Brooklyn Monster Ale

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

2003 bottle The beer centers around a strong alcohol taste and very bitter. Has hints of fruit in the aftertaste. But the fruit and alcohol are what make this beer sell and it really is a monster. 6/3/6/4/15.

Re-rate: very special keg, at Blind Tiger, 1998 vintage, 9 years old at the time I drank it. I always wondered how this would age and again was very surprised to see another Brooklyn beer age wonderfully. It has really subsided in the alcohol department and became a mellow sipper. The bitterness has gone down, probably due to the hops, which are not present anymore. Very British-esque barleywine with caramel and light alcohol raisin inherit to the style. I would have never guessed its this old, no sign of age at all. It’s not earth shattering and I do not like it fresh so it is definitely a step up.7/3/7/4/15.

Pours dark reddish amber with a fully receding off white head. Aroma of sherry, plums, and sweet fruits. Taste is thick, sticky with caramel, plums, and caramelized toffee. Mouthfeel is full to heavy bodied and slightly sticky with soft carbonation.

A nice warming ale, not as sweet as I expected, a plus, nice copper color, not too much of an alcohol flavor, very good. Thanks to jjpm for this one!

12 oz. bottle, "was born in 2005," sampled in a snifter. L: Hazy reddish woody amber with a tight head of creamy foam that quickly dissipates into a thin sudsy lacing. Light amounts of splotchy lacing. S: Dried apricots and pears with cleaner solvent-like alcohol. At the edges is a soft spiciness and metallic silver tin scents. F&T: Smooth with a full bodied creaminess and a dry alcoholic sting in the back of the throat. Apricots, pears and light touches of tropical fruits mesh with the caramel malts to give this a sour sweetness. The alcohol is both spicy and metallic, grows stronger in strength and warmth as the taste progresses. Bare hints of herbal hops that turn quite citric juicy in the finish. A finale of grain bread, citrus and metallic flavored alcohol. If the alcohol was more tamed and balance in the taste, I think the drinkability would only increase, this starts to become harsh as you near the end. One bottle and I’m done for the evening.

(on bottle,2004 edit.) it´s a very sweet sent that hits the nose at first, you wait; and it´s still very fruity and sweet. Tons of goodies in a bole. Trying hard, ther´s some alcoholsmell too. The mouth feel is filled with the alkohol, urprising from the absense in sent and then rot, fruits and rice(sorry) The finish is unfinished, mshy/malty/appelish and a bit of the alcohol, needs, no surprie, ageing.

Red, Ruby in color; Medium head thins out and then sticks; Hops and alcohol in the nose. One of those beers that I could sit and just smell for hours. Some good hops in the foreground. Alcohol well-hidden for 11.8%, tastes more like 8% or 9%. Burnt olives in the back. Caramel. Palate just a tad too thin for the style- but just a tad. As it warms, nice burnt flavors approach the side of the mouth. I appreciate the subtlety of the hops compared to SNBF or Old Foghorn. Excellent. A hearty thank you to VENOM.

bottle from ol’ reliable... thanks ucusty. pours a brilliant clear rich copper color with a soft toasted almond head. some slug rings of lacing are left on the glass in a horizontal pattern. caramel, sweet grain, berries, orange peel and light piney hops on the nose. the flavor is... strange. balanced but somehow not... light earthy spicy hops, tart fruit, orange and malty caramel-y grains with a dry hoppy finish. malt sticks around in the aftertaste. full bodied and very slick but not sticky. very quaffable though i’d have trouble drinking another. strange... not very complex but the least sugary sweet BW i’ve had to date...

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.