Monastère Blond
United Dutch Breweries B.V.

United Dutch Breweries B.V. "Monastère Blond"
750 ml brown glass bottle coded "P. 25/MAR/25 11 E 25/SEP/26 2". Sampled on 2 May 2026
$9.99 @ Total Wine & More, Claymont, DE

Notes via stream of consciousness: First up, this is brewed in Holland, not France, although it is brewed under license of the Wisques Abbey in France. A clear deep-golden/amber colored body is capped by a finger's width of white foam that holds well for a moment but then steadily drops into a bubbly surface covering that resembles a wide island. The lacing around the glass where the head once stood is great. It's malty in the nose with some woody spiciness, a bit of crushed granite-like mineral character, and some sweet apple. On to the taste - it's not as malty as the aroma has suggested it would be but it is grainy, and there is some honey-like flavor to it. What did it say on the label about adjuncts? It lists coriander and orange peel. I notice that it also lists hop extracts as well as hops, and that there's no sugar involved but I guess that makes sense as it's only 6.5% ABV. It's not sweet, although sweetish, nor is it bitter although there is some there. That bitterness, in conjunction with the spiciness from the yeast and coriander, is enough to dry it in the finish. The orange isn't strong but it's there if you look for it, and there is a light note of vanilla which is interesting. The sweet apple found in the aroma remains, along with some bruised or "fallen apple", a little bit of pear, and a subtle touch of metallic character. For some reason I keep thinking there's some oak there but it never really appears so I assume that's just my brain suggesting it's there based on the woodiness of the coriander seed and the hint of vanilla from the yeast. There's also some minor oxidation so that might be suggesting something to me as well. This bottle is over a year old, and at this point the oxidation is almost a positive as it gives it a certain amount of cellared character, but I probably wouldn't be so pleased it by the time it actually reaches the end of its "best by" date. In the mouth it's medium-light in body and gently crisp with a fine-bubbled, standard carbonation. I very carefully poured this to keep the lees behind while still building a head but I never actually looked to see if there was anything there. Is there? No, there are no lees, which means it's not bottle-conditioned, and that's certainly OK but it does kind of indicate what you're getting overall. It's not expensive, which is nice, but at the same time it wouldn't cost a whole lot more to step up to a higher quality beer, AND there are also better quality beers available at this price point. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone who's experienced with this style of beer but it would make a good entry point for someone who's not that familiar.
Review #9,510

Copenhagen 7/9 2018. 75 cl bottle from Meny, Østerfælled Torv. Seems to be a revamped version of the Monastère Blonde with a slightly higher ABV. A Church window and a lot of nonsense about authentic craftsmanship on the label. And a food pairing with "all kinds of food".

Pours clear golden yellow with big white head. Settles as 0,5 cm thick blanket of foam crawling up the side of the glass. Massive lacing.

Aroma is sour sweet and medium intense. Sweet malts, grains and bread. Sour lightly chemical notes of glue, grass and tart berries.

Soft carbonation. Fairly thin and flat texture. Slightly sticky.

Flavor is medium sweet balanced by a medium bitterness. Slightly rough. Aftertaste is bitter sweet. Lingers shortly.

I would not drink this to all kinds of food. And it does not taste like authentic craftmanship.

 

 

 

Very deep gold with a bubbly white cap. This is a deep-flavored blonde--definitely clove forward, refreshing and delicious. It has a spicy quality too, both in the nose and the flavor. The finish is dry which helps to make this beer an above average thirst-quencher. Authentically Belgian, via France.

Clear, golden color. Big, white head. Yeasts, spices, and malt in the aroma. Yeasty, moderately sweet taste with some balancing bitterness at the end. Typical Belgian ale.

 

 

 

750ml corked and caged bottle. Date marking on label is 'P. 22/JAN/24 E. 22/JUL/25'.
Upon removal of the cork the neck slowly fills with foam but no overflow. Clear for clarity. Medium amber for body color. Two fingers of dull white head upon the initial pour, and this sinks back to a puffy cap, leaving tendrils of foam on the glass. Leaves behind a partial wall of filmy lace on the non-drinking side of the glass.
Aroma of caramel malts, honey, ester funk and cloves spice. Background has pear, with a metallic bit. Smells sweet, probably from vanilla.
Taste is initially sweet and then turns dry with yeast esters. Flavors of caramel malt, honey, coriander and cloves. Hints of banana and pear. Steely metallic. Aftertaste stays sweet with yeast fruitiness and spice.
More than medium mouthfeel, with an approach getting close to a sticky touch, but the finish tends to dryness. Smooth through the mouth. 6.5% ABV warms from throat to stomach. Very good carbonation.
Caramel malts with honey, and yeast spice and fruit lead to a Euro-centric brew that has balance and expressive nose and flavors.

750 ml bottle. Pours amber with tall, long-lasting, fluffy white head and nice lacing. Aroma is of Belgian yeast, spices, apricots and pears, bready malt. Body is full and crisp. Taste is of spices, floral hops, ripe fruit, bready and caramel malt, some honey. Finish is long and dry. Good brew.

Crystal clear golden body, large fluffy white head with thin but constant waves of lacing. Nice belgian yeast with the coriander and orange peel, but does have a bit of metallic grain underneath it in both smell and especially taste. Feel is bright but somewhat thin, yeasty with minor esters, simpler but honestly for the price pretty good

Aroma is typical of a good Belgian blond, with candi, ester, and bubblegum sweetness. The mouthfeel is very crisp and carbonated, with a lot of frothy head. The flavor is a solid example of the style, with banana, yeasty esters, and refreshing, sweet candi. A very decent blond

 

My first from UDB, I went on their website (which I asked to correct on BA) and found a whole new business strategy that I was not really familiar with. Stretching back 5 centuries and with some very good marketing, UDB is a brand manager (of which Monastere is one.) But UDB also has a system to lower transport costs of European brews. Very entrepreneurial and might even produce more reliable beer over time.

For now, Blond is a pretty good table ale that I had with soup at lunch. Blond Looks appetizing, a nice foam on a blond bod (I wish both would stick around... the glass.) Smells are mostly malt, somewhat mute. Tastes have just enough hops to balance a table ale, although straight drinkers will want more hops. Medium-mouthed with sufficient bubbles to curb my palate.

As for the huge Overall Hugs I give UDB, that more is for their unique and ambitious strategy; keen on dropping the price of crafting. Let's hope UDB succeeds because crafters growth of market share has slowed too much. Lowerin the cost helps crafters compete.

From a corked 750 ml bottle, this beer is crystal clear, golden, and has a brilliant white head. The aroma has a malt and grain quality, backed with some faint floral hop scents. Balanced in taste, with a sweetness and little spice...the orange and coriander are subdued, but present. Medium-light in body, but very approachable and drinkable.

 

 

Pours a clear golden color with a nice head and lacing
Aroma has coriander and orange peel hints
Taste has a pleasant coriander and orange peel hints flavor
A medium bodied well carbonated beer
A good Blonde Ale