MonkyMonk Saison
Watch City Brewing Co.

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From:
Watch City Brewing Co.
 
Massachusetts, United States
Style:
Saison
ABV:
6.8%
Score:
83
Avg:
3.55 | pDev: 11.83%
Reviews:
13
Ratings:
21
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Sep 23, 2013
Added:
Apr 10, 2005
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  1
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by tigg924:
Photo of tigg924
Reviewed by tigg924 from Massachusetts

3.53/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5
Had on tap at the brewery..served into a pint glass.

Appearance: clear, chocolate-brown in color, minimal head, low carbonation

Smell: wheat, cinnamon, little funk

Taste: big cinnamon, clove, little funk and earth

Mouthfeel: moderate carbonation, light bodied, very sweet with a touch of funk

Overall: Not at all what I was expecting. If I did not know I was drinking a saison, I would think..hey this is a pretty good winter warmer. This one does not really follow the style guidelines. I like the cinnamon, which is very present but not overwhelming. I could have a couple of these especially in crisper weather.
Sep 27, 2011
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.5 by GraduatedCashew from California

Sep 23, 2013
 
Rated: 3.25 by mdfb79 from New York

Sep 17, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by bluerabbit from Massachusetts

Sep 16, 2013
 
Rated: 2.75 by Aisha from Massachusetts

Sep 16, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by j37geogaddi from Massachusetts

Sep 01, 2013
 
Rated: 2.75 by pveilleux from Massachusetts

Aug 13, 2013
Photo of Brew_42
Reviewed by Brew_42 from Massachusetts

3.36/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
Had it on tap at the brewery in Waltham

Very pretty beer. Can't tell if it was the lighting but it was a cloudy red/orange hue with a white head that looked appealing.

Smelled spicy but also a little rank.

Tastes-There's definitely some spice but I didn't pick up any of the fruity/citrusy notes a lot of saisons have. It was fairly. As far as saisons go it felt like it was missing something.

Mouthfeel- Medium body, medium carbonation.

OVerall it was a decent beer but with saisons I set the bar pretty high and it fell a little short. It was the only beer I tried but if I went back I would probably try something else.
Aug 11, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by CheekyBroad from Massachusetts

Nov 30, 2012
 
Rated: 3.75 by AdamP from Pennsylvania

Jul 15, 2012
Photo of Flounder57
Reviewed by Flounder57 from Massachusetts

3.67/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
The beer was poured into s Stella glass.

Appearance: The beer pours a two finger head. A nice mahogany red with some clarity. There is some clarity as I put it up to the light. Head has reduced, but left no lacing.

Smell: Very spicy. Rosemary, thyme, mint, clove, and whatever else was in the garden went in the beer. Aroma is fantastic.

Taste: same as aromas. Blended very well but the spices are too overbearing for you to drink more than one. I wonder if there is some nutritional value to this with all the spices.

Mouthfeel: smooth, medium carbonation, medium bodied, and easy to drink.

Overall: Not a bad Saison for my boys out of Waltham. Very spicy for me, but still enjoyable. Would like to see more characteristics come out of this beer to make it more well balanced with the spiciness.
Jan 10, 2012
Photo of DrinkingDrake
Reviewed by DrinkingDrake from Massachusetts

3.33/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Cloudy but bright and on the darker side of golden. Big bubbly head, not much retention. Light, wheat malt nose, somewhat sour. A peppery zest of yeast and grassy hops. Flavor isn't huge of the big spicy yeast character with most saisons. Sweet but with a sour bite. Some of the hops poke through towards the end with some grassy herbal notes. Flavor is mostly light wheat/pale malt and a metallic sourness. Medium/light body but after a while it becomes tiring on the taste buds.
Nov 03, 2011
Photo of mmmbeer
Reviewed by mmmbeer from Massachusetts

2.84/5  rDev -20%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Was pretty psyched to see some of their big beers in bombers at the brewpub, so I bought the imperial stout. When I brought the beer home and took the foil off the cap, it revealed a pretty pathetic fill level for a ten dollar beer. So I took it back and exchanged it for this beer as it seemed like the next best choice. This one still didn't have the best fill level, but it was a little better. Anyway, on to the review.

