Monster Ale | Brooklyn Brewery
Brewed by:
Brooklyn Brewery
New York, United States
brooklynbrewery.com
Style: English Barleywine
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 10.10%
Availability: Fall
Notes / Commercial Description:
ABV varies a bit year to year.
Added by Todd on 11-26-2000
This beer is retired; no longer brewed.
HISTOGRAM
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Ratings: 1,873 | Reviews: 1,086
Reviews by gillagorilla:
3.53/5 rDev -5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
12 oz. bottle from 2011
A: Cloudy darkish brown with minimal head.
S: Mostly malt with hints of sweetness and a bit of raisins.
T: Still quite boozy after all this time, even at 10%. Big malt bomb with a very strong aftertaste. This one seems like it could go for a while and would really stand up to some extending aging.
M: Even crispness throughout it, quite prickly.
O: Not bad, but no Bigfoot. Not sure if I will age the other 3 or if I will give them away to friends. Kind of what I was expecting from Brooklyn, good but not great. I would have written more but there wasn't much here that came out at me to write about.
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look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
12 oz. bottle from 2011
A: Cloudy darkish brown with minimal head.
S: Mostly malt with hints of sweetness and a bit of raisins.
T: Still quite boozy after all this time, even at 10%. Big malt bomb with a very strong aftertaste. This one seems like it could go for a while and would really stand up to some extending aging.
M: Even crispness throughout it, quite prickly.
O: Not bad, but no Bigfoot. Not sure if I will age the other 3 or if I will give them away to friends. Kind of what I was expecting from Brooklyn, good but not great. I would have written more but there wasn't much here that came out at me to write about.
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More User Reviews:
3.83/5 rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
2011 Vintage. My last one. The body is a vibrant reddish amber, clear before kicking up sediment, with a thin off white head that disappears very quickly. The aroma is predominately dark fruit, raisins, prunes, cherry skin, along with sweet toffee, caramelized sugar, vanilla, cheap leather, wood, booze, stale earthy/spicy hops, with notes of oxidation starting to creep in. Mouth feel is medium-full, sticky but not cloying, low carbonation and bitterness, and doesn't express the booze the nose suggested. The flavor has caramel and toffee up front, toasted bready malts, dried figs, slight oxidation, cardboard, molasses, rum cake, perfume, and earthy hops.
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look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
2011 Vintage. My last one. The body is a vibrant reddish amber, clear before kicking up sediment, with a thin off white head that disappears very quickly. The aroma is predominately dark fruit, raisins, prunes, cherry skin, along with sweet toffee, caramelized sugar, vanilla, cheap leather, wood, booze, stale earthy/spicy hops, with notes of oxidation starting to creep in. Mouth feel is medium-full, sticky but not cloying, low carbonation and bitterness, and doesn't express the booze the nose suggested. The flavor has caramel and toffee up front, toasted bready malts, dried figs, slight oxidation, cardboard, molasses, rum cake, perfume, and earthy hops.
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3.75/5 rDev +0.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
12oz bttle from cellar
2012 vintage
poured into libbey-tulip
L- hazy dark red, plenty of yeast flouting around(bad pour), capped with an off-white head which turns into ring of lacing
S- strong sweet aroma, with notes of dark fruit
T- hits the tongue thick and sweet, to the the tune of dates and prunes, has a nice spicy linger, and they blend together with the alcohol for a balanced finish
F- full bodied, heavy-ish mouthfeel with slightest amount of carbo tingle
O- Sweet, Spicy, Boozy is how I'd describe this brew, while a little rough around the edges, alcohol doesn't overtake you, a great representation of the English Barleywine Style
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look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
12oz bttle from cellar
2012 vintage
poured into libbey-tulip
L- hazy dark red, plenty of yeast flouting around(bad pour), capped with an off-white head which turns into ring of lacing
S- strong sweet aroma, with notes of dark fruit
T- hits the tongue thick and sweet, to the the tune of dates and prunes, has a nice spicy linger, and they blend together with the alcohol for a balanced finish
F- full bodied, heavy-ish mouthfeel with slightest amount of carbo tingle
O- Sweet, Spicy, Boozy is how I'd describe this brew, while a little rough around the edges, alcohol doesn't overtake you, a great representation of the English Barleywine Style
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3.27/5 rDev -12.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Pours a deep amber with not much of a noticable head but that was to be expected somewhat,aromas of orange rind and peach the alcohol is quite noticable as well pretty high octane.Whoo this stuff is quite potent but young (2005) some caramel malt and somewhat fruity but the alcohol kicks in early and takes charge until the lingering finish.A somewhat prickly mouthfeel,not sure if its because its young but wow this beer needs some serious refinement I'll hold one and reserve harsh judgement for later.
