5 Monks
Avery Brewing Company

5 Monks5 Monks
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From:
Avery Brewing Company
 
Colorado, United States
Style:
Quadrupel (Quad)
ABV:
19.4%
Score:
96
Avg:
4.36 | pDev: 9.17%
Reviews:
44
Ratings:
364
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Feb 07, 2024
Added:
Apr 04, 2014
Wants:
  106
Gots:
  130
No. 22 in Avery's Barrel-Aged Series, 5 Monks, a 19.4% ABV Bourbon barrel-aged Belgian-style quintupel ale
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by schinebd:
Photo of schinebd
Rated by schinebd from Massachusetts

4.38/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Feb 22, 2015
More User Ratings:
Photo of brentk56
Reviewed by brentk56 from North Carolina

4.31/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Appearance: Pours a murky tea color with a quick fading head; leggy but no lacing

Smell: Boozy and malty with charred oak, Bourbon, caramel and fig tones

Taste: Caramel, candi sugar and fig flavors forward with the Bourbon and charred oak elements rapidly emerging; after the swallow, the fusel alcohol brings a slight burn; the finish is rich and flavorful

Mouthfeel: Full bodied with low carbonation; warmth in the gullet

Overall: Another high ABV Avery beer from the Barrel-Aged series that has stood the test of time - going on 10 years in the bottle
Feb 07, 2024
Photo of Treyliff
Reviewed by Treyliff from West Virginia

4.28/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
12oz bottle poured into a snifter
Bottled 2014

A- pours brown in color with a one-finger foamy off-white head that has short retention

S- bold, boozy and malty aroma with notes of caramel, burnt brown sugar, stewed raisins & figs, molasses and leather. Undertones of barrel adds peppery oak and bourbon

T- caramel and toffee up front with a Belgian candi sugar sweetness, followed by notes of brown sugar and molasses. Mid-palate brings out bold dark fruit notes of prunes, figs and stewed raisins. The finish brings out the bourbon barrel, adding oak and a hint of vanilla. Lingers of caramel, dark fruit and booze

M- medium body with low carbonation leads to a slightly syrupy mouthfeel that continues into a warming finish

O- a great mix of caramel and dark fruits, while keeping the high abv at bay
Dec 03, 2023
Photo of stevoj
Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho

4.41/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Taster at share, and second, and third. Big, slick, sweet notes from this booze bomb. Also held up quite well (2014 vintage). Black, oil slick pour, light bublby head dissipates. Sweet aroma and taste, molasses, prunes. Exceptionaly smooth despite the off the charts ABV. Truly awesome.
Oct 09, 2023
 
Rated: 4.3 by hopley from Massachusetts

Mar 02, 2021
Photo of rand
Reviewed by rand from California

4.63/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
12 oz bottle into a snifter

Wow...have had this beer squirreled away for 6 years now, figured with 20% ABV it would hold up well. Discerning from previous reviews, the commonly noted nuances are distinct - carob, ripe pit fruit, raisin. Bourbon-barrel aging has left a permanent caramel aspect in the bouquet, which is full of oak. Flavors are as boozy as expected, but everything is reigned-in and smooth. Moderate carbonation plays well off of the brew’s leathery, bittersweet undertone. Obviously a sipper, but dangerously drinkable. A retired masterpiece.
Jan 15, 2021
 
Rated: 4.22 by BKotch from Texas

Apr 30, 2020
 
Rated: 4.35 by smi69 from New York

Apr 03, 2020
 
Rated: 3.82 by Sound_Explorer from Washington

Dec 23, 2019
Photo of Abe_Froman
Reviewed by Abe_Froman from Massachusetts

4.43/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Bottled 7/2014
Opened 1/2019

Poured heavy with decent carbonated head that dissipated quickly.
Look: Hazy dark amber.
Smell: Dark fruits, cherries, molasses. Dark and sweet like a good Quad. Hints of warm alcohol.
Taste: Dark fruits hit the tongue first. Sugary vanilla and oak notes follow. A pleasant sharp cherry after taste.
Feel: Light syrup that leaves a light coating. Very fine carbonation tingles before quickly fading.
Overall: I wish 2014 me had bought a few.
Jan 19, 2019
 
Rated: 4.25 by BdM from Netherlands

Jan 04, 2019
Photo of Bitterbill
Reviewed by Bitterbill from Wyoming

4.61/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Bottled July 17th 2014.

