Fairfax And Olympic
Monkish Brewing Co.

Dank and vegetal with some nutty biscuit malt, I suspected this might have been an old can, but it wasn't. Monkish just goes so insanely overboard on some of these.

 

Poured from the can, this beer looks flat out like a glass of pulpy, golden colored orange juice with decent head retention and light lacing. Sticking my beak into my oversized wine glass, there's a lot going on here. Sure, there's considerable tropical fruit and oj, but I'm also picking up light vailla, light dank earth, a hint of yellow onion and light pine. This is one of the better ipa aroma profiles I've come across in some time. Given the fabulous nose, the flavor profile is just a tad bit disappointing. Don't get me wrong, it's still great, but the huge tropical fruit and oj flavors just seem a bit simple and "one note-ish" after the incredible nose on this beer. Mouthfeel is pretty full with a long drawn out, lightly bitter finish, and the alcohol is pretty well integrated into the flavor profile, though it is noticeable and there is some light heat from the alcohol on the finish. Even so, drinkability is pretty good in this beer, and it certainly doesn't hurt that the beer is pretty delicious.

Have heard quite a bit about Monkish beers, and have to say this beer certainly lives up to all the hype I've heard about this brewery. This is pretty impressive.

Poured into a snifter. A hazy bright golden color with a modest white head. Aroma was medium intensity with pineapple and citrus. The taste followed. Lots of citrus and some tropical notes on a bready malt backbone. Dry clean finish. Very nice.

 

 

Initially there's a gnarly dirt-covered carrot kind of vegetal aroma that disturbs the nostril. Once you've had a chance to recalibrate and recollect yourself, a bright and powerful concoction of sharp pineapple, orange, lime, and subtle stone fruit grace your olfactory centers. In a Monkish fashion similar to what I've encountered before, these aromatic factors somehow intensify and intermingle with time and temperature, resulting in something I can only describe as "fruit cologne."⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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A familiar story can be told on the palate; galaxy-derived vegetal notes up front, followed by an interesting citrus array of (faint) orange, Sprite-esque lemon-lime, soft peaches, and then bitter pink grapefruit rinds. I have to admit that I've never quite appreciated or given too much thought about the versatility of Motueka hops until trying the beer at hand.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Actually, scratch that; almost all Southern Hemisphere hops remain somewhat of a cloudy mystery to me--I might have to take a vacation in Auckland before I sign up for the inevitable back-and-forth queue-a-palooza between Howlin' Rays and Monkish.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Medium-bodied, with soft unintrusive carbonation. There's a slight powdery sensation that lingers on the tip of the tongue, and I seem to remember Monkish beers being a little more substantial in the mouthfeel department than this, but other than those two points I have no complaints about this one at all. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

 

 

Canned 12/19/17. ‘Writer’s Bench.’

Pours a hazy golden yellow, like many of my recent Monkish acquisitions... very quickly settling head and hardly any lace.

Very smooth aromas. Full of tropical pineapple, with subtle mango and grapefruit. Very nice.

Very juicy. Much more bitter hops than on the nose, Hug balanced with creamy tropical fruits and a hoppy balance that make this settle really nicely.

Medium bodied, smooth, and very creamy. Stings a little going down, but this feels great.

 

 

Can.

A: Bright citrusy, tropical fruit hops with a faint malt sweetness.

A: Bright yellow color, opaque, with a thin white head that quickly recedes into the glass.

T: Lots of zesty citrusy hops, coupled with bright tropical fruit flavors, light malt sweetness, and very mild bitterness.

M: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation and super, soft, fluffy mouth-feel.

O: Super tasty; the beer has a great citrusy, tropical fruit hop character with a super fluffy mouth-feel.