Switch Monkey
Roanoke Railhouse Brewery

 

The Switch Monkey is a solid Belgian ipa. It poured a yellow with white head that did not lace. The scent had some floral and spice notes mixed with the typical Belgian twang. The taste was good typical of most Belgian ipas. The mouthfeel was lighter in body with good carbonation. Overall it was a good offering. It was unfortunate to learn the RRB is going out of business.

 

Poured from a 12 OZ bottle into a pint glass. The appearance is hazy golden yellow color with a huge white head. The aroma is of yeast and a hint of banana. The taste is slightly sweet with plenty of malt and fruit with a cocoa and yeast blend at the end. Overall, a good beer and a nice representation of a Belgian Pale Ale.

Golden in color with minimal head and lacing. Aroma is of both Belgian and some sweet malts. Taste has somehops, sweet malts and has some of the characteristics of a Belgian. Vary interesting balance and beer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A- pours a hazy golden-yellow with a small foamy white head that has short retention and no lacing, expected more of a lively pour for the style

S- light Belgian yeast notes with a bit of fruity esters, a touch of banana and cellar must

T- sweet bready & doughy malt with some dark fruit notes of raisin bread, light fruity esters, dry and yeasty finish with almost a chocolaty malt flavor, definitely odd for the style

M- light body and carbonation, slits foamy mouthfeel leads to a bit of a creamy finish

O- some traditional Belgian flavors in there,mouthfeel a bit more malty than expected. Very drinkable but average

 

My first review for this brewery.

Looks watery as it pours from the bottle. A hard pour manages a scant half finger head that is basically gone withih a minute, leaving only a ring around the glass and a slight haze on the surface. No lacing. Yellow against my white screen, but a weak orange against a darker wall. Similar to tea.

Smell is very nice. Malty and sweet with spiced fruit

Taste seems very watered down compared to the aroma. Some light sweet malt upfront, earthiness and very light bitterness in the end.

Very light bodied. Rather flat, just a hint of carbonation. Decent burn in the throat.

Overall, very watery and light, but very easy to drink

This beer had no head at all, and minimal lacing. I expect that with any Belgian pale ale, and even more so when it costs 4 dollars for a 22 ounce bottle. This beer had a weird additive taste to it, which really made it take a hit in my book. The flavor was not exactly bad, but it did not seem like it was a part of the natural brewing process. I actually live walking distance to the brewery, and know that it was super fresh as well.

Overall, not a bad beer, but in no way is it a good beer. Beers like this make me question the entire popularity of the craft beer movement, and wonder if people are just being hard on more commercial brews because of the big business aspect; there is no way this product is superior to the majority of beer I can get in my market.

If you see Roanoke Railhouse Switch Monkey, save your money unless you just want to try it for the sake of trying it. This is a very mediocre beer.