Monk's Elixir (Monk's Brew) - Mikkeller ApS

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

4.22/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a slightly hazy dark brown with beautiful ruby highlights when held to light. Huge fluffy off white head persists forever. Smells of dark fruits, brown sugar, spicy yeast, and a touch of alcohol. Taste is very nice with lots of dark fruits, spices, sweet malts, maybe a touch of alcohol. Mouthfeel is creamy and a little syrupy, body is full, carbonation is crisp but not overpowering. I liked this one a lot.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2009 23:31:55 | More by johnnnniee

FLima

Brazil

4.23/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Dark brown color, poured 3 fingers of head with a long retention.
Predominant sour and fruity aroma.
Caramel taste with hints of citrics, lemon type, and cherries and plum. Also, notes of licorice and fig. Mildly sour and acid. Aftertaste is a bit dry. Its 10.5% ABV is well hidden.
Light to medium body with light carbonation and small bubbles.
Really interesting and surprising beer, it smells sour but when you taste it, it is just like someone added just a few lemon drops. I hope they did not target to do a copy of Belgian Quads, which is not Mikkeller’s style, I believe they just got a base to brew something new and challenging. Definitely worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2012 21:11:54 | More by FLima

Arenbeer

Connecticut

4.25/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 corked and caged bottle received from abrand, thanks a lot man!

Poured into a DFH Snifter Glass

A- Pours a really dark murky brown with a nice 2 finger tan/ off white head that doesn't stick around but LLAB and leaves some fossils of it's existence!

S- Sweet malts and caramel with a pretty decent alcohol presence and booziness but not enough to turn one away. Roasted burnt Dark fruits and real sweet brown sugar are also apparent.

T- Real sweet caramel malts with a great dark fruit presence like raisins, figs, plums, or grapes. Also a lot of sweetness from the molasses sugar with a decent booze finish that for 10% is barely noticeable even when it warms up to room temp.

M- Full body but not as thick most quads are. Has moderate to lower carbonation with a more wet finish. Not to much bitterness or dry.

Great beer overall, definitely worth a try if you like sweet Belgian style brews.

SkÅL!

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2010 21:01:18 | More by Arenbeer

StoneBrewFanatic

Virginia

4.25/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a cloudy deep brown/mahogany into my pint glass with two fingers of tan head, really nice retention and lacing.

S - Deep malts, dark fruits, raisin, prune, cherry, brown sugar/molasses, clove and spice.

T - Sweet caramel and toffee, some cocoa in there, clove, dark cherries and raisin, figs with a bit of sourness to it.

M - Medium to full in body, sweet and sticky.

D - This is very drinkable and quite enjoyable to boot. It's sweet and fruity and overall really good.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2011 22:21:30 | More by StoneBrewFanatic

brouwer

Montana

4.28/5  rDev +10%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Very nice combination of belgian style with dark ale overtones. Moderate head. Appropriate carbonation. Went well with cheesecake desert. Definite cherry flavors evident with the caramel of a dark ale. What a nice combination. SMOOTH! Definitely recommended.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2010 02:25:57 | More by brouwer

zaphodchak

Virginia

4.28/5  rDev +10%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Tiny offwhite head, deep brown body.

Nose contains dates, some plum and dark fruit.

The dates and dark fruit are present in the taste as well, along with a hint of orange on the aftertaste with a trace of booziness. Quite sweet and malty, similar to Gouden Carolus Classic. Very much a Belgian strong dark ale at heart, and i feel like it reminds me of something else, but I can't put my finger on what.

Feel is pretty nice and smooth.

Great quad, dark and full of bold dark fruit. I'd give it 6 months to tame the booziness though.

Serving type: on-tap

05-03-2012 01:33:26 | More by zaphodchak

Lawl3ss

Texas

4.28/5  rDev +10%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Chilled 750 ml bottle into a shaker pint. No visible bottling date.

Look- Near opaque brown, three fingers of beige head that fall to a cap that looks suspiciously like a mini-buttermilk biscuit. Generous amount of lace, even the glass between the rings is coated with suds.

Smell- Raisin, baker's chocolate, anise, cola, raspberry-esque sour tinge.

Taste- Molasses, dark amber honey, black cherry, chocolate-dipped almonds, toasted raisins. Floury aftertaste. Very light feel, no hint of the... what? 10%? Did a double-take there, I was expecting 8 or so. In any case, you wouldn't know it. Just the right level of sweetness. As it warms, it takes on a bit of woody brandy-like character. Flavor profile is very similar to a weakly-peated Scotch Ale, but remains true to the style with touches of Belgian yeast and dark candied fruits.

