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Blushing Monk
Founders Brewing Company
- From:
- Founders Brewing Company
- Michigan, United States
- Style:
- Fruit and Field Beer
Ranked #6 - ABV:
- 9.2%
- Score:
- 93
Ranked #3,449 - Avg:
- 4.18 | pDev: 10.29%
- Reviews:
- 715
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Nov 02, 2023
- Added:
- Sep 15, 2005
- Wants:
- 569
- Gots:
- 890
SCORE
93
Outstanding
93
Outstanding
When our love of fruit and our love of beer come together, Blushing Monk happens. Brewed with a ridiculous amount of raspberries for tart yet luscious raspberry-jam character and fermented with Belgian yeast for subtle fruit and spice esters. Think of Blushing Monk as Rubaeus’ older sibling – more intense, slightly larger and just a little bit more mature.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Strix:
Reviewed by Strix from Wisconsin
4.12/5 rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.12/5 rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Very red in color
Plenty of raspberries in the nose.
Raspberry with a bit of yeast and tartness
Medium thick mouthfeel.
Pretty similar to NG Raspberry Tart in my recollection. Nice change of pace, but nothing you can drink a gallon of.
Dec 13, 2021Plenty of raspberries in the nose.
Raspberry with a bit of yeast and tartness
Medium thick mouthfeel.
Pretty similar to NG Raspberry Tart in my recollection. Nice change of pace, but nothing you can drink a gallon of.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by drdiesel9483 from Ohio
4.02/5 rDev -3.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.02/5 rDev -3.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Drank a 2015 in 2023
Look - dark burgandy with a pinkish tan thick head
Smell and taste - nice tark milk raspberry
Feel - medium body slightly creamy
Overall - aged well
Jul 03, 2023Look - dark burgandy with a pinkish tan thick head
Smell and taste - nice tark milk raspberry
Feel - medium body slightly creamy
Overall - aged well
Reviewed by mschrei from Illinois
4.39/5 rDev +5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.39/5 rDev +5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Drinking a 4 1/2 year old bottle of it, and it is still damn good. Still has carbonation, and there is plenty of fruit flavor and bite to it. The alcohol is disguised extremely well. An excellent example of the style. Have to see if I can get some more of it one day.
May 16, 2023
Reviewed by damndirtyape from Ohio
3.74/5 rDev -10.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.74/5 rDev -10.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
12oz bottle served in a tulip glass. Bottled on 11/24/20 17202. I just bought this and I can see why it got lost on the shelves. It's a white date stamp on a pale off-white label. Not real smart. Let's hope I'm not about to regret my life choices with a really old beer.
Appearance: Hazy/murky copper-red color, with a thin white head that died back. A few islands of lacing here and there. Sadly, not the best looking beer.
Smell: Definite raspberry note. A little bit of underlying yeastiness and some funk as well. Starting to wonder if 2 years after bottling this is taking on some lambic character.
Taste: So not a lambic - it's not that tart/sour. Definite raspberry note, with some underlying aspects of a Belgian tripel (herbal leafy hop note, some muted Belgian yeast character). I feel like the Belgian character may be somewhat lost here.
Mouthfeel: Good thickness, quite sticky and somewhat juice-like. Light carbonation. Still - it held its carbonation this long.
Overall / Drinkability: For a beer that is over 2 years old....it's still got some of it's original character, but the Belgian character is mostly swamped out from the Raspberry that still dominates this far on. So for an unexpected cellared beer, it's okay. I will see if I can score a fresh bottle and try it again - but note to the brewer: Use a laser / ink system that puts a black date stamp onto a white label.
Dec 20, 2022Appearance: Hazy/murky copper-red color, with a thin white head that died back. A few islands of lacing here and there. Sadly, not the best looking beer.
Smell: Definite raspberry note. A little bit of underlying yeastiness and some funk as well. Starting to wonder if 2 years after bottling this is taking on some lambic character.
Taste: So not a lambic - it's not that tart/sour. Definite raspberry note, with some underlying aspects of a Belgian tripel (herbal leafy hop note, some muted Belgian yeast character). I feel like the Belgian character may be somewhat lost here.