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look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Pours a deep amber with not much of a noticable head but that was to be expected somewhat,aromas of orange rind and peach the alcohol is quite noticable as well pretty high octane.Whoo this stuff is quite potent but young (2005) some caramel malt and somewhat fruity but the alcohol kicks in early and takes charge until the lingering finish.A somewhat prickly mouthfeel,not sure if its because its young but wow this beer needs some serious refinement I'll hold one and reserve harsh judgement for later.
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3.61/5 rDev -3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
This was a 2010 bottle
A: A glowing deep copper and orange beer with excellent clarity and a thin, tan head with excellent retention.
S: Aromas of sherry, toffee and rich malt dominate the nose. There is a spicy and floral hop aroma with light fruity notes. A soft alcohol note complements the rich aroma.
T: A rich malt sweetness and hops bitterness dominate the flavor at moderately-high levels of both. There a flavors of carmel and toffee with a light raisin and grap fruitiness. Moderate spicy flavors, a strong bitterness and some sweetness linger past the dry finish.
M: Medium body with moderately-light carbonation. There is a light creaminess and very light astringency with noticeable alcohol warmth.
O: A good example of an English Barleywine with a dominate yet soft alcohol character and a fairly intense bitterness.
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look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
This was a 2010 bottle
A: A glowing deep copper and orange beer with excellent clarity and a thin, tan head with excellent retention.
S: Aromas of sherry, toffee and rich malt dominate the nose. There is a spicy and floral hop aroma with light fruity notes. A soft alcohol note complements the rich aroma.
T: A rich malt sweetness and hops bitterness dominate the flavor at moderately-high levels of both. There a flavors of carmel and toffee with a light raisin and grap fruitiness. Moderate spicy flavors, a strong bitterness and some sweetness linger past the dry finish.
M: Medium body with moderately-light carbonation. There is a light creaminess and very light astringency with noticeable alcohol warmth.
O: A good example of an English Barleywine with a dominate yet soft alcohol character and a fairly intense bitterness.
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3.93/5 rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Popped an 07 that I had been sitting on for a while just to see where it's at.
Pours in a viscous manner without much willingness to form a head but in the end we get a thin layer that sticks around.
The nose is sweet, reminiscent of tawny port, with raisin and toffee notes showing, signs of oxidation come through, plum, and a little alcohol.
The taste was a little let down, not as powerful as the aroma. Still good though, lighter bodied, one of the more pleasant English styles as far as I'm concerned. It boasts chocolate, caramel, raisin, and a certain fruitiness through the hops and yeast. This is a very clean Barleywine that has aged quite well, superior drinkability considering the ABV, I wish I could score it higher.
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look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Popped an 07 that I had been sitting on for a while just to see where it's at.
Pours in a viscous manner without much willingness to form a head but in the end we get a thin layer that sticks around.
The nose is sweet, reminiscent of tawny port, with raisin and toffee notes showing, signs of oxidation come through, plum, and a little alcohol.