Mouthfeel- Light-medium body, very, very clean for a strong dark. A bit of stick, but it's neither cloying nor boozy. Slight warming. Exceptional drinkability.

Overall- A very light, refreshing dark ale. I don't believe that's something I've thought about the style before. Simple, nothing unexpected going on, but what it does, it does with style and depth. It also goes down too easily, if anything. I'd definitely spring on the barrel-aged version if I ever see it. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2012 04:37:24 | More by Lawl3ss

xodin

Louisiana

4.3/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a deep, dark mahogany with about three fingers of head fading moderately fast, with plenty of lacing. Initial whiff of aroma is reminiscent of belgian candies, figs, licorice, and peppery alcohol. The taste is similar to that expected from the aroma, along with a sweet, malty caramel flavor and a touch of banana and biscuit. Moderate body and sweet throughout the mouth, with a refreshing, bubbly swallow and a tinge of pepper and alcohol in the finish. A talented brewery producing a well developed drink with plenty of potential.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2011 00:47:30 | More by xodin

impending

California

4.3/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A

750ml into a tulip. Pours an opaque walnut with garnet highlights, coffee ice cream colored towering head, nice lacing.

Aroma is of a belgian stout. Semi sweet chocolate with a nearby bowl of mixed berries and cherries and yeast, a lot of yeast. Slight roastiness.

Taste is precisely as the nose predicted but amplified. Initially low in sweetness. Pleasant long lasting yeasty mildly bitter as in unsweetened chocolate aftertaste, again quietly roasty. Alcohol is present but perfectly blended as a flavor component. Medium bodied smooth creamy mouthfeel. Shines with warmth as it sweetens and the roast peaks. delicious
cheers
jd

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2012 04:41:15 | More by impending

DoktorZee

Alberta (Canada)

4.3/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 333ml bottle into a tulip. Cap with a best before of 15/02/18!

A - deep brown in color with ruby highlights when viewed through light; very little head that resolves exceptionally quickly with almost no lacing.

S - lots of dark fruits on the nose: rasin and plum, with some caramel malts

T - very tasty dark fruit backbone with lots of raisin, fig and a bit of caramel in the finish. Maybe even a hint of licorice. Considerably less sweet than other Quads I've had; much more drinkable as a result. Less intense in the finish than I'd expect, but still balanced with a lot of dark fruit and spiciness lingering on the tongue.

M - much lighter mouthfeel than expected, at most it's medium bodied and not syrupy in the least; it's certainly not crisp and only has light carbonation, but it's not overly heavy.

Overall this is a really interesting Quad. In some ways it tastes a lot like a Belgian Strong Dark Ale as it lacks the sweetness I've had in other Quads, though it's certainly got the alcohol. Very tasty beer. Very highly recommended!

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2012 23:33:07 | More by DoktorZee

scottoale

California

4.33/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750ml. brown champagne style bottle with a caged synthetic cork covered with textured silver foil. It pours a dark and murky brown with a sufficiant off-white head that leaves some lace that slips back down into the drink. Looks like a typical Belgian Quad.

The nose is spicy sweet of fig, plum, candi sugar and yeast...not a whole lot going on but it def has the smell of a quad...very Monk-y like.

The taste does not disappoint...very authentic for this style and that's not hard to wonder why. Sweet and spicy dark fruits with fig standing out and a big spicy, yeasty, candi sugar syrupy flavor taking hold of your tastebuds. The natural carbonation keeps the sweetness in check as the finish winds down on the tongue. The 10% ABV is really well hidden in the nose and the taste. It does turn up in the effect however, in a very pleasant manner.

Fairly full and quite smooth in the mouth, with a plus in drinkability, especially given the style and the higher octane content. This brew is a pleasure to consume with a price that's not atrocious, especially for an import. Give it a try if you can find it.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2009 07:07:11 | More by scottoale

ngeunit1

California

4.33/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Dark black with a touch of brown around the edges and a finger of frothy khaki-brown head. Fades normal.

S - Sweet dark caramel malts, plums, raisins, other dark fruits, Belgian yeast, clove and other spices, candi sugars, some booze.

T - Sweet dark caramel malts, plums, raisins, dates, other dark fruits, Belgian yeasts, clove, other spices, candi sugars, some booze.

M - Full bodied, moderate carbonation. Smooth with a sweet, spicy, warming finish.

