This beer is absolutely unlike anything else we've ever tasted. In fact, when we first tried it a few years ago, we hated it! But now that our taste in beer has grown up a bit, we decided to give this spicy, fruity beer another shot.
Beer Review: Golden Monkey from Victory Brewing
Beer Sessions
Beer Details - Golden Monkey from Victory Brewing Company in Downington, Pennsylvania. This is a Belgian-style tripel ale, meaning that it is brewed with triple the amount of malts typical of Belgian ales. (9.5% ABV)
Appearance - The beer is a rich gold color and very clear in the glass. It has a bubbly, foamy head and we can see beads of carbonation streaming up through the liquid.
Aroma - Spicy and heady. The aroma reminds us a lot of mead! We also get a strong yeastiness, like rising bread dough.
Taste - Oh, wow, was ever a different experience than the first time we tried this beer! Right away, we tasted honey and ginger: sweet, spicy, and hot. This transitioned into a brown sugar and fresh orange juice flavor with a nice balance of bitterness at the end. We could definitely taste the heat from the alcohol on the tongue and in the throat after a few sips, but the alcohol is otherwise very well-hidden.
It has a creamy, full-bodied feeling in our mouths. There's a lot of carbonation, which gives the beer a crispness that works well with the heavy malts and keeps them from being overwhelming.
Our overall impression is that this is a big, complex beer. Every sip seemed to reveal something new and interesting, especially as the beer warmed up a bit. We haven't had a lot of other tripels to compare this too, but our reaction is positive. This isn't one that we'd keep stocked in our fridge for everyday drinking, but it's a good choice for special occasions.
Food Pairings - There's so much going on in this Golden Monkey that we wouldn't want to pair it with anything that would distract or complicate. A basic dinner salad with an acidic dressing would go really well, as would simple steamed fish or other seafood. It would also pair very well with caramel and nut-based desserts. Definitely try it on it's own, too!
Have you ever tried Golden Monkey? What do you think?
Related: Beer Guide: All About Pale Ales
(Image: Victory Brewing Company)
Tags
Beer, Beverages, pale ale, beer pairing, beer sessions, beer review, Belgian beer, Golden Monkey, Victory Brewing Company, tripelShare
Comments (12)
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I once drank far too much of this beer for my own good. I've tried to drink it a few times since then, but can't escape the unpleasant taste-triggered flashbacks. sad!
view kodaly's profile
I used to live in PA, and Golden Monkey was available everywhere in bottles. Very delicious, and incredibly strong punch. Order it with a glass of water and cleanse your palate frequently. I'd recommend it with heavier, greasier bar fare, actually. Well-salted fries would be an excellent match.
view msingerman's profile
I second kodaly, after getting wasted off this beer once, I haven't been able to stomach it since! Too bad : ( I'm guessing it's much more enjoyable when not chugging by the 6-pack.
view veritatem.dilexi's profile
As an aside: I really like the glass in this photo. Where is it from?
view sarah9876's profile
@sarah9876 - They're Reidel "O" glasses and I got them at Williams-Sonoma. Supposedly they're only for drinking merlot, but...shh...don't tell.
view EmmaC's profile
Sounds good; I'll have to seek it out!
view eprewitt's profile
I live in Philadelphia so there's always Golden Monkey around, but oddly I can't drink it when the weather is warm. It's a perfect winter/fall beer to me.
view Grr's profile
Good ol' Victory in our hometown of Downingtown, PA.
Stop in some time and try their other Belgians - Abbey 6 and Abbey 8 for a single/double taste to compare to GMonkey.
Leave with a couple of bottles of V12. Just don't finish them both off on the same day!
view tsbbq's profile
I'm very, very fortunate to have in-laws that live a few blocks away from the Victory Brewery, so over Thanksgiving we availed ourselves of many different kinds of beer--including Golden Monkey. I strongly suggest making a trek out there if you're in the Philly area, because the food is great, the beer is fantastic, and somehow the prices are extremely reasonable to boot.
view elizabeth_TMFP's profile
Philly loves Golden Monkey. It's my go-to in a beer bar unless there's something else I haven't tried. If you like the complex flavor, try Troeg's Mad Elf (from Harrisburg).
view Pipsqueak's profile
LOVE this beer. If you live in Columbus, Ohio - they have it at Bodega!
view imadesigner's profile
Golden Monkey is superb, as are most tripels. Just don't drink too much, because it's around 9% ABV.
view HomebrewMeister's profile