Sour Monkey Remix
Victory Brewing Company - Downingtown

 

 

Appearance
Pale golden color, no head retention, very little lacing. Slightly hazy

Smell
Subtle hops, piney, citrus, slight chardonnay, slight yeast, faint floral

Taste
It has a unique taste to it At first reminds me of a strong quality dry cider and then the hops come into into play
Slight dry chardonnay hints, hint of grapefruit
Tried it room temperature and chilled. It benefits from being chilled as any sour or dry beverage would

Mouthfeel
Light but with some body for a sour, crisp, not too carbonated
Sharpness goes away after some sips and it is more of a nice sourness. It is an easy drinking sour, compared to some fancy brew pub sours

Summary
It is smooth and easy to drink for a summer for a sour
Ideal spring/summer evening ale, especially outside.
I would think it would be good with a strong pungent cheese, such as a stilton containing fruit
It would go well with a good savory pizza, containing a few cheeses, anchovies, olives, etc.
It makes a nice change from lagers/pilsners
Needs to be served at about 45°F

 

750 ml bottle into tulip glass, bottled on 5/2/2018. Pours fairly crystal clear medium golden yellow color with a 1-2 finger dense and fluffy off white head with great retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of big tart/sour lemon, lime, orange, peach, pear, pineapple, melon, apricot, red/green apple, white grape/wine, toasted oak, hay, straw, grass, cracker, and white bread; with lighter notes of caramel, honey, oaken vanilla, peppercorn, buttery chardonnay, leathery/musty funk, white wine vinegar, and yeast/oak earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of fruity/funky/acidic/spicy yeast, chardonnay barrels, and pale malt notes; with great strength. Taste of big tart/sour lemon, lime, orange, peach, pear, pineapple, melon, apricot, red/green apple, white grape/wine, toasted oak, hay, straw, grass, cracker, and white bread; with lighter notes of caramel, honey, oaken vanilla, peppercorn, buttery chardonnay, leathery/musty funk, white wine vinegar, and yeast/oak earthiness. Light-moderate lactic tart/sourness, wine tang; and light yeast/oak tannin spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of tart/sour lemon, lime, orange, peach, pear, pineapple, melon, apricot, red/green apple, white grape/wine, toasted oak, hay, straw, grass, cracker, white bread, honey/vanilla/funk/vinegar, and yeast/oak earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/funky/acidic/spicy yeast, chardonnay barrels, and pale malt flavors; with an awesome malt/tart/sourness and tangy wine balance; with no cloying/puckering flavors after the finish. Light-moderate increasing dryness from lingering tart/sourness and wine tang. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/grainy/acidic/tangy/tannic, and fairly crisp balanced mouthfeel that is fantastic. Minimal warming alcohol for 9.5%. Overall this is an incredible barrel aged sour triple style! All around fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/funky/acidic/spicy yeast, chardonnay barrels, and pale malt flavors; very smooth, easy, and fairly crisp to drink with the modestly acidic/tangy/tannic/drying finish, not overly lactic. Amazingly balanced Brett/Bacteria complexity and chardonnay barrel presence/integration; with a great pils malt backbone against acidity. Very well attenuated, not overly sweet for the ABV. A highly enjoyable offering as expected. Just as impressive as the base beer, with added chardonnay barrel complexity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poured from a cork'n'cage bomber into a Dogfish Head tulip

L: Nearly clear golden brown pour. Minimal head and no significant lacing.

S: Funk and oak... chardonnay apparent. Citrusy and tart.

T/F: Mild to moderate pucker. Tart without being sour. Fruity, dry, and complex. Definite white whine character. Musty oak/barrel... lacto funk, light lemon. Well carbonated... light bodied. Warming, and it gets better as it warms.

O: I'm a fan of the Sour Monkey, and aging it in Chardonnay barrels only ups the game/quality. Fantastic beer. If you like sours this one's a 'must try'.