Victory Golden Monkey
I have yet to find a Victory Brewing product that I haven’t liked, so when I get a chance to check one out, I jump on it. I picked this one up some time ago on a trip to the store. My initial thought upon seeing it was, “Ooh, a monkey!”
What can I say — I’m easily amused.
Appearance
The Monkey pours a clean and bright gold. The head was short-lived but fluffy and white.
Aroma
You can pretty much guess the reasoning behind the naming of this beer — it’s all bananas. One whiff is all you need. There’s the style’s banana smells, as well as some spice and other citrus. I didn’t get much of an alcohol presence in the aroma (ABV 9.5%).
Taste
Wow. This is a great example of a tripel. It’s not setting a standard with it’s flavors, but it’s hard to deny it’s place in the tripel market. The bananas are there as is the spice (clove I think). It’s warming and refreshing. The alcohol comes out more as the beer warms. The beer is rich and creamy.
Overall
Honestly, this one surprised me. I suppose it’s my suspicion of beers purporting to be of the Belgian styles brewed outside of that country. I guess I’m a bit spoiled in that regard, having had some of Belgium’s best brews. This Victory beer, however, is a great example of a tripel. As I said, it’s not going to be the one beer that steers me away from the abbeys of Belgium, but it’s tasty none the less.
Rating: 3.5/5