North Coast Brother Thelonious
I’m a big fan of North Coast Brewing (Old Rasputin is easily one of my favorite brews) and am always on the lookout for their products. Brother Thelonious, an abbey styled Belgian ale, had been on my list of beers to purchase for some time now. I finally happened across a large bottle of it a few months back, but was determined not to open it too quickly so it was packed away in the cellar.
That is, until this past weekend. I hadn’t completely forgotten about it over the last 4 months as it sat down there with a few of its closest friends, but I was pleasantly surprised to “rediscover” it over the weekend.
Appearance
Brother Thelonious pours a dark brown with a dark ruby edge around the glass. The small off-white head faded quickly to a thin lacing.
Aroma
Once poured, the beer has a yeasty aroma with hints of dark fruits, as well as a rich malty characteristic. This one certainly smells good.
Taste
There’s a very rich and smooth malt sweetness upfront that shifts to a dark fruit and bready finish. The carbonation is light, but active enough to push the flavors around well enough. As the beer warms in the glass a few more flavors come out including subtle chocolates and caramels making for a nicely complex brew.
Overall
Was it worth the hunt and then the wait? Yes and no. Brother Thelonious is certainly a fine example of the Belgian abbey style and it’s a fine tasting brew to be sure. I’m sure that if I happened to see this one again, I would pick it up immediately, but I don’t think that I would go out of my way to find it.
Rating: 3.5/5