-
Stop lurking! Log in to search, post in our forums, review beers, see fewer ads, and more. — Todd, Founder of BeerAdvocate
Monk's India Pale Ale
The Spencer Brewery
- From:
- The Spencer Brewery
- Massachusetts, United States
- Style:
- American IPA
- ABV:
- 6.3%
- Score:
- 88
- Avg:
- 3.92 | pDev: 7.4%
- Reviews:
- 16
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Dec 26, 2022
- Added:
- Mar 31, 2019
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 3
An American IPA brewed with Citra, Mosaic, Amarillo, and Simcoe hops.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by MaxBrews:
Reviewed by MaxBrews from Massachusetts
4.02/5 rDev +2.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.02/5 rDev +2.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Is this a hazy IPA? Yes it's hazy in appearance; darker than most hazy IPAs (copper colored) and depending on the can opague to a nice haze but still letting light through. However this may not be completely the hazy juicy IPA you've grown to love, but I respect that.
It doesn't knock you out with tropical fruit flavors or aroma, but features a melange of pithy citrus fruit, pine and herbs. I'd say it weighs heavier on the piney herbal side.
Taste wise, my favorite thing is that this beer isn't sweet; far too many new England IPAs are cloyingly sweet. This is just right and perhaps slightly more bitter than the 30 advertised ibus would suggest. The hops pucker your lips in the way old school west coast IPAs do.
This is a well made IPA that Bridges the gap between the classic old school American IPAs and hazy IPAs using modern hop varietals.
Apr 07, 2019It doesn't knock you out with tropical fruit flavors or aroma, but features a melange of pithy citrus fruit, pine and herbs. I'd say it weighs heavier on the piney herbal side.
Taste wise, my favorite thing is that this beer isn't sweet; far too many new England IPAs are cloyingly sweet. This is just right and perhaps slightly more bitter than the 30 advertised ibus would suggest. The hops pucker your lips in the way old school west coast IPAs do.
This is a well made IPA that Bridges the gap between the classic old school American IPAs and hazy IPAs using modern hop varietals.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by puck1225 from Texas
3.96/5 rDev +1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.96/5 rDev +1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
I found this beer in a can at a Total Wine in Houston.
Poured into a tulip glass. Slightly hazy golden yellow color with w nice fluffy white head and great curtain lacing. Subdued smell of citrus and pine. The taste follows this but is a bit brighter. This is actually a pretty decent West Coast, especially considering it was canned in 2021.
A pity this brewery is now history.
Nov 29, 2022Poured into a tulip glass. Slightly hazy golden yellow color with w nice fluffy white head and great curtain lacing. Subdued smell of citrus and pine. The taste follows this but is a bit brighter. This is actually a pretty decent West Coast, especially considering it was canned in 2021.
A pity this brewery is now history.
Reviewed by JayQue from Virginia
3.85/5 rDev -1.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.85/5 rDev -1.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Two surprises here: A Trappist brewery in the United States and a Trappist brewery brewing an IPA!!!!!! This is a pretty standard American IPA. Poured from a 16 oz can into a pint glass, this beer features a dark yellow hazy head with a medium sized frothy white head. Head retention is average/not great, but the bands of lacing remain for a good while on the sides of the glass. Aroma and taste are balanced between malt and hops. The initial aroma and flavor are bready malt and a little citrus (grapefruit/orange flavor. As you drink it, the grassy and piney hops start to take over. Still not a hop bomb but a nicely balanced brew. Mouthfeel is rich enough for the style, crisp and moderately bitter in the finish. Not a memorable IPA, but solid enough.
Apr 01, 2022Reviewed by MutuelsMark from Kentucky
4.03/5 rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4.03/5 rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Pours golden with a slight cloudiness. Head is thick but dissipates rather quickly leaving a nice lacing. Nose is a pineapple hint. Taste is also pineapple with a slight bitterness and dry finish.
Jan 03, 2022Reviewed by BEERchitect from Kentucky
4.07/5 rDev +3.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
4.07/5 rDev +3.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Steeped in tradition, honored by time, in deep respect of culture and precedence, Trappist brewers aren't easily swayed by new trends or recklessness. But when America's beer doesn't have much of a history, domestic Trappist brewers blaze their own trail. Uncharacteristically, a Trappist brewed American-styled IPA comes out of The Spencer Brewery to show that there is a world of coolness in the monk's regime.
With a standard hoppy haze and a medium amber-gold hue, Monk's India Pale Ale builds a creamy withstanding froth that meets all that's expected from an American IPA. Floral aromas soon abound, decorated with impressions of citrus, spruce and herb with a peppery grass back note. Gentle in its sweeter introductions, hints of graham cracker come about with the beer's malt backbone of honey, light caramel, toast and nuttiness.
In true IPA fashion, the malts immediately begin to fade and the hop aromas turn to a sharp and citrusy flavor. Pink grapefruit, fresh oranges, light mango, pineapple and berry make a quick transition from racy citrus to the exotic zing of tropical fruits, all seemingly in their dried and dehydrated forms. Alas, the late palate of bitterness outlasts any fruit for a smooth but elevated hop bite of fresh grass clippings, pine, citrus peels and chive.
