Monje Azul
Sleepy Dog Brewery

 

 

Poured a nice, deep amber orange body with golden highlights around the edges when held to light and two fingers of thick, foamy white head. A very nice looking Belgian Pale, quite true to form. Scents of sweet raspberry, grainy malt, sweet, sugar cookie-like aromas,mvery light Belgian yeast spiciness and very light bubblegum. Overalls impression of aroma is of a light, fruity Belgian, that is barely Belgian. Not horrible, but a bit lacking. Flavor begins lightly dry, with notes of lightly sweet, yet tart raspberry, grainy malt, white pepper, light sourness and light lemon zest. Middle is slightly drier, with more lemon zest flavor evident. For finish is dry, with notes of white pepper, lemon zest, light raspberry and some grainy malt. Aftertaste is white pepper, lemon zest, and bready, grainy malt. A light sourness throughout. Overall impression of aroma is of a nice, light, refreshing, dry Belgian blonde that is quite nice, though quite contrary to the aroma. Still very good. Mouthfeel is light bodied with high carbonation and a drying feel. Overall impression of mouthfeel is of a light, appealing mouthfeel, urging you to take another sip. Overall this is a good Belgian blonde, nicely true to style in flavor and mouthfeel, lacking a bit in aroma but still pleasant.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Attractive amber brew with a great creamy head. Nicely carbonated on the tongue. A substantial mouthfeel with lots of malt. A nice sudsiness as you sip. Fruity nose. The agave nectar doesn't jump out at you, but it provides a sturdy mellow taste that goes well with the abundant maltiness.

While this is really rich, there is a compensating tanginess. The Belgian yeast dries out the aftertaste somewhat, but there is still a gently kiss of sweetness. Less hoppy than the many interpretations of the style, but it actually tastes more Belgian with less emphasis on hops. Probably the best of the Arizona beers I've tried on this trip. From the 22 oz bottle bought at Whole Foods in Chandler.

 

 

Poured from a bottle into an oversized wine glass.

Look – very light amber color, pretty clear, with about a finger’s worth of foam that dissipates somewhat quickly.

Smell – slightly musky, a little earthy, yet malty…probably from the agave. Interesting smell in general, but subtle.

Taste – much like the aroma, but the muskiness doesn’t appear until at least the middle of the taste, and right after that it turns into more of a sweeter taste. There’s an interesting malt/hop blend here, but the agave does present itself pretty well. The finish is pretty mild and smooth.

Mouthfeel – pretty well-balanced, but leans just a tinsy bit on the watery side.

Overall – not a bad brew at all. Interesting blend of typical regional adaptation/additions to beer, but into an older style.