Bad Monk
Yakima Craft Brewing Co. / Hop Capital Brewing Co.

On tap at Yakima taproom, part of a flight. A bit heavy on the candy sugar, but all else (aroma, taste) was on the money for a Belgian. Just a not too sweet....

 

 

 

Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours a hazy dark mahogany brown with a one finger off-white head with good retention and lacing. Aroma of strong clove and nutmeg with ethanol, nearly medicinal; fresh dark fruit. Flavor of sweet cherry, orange, slight dark fruit and Belgian yeast. Finishes with spicy clove, nutmeg, light hops and concentrated cherry and fruit juice. Light to medium bodied. This is an odd take on a Belgian ale, flavor is sweet and very estery but not that complex or balanced. It kind of reminds me of a pale Belgian mixed with a spicy cherry based cola. Nevertheless, I enjoyed drinking this idiosynchratic take on a Belgian dark. Needs a little more balance and depth, but fun to try. It appears that this is a replacement / descendent of Bad Monkey (the Yakima site lists this, but not the latter now). The ABV is different, so I'm giving it a new entry as a new beer. Having never had Bad Monkey, I can't posit on similarities or differences, but both were intended to be Belgian dark ales. Bad Monk certainly seems more apropos for a name