Pros: Pays homage to the great ales of Belgium while maintaining its own individuality
Cons: What a tough question:
Availability?
The Bottom Line: Wonderfully complex Belgian style tripel, with its own unique character. Complex flavor profile, easy drinkability make you forget the 9.5% ABV. One for Belgian newcomers and experts alike.
Weight: Medium Bodied (4)
Flavor: Balanced (3)
Compelxity: Very Complex (1?)
Having spent the last few days traveling the adventurous roads of beers not listed on epinions (adventurous as it will probably lose my top reviewer status), it’s something of a surprise tonight that I turn to a beer that actually is. Victory, a brewery that is widely acclaimed by east coast drinkers, has just started sending its beers over to California drinkers. And this California drinker is extremely grateful.
Could this be America’s best brewery? It’s certainly earning itself a status as one of the best. Victory Prima Pils impressed me so much to suggest that it is probably the best of its kind brewed in the United States. Storm King Imperial Stout was exclusively a 5 star beer at Epinions, making me later question whether my own 4 star rating was justified, and I do actually feel that it just wasn’t suited to the moment in which I drank it. I think I preferred North Coast’s version but Victory’s Imperial certainly reinforces the company’s reputation. I also notice Hop Devil right up there in the epinions ratings, while my latest newsletter from Real Beer (that’s Michael Jackson’s company) announced Victory Lager in its list of 10 great US beers.
Now I turned tonight to a bottle of Victory Golden Monkey, a Belgian style tripel that I had been aging, although my patience could only afford a couple of months.
The Corporate Build Up Enchanting and enlightening, this golden, frothy ale boasts an intriguing herbal aroma, warming alcohol esters on the tongue and light, but firm body to finish. Exotic spices add subtle notes to both the aroma and flavor. Strong, sensual and satisfying.
Specifics
Malts: 2 row German malt
Hops: European whole flowers
Spices: Asian spices, including coriander seed.
Alcohol by volume: 9.5% (I have read mentions of 11%, so they must have toned it down in recent years)
Tasting Notes
I popped the cap on the bottle and watched with great anticipation to see how much life was in there. Sure enough the foam slowly made its way to the top of the bottle telling me that I’d better pour it or drink it. The pour is not quite so lively; a rocky white bed of foam forms and lasts long enough, but within a few minutes is more of a thin white sheet. The body is cloudy with little particles of sediment swimming around (that’s bottle conditioning and it’s good for you) among a pale orangey hue.
An enticing blend of herbs and spices greet the nose, with the coriander certainly announcing itself early. It’s times like this that I wish I had a spice rack to draw further comparisons. The alcohol presence is also noticeable here without being too loud, as is the yeast and a light fruitiness that I would have to guess as orange or maybe peach.
For a beverage so high in alcohol, this is medium bodied and amazingly drinkable. My first couple of sips went down fairly quickly, while igniting my palate with a fullness of flavor and a tingling carbonation.
There’s an intense complexity to the flavor that is telling me something new with each sip. The spices would probably be enough for a more educated palate to write a review about alone, announcing themselves from the outset, along with an initial soft fruity maltiness. The middle turns yeasty with a little biscuity malt, and even suggests a mild banana fruitiness. It finishes off with herbs aplenty, the coriander being especially noticeable, and leading up to a slightly bitter acidic end, while the aftertaste speaks of a satisfyingly smooth and comforting alcohol warmth without coming on too sharp or strong. I also sense something a little orangey in the aftertaste that makes for an impressive blend of sourness and a sugary sweetness. Long into the aftertaste this beer is asking questions of the palate.
Verdict
Can this brewery do any wrong? It’s certainly great to know that breweries like this exist in the United States. This is a sensational ale that allows itself to compete with the best on show from Belgium. At the same time, true to its Belgian homage, it retains its own exclusive characteristics, complexity and individuality.
While drinking this beer, I had a strong feel for the story of Pandora’s box. Not only is this beer deliciously enjoyable, it’s also dangerously drinkable. While you know the alcohol is there all along it kind of sits unassumingly in the background.
This is certainly one that beer lovers will love, and is an obvious recommendation to those wishing to learn more about Belgian strong ales. The added sweetness both at the tip and in the finish should make this one of the easiest and most appealing starting points.
Recommendations
This beer’s soft drinkability would certainly make this an enticing patio beer, but due to its strength I don’t recommend you do that as its appeal may be a little too enticing. It’s definitely the kind of beer that would work well as an aperitif, with light nibbly appetizers or as a nightcap/sendmetobed brew. If you do want to try with this with food the light appetizer possibilities are endless, including fine cheeses, light pate, asparagus, artichokes or hummus. Alternatively try this salad:
Crisp Bibb lettuce, balsamic shallot vinaigrette, candied pecans, toasted hazelnuts, sweet onions, topped off with a light cherry syrup and crumbled Maytag blue cheese (courtesy of Palomino Euro Bistro).
Availability
Currently available in the North East and California.
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
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