As a part of a mixed six, I picked up a bottle of Weyerbacher’s Merry Monks. Since I have had several Weyerbacher’s (the Double Simcoe IPA and the Slam Dunkel) in the past, and heard G-LO sing the praises of the Merry Monks, I thought I would give it a go. The Merry Monks is one of the year-round beers produced by Weyerbacher. Per their website, Merry Monks is described as a Belgian Style Tripel Ale, while the bottle that I purchased had a label saying that it was a Golden Ale. Does this mean that there are two styles of Merry Monks or perhaps I picked up an older version? Either way, here is what Weyerbacher has to say about the Merry Monks on their website:
Merry Monks’ is a Belgian style Abby Tripel. To be true to the style, Merry Monks’ Ale is bottle conditioned. This means we add a bit of sugar and yeast just prior to bottling. This imparts a special effervescence to the beer, a creamier carbonation, and also extends the shelf life. The on-going fermentation inside the bottle will change the character of the beer as it ages, and you’ll find it becomes dryer with age. You may want to lay down a few bottles for future evaluation. We suggest storing at cellar temperatures – around 55°F – and away from light.
When you try this beer you’re in for a unique treat. The special effervescence and creaminess are immediately apparent when pouring. The pilsner malts combined with the Belgian yeast strains yield a remarkable and complex flavor- perhaps you’ll note subtle hints of banana. The flavor is nicely balanced and the finish moderate to dry, begging for the next sip. This 9.3% brew is available year-round.
I found this beer to have the following characteristics…
- Appearance: Golden with good foam and lacing.
- Aroma: Very mild notes of malt, hops, yeast and spices (nutmeg & clove).
- Taste: Creamy with malt and sweet (apple-grape-citrus notes) beginning followed by a spicy (coriander) finish.
- ABV: 9.3%
This was a good take on an old style. I found this to be very easy to drink, and at 9.3% ABV, a very dangerous start to the afternoon.
Categories: Brew Review, Weyerbacher
AMKrouse
The Alemonger
G-LO
limpd
The Wookie
The ROK
Sarah -BeautifulTangibleThings
The Astounding Prism
It's just the booze dancing... 
“dangerous start to the afternoon” – lol
It’s the older label so it has a few months on it. Check the date on the neck, upper date is the ‘bottled-on’ and lower is ‘freshest by’ (which is a bit of a joke because I think it gets better and better with time). Cheers!
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Bill,
Seriously, at 9.3% ABV, how would you describe the start to the afternoon? This was a very nice beer and the freshness (despite the couple of months) was never a question. Well done!
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absolutey thrilled i picked up a 6er of this last week…i was splurging on unibrou and ommegang but was desperate to find a more affordable belgian beer…eeeeeeexxellent beer, my new favorite belgian tripel. also picked up last night the verboten and old heathen…both are awesome. i work in downingtown and can walk to victory, live in phoenixville and can walk to sly fox…both are very good breweries (esp victory) have drank many of their beers and never dissapointed but you guys have some seriously good beer.will always have weyerbacher in my fridge from now on !!! also loooove the imperial pumpkin !!
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You can walk to Victory and Sly Fox? Now, you are just rubbing it in. It really seems like the brewers around the Delaware Valley have upped their game and are producing some of the best craft beers available. And, their experiments lead to our enjoyment!
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Have had it twice and loved it. Easy to drink without noticing the abv. Then it sneaks up on you. Too bad I can’t find it around me anymore.
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