Rowdy Monk
Hermit Thrush Brewery

Canned 9/15/22. “Monastic march” stamped on the side of the can

This is one of the more interesting beers I picked up from Hermit Thrush. A sour Quad aged in both red wine and scotch barrels? That’s not something you see every day, so this one was a no brainer to pick up. Let’s crack it open and find out what it’s all about

Pours an opaque medium brown with a finger of soapy light beige head that fades to a ring and leaves minimal lacing

The nose displays an awesome blend of dark fruit and funk. I’m picking up on aromas of toasted oak, tannic red wine, old leather, smoky tobacco, dates, smooth caramel, brown sugar, prune, wet hay, light scotch, and toasted walnut

It’s a touch less complex in taste but still wonderfully balanced. On the front end of the sip I’m tasting burnt caramel, cherry pit, red wine vinegar, brown sugar, prune, sharp oak, molasses, old leather, and toasted walnut. The swallow brings notes of toasted oak, tannic red wine, smoky tobacco, dates, cherry pit, molasses, peaty scotch, wet hay, and light sherry

A medium body pairs with gentle tingling carbonation, resulting in a sharp and crisp beer. Finishes bone dry and drinks well below its abv

This one is awesome. Easily the best beer I’ve had from them yet

 

 

2019 vintage. I never quite know how to rate these kinds of sour deviations from style. This one is lovely as a beer, and a better reference point might be that it drinks more like a Flanders oud bruin than a quad. The ABV is extremely well hidden, such that I wouldn't even call it a boozy oud bruin, although the wine and scotch barrels are both in evidence.

Pours with a half-finger of fizzy head that disappears quickly and some persistent effervescence beneath the surface. Light acidity on the nose, with grapefruit, green apple, tart oak, and plum. More complex on the palate, led by vinous notes from the red wine barrels, but joined by hints of candi sugar, caramel, jujube, tart cherry, and persimmon. Not a lot of spice from Belgian esters as expected, but quite enjoyable.

 

Medium brown appearance with a tan head. Sour oak, plum, date, caramel, black currant, red apple, black strap molasses in that order of intensity in the nose. Taste has more vinous and grape must notes to it, still sweet like the nose and really hits the fruit well, want more from the yeast though. What is most impressive is how well it hides booze, sourness does cumulate so sip slowly, thicker feel for style with decent carbonation on the end.

 

 

 

L: Poured from a tallboy can to a goblet. Had a deep, dark, mahogany brown color and a thick, opaque consistency. There was a quarter inch of foamy, off white, somewhat long-lasting head. Below average lacing.

S: A very sharp aroma of a vinous quality, booze, stone fruit, berries, dark fruit, yeast, apples, and spices.

T: Tasted of a decent bit of berries (raspberries, in particular), some light spice notes (cinnamon), lots of red wine, a bit of sour apples, lots of stone fruit (cherries, of course), a good amount of Belgian yeast (a subtle presence) and a bit of dark fruit (raisins). This is a dynamic, sour, and complex flavor. Tasty stuff.

F: A well-carbonated beer with a sharp, lively finish. Medium-bodied.

O: A slightly unusual, but worthwhile, take on the quad style. Drinkable.

A: The beer is very dark brown in color; when held up to the light some hues of reddish brown are also perceptible. It poured with a quarter finger high light tan head that quickly settled down, leaving a narrow collar around the edge of the glass.
S: Moderate to strong aromas of sourness are present in the nose along with strong notes of red wine from the barrel aging along with notes of dark fruits such as prunes.
T: The taste has flavors of sourness and red wine along with notes of dark fruits such as plums and prunes.
M: It feels medium-bodied and slightly tart on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer is incredibly drinkable considering its strength and seems nothing like something that is 14.5% abv.

Serving type: can

 

 

Murky brown, no head.
Smells like sour plums and other assorted dark fruits, bit of caramel as well
Has a weird bitterness that clashes with the tartness. Sour dark fruits and a hint of caramel
A bit stickier than I like. No carbonation
I think I got a bad can, but that's what I'm rating it off of

 

This was poured into a chalice. The appearance was a dark brown color with ruby red hues glossing around the sides of the glass. The head was a slim white foaminess that quickly dissipated and left no lacing. The smell started off with sweet to sour raspberries opening up into light dark chocolate allowing some super light Belgian spices. The taste took the sweet and the sour and added a nice little dry tartness and throwing in some cherries. The dark chocolate resides in the background. There’s a tad of a unique tart cherries to raspberry blend leading into the aftertaste and in the finish. On the palate, this one sat about a medium on the body with a fairly decent sipping quality about it. Carbonation runs low allowing the sourness to become the the harsh edge it should have from the "sour" side of the house. Overall, cheers to Hermit Thrush for taking a classic Belgian style and adding their twist on it.

This is one of the most impressive beers ever made

 

Very dark amber with a quickly subsiding light tan two finger head. Moderate lacing. Very complex smell and taste. Aromas are balanced between sweet malts and a medley of apple, lemon, quince, and cranberry sourness. Faint pepperiness. Tastes of cranberries, roasted malt, honey, sour apple, vanilla, and cinnamon. Booze is practically imperceivable -- a remarkable achievement for 14.5% ABV. Hermit Thrush does a good job of adding a unique twist to a traditional style.

87/100