The taste was a little let down, not as powerful as the aroma. Still good though, lighter bodied, one of the more pleasant English styles as far as I'm concerned. It boasts chocolate, caramel, raisin, and a certain fruitiness through the hops and yeast. This is a very clean Barleywine that has aged quite well, superior drinkability considering the ABV, I wish I could score it higher.
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3.07/5 rDev -17.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1.5
Appearance- Crystal clear copper with thin white head and some lace. Very carbonated.
Aroma- moderate and balanced bouquet of cherry, berry, and herbal / spicy hop, alcohol, and malt with faint notes of apple and an acceptable showing of D. Hardly intense, but complex nose.
Taste- Firm but decidedly one dimensional malt base supports baked pear and apple notes as it fades away into big buttery D, melted right off the palate by alcohol, for what would be an unpleasing finish if it weren't for a brightly herbal hop contribution which aids an unexpected dryness. Doesn't last long though, before you are left with an unfortunate aftertaste. Its kind of like sucking on an old cherry pit and licking a wine cork at the same time.
MF- Actually pretty light on the palate, I'd say medium-full bodied with a lively carbonation and the alcohol is definitely speaking up in this beer. Never really burns, but it does numb the lips and tounge a little.
Overall- An ok barleywine, but lacks complexity and the aftertaste is a real bummer. I don't feel like aging will help this one much
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look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1.5
Appearance- Crystal clear copper with thin white head and some lace. Very carbonated.
Aroma- moderate and balanced bouquet of cherry, berry, and herbal / spicy hop, alcohol, and malt with faint notes of apple and an acceptable showing of D. Hardly intense, but complex nose.
Taste- Firm but decidedly one dimensional malt base supports baked pear and apple notes as it fades away into big buttery D, melted right off the palate by alcohol, for what would be an unpleasing finish if it weren't for a brightly herbal hop contribution which aids an unexpected dryness. Doesn't last long though, before you are left with an unfortunate aftertaste. Its kind of like sucking on an old cherry pit and licking a wine cork at the same time.
MF- Actually pretty light on the palate, I'd say medium-full bodied with a lively carbonation and the alcohol is definitely speaking up in this beer. Never really burns, but it does numb the lips and tounge a little.
Overall- An ok barleywine, but lacks complexity and the aftertaste is a real bummer. I don't feel like aging will help this one much
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3.55/5 rDev -4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
A - Tawny, moderate carbonation, big head on pour that fades to a lacing, quite clear.
S - Sweet barley and a touch of alcohol.
T - Barley sweetness, a bit of bitterness from the hops, and alcohol.
M - Moderate body, coats the mount. There is a bit of tingle and warmth from the alcohol, a bit too more carbonation.
O - A good barleywine, but probably won't have again with the great ones that are out there.
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look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
A - Tawny, moderate carbonation, big head on pour that fades to a lacing, quite clear.
S - Sweet barley and a touch of alcohol.
T - Barley sweetness, a bit of bitterness from the hops, and alcohol.
M - Moderate body, coats the mount. There is a bit of tingle and warmth from the alcohol, a bit too more carbonation.
O - A good barleywine, but probably won't have again with the great ones that are out there.
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4.32/5 rDev +16.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This Monster Ale Was Born In 2003. Pours a nice syrupy reddish brown with a small creamy white head. Aroma is an elegant mix of nutty caramel, tobbacco, dark fruits and brown sugar. A delight to smell.
First sip is upfront with a vinous caramel maltiness. Hints of fruit, cherry comes out to me, along with a roasted smoky toasted nutty flavor. Alcohol hits on the back of the palate along with a spicy piney hop biterness. This one will warm ya up!
Mouthfeel is wonderful with a creamy, luscious body that coats my tongue and makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. This is a lovely, complex brew that is great on a cold night or after a nice meal. Highly recommended to any fans of the style. Muchas gracias to kmpitz2 for allowing me the pleasure of partaking in this beer.
