Single In Havana
Barrel of Monks Brewing

 

 

 

Barrel of Monks Brewing "Single In Havana"
12 fl. oz. brown glass bottle "BOTTLED ON 03-23-2022" and sampled on 05-15-22
$3.79 @ Total Wine & More, Cherry Hill, NJ

Notes via stream of consciousness: So is this brewed with real guava? Ah! I also see it's a Belgian inspired beer so that's great, I was just expecting a simple American blonde ale with fruit. So back to the guava, it must be real because I don't see any flavorings listed on the label - great!!! It's poured a hazy golden body beneath a short head of bright white foam that seems to be holding fairly well. Wow, there's actual mango in the nose! That's great. I get the mango, a little bit of lightly sweetish malt, and then something that's not quite so nice. I can't figure out if it's a vegetal thing or a fermentation thing. Let's give it a taste... whatever the odd note in the aroma is it doesn't seem to affect the flavor. The mango is there, the sweetish malt is there, and there's a little bit of clove. It seems like there's wheat and I'm guessing they were going for a kind of witbier with mango thing. I'm not getting coriander though, although it might be there. Regardless, it's pretty nice. A lighter beer with some Belgian yeast character and mango - how can you go wrong? I've always though that using Belgian yeast would be the way to do great light beers because the yeast adds so much flavor and this is a little bit of proof - although it has a lot of mango as well. It's not just clove-like, there are other phenols going on, and that gives it a nice little bit of complexity. It's moderately bitter, and I think that perhaps it could use a little bit more as it kind of sticks on the palate, but it's mostly dry in the finish. In the mouth it's light-medium - or perhaps medium-light - in body, and crisp with a fine-bubbled carbonation. The head held up fairly well, dropping but keeping a solid surface covering, although it hasn't left that much lacing behind. I'm going to call this a really nice summer beer but you could really drink it at anytime of the year.
Review #7,973

 

Great stuff

 

 

 

Murky yet clear pale gold body, finger of white foam that slowly dies down, visible carbonation. Smell and taste are clones: sweet guava injected into a belgian pale, with resulting notes of hay, pineapple, and orange zest. A good summer party beer. Body is super bright. Decently frothy, higher in carbonation, and pale, it feels like a party beer too.

Fairly nice Belgian pale ale that was crisp and balanced. Bottled date 5/29/19. Looks nice, medium golden color with some mild white head and spotty lingering lacing. Smells of a little mustiness, tropical fruity hops and some wheat and clove. Tastes similarly, good melon, guava, mango and pineapple fruity flavors. Smooth, balanced, mild mouthfeel and just the right amount of carbonation. Not my style of beer but I can appreciate its qualities.

 

 

Pours a pale, slightly hazy yellow. Strong notes of guava off the nose with background smell of citrus. Strong notes of citrus off first taste with more subtle guava. Refreshing and smells fantastic.

I can't be the only one to notice that they spelled "single" as "singel" for this beer on it's title at the top of the page, right?

Anyway, my dad once told me what it was like to be *single* in Havana, I do believe he would have liked this beer. Out of the bottle it pours a standard, light-hued amber with a thin top of foam that quickly dissipates before your very eyes. After letting it sit a few second the smell that will assail your nose is nothing short of spectacular - sweet guava and oranges, reminds me of the guava patelitos I used to eat (way too much of) as a kid. Mouthfeel starts more carbonated than I prefer, but it quickly tamps down and becomes smooth without losing its crispness. Though I can taste the guava, it's not balanced perfectly as the bitterness from the hops seeps through more than the guava itself. Overall, it really is a good beer, sessionable, and something I will keep an eye out to take home when I visit Miami...

 

 

 

 

Poured a light yellow gold body with decent head and lace. The aroma has a light tartness with notes of tropical fruit and yeast. Smooth, yeast twang evident, has fruit flavors that resemble tropical fruits and yet also a sharp cherry tartness with a crisp bite on the finish.