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

BrutalSusan

Texas

3.03/5  rDev -22.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

A: deep dark brown, almost black. poured with little to no head

S: raisin and spices, very aromatic

T: raisin comes back to you in the flavor, not very complex and a bit sweet for my tastes. a touch of hop in the finish, but not enough. Baking spices.

M: the mouthfeel is very light and thin, I expect a lot more weight in a dark ale, while not necessary, the lack of weight really takes away from this one, could have helped it quite a bit.

O: Not a fan, Mikkeller is hit or miss, I find I usually hate or LOVE their beer. This one I just didn't like, won't go so far as to hate.

*As it warmed up, I got more out of it, some plum, coffee and chocolate I just wasn't getting before. Growing on me slightly, but still not something I will revisit.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2011 08:40:34 | More by BrutalSusan

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

Zraly

Virginia

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A small tasting on-tap at The Birch. Served in a small snifter.

Pours a dark garnet-brown with a touch of head. Really wonderful smell of cherries and dough -- smells like a bakery.

Rich, dark fruits predominate upfront with a touch of funk and phenols to play secondary roles. The alcohol is definitely present, as well as nut note. This reminds me a bit of a black forest cake. It tastes very good but given the weight and fairly heavy body, it is a bit think toward the end of the finish.

Overall, a really nice dessert beer.

Serving type: on-tap

12-11-2011 21:59:47 | More by Zraly

whatthehull

California

3.9/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Tasted sept 13th 2011 (from notes)

Tulip

A - Deep dark sludgy brown, three finger tan head and some sugar legs

S - super sweet, tons of malts, some nice yeast and a slight dark fruit

T - very sweet, raisins, dates, sour plums, alcohol, nice bitter, slight hop, great yeast, dark fruit, toastiness, huge malt and lots of earth

M - full bodied, low acidity, medium balance, nice complexity and long finish

D - very nice, boozey, very dark, lots of flavor and surprisingly easy to drink for a huge beer

Final thought - try this one for sure. Love these brewers

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2011 07:58:25 | More by whatthehull

DarthKostrizer

California

2.4/5  rDev -38.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Thanks to RTaps and MrVonzipper for this one

Look: Dark brown in color with a 1/8 inch head and just ok retention

Smell: The nose carries some figs and plums and a artificial candy note. Which is backed up by a sweet yeast note

Taste: The beer is very dark fruit based and almost taste artificial or medicinal. The beer was overly sweet and reminded me of candied plums and sugar drenched figs. And finishes slightly funky but not the good funkyiness that is typical of belgian yeast

Mouthfeel: Medium body and medium carbonation

Overall: I am not a fan of this Quad and to be honest it might be my least favorite of the style to date

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2011 03:45:12 | More by DarthKostrizer

rtaps

California

3.53/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured a mahogany with a good khaki head, minimal lacing and decent detention.

smell was very "hot" fruity and dark candy

taste of black licorice and fruity mix

full bodied with med-high carb

overall this was a decent beer nothing impressive.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2011 01:24:03 | More by rtaps

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

ChugginOil

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served on tap @ St. Charles Tap House. $3 draft Mondays. Yeah buddy.

Pours a very dark brown color with cola colored edging. Light tan creamy head leaves plenty of legs.

The nose is candy like with brown sugar, molasses, bread, and sicy yeast. Its smelling a bit sweet and definitely inviting.

The taste is sweet and dessert-like with candied fruit flavors. Caramel, brown sugar and plum. Tasty.

The mouthfeel is creamy and delicately smooth. My favorite characteristic of this beer.

Overall, this is a decent and surprisingly drinkable quad, given the ABV. Enjoyable and at $3, can't beat it.

Serving type: on-tap

10-24-2011 21:31:56 | More by ChugginOil

falloutsnow

Illinois

3.55/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Had on tap on 2010-10-20 at Max & Joe's in Omaha, NE.
Served in a flute glass.

Arrives with a tall, dense head composed of fairly small bubbles. Head retention is excellent, and lacing alongside the glass is above average, too. Body is dark brown, opaque, with some visible carbonation.