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look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This Monster Ale Was Born In 2003. Pours a nice syrupy reddish brown with a small creamy white head. Aroma is an elegant mix of nutty caramel, tobbacco, dark fruits and brown sugar. A delight to smell.
First sip is upfront with a vinous caramel maltiness. Hints of fruit, cherry comes out to me, along with a roasted smoky toasted nutty flavor. Alcohol hits on the back of the palate along with a spicy piney hop biterness. This one will warm ya up!
Mouthfeel is wonderful with a creamy, luscious body that coats my tongue and makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. This is a lovely, complex brew that is great on a cold night or after a nice meal. Highly recommended to any fans of the style. Muchas gracias to kmpitz2 for allowing me the pleasure of partaking in this beer.
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3.66/5 rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Born in 2004 and drank in 2005 (its only about a week old, so hardly cellared)
Dark caramel in color with a slightly off-white quarter-finger head which reduced to a single layer of bubbles casually floating on the surface. Aroma is quite weak but I pick up some citrus hop characteristics followed up by a sweet wine grape aroma. Guess that is why they call this style what they do who would have guessed. A little bread smell as well.
The alcohol is well hidden which is a plus for something with an 11+ abv, hardly noticeable at all making this very drinkable. Itll definitely get you into trouble. There is a nice warming effect as it drains down my throat and works at my stomach lining. Tastewise there is an initial slightly malty flavor with a dry hop finish, overall a very balanced beer to my tastes but lacking in a flavor explosion. Mouthfeel is medium, not too thin and not too heavy.
Overall a good brew, Id like to see a little stronger flavor profile. With the high ABV of this one it would be nice to really have a lot of flavor since I would only foresee myself having two of these a night unless I wanted to wear a lampshade on my head.
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look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Born in 2004 and drank in 2005 (its only about a week old, so hardly cellared)
Dark caramel in color with a slightly off-white quarter-finger head which reduced to a single layer of bubbles casually floating on the surface. Aroma is quite weak but I pick up some citrus hop characteristics followed up by a sweet wine grape aroma. Guess that is why they call this style what they do who would have guessed. A little bread smell as well.
The alcohol is well hidden which is a plus for something with an 11+ abv, hardly noticeable at all making this very drinkable. Itll definitely get you into trouble. There is a nice warming effect as it drains down my throat and works at my stomach lining. Tastewise there is an initial slightly malty flavor with a dry hop finish, overall a very balanced beer to my tastes but lacking in a flavor explosion. Mouthfeel is medium, not too thin and not too heavy.
Overall a good brew, Id like to see a little stronger flavor profile. With the high ABV of this one it would be nice to really have a lot of flavor since I would only foresee myself having two of these a night unless I wanted to wear a lampshade on my head.
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4.04/5 rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
2012 Vintage randomly stumbled upon in the Myrtle Beach Piggly Wiggly beer heaven...
Great brew. Bought a four pack to compliment my carolina reaper wings.
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look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
2012 Vintage randomly stumbled upon in the Myrtle Beach Piggly Wiggly beer heaven...
Great brew. Bought a four pack to compliment my carolina reaper wings.
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4/5 rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A decent example of the style. Poured into a snifter, the beer was a reddish amber color with a very thin head. It had a fruity, caramel aroma. The caramel and fruit (cherry) came through well in the taste, and there was a nice hops presence. I thought the malt and hops balanced out very well, and look forward to drinking more of these.
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look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A decent example of the style. Poured into a snifter, the beer was a reddish amber color with a very thin head. It had a fruity, caramel aroma. The caramel and fruit (cherry) came through well in the taste, and there was a nice hops presence. I thought the malt and hops balanced out very well, and look forward to drinking more of these.
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3.06/5 rDev -17.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Presentation: 12oz brown bottle, silver label. This ale was specially brewed for the Millennium.
Appearance: Copper in colour with a nice thick, sticky, creamy white head. Pretty clean and clear looking ale.