It pours what looks to be a clear mahogany with a small and quickly disappearing head of off white foam. The ring around the glass is all I see now but there's some struggling lacing.

Brown sugar, molasses, dark pitted fruits, vanilla, oak, Bourbon aromas permeate my nose buds. The smell wouldn't be complete without mentioning the booze. It's there in spades.

Brown sugar, Bourbon, dark pitted fruit, figs, very sweet overall but not to the point of being cloying, at least to me. Wonderful flavours, lots of heat, oxidation is making its presence known. A few more years and how would it evolve? A super strong Thomas Hardy? JW Lees? I'll never know as this is my only bottle and I have held it in my cellar for +1 year.

As big a beer as this is, I don't reckon that the body is full. Carbonation is low and who the hell would want it to be lively??

I didn't buy this locally, I had to buy it online with several other Avery BA beers. No regrets.
Nov 22, 2018
Photo of LiquidAmber
Reviewed by LiquidAmber from Washington

4.45/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
A 2014 bottle, properly cellared. Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a medium to dark, slightly hazy, brown-orange with a thin, light khaki head that dissipates to patches with light lacing. Aroma of caramel malt, plums, raisins, dried apricot and peach, vanilla; light bourbon and oak, a bit boozy. Flavor is candi malt, mild caramel, mixed dried fruit, particularly apricots, bourbon, vanilla and boozy heat. Medium bodied with light creaminess and sharp carbonation. Whooee, this is a big ale. There's a quad in there somewhere, although this leans towards a non-hoppy American barleywine to my taste, although there definitely is some Belgian yeast fruit notes here. Except for the carbonation, this could be a nice light aperitif with its bold ABV. Hot for a quad, but with fine fruit and bourbon balance and substantial malt holding everything together. As usual for Avery's beasts, a truly fine evening slow sipper. It has aged gracefully and probably would have more years of happy aging. This bottle will not have that honor.
Oct 10, 2018
Photo of Avitra
Reviewed by Avitra from California

3.98/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
It’s actually better than the score I gave it, but it’s better as a porter. This is just not a quad with its flavor profile. As it is it’s nice and syrupy and dark and cheery cherry and booze. And the porter typical vanilla and chocolate ice cream. Great porter, so so quad
Sep 01, 2018
Photo of StraightNoChaser
Reviewed by StraightNoChaser from Georgia

4.61/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75
look: Dark ruby with a surprising swath of reddish tan head on the pour though that rapidly dissipates to a slight ring around the edges of the glass.
nose: a decadently rich nose of dark fruits and bourbon. more like a high end Port than a beer.
taste: and the flavor does not disappoint after the stellar nose. Very similar to the nose and a bit of spice. This is a beast but a relatively gentle giant. The alcohol is present but much mellower than I would expect from a beer this big. Outstanding.
Jun 22, 2018
 
Rated: 4.46 by ivyman from Massachusetts

May 29, 2018
 
Rated: 4.41 by mattreitz49 from Florida

Apr 04, 2018
 
Rated: 4.53 by Kurmaraja from California

Sep 28, 2017
Photo of CoreyC
Rated by CoreyC from Wisconsin

4.72/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Wow!
Jun 02, 2017
 
Rated: 4.06 by Casey_L from Texas

May 06, 2017
5 Monks from Avery Brewing Company
Beer rating: 96 out of 100 with 364 ratings