Medium bodied but trending dry, the beer's malty dry backbone is a perfect support for the abundance of hop flavor and its associated bitterness for a decidedly bitter finish and a long linger of grasses, botanical gin-like spice and peppery pine needle. Its a nearly ideal taste and texture of the IPA of craft brewing's Midwestern roots and one that's effortless to drink.
Jan 03, 2022With a standard hoppy haze and a medium amber-gold hue, Monk's India Pale Ale builds a creamy withstanding froth that meets all that's expected from an American IPA. Floral aromas soon abound, decorated with impressions of citrus, spruce and herb with a peppery grass back note. Gentle in its sweeter introductions, hints of graham cracker come about with the beer's malt backbone of honey, light caramel, toast and nuttiness.
In true IPA fashion, the malts immediately begin to fade and the hop aromas turn to a sharp and citrusy flavor. Pink grapefruit, fresh oranges, light mango, pineapple and berry make a quick transition from racy citrus to the exotic zing of tropical fruits, all seemingly in their dried and dehydrated forms. Alas, the late palate of bitterness outlasts any fruit for a smooth but elevated hop bite of fresh grass clippings, pine, citrus peels and chive.
Medium bodied but trending dry, the beer's malty dry backbone is a perfect support for the abundance of hop flavor and its associated bitterness for a decidedly bitter finish and a long linger of grasses, botanical gin-like spice and peppery pine needle. Its a nearly ideal taste and texture of the IPA of craft brewing's Midwestern roots and one that's effortless to drink.
Reviewed by heysuz from Indiana
4/5 rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Brew: The Spencer Brewery - Monk's India Pale Ale
Intro: 16 oz. poured into a tulip glass. Shared with a friend.
Appearance: Golden orange/yellow, Moderate head maybe 2 inches. Moderate lacing as I drank
Smell: Typical hops with citrus notes.
Taste: Followed the smell. Pretty much underwhelmed as far as IPA’s go.
Mouthfeel: dry mouthfeel, medium carbonation.
Drink: Nothing very memorable. Typical low grade IPA.
Conclusion: Picked it up because it was an abbey ale. Think they should stick to what they do best, and this was not it.
Nov 07, 2021Intro: 16 oz. poured into a tulip glass. Shared with a friend.
Appearance: Golden orange/yellow, Moderate head maybe 2 inches. Moderate lacing as I drank
Smell: Typical hops with citrus notes.
Taste: Followed the smell. Pretty much underwhelmed as far as IPA’s go.
Mouthfeel: dry mouthfeel, medium carbonation.
Drink: Nothing very memorable. Typical low grade IPA.
Conclusion: Picked it up because it was an abbey ale. Think they should stick to what they do best, and this was not it.
Reviewed by JohnniEMc from Pennsylvania
3.09/5 rDev -21.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
3.09/5 rDev -21.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
It was a non-aggressive pour, but the pint can was at room temperature. It can be understood why there's so much stark white head in a clear glass liter mug, but nothing to support the uneven ebbing. That's usually the warning sign of a barley malt deficiency. The more this mess continues, as an attempt to empty the pint can, the more worrisome about the quality. Add that it's a normal amber color and it's more translucent than opaque. In short, nothing great is expected here. The aroma is a little more hoppy than starchy, but that has been misleading before. Hops with a thin and tasteless body don't do it. OK, the pour is now complete, so on to the taste. There's a little more malt character than expected, but that's a low bar. This is far too dry, too thin and too one dimensional it be a good IPA. What has happened to the traditional IPA? Originally a near perfect balance between sweet and earthy barley malt and a bittering hoppiness. This brings none of it, save some hops to bitter the finish.
Aug 16, 2021Reviewed by frankdatank1337 from California
3.53/5 rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
3.53/5 rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
If you're tired of the juicy craze, this beer is for you. Its a new take on the classic WC IPA. My main critique is that is extremely simple, it doesn't set itself apart from the IPA masses. it's still a decent beer. Give it a try.
Apr 16, 2021Reviewed by Espresso_machine from Massachusetts
4/5 rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A great surprise, these guys typically do Belgium style real Trappist beer. A solid solid IPA. None of the juicy business, it’s grapefruit, amber color, a smooth bitterness. Not as dry as californian style (thank god). A great beer to enjoy casually.
Jan 31, 2021Reviewed by RonaldTheriot from Louisiana
4.71/5 rDev +20.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
4.71/5 rDev +20.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Monk's IPA has a medium, creamy white head, and an opaque, translucent yellow-orange appearance, with lazy bubble streams and moderate lacing. The aroma is of some fruit and hop resin, with white bread crust. The taste is similar with mild bitterness and a dose of sweetness. Monk's IPA has a high-medium body and a fairly-dry finish.
RJT
Dec 01, 2020RJT
Monk's India Pale Ale from The Spencer Brewery
Beer rating:
88 out of
100 with
40 ratings
We love reviews (150 characters or more)! Check out: How to Review a Beer. You don't need to get fancy. Drop some thoughts on the beer's attributes (look, smell, taste, feel) plus your overall impression. Something that backs up your rating and helps others. Thanks!