Monks' Reserve Ale Oak Barrel-aged
The Spencer Brewery

 

Pours an attractive mahogany color with a substantial white foamy head. Clings tenaciously to the glass and has ample "legs" as well.

The aroma is a straightforward oak-aged quad. Dark fruit in the plum, raisin, fig and date category. A faint whiff of spicy esters.

The taste is similar to the nose, but it is more intense and very well balanced. There is a chocolate note that is absent from the nose. Minimal intrusion from the barrel - a very mild presence of oak.

The beer is lighter in body than the look would indicate - it looks a bit syrupy, but it is not. Adequately carbonated. Nice warmth but no burn from the ample ABV.

Overall, this is a good beer that I would recommend heartily. It strikes a nice balance between a straight quad and the barrel treatment. Good accompaniment for a heart Thanksgiving day meal. Nicely done by our Massachusetts monks!

 

 

 

 

Thanks to JLindros for sharing this bottle. Best by 2/15/19..

A - Poured into a Kate the Great tulip a nice hazy mahogany hue with a thin off white head that fades to leave light lacing and a thick blanket.

S - Big aromas of winter warmer spices and sticky alcohol. Good dark fruits, big plums and raisins. Nice rich dark fruits and malts.

T - Taste is similar to the nose with loads of darker fruits and chocolate. Decent esters, light alcohol, good fruity notes.

M - Mouthfeel is lightly carbonated, creamy.

O - Overall this was a solid enough quad, good fruit notes and balance but really straight forward.

Serving Type: bottle

Best by 2/15/19
Big pillowy off white head, great retention and sticky soapy lacing, thick legs, very dark black beer

Nose sweet candy malt, candy sugar, very fruity mix of malt derived plum fig like and yeast derived cherry and pome fruity, big fruit cake, but loads of cake spices, little nutty, some hot alcohol, little fusel, candy sugar etc, light toasted buttery oak, light vanilla

Taste super rich fruits and oak, very buttery oak and toasted oak, big dark fruits, fig date, died apricot, big spices again baking spices and fruit cake, little nutty again, mild spicy hop, sweet candi sugar, toffee and molasses like, little vanilla

Mouth is fuller bod, little syrupy, medium carb, light perfumey alcohol

Overall not bad, pretty good for style, nice oak but not great, good base fruit and spices, doesn't go above and beyond

I visited the Spencer open house on 22JUN19 with daughter Caitlin.. She snagged a .75l bottle of this for later. Well, later is NOW! Split it with her out in The 'Zebo....

Poured into a small snifter, it was a deep, opaque chestnut color, with a thin, light beige head. Had a touch of lacing, but not much. Aroma had a good amount of dark fruit, especially raisiny notes. It had a medium body, and the feel was mostly smooth.

Flavor had lots of dark fruit- raisins, grapes, dates, currants.... the oak barrel action was also noticeable.. . Quite solid, and having some side by side with the regular Quad, this is quite nice! Prosit!!

Edit: another Triple Play! I added the beer, added the pic and had the first review! Prosit!!

4.23/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

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