Midnight Sun Monks Mistress Dark Strong Ale (Cabernet)

Vintage 2005 as reviewed on 6/29/2008. This version of the Monk’s Mistress was aged in Cabernet oak casks. 9.5% abv. Pours dark mahogany with amber edging. A small head of almost a quarter-inch was short lived. A few errant lines of lacing above a mostly placid surface. Aromatics lead off with a myriad of complexities. Plump raisins, musty grapes, chocolate drizzeled apples and cherries, and oaky tannins. As the brew warms and breaths a large Port quality steps forward. Alcohol is warming, and there’s a ton of vineousity. Medium bodied, but chewy, tacky, and lush. A light tartness drys out the mouthfeel on the back of the tongue. Rich malt, dark chocolate, and red wine start the pallet. Ripe cherries, red grapes, and port-soaked raisins step forward. The intense vineousity rolls out, and the melange of cocoa, fruit, and wine become quite balanced as it lingers. Quite dry and lightly tart. Finishes with an almost boozy alcohol, plenty of Cabernet essense, ripe fruit, and a shadow of Oak. Wowza, what an intense beer. The Cabernet aging adds an incredible depth of character. The oak is pretty subdued, but drys out the beer nicely. This would be a great beer to have with a juicy, thick Porterhouse.

Name: Monks Mistress Dark Strong Ale
Date: 07/16/2006
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting

clear dark amber, fine whispy tan head, oaky aroma, big woody flavor, nice bitter finish, the oak dominates the profile, otherwise the malt backbone does not add anything

Aroma: 5/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 5/10; Palate: 5/10; Overall: 10/20
Rating: 2.6/5.0
Drinkability: 6/10
Score: **/4

From a 22oz Bottle. Generously shared by Chris at the 2nd Woodshop Tasting. Pours a dark, ruddy brown color with a healthy layer of creamy off-white head. Lots of dark red, tannin-rich dry vinous characters in a bouquet decorated with some honey and chewy brown sugar soaked oak. The cabernet notes really come through strongly, as the dry oaky tannins impart a bold counter to the gently sweet molasses bready malts lingering beneath. A bit overpowering, but dry and unique, and not imparting any sort of off, tart-like characters that my nose can detect; just a lot of dry, vinous goodness. Medium bodied, softly carbonated mouthfeel. The vinous characters are even more prevalent on the palate. Lots of dry, oaky grape skins lingering amongst some dark caramel and fruity malts I find myself straining to comprehend. Pleasant overall, but a bit too unbalanced at this point to be great. The oaky grape characters are left lingering long into the final smack.

A big thanks to cquiroga for bringing this beer to the Woodshop tasting at Stuffed Sandwich in San Gabriel, CA. A very nice complexity of flavors: dark fruit, brown sugar, molasses makes this a very tasty beer. The aging in cabernet casks add a vinuous layer of complexity that is quite enjoyable.

Deep garnet. Initially thick beige foam settles into a jagged ring. Remarkably rich-smelling, with caramelized honey, toasted coconut, chocolate taffy, and burnt fruitcake drenched with meaty port and molasses. Oak also contributes a wee bit of mustiness. Hint of iron. Oxidation overshadows much of the nuanced grape tang. Loose beads of carbonation softly prick the tongue. Vinous acidity gently buckles the cheeks before giving way to a thick frame of well-developed cakey malt. Some limp maltiness does exude, however, imparting a sugared wafer sweetness which contrasts with an unrefined cola-like characteristic. Flash of unpleasant medicinal sweetness thwarts much of the bounce of the lustrous fruitiness. With the exception of a gentle skimming of dryness, oaky tannins are nowhere to be found. Wood teeters on the edge of char, offering a vividly rich earthiness of black truffles and dark chocolate. Buttery oak arises midway and harmonizes beautifully with the soft grape-derived fruitiness, but the papery oxidation eliminates much of the brightness. Esters generate notes of black licorice and pears. Finishes slightly grainy and musty with oak, as a buttery softness lingers well past the finish, alongside a trail of licorice, blackcurrants, and pear grit. This shows absolutely no semblance to, and certainly doesn’t improve upon, its non-barrel-aged counterpart. It’s very aromatic, just not all that pleasant due to the oxidation, mainly. Head retention is very poor/rapidly fleeting, whereas the non-barreled version is mousselike, and the mouthfeel is prickly rather than luxuriously soft and velvety (like that of the non-barreled version). In short, the wine barrel and oxidation muddle what was once a very polished beer.