Scent is of syrupy prunes and candy sugar, perhaps hints of dried figs and raisins, too. Hides the ethanol well. This isn't particularly complex, but seems to be above average for the style.

Taste of similarly syrupy prunes, sweet malts, faint chocolate and anise. Ethanol appears as it warms. Not as pleasing or complex as Rochefort or Bernardus, but still tasty.

Body is medium weight. Fairly smooth with good matching carbonation levels. No real warmth from the ethanol. Finish is dry and slightly syrupy. Mouthfeel becomes a bit watery with increasing temperature. A bit disappointing here.

This was an OK quadrupel, something I'm glad to have tried, but don't feel an amazing need to revisit again.

Serving type: on-tap

10-21-2011 05:38:01 | More by falloutsnow

LambicKing

Virginia

3.78/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bought this bottle at Dranken Geers this past weekend. Poured into a tumbler...I know, I have nothing else.

A: Pours a dark burgundy...almost opaque...very close. Lace curtains. Good carb...beige head settles to halo.

S: Dark fruits...very sweet. Lots of candy sugar.

T: Dark fruits for sure. Lots of sugar. A bit of heat. Not much coffee, toffee or chocolate.

M: Heavy, coating in the back of the palate. Not as thick as some other quads, but still solid.

O: I like this. It's not a perfect quad, nor my favorite, but I'd buy this again if I see it.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2011 21:35:12 | More by LambicKing

laituegonflable

Australia

2.65/5  rDev -31.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Pours a dark amethysty-red colour with dense beige head that sticks around to a decent crown. Nice cradle of lace. Pretty damn fine.

Huge fruity nose, very candied with a blackcurrant and apple edge. Blackberry, cherry medicine, I could go on but yeah, it's definitely lacking something, needs more than just sweet fruit. Pretty poor and cloying, in fact.

Taste is similarly saccharine. Loads of fruit: apple, blackcurrant and black cherry with a slight weak cider edge and hardly any complexity to it, just sweet and a bit weak. Medicinal edge on the back but it falls short of being nicely phenolic or spicey. Really quite disappointed.

Full body, but not a lot of texture, just very simple.

It's probably hard to produce this particular fruit note from a beer but it just comes out as thinly sweet and under-fermented. Just not very enjoyable.

Serving type: on-tap

08-31-2011 23:36:55 | More by laituegonflable

lacqueredmouse

Australia

2.15/5  rDev -44.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

On-tap at the Local Taphouse for the Mikkeller Tap Takeover in Sydney. This was number 15 of 20.

Looks deep and pleasantly red, with a very full head of yellow-tinged ochre. Lots of retention. Minimal lace, but the colour and opacity is great.

Nose is... unpleasant. Really sticky and sweet apple cider character with a touch of booze to it and very little else. Sheesh. I dread to drink it.

Sickly and sweet on the palate, with astringent medicinal cherry and then a long, drawn out character of fermented apple. Despite this, the feel is quite thin and unpleasant.

Too much sugar in the wort! This smells like a fermented out sugar-drink. It's heavy, hot and unpleasant. This is not a great beer, and worse, it's a beer that gives the great examples of this style a bad name. Poor effort, Mikkeller.

Serving type: on-tap

08-23-2011 05:45:20 | More by lacqueredmouse

rarbring

Sweden

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer is clouded brown and black, a tan head leaving little lacing but good curtains.

The smell is ripe fruits and yeast, almost home brewed plum wine in the fermentation phase. Other fruits as well. Slightly alcoholic.

Starting with the sweet taste of sponge cake, apple jam with almonds, sherry and donuts.

Medium low carbonation, a soft, sticky and oily feeling, a huge body.

