Battled Scarred Shogun
Monkish Brewing Co.

I predict that the next beer Monkish releases will be called "My Pen Hits Tremendous." And then somehow they'll have a typographical / phonological mishap, and the follow-up DDH version will likely be called "My Penis Tremendous." And then, inevitably, in tribute to one of the greatest tracks of all time dealing with the subject matter in question, the Triple Dry-Hopped version of that beer will either be called "My Dick" or "Dicks Like Jesus."
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Nominal speculations aside, Battle-Scarred Shogun may not be from the same lineage as the beer that actually turned me on to Northeast IPAs, but it does share some similarities. A pleasantly fragrant eau du parfum of mango-like candied fruits, fresh-squeezed oranges, grapefruit flesh, cocktail pineapples, and a little bit of honey/light caramel like malts are apparent on the nose. The candied fruits and the pineapples somewhat amalgamate and intensify with time and temperature, leaving behind an overall sweet and fruity sensation for the remainder of the drinking experience.

Whereas the array of flavors present on the nose is carbon copied on to the palate with each sip, it's been xerox'd with the "lighten" setting accidentally turned on as they aren't replicated at quite the same intensity. Imagine the mango, orange, and the pineapple being like three really buff dudes with triceps the size of soccer balls and brains the size of marbles. They all try to fit through a really small door into a narrow corridor, all at the same time because they're blockheads. They somehow successfully negotiate their way through but in a very labored manner while kind of spilling most of their "juices" as they pass on, and that's kind of what this beer feels like on the tongue.

There's a grapefruit rind-like bitterness which consistently dries out the palate at each sip, with a little bit of grainy light malt flavor which starts to develop at the end once the brew warms up. Nevertheless, the three blockheads persist throughout the very end, albeit getting fainter and fainter with the passage of time.
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Medium-light bodied with soft minimal carbonation. The body on this one is somewhat slick, but is lacking that sticky substantial to the point of being almost chewy texture that some of the more clamored-over Monkish selections seem to sport.

 

 

 

 

 

Canned 12/15/17. ‘Flee Flee.’

Pours a hazy golden yellow.. some light sticky lace with some residual lace.

Full of tropical citrus with a slight hop presence.. mild, but very nice aroma on this one.

A really potent hoppiness on this beer with a grapefruit citrus that lingers in the finish. Surprisingly mild, but very balanced.

Good medium body. Smooth, creamy, yet still cool and crisp.

This beer doesn’t necessarily stand out for any one thing, but the balance is great. It’s a good “all-around” hazy.

 

Canned 12/15/17; drank 12/31/17 @ the Yarchives.

Opaque orange/yellow appearance.

A rough pour yielded a big, bubbly white head; frothy lace.

Peach, grapefruit, mild dry grass & faint cane sugar notes in the nose.

Medium mouthfeel.

Peach & faint cane sugar flavors up front; dry grass & grapefruit bite notes on the finish.

A nicely balanced NE IPA that is a tiny bit too far on the dry end for me to truly love; still, a nice take on the style. Not Monkish's best but worth a quaff for sure.

 

A: Super bright in color, poured into monkish tulip glass some light lacing, and a good head at pour that subsided

S: Aromas of rich hop oil, orange tangerine and pineapple

T: Fruity tropical pineapple, mixed with mango and a faint peach. Some grass hints, and tangerine grapefruit mixed together with a slightly sharp acidity to it.

M: Light in body here, but high in carbonation

O: Overall great. I prefer this over many other NEIPAS that i have had, but the body could be a little thicker. its got a little bite to it where some tree house beers do not, but the flavors of pineapple and other tropical fruit are on point and strong. This is definitely a dank beer