Satisfaction
Monkey Paw Pub & Brewery

March 10th, 2015 - Bubbling with tiny grains of carbonation, and topped with a ashen brown head, the Monkey Paw Satisfaction looks ready to pounce out from my tasting glass. The aroma is heavy with booze, and has all the rich savoriness of a beef stew, though slightly tangy. Also, a smoked quality lingers around the edges of the smell, adding another layer of complexity. For such a deep and thick brew, the palate is unexpectedly thin, but also exceedingly sharp with alcohol. It smoothes out after a few sips, but the residual alcohol still seems to have a sweetening effect on the flavor, promoting some sweet raisin notes. This inflation of sweetness become too much to enjoy by the end of the sampler, which makes me think a full pint would be far too much. But in a smaller volume, this brew could fill in almost like a port or sherry.