Thursday, September 19, 2013

Belgian Pale Ale Project – Abbey Beverage Company’s Monks’ Ale (#6)

12 ounce bottle decanted into a tulip glass.  5.1% ABV.

Appearance:  The color of an aging penny.  Overcast inside.  It’s got the suggestion of a head that never really becomes one.  The cloudiness clears up as it gets closer to room temperature (2.5/5).

Aroma:  Prunes and figs.  There’s some bready malt back there too.  Sadly, I’m getting a lot of “wet cardboard” as well, which tells me its oxidized (2.25/5).

Taste:  Oh, boy… is this oxidized and infected?  It’s got a wild yeast dryness to it.  I get some raisins, some plums, and maybe some vegetables too?  I swear I taste a little bit of carrot and cabbage.  This is all followed by a harsh bitterness.  I guess this could be an early hop charge, but I’m not entirely certain it was intentional.  It tastes out of place, as does everything else (2.25/5).

Mouthfeel:  Light body, light carbonation.  Very thin and slightly astringent (2.5/5).

Overall:  So, this is probably another poor victim of poor retailer storage, but I’m guessing there are problems with this beer that predate the distributor.  It doesn’t taste to style, nor does it taste like something I’d ever want to drink again.  It’s just generally unpleasant.  This is the first beer I’ve had from the Monastery of Christ in the Desert, but after this one I’m not sure I’ll be racing out to get any others (2.25/5).

-Matt

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