once, but the best monster ever

Aroma: 5/10; Appearance: 5/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 5/10; Overall: 16/20
Rating: 3.4/5.0
Score: **4

Name: Monster
Date: January 10, 2004
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting
Vintage: 2003
Appearance: nice clear amber
Aroma: sweet malty aroma with good fruit character and a touch of hops followed by alcohol
Flavor: well balanced flavor, nice carmel sweetness followed by a bitter finish

Name: Monster
Date: February 01, 2007
Mode: bottle
Source: tasting
Vintage: 2003
mellowing out nicely, sweet and fruity, low alcohol, low bitterness

Name: Monster
Date: March 07, 2008
Mode: bottle
Source: blind tasting
Vintage: 2003
Score: 2.9
Appearance: dark red, fine off white head
Flavor: sweet caramel and crystal flavor, slightly astrengent bitterness, hint of fruity sweetness is replaced by peppery alcohol

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 4/10; Fla