Smell: An aromatic blend of hop rawness (spicy/leafy), malt sweetness and fruity esters. Bigtime alcohol in the nose.
Taste: Smooth, full-bodied mouthfeel. Big, fruity, complex malt profile. Background malt breadiness. Hop bitterness is spicy, somewhat medicinal, and lends an odd flavour to the overall taste. Although it balances out the accented maltness of this ale, it just doesn't fair well with all of the other flavours going on. Alcohol is pretty extreme, unbalanced, prickly and warms your head. It permeates the palate with a rubbing alcohol likeness, especially as the beer warms. Finishes bready and a bit dry.
Notes: This beer is kind of a let down as Brooklyn's other beers are so damn good. A bit average. To me, this appears to be a lame attempt at jumping on the Millennium bandwagon by brewing a very high alcohol beer (11.8% abv) with a marketable name. You need more than high alcohol to make a good Barleywine. I'll let the other bottles I bought sit for a while and do another review.
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look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Presentation: 12oz brown bottle, silver label. This ale was specially brewed for the Millennium.
Appearance: Copper in colour with a nice thick, sticky, creamy white head. Pretty clean and clear looking ale.
Smell: An aromatic blend of hop rawness (spicy/leafy), malt sweetness and fruity esters. Bigtime alcohol in the nose.
Taste: Smooth, full-bodied mouthfeel. Big, fruity, complex malt profile. Background malt breadiness. Hop bitterness is spicy, somewhat medicinal, and lends an odd flavour to the overall taste. Although it balances out the accented maltness of this ale, it just doesn't fair well with all of the other flavours going on. Alcohol is pretty extreme, unbalanced, prickly and warms your head. It permeates the palate with a rubbing alcohol likeness, especially as the beer warms. Finishes bready and a bit dry.
Notes: This beer is kind of a let down as Brooklyn's other beers are so damn good. A bit average. To me, this appears to be a lame attempt at jumping on the Millennium bandwagon by brewing a very high alcohol beer (11.8% abv) with a marketable name. You need more than high alcohol to make a good Barleywine. I'll let the other bottles I bought sit for a while and do another review.
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4.64/5 rDev +24.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
got this beer in a 4pack i never heard of the style before but it seemed like an interesting twist my friend told me to age this beer so i actually put it in the back of my crisper drawer for 4 months before i opened it
when i did i was in for a special evening there was not much of a head on the beer i thought i would be disappointed but the beer had a great burgundy color
the real prize here was the aroma i never in my life smelled anything like this is smelled like sweet cherries how did they do that? also crazy like pipe tobacco and maple syrup really interesting for a beer
taste had black pepper and also spice like nutmeg and even some caramel and honey in there absolutely great
mouthfeel was amazing it tasted like a desert wine or syrup you put on a cheese cake i did not drink this beer i sipped it slowly it made me want to savor everything in it
overall i loved this beer i look forward to trying more brooklyn brewery for sure i am glad i still have some of these babies in storage
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look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
got this beer in a 4pack i never heard of the style before but it seemed like an interesting twist my friend told me to age this beer so i actually put it in the back of my crisper drawer for 4 months before i opened it
when i did i was in for a special evening there was not much of a head on the beer i thought i would be disappointed but the beer had a great burgundy color
the real prize here was the aroma i never in my life smelled anything like this is smelled like sweet cherries how did they do that? also crazy like pipe tobacco and maple syrup really interesting for a beer
taste had black pepper and also spice like nutmeg and even some caramel and honey in there absolutely great
mouthfeel was amazing it tasted like a desert wine or syrup you put on a cheese cake i did not drink this beer i sipped it slowly it made me want to savor everything in it
overall i loved this beer i look forward to trying more brooklyn brewery for sure i am glad i still have some of these babies in storage
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Monster Ale from Brooklyn Brewery
Beer rating:
3.72 out of
5 with
1,873 ratings
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