Naughty Marilyn
Crystal Springs Brewing Company

Poured from a 16oz can, produced on April 14th, 2025

On the pour a 1 finger white head forms on top of a golden mostly clear body. Carbonation is moderate. Some lacing tries to form.

Aroma is bright and boozy with a strong yeasty note. Slightly citrus with a malt backbone. Very clean apart from the alcohol.

Flavor is immediately slightly bitter but smooth. The bitterness fades quickly and gives way to a malty and slightly fruity sweetness with a bit of yeasty complexity.

The feel is again quite smooth as well as much lighter than you might expect for the abv. The big flavor does reduce drinkability a little, but it is still surprisingly crisp. There is a distinct astringency that slowly builds as you drink more.

Overall, despite this being a big beer it is quite a crispy Belgian ale. All the flavors blend together smoothly with no off flavors and it is surprisingly drinkable for something this boozy.

A: The 12oz. can poured perfectly into my 14oz. tulip glass with a finger of perfectly white head forming a small crown above the rim. The beer underneath is about as crystal clear as I have seen any. It looks incredibly clean. A lot of carbonation is visible, and seemingly well organized. The only knock on the appearance is that the lacing is not nearly as strong as I expected it to be.

S: A touch of banana and mild spice. I expect clove, but I'm not sure that the spice is that. A little bubble gummy. The aroma is not strong, but what's there is pleasant.

T: On the pallet now I do actually get a good dose of clove, plus a lot of banana. The first couple sips did not provide me the citrusy fruit flavors advertised on the can, but as it warmed I started getting a very nice Yuzu taste - delicate, lemon-honey-ish. Amazingly, at 8.2% ABV, there is absolutely zero taste of alcohol. It's kind of weird because the effects of this beer can always be felt at about the levels you'd expect for a beer this strength. You just can't taste it. Finally, there's a light, sweet maltiness to the finish, with some faint orange and tropical fruit notes.

M: While a lot was going on with the pallet, what makes this beer for me is the mouthfeel. Although, it is hard for me to add more than what legendary Colorado BeerAdvocate reviewer, StonedTrippin, already said in his review of this, it's "freakishly crushable for how strong it is" and has a soda-like carbonation that is "through the roof". And yes, it is light, bubbly, and dry. I'd add that the mouthfeel combined with the flavor makes this one feel kind of playful too. I guess that fits with the name pretty well.

O: This is not your average, American-made Belgian-style beer. In so many ways it defies style guidelines. In fact, I think this beer is not categorized properly here. The can just says Belgian-Style Ale, it says nothing about it being a Tripel. Although, if not that, then what is it...Aside from a Belgian-Style Ale, pale in color? So, Belgian-Style Golden Ale maybe? Either way, this is a wonderful beer. I do not believe I have ever consumed a more nuanced beer that is also this aggressive on the alcohol content.

Ultimately, this is not the best tasting beer I've ever had, however, it is right up my alley flavor-wise and I'd say lands in my personal Top 10% in terms of taste. It hits a lot of notes for a Belgian beer fan like me and it is somehow not that unusual of a beer, but simultaneously, completely unique. I'm not sure how many reviews I've done that have come in at over 2,700 characters, but that's the type of inspiration the Naughty Marilyn provides. It's just delightful beer.

Poured from a can into a pint glass. Pours orange yellow with a fluffy white head. Smells of wheat and Belgian yeast, very inviting. Tastes of banana, Belgian yeast, and wheat. Beer is light bodied and easy drinking, good carbonation. Overall, a good beer.

 

 

 

 

Another offering I probably only can get from Beer Drop, who, actually has provided me a great service of transporting me to Colorado's Front Range... albeit only to enjoy its ales. (The visuals and nature will have to wait, post-Covid.)

For all the allure of being Naughty, Marilyn Looks average. (A more active yeast helps its Looks and other aspects as well.) Smells are mostly malt being transformed into fruit (and alcohol... which is how Marilyn gets her name.) Tastes have some interesting spicing; although I'm not sure I can parse out the hops from the spices. But it all stays in balance with sweet fruit playing a minor role in the after-taste. In the mouth, Marilyn is medium but satisfying. I will have the second can with food. (This first one I just had with Autumn colors... not a traditional pairing, but Marilyn did just fine.)

Overall having ten Belgians from the Front Range in two weeks... I should comment that these yeasts seem to be similarly tired. Has Marilyn's yeast been passed around too much?

For my brewer review, Crystal Springs has it good being on the Front Range. While their family-brewery story is not unusual, they do live in Paradise. (If I sound jealous, I am.) And if you can brew in Paradise, what is your motivation? Answer: competition, because there are plenty of crafters doing the same on the Front Range. Nonetheless, I hope I get my hands on a Crystal Springs saison.

11/24/20 I had the second can with dinner and have to say that Marilyn is better than 50-50 in her class as a dinner companion. That said, I hope to have her again (although probably twice is enough for a bloke like me). But I'm keeping count over at UnTappd.

 

 

a nice belgian beer here, almost more of an imperial wit type than a classic tripel, i just dont get the grain complexity or sweetness i am used to in a good tripel, and there is a highly herbaceous note that comes in where the coriander usually is in a wit, so my mind goes there with this one. its a cool beer, and has a lot going for it. my favorite feature by far is how easy drinking it is. the carbonation is through the roof, like a soda, its nice and dry, and there isnt even a faint hint of its alcohol strength, which makes it freakishly crushable for how strong it is. the belgian yeast is familiar, and has been allowed to really flavor this one, esters of banana and raisin and dry spices are all here, and i get a slightly citrusy note from it as well. soda-esque in flavor too, lightly fruity and bright. lots of character but not a ton of body, maybe a some wheat to it and a pils type malt, but it doesnt seem any more evolved than that foundationally. this beer is a neat stylistic hybrid, and one of the more intriguing beers these guys are making right now. some hops to finish too, neat recipe and nice execution.