Flying Monkeys Hoptical Illusion Almost Pale Ale - Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery

slitherySOB

Ontario (Canada)

4.18/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This beer pours a dark copper with plenty of bubbles that leads to a two fingers worth of head that doesn't leave. Plenty of lacing on the glass. Smells of citrus and faint pine, with a bit of herbal tea. Tastes of caramel, citrus and pine. Mouthfeel is medium bodied and a bit airy. A very good pale ale, but not as good as their Smashbomb IPA.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2012 20:57:02 | More by slitherySOB

Kremlock

Ontario (Canada)

4.18/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: medium to dark copper. Has an off white head that pours to about 1/2 inch and then settles to a thin film on top of the beer. Beer is clear and not particles are visible.

S: Creamy butter toffee on the nose when swirling the beer. Has a soft citrus aroma from the hops and there is a residual biscuit smell.

T: Some grapefruit, a little bit of soft peach, caramel/tofee present.

M: Malt/hops balanced, carbonation is fantastic. A bit prickly on the tongue but it has a palate cleansing sensation. Soft bitterness in the end with a low sweetness.

O: This is a greatly balanced APA that can be drank as a session by all standards.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2013 00:11:13 | More by Kremlock

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

4.2/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Had this a few times and it is often considered the benchmark for Pale Ales in Ontario.

A - Nice cloudy or creamy white head leaving lacing as it slowly goes away. Light brown or reddish colour and transparent. Minimal carbonation.

S - Nice juicy hops. Grapefruit and pine. Some breadiness to it as well.

T - Bready up front until you finish it and then it's all about the hops. Again, what I consider nice, juicy hops that show up half way through and linger nicely. Not as hoppy as I would expect from a beer by this name and a beer in this style but it does the trick nicely. There is balance in it and that's key.

M - Medium bodied with a good, small amount of carbonation. Very pleasant and smooth.

D - Total session beer right here. Good amount of hops to keep things interesting with the balance required and a low ABV.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2010 00:05:55 | More by tbeckett

SebD

Ontario (Canada)

4.22/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: It has a nice dark amber/copper colour to it. It has a nice off-white head that dies down moderatly and there is nice lacing.

Smell: The aromas definitly give out hints of hops, caramely malts with citucy notes.

Taste: Like the aromas, it has a nice carmely sweetness upfront with nice citrucy notes to finaly end with a nice hoppy bitterness.

Mouthfeel: It has a medium carbonation with a nice balance of flavours.

Drinkability: It's a smooth and drinkable beer accompanied with great flavours and aromas. It's an overall great and tasty Ale. Props to Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2011 20:05:55 | More by SebD

Shrews

4.23/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance
A 1/2 head with a ruby color.

Smell
Citrus and malty with some earthy scents.

Taste
Citrus and grapefruit taste with a complex finish. Malty and rich taste.

Mouthfeel
Pretty hoppy and bitter on the mouth yet still a smooth finish. A great feel.

Overall
A wonderful APA with an amazingly complex taste and smell. Had a grand time trying this beer while traveling for work.

Serving type: on-tap

06-29-2012 00:10:57 | More by Shrews

jaz58

Ontario (Canada)

4.23/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I have tried a few of the brews from FM and this one is my favorite. This beer was served in a pint glass.

A nice thin head, off white in colour.

Nice deep orange colour.

Fresh hops nose with hints of Carmel.

Nice mouthfeel, almost silky.

Lemon, grapefruit beginning followed by a good balance of bitters.

Overall a good brew. Great beer anytime of the year.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2012 20:48:16 | More by jaz58

uno99

Ontario (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had on tap at one of my favorite Toronto dive diner - Dangerous Dans, on Queen st. Go there, and get a "big cheeze" burger. its worth sitting sitting on a '88 chev astro van captains chair for.

A: Wow this is the shit. head and lace stick around long enough to eat my enourmous burger, beautifuly deep amber beer. I noticed other reviewers don't note the same appearence. maybe its just that much better on tap.

S: perfectly balanced APA. hops come out fighting, but a nice sweet malt background is there for round 2.

T: Dosen't get too much better IMO if your looking for a nice balanced pale. nice earthy hops, cirtus, tobbacco and toffee.

M: carbonation is a little raucus at first; do what i did and eat and enourmous burger while your pint waits for you. you'll be glad you did.

D: very sessionable. This is a brew I could go the distance with.

Very nice stuff. I've always avoided buying a 6er of this because of the gaudy packaging. now I will not hesitate as much.

Serving type: on-tap

06-05-2010 21:01:32 | More by uno99

thehyperduck

Ontario (Canada)

4.3/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a translucent copper colour, topped with a finger of foamy off-white head that dies down within a few minutes, leaving behind a creamy cap and thick collar of lacing around the edge. Aroma is of fresh hops, citrusy and piney, overlaying some roasted caramel malts. This is shaping up to be one of the better APAs I've had lately.

Light hop bitterness, grapefruit and pine sap are the first things to come through. Not a hop bomb but they are still the dominant flavour. Roasted caramel and sweet nutty malts round out the profile and are a bit more prominent toward the end of the sip. A bit of bitterness lingers briefly in the finish. Silky-smooth mouthfeel; decidedly medium-bodied. Good carbonation for the style.

I enjoyed this immensely, I haven't had an APA this tasty in quite a while. Highly recommended if you are looking for a sessionable, conservatively-hopped pale ale.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2011 03:07:51 | More by thehyperduck

Vebbster17

New York

4.38/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

First of all I chose 5.0 for drinkability because I enjoyed this beer very much. I had no idea what to expect when I ordered this beer. The waitress only said it was dark. Upon first tasting this beer I immediately told my friends how delicious and hoppy it was. When the waitresses changed shifts the new girl told me that it was called Hoptical illusion. I could drink this beer all day!

Serving type: on-tap

09-28-2010 01:46:37 | More by Vebbster17

shamus

Ontario (Canada)

4.7/5  rDev +24.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This is a really good beer. Despite the god-awful psychedelic day-glow packaging that looks like clown vomit this is proof that it's what's inside that counts. This is a beautifully hopped beer. It's crisp and clean and goes down serenely. I could go on to describe t but if you like a good APA like Sierra Nevada then you will like this. I've been waiting a decade for something like this to be available locally. If they would just come up with some packaging that didn't scream "junk" then this would be a near perfect beer for me.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2011 18:43:02 | More by shamus