D - Really nicely balanced Quad with a great mouthfeel. Great yeast character.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2013 05:07:40 | More by ngeunit1

stumac

Texas

4.38/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

this divine brew pours up a solid brown color with a thin off white head. very nice retentive lacing. in thine nose, i detect aromas of dark fruits, pears, red grapes, caramel malts, a nice quad aroma. the taste is rich malt, cocoa powder, dark fruits again, plums, dark grapes. no alcohol detected at all, masks it quite well....indubitably. very smooth, medium bodied, low carbo. a very tasty brew. eating a steak whilst enjoying this brew, really makes this beer taste like a cognac.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2009 05:28:52 | More by stumac

drpimento

Wisconsin

4.38/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Mmmmm malty heaven. Poured with a nice off white head and lots of lace. Color is a cloudy amber brown. Aroma is very malty yeast dark ripe fruit. Flavor is like nose. Easy drinking. Body is good and ditto carbonation. Finish is nice and on the short side.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2010 04:37:12 | More by drpimento

StonedTrippin

Colorado

4.38/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

yet another brilliant and distinct beer from mikkeller, the king as far as i am concerned. this one pours really dark, chalky black in color, with some dark brown yeast floaters and a two inch white head with wonderful retention. the nose is alcoholic for sure, dark malts, but not bitter and toasty, sort of mineral rich, volcanic in some way. the yeast is spicy and bright, but not overbearing. its somehow delicate in such a massive brew. in the flavor i pick up something sweet but not sugary, kind of like the birch syrup beers, but to a lesser degree. really awesome malt profile, earthy and lighter despite its color. alcohol is invisible until it warms, and the yeast is classically belgian while also adding some interesting fruity elements to an otherwise black beer. feel is lovely too, great carbonation, velvety glide down the throat, and a full body that remains super drinkable. overall this is a perfect example of what a belgian strong dark ale can be, and its one i had no problem dirnking a 750ml of, despite its 10% abv. this was a special treat.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 18:12:26 | More by StonedTrippin

Kraken

Maryland

4.4/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Reviewed from notes durning the dark time of no internet access (last month).
Poured from a corked and caged 750ml bottle into an oversized wine glass. Pours a dark burnt cloudy cider/icetea color. Firm pour provides for a one finger head with very nice lacing.
Nose-Sour apple, caramel, slightly vineous dark overripe fruit.
Taste-Lite coco, sweeter then expected . Viscous dark fruits. Caramel and toffee. Nice hop bitterness and alcohol in the finish. A little warming. Alcohol is present but complementry.
Mouthfeel-Smooth and creamy, imagine a quad stout. Lots of layers as it warms.
Drinkability-at 10% drinkability is limited but oh so pleasent

A well done interpretation of a quad. Seek out.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2008 13:59:15 | More by Kraken

IronDjinn

Alberta (Canada)

4.4/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

From a brown 750 ml caged and corked bottle.

Loose spongy light beige head with great retention. Intense lacing. Body is a deep dark oaky brown, nearly opaque.

Dry icing sugar and dark dry fruit on the nose, low lying toasted notes, plum.

Flavour gets more complex, smooth chewy dark malt, toasted, bready and molasses sweet. Spicy dark dried fruit in the middle, plum and red grape notes too. Dry toasty, wafery dark chocolate finish, sticky dunkel-like aftertaste with spicy alcohol warmth.

Smooth nearly full-bodied mouthfeel, low carbonation, a bit sticky on the finish but still creamier and smooth than anything else.

From my experience so far Mikkeller seems to be a bit hit and miss--at least regarding my own palate--but I give them/him credit for pushing the limits and experimenting. This time around was pretty close to a philospher's stone, great quad or dark ale or whatever they're trying to pass this off as, excellent dark Belgian ale that's worth going back to. Check this one out for sure and stock up on it.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2009 07:52:05 | More by IronDjinn

eric5bellies

Australia

4.4/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Drank from my Gulden Draak tulip.

A - Pours the classic dark Mahogany colour with a stubborn off white two fingered head that retains very well and laces.

S - Aromas of plums and figs and a malt backbone.

T - Up front some nice bitterness followed by massive dark cherries, figs, plums and stewed dark fruits. The finish is smooth and the alcohol is so well hidden.

M - Smooth medium to full body and medium carbonation. So smooth.