22 oz. bottle, conditioned, with 06/07 handwritten on the label; sampled just a few weeks after purchasing, on 7/1/08. The website informs me that it is brewed with organic malt, unmalted wheat, Saaz, Styrian Goldings, white pepper, orange zest and coriander; 35 IBUs. It opens with barely any "phhht" and pours like an under-carbonated homebrew. The beer is a hazed garnet, topped with a tiny collar that leaves little lacing. It appears almost still at the end. Phenolic and spicy nose, vinous, with hints of apple and orange. Rather flavorful, with phenols, bitter spices (orange, cinnamon?), raisins, chocolate?, yeast and a light maltiness. There are alcohol flavors and a bit of warmth, and a vinous character reveals the age. Smooth, medium body with low carbonation, very dry, with a malty/vinous finish. All in all, it's a bit harsh and a little off-putting, and, even though it's flavorful, it doesn't really appear to hint at any particular style. It this were a blind tasting, I would say it's a dark Belgian before guessing saison. Maybe Watch City beers just don't bottle well, or maybe this one can't stand up to age, but it was pretty unmemorable. Their beers are much better fresh from the tap.
Mar 05, 2009
Photo of DIM
Reviewed by DIM from Pennsylvania

4.07/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
a: This was a clear golden copper color. It poured with a smallish light tan head that is short lived and not sticky.

s: Mildly pungent malt notes with a hint of sweetness. Moderate spicy clove aromas emerge as this warms. Some flowery, grassy hops as well.

t: One of the sweeter saisons I've tried. Sour, somewhat biting rye flavors cut nicely by sweet caramel notes. The finish has some floral hops and a peppery clove bite.

m: Pretty good overall, but maybe a bit thin on the tongue.

d: Thanks to ph2001 for the growler. A unique and tasty take on a style I am just getting to know.
Aug 23, 2008
Photo of IBUnit63
Reviewed by IBUnit63 from Massachusetts

3.23/5  rDev -9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Nice amber color with wispy draft head that dissipates on the fly.

Smells of the dreaded potpourri - coriander, cloves, cinnamon. Some malt backbone here but the spice is the price.

Taste similar to aroma - spice dominant, maybe some caramel malts but not much else.

Nice and carbonated but feels heavy from the spices - finish is even but a little spicy still.

Not an awful effort at all but the heavy spice precludes drinkability.
Aug 19, 2008
Photo of morebeergood
Reviewed by morebeergood from Massachusetts

3.63/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Had this on tap at Watch City on Saturday 6/30/07. The chalkboard described this as a Belgian Red Ale, so I asked the bartender if it would have a sour taste to it. He said it's the opposite, it has a bit of a sweet taste. It was served in a oversized snifter with a hefty price of $5.75. It was a dark ruby red color with a thin head. The flavor was very good though. It had a fruit like characteristic to it, somewhat like cherry. No sourness at all. Tasted just as good as the beer approached room temp. At 7.8 % abv, it was a fine beer to just enjoy and sip. My favorite beer on tap there that night.
Jul 02, 2007
Photo of dherling
Reviewed by dherling from New Jersey

3.73/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Poured out opaque and orange colored, with nice fluffy head. The nose gives fresh grapefruit, then yeast, then a mild flowery aroma. The taste was a balance of sour, tart and sweet, reminding me of cherry tomatoes. It has a crisp mouthfeel and a decent finish.
Nov 27, 2006
Photo of Franchise
Reviewed by Franchise from Oregon

4/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a caramel tan color leaving a thick white head that disappears quickly. The aroma is strong passion fruit, raisins, plums, and a nutty aroma. The taste is malty upfront caramel with an offset of mild spicy rustic hops that make this a nice brew.
May 30, 2006
Photo of Truh
Reviewed by Truh from New Hampshire

4.15/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Almost got shocked with this one on 6/29/2005. 16 oz. pint in a shaker, though the menu stated it would be a 10-oz. pour – I didn’t mind.

Nice, thin cream of tight head and some pleasant lace. Kind of an off, light brown, cloudy hue with some stuff going on lazily. Earthy malt on nose, with a fair amount of yeast present too, along with a raspberry or cranberry yin/yang of sweet/sour. Quite malty on the mouth, verging on thick, with the lightly burnt brown sugar adding a bite of tinny char; good alcohol heat at tailing.

A good, solid offering and would have grabbed another had there not been a few more on that I hadn’t tried before.
Jul 07, 2005
Photo of fdrich29
Reviewed by fdrich29 from Massachusetts

4.2/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
On tap at the brewery 6/20/05

One of my favorite Watch City beers to come around in awhile. Sweet malts and tasty spices in a silky smooth beer.

Perfect beer to reward yourself with after a long day at work. 20 oz of pure enjoyment.Well worth a trip to Waltham to try before it's gone from rotation.
Jun 22, 2005
MonkyMonk Saison from Watch City Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 83 out of 100 with 21 ratings