Name: Golden Monkey

Brewer: Victory

Style: Belgian Abbey Ale (Tripel)

Cellared On: August 3rd, 2007

Original Tasting: August 10th, 2007

Beer and monkeys, two of my favorite things in this world. It would be almost impossible for me not to like this beer!

This beer poured a nice cloudy golden orange. A nice bubbly head formed, but disappeared very quickly, which was disappointing. It’s not very aromatic, I picked up some faint fruits and spice as I took a whiff.

The thing that most grabbed my attention as I tasted my monkey beer was the mouthfeel. It was much thicker then I was expecting from the looks of the beer. Overall taste was kind of a muted fruit flavor, getting some banana and clove tones. I can definitely taste the hefty alcohol here. I was definitely expecting more from this beer.

Six Month Tasting: February 8th, 2008

First thing I noticed is that this brew was noticeably darker, being more of a dark brown in color now. Big tastes and smells of banana and clove were apparent, with notes of raisins also present. Very smooth and easy to drink. Alcohol and mouthfeel were about the same as before. Finish was long, a bit sweet, and had a yeasty zing to it.

One Year Tasting: September 10th, 2008

Not so sure about that color thing I wrote about in my last posting - this one was pretty much like it was a year ago. Not too many spicy smells either, I was getting more fruit then anything else (cherry, peach, apricot).

Still a very smooth beverage, but a nice creamy mouthfeel has started to develop. Light malts are paired up with a whole host of fruity esters - peach, bananna, apricot, and cherry are noticable. There’s a nice subtle candi sweetness with a touch of spice on the finish (clove?). Hints of vanilla throughout.

Time to go buy some more!

Cellar Outlook: Great results have been reported from cellaring this beer. I expect the body to get even creamier, the banana and other fruit to develop further, and the alcohol taste to be better hidden. Looking forward to this in a couple of years.

Six Month Cellaring Outlook: I was right about where this beer was going six months ago, I see no reason to change my prediction now!

One Year Cellaring Outlook: I’m still sticking with what I said before! More creamy body development and fruity flavors. The spice will continue to fade away though, unfortunately.

Next Tasting: August 2009