Mouthfeel: Good thickness, quite sticky and somewhat juice-like. Light carbonation. Still - it held its carbonation this long.
Overall / Drinkability: For a beer that is over 2 years old....it's still got some of it's original character, but the Belgian character is mostly swamped out from the Raspberry that still dominates this far on. So for an unexpected cellared beer, it's okay. I will see if I can score a fresh bottle and try it again - but note to the brewer: Use a laser / ink system that puts a black date stamp onto a white label.
Reviewed by gatornation from Arizona
3.78/5 rDev -9.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.78/5 rDev -9.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Pours a clear light pink color Smell has raspberry ,vanilla yeast and vanilla . Taste flows nose with raspberry front , followed by melon ,vanilla and stone fruits . . Mouth feel sweet with some yeast funk, slight tartness .
Sep 24, 2022
Reviewed by xmanden from Michigan
4.37/5 rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.37/5 rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
It’s clear and the color of pink grapefruit. The raspberry smell is very evident and pleasant. Taste more like a cider than a beer. The raspberry comes through strong and at first it’s sweetness is immediately up front but followed by a sour on the finish. Gives the flavor a beautiful experience. Make sure you coat your entire tongue, this hits so many different taste buds. Nice!
Aug 20, 2022
Reviewed by Peach63 from New York
4.17/5 rDev -0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.17/5 rDev -0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Pours rose' with a 1" light pink head, which lasts. Moderate lacing.
Aroma is floral, raspberry. Belgian yeast.
Taste is wine like. Raspberries, Belgian yeast, sweet.
Medium body, lively carbonation. Sweet finish.
An interesting take on a beer.
May 16, 2022Aroma is floral, raspberry. Belgian yeast.
Taste is wine like. Raspberries, Belgian yeast, sweet.
Medium body, lively carbonation. Sweet finish.
An interesting take on a beer.
Reviewed by Whyteboar from Michigan
4.39/5 rDev +5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.39/5 rDev +5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Bottled on 11/23/2020, drank on 5/3/2022, so may need to revisit this when I try a fresh one. But for those of you curious about how it held up, read on-
Poured reddish amber, deeply hued, and sported a manila colored 1 cm head for a minute or two, leaving behind a thin ring which left regular lacing.
The aroma is still all about the raspberries. But there is a secondary note in there that reminds me, of all things, angel food cake. Hmmmm.
The flavor starts out strong with raspberry but later mellows to a semi sweet malty ale that is sheer pleasure to drink. The angel food cake shows up in the flavor as well, very curious and very tasty.
The feel took me back a bit, far more viscous than expected, but that's likely on me. This is a fruited "Strong" Belgian ale and a little viscosity isn't misplaced. Just unexpected. Maybe fresh the carbonation balances it out more.
OA, so glad the released this again, sorry I picked an old one to rate it with, but once it's open, ya drink it!
May 03, 2022Poured reddish amber, deeply hued, and sported a manila colored 1 cm head for a minute or two, leaving behind a thin ring which left regular lacing.
The aroma is still all about the raspberries. But there is a secondary note in there that reminds me, of all things, angel food cake. Hmmmm.
The flavor starts out strong with raspberry but later mellows to a semi sweet malty ale that is sheer pleasure to drink. The angel food cake shows up in the flavor as well, very curious and very tasty.
The feel took me back a bit, far more viscous than expected, but that's likely on me. This is a fruited "Strong" Belgian ale and a little viscosity isn't misplaced. Just unexpected. Maybe fresh the carbonation balances it out more.
OA, so glad the released this again, sorry I picked an old one to rate it with, but once it's open, ya drink it!
Rated by Weve from Michigan
5/5 rDev +19.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
5/5 rDev +19.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Absolutely love it hopefully it turns into a year round production!
Apr 26, 2022
Reviewed by elNopalero from California
3.66/5 rDev -12.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.66/5 rDev -12.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
This is a very very berry beer—appearance, sip, scent all scream berry bomb. Enjoyed on tap at the source, after trying it in the wild for a number of years.
Feb 02, 2022
Blushing Monk from Founders Brewing Company
Beer rating:
93 out of
100 with
2606 ratings
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