O - Quads are my favourite style of beer and I'm always interested to try new ones. So often I'm disappointed, but this is superb. It is quintessentially Belgian, has all the dark fruit characteristics and hides the alcohol masterfully. A must try and drink at room temp.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2011 14:34:05 | More by eric5bellies

dgilks

Australia

4.43/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Dark brown colour with deep garnet highlights. Small, creamy tan head. Fair head retention.

Really dense, dark fruit aroma with lots of date, raisin, plum, fig and berry notes. Alcohol and spice add balance and interest.

Bold and very rich with lots of dark fruit and rich malt. The bready melanoidins add depth along with some nice mild spice. Really good.

Medium-full body with moderate carbonation. Nice.

A rich Belgian strong ale with lots of great flavour. This is certainly a brooding Belgian rather than a brighter one.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2011 10:47:42 | More by dgilks

jayhawk73

Maryland

4.43/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a dark brown color w/ a one finger cocoa head. Good lacing on my snifter glass. Very dark, and impossible to see through. The nose is grapes, prunes, apple, caramel malt, and some spices- really well done. The taste profile is very similar, w/ warming really bringing out the richness in this brew. Feel is medium, with malt sweetness carrying the day. No evidence of the 10% abv here, and a nice lighter than expected finish. Overall, this is a fantastic beer- although it might be more of a BSDA than a Quad. I will definitely look for this one again- I enjoyed it. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2012 04:03:25 | More by jayhawk73

mdagnew

United Kingdom (Northern Ireland)

4.45/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml bottle bought online from Beermerchants.com

Poured a deep burgundy red / brown colour with a slight haze... Creamy tan head poured quite foamy but faded very quickly to thin covering with thick edging... fair amount of carbonation bubbles... light patchy lacing...

Aroma - Dark spicy fruits (raisins, prunes, some blackcurrents), strong toasted toffee maltiness, some molasses notes, caramel, light aniseed hints, some light rum traces, vanilla, some nuttiness, peppery hops...

Taste - Sweet and spicy fruits (definite raisins and prunes, spicy apples, some figs and blackcurrents), brown sugar / toffee sweetness, milk chocolate, toasted bready maltiness, strong Belgian yeastiness, light herbal notes, nice warming alcohol, liquorice hints, spicy hops...

Feel - Quite sharp and dry then some smoothness coming through after.. Medium / full bodied... Pretty drinkable considering the strength...

Overall - An excellent beer yet again from Mikkeller... recmmended..

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2010 13:58:05 | More by mdagnew

TurdFurgison

Ohio

4.47/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I poured this from a 750ml bottle, corked and caged with silver foil on top. Huge thanks to BelgianBeerGal, who gave me this as an extra in a trade. The beer was dark murky brown with a thick tan foam, not much lace. The smell is just about perfect, this has a very similar aroma to Westvleteren 12. Dark fruits (plums, figs, etc) with delicious esters and some alcohol. The taste is nearly as good, although I taste some spice (maybe coriander) that I didn't detect in the aroma. The body is thick and coating, the flavor lasts a long time. Absolutely recommended.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2008 02:47:36 | More by TurdFurgison

vfgccp

New York

4.53/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A - Deep dark chocolate. ½ finger of bone white head that held together with moderate retention and lacing.

S - Sweet raisins, prunes, brown sugar, hint of bready malt.

T - Chocolate covered raisins, brown sugar, caramel, dried pears. A gentle boozy warmth balances the sweetness perfectly. Brioche bread bridges the flavors throughout the profile.

M - Impossibly smooth. Touch of alcohol tingle in the finish, but in an enjoyable way.

D - Does a great job of hiding the 10% abv. It's smoothness and great flavor keep you coming back till it's gone.

Serving type: on-tap

12-31-2010 17:02:29 | More by vfgccp

Pencible

Virginia

4.55/5  rDev +17%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: This poured a translucent dark mahogany with some light tan head.
S: It smelled like rick dark fruits (plumb, raisin, cherry) and brown sugar and molasses, with a bit of oak and bourbon.
T: It tasted like brown sugar and molasses and powdered sugar, with plumb and dark cherry and raisin, as well as earthy chocolate and creamy yeast. It had a sweet and mellow aftertaste.
M: It was thick and creamy with smooth carbonation.
D: This was absolutely fantastic with tons of complexity and rich flavors. It had amazing body too, and hid the alcohol like crazy, so it was infinitely easy to drink. Reminiscent of Van De Keizer (blue), which is one of my favorite dark Belgian ales ever. This could maybe improve with age, but I already love it fresh.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2010 15:45:53 | More by Pencible