Shipyard Monkey Fist
I do love having a relative who works with one of my favorite breweries. While not available on shelves until early next month, I was lucky enough to get a couple bottles of Shipyard Brewing’s new IPA, Monkey Fist. The first thing you notice when approaching this beer is the label artwork. I’m not entirely sure what’s going on with it, but it is completely unlike anything Shipyard has put out in the past. I know I’m not supposed to really focus on that sort of stuff in tasting a beer, but first impressions are everything.
Thankfully, the out-of-place label art did nothing to dampen the experience of drinking the tasty and earthy IPA held within the bottle it adorns. This 6.9% ABV is brewed with Warrior, Glacier and Cascade hop varieties and uses a top-fermenting English yeast to give it a more traditional IPA character. The end result is a well balanced beer with a solid malt backbone and a large amount of earthy, piney hops that, much like the monkey on the label, is a little mischievious in its own right.
Appearance
A large, tawny crown of foam fades slowly to a decent amount of lacing over the orange-tinted, amber liquid.
Aroma
A ton of earthy, leafy hops are the first thing that rises from the glass as grass notes, pine resin and a touch of grapefruit join in along with a decent waft of bready malt. The beer certainly smells good.
Taste
Oily and piny hops greet the palate first with an earthy and leafy character. There’s a well thought out moderate amount of malt sweetness to balance out the hop astringency that lingers for a good long while in the dry finish. The hop bite isn’t palate-wrecking nor overly bitter, but the astringency level is fairly aggressive. As the beer warms in the glass, there’s more of a citrus component that comes out with hints of grapefruit and light orange zest. The beer is medium bodied with a fairly crisp carbonation that helps accentuate the hop character nicely.
Overall
I love IPAs like this. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of over-the-top West Coast varieties that carry a crazy amount of tropical fruit and bitterness, but I do love a more down-to-earth IPA that has a load of earthy character. Monkey Fist may not be dressed the best, but man, does it really shine once poured in a glass. The alcohol content isn’t terribly elevated, making for a brew that is drinkable, layered and refreshing.
Rating:4.25/5
This is a review of a promotional sample received from the brewery.