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