Raw, a bit alcoholic, but very interesting, and probably with a big potential in 5 - 10 years.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2011 20:27:19 | More by rarbring

ADZA

Australia

3.9/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The brew pours a deep mahogany hue with nice carbonation that leaves behind a caramel laced two finger head and lacing everywhere,the smell is mainly alcohol and candy,it has a medium bodied syrupy mouthfeel which leaves your lips sticky and has tastes of boiled candy,brown sugar,medicinal hops,alcohol and finished with a barley sugar sweetness and overall its alright and definately hides a powerful punch behind its sweetness.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2011 11:05:59 | More by ADZA

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

avalon07

South Carolina

4.08/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Poured from a bottle to a goblet. Had a dark brown color and a thick texture. There was a big, foamy, off white, long-lasting head. Very good lacing.

S: A good aroma of yeast, malt, hops and a sweet component.

T: Tasted of Belgian yeast, malt, a slight hoppy presence, and a syrupy quality. Some alcohol esters present as well. A solid and surprisingly subtle flavor.

M: A well-carbonated beer with a super dry finish. Medium-bodied.

D: In general, this is an all around good, drinkable beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2011 12:04:53 | More by avalon07

siradmiralnelson

Iowa

4.13/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from 750ml into Chalice.

A. Poured a well carbonated 3 finger head. Thick lacing. Very good retention. Color is a dark ruby brown.

S. Nice quad smell. Dark fruit, spices, belgian yeast. Has the nice dark grape aroma of good quads. Smells very sweet and appealing. Really good aroma. Complex and inviting.

T. Taste is very good as well. Dark fruit. Nice sweetness. Pretty impressed with this beer. Lacks some of the complexity of the very top Quads.

M. Medium bodied. Well carbonated. Finishes with just a bit of lingering sweetness.

O. Overall I am pretty surprised at the quality of this beer. Great aroma. Good taste. Missing some of the complexity of the very best quads. This is one that I would definitely seek out again. I like that it is a touch on the sweet side.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2011 23:56:06 | More by siradmiralnelson

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

3.95/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

The beer is dark, chestnut brown with a quarter inch of beige head. The aroma brings alcohol, malt, yeast, respectively. The taste is earthy, with an understated yeast flavor, as well as a healthy amount of rich malt. Silky smooth on the palate with alcohol well hidden, the feel is delicate and impressive. A good quad, I would have it again.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2011 23:47:53 | More by Huhzubendah

largadeer

California

3.38/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Draft at Gourmet Haus Staudt. Cloudy, rusty brown. The head pours small but creamy and dense. There's a lot of brown sugar and raisin on the nose, sweet licorice, star anise. Sweet, sugary malt and dark fruit are prevalent on the palate. Alcohol is noticeable and lends a bit of harshness to the finish. There's more spiciness than the nose suggests, peppery with a bit of anise. Medium bodied, a bit roasty in the finish with lingering licorice spiciness. A decent effort, but too boozy to be really enjoyable.

Serving type: on-tap

04-08-2011 22:10:21 | More by largadeer

dizknee24

New Jersey

3.85/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

t. Poured a dark red with a bubbly head.

s - Smells good very sweet and peppery. very quad like

t - Plums and raisins like other say.

m I am feeling very full and thick mouthfeel for sure

d - Quads rule. and mikkeller rules. so of course this beer rules. nuff said. get this.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2011 02:30:29 | More by dizknee24

cosmicevan

New York

4.08/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

a - opened the 750 and poured into my La Trappe chalice (damn that cork was tough to get out). Poured a nice shiny plum purple with a frothy, yet bubbly head. looks pretty good to style and has an almost authentic head unlike many quads that don't originate in belgium.

s - much sweeter than i had expected. really candy like. fruit punch, grape ade. kind of creamy. smells like a solid quad with some sweet added. inviting for sure.

t - much spicier than the nose suggests. in fact the sweetness is swapped out for tart bitterness and first. as the brew opens up, a lot of wonderful other characteristics come out. dark fruits, plums, raisins...somewhat classic just peppery.

m - nice rich full mouth. i can let the beer sit in my mouth and really sop it up. the aftertaste is overly bitter at first, but once my palette warmed up to the beer the authentic quad creaminess really came through.

d - was really in the mood for a quad tonight. at first my nose told me this would be too sweet, then my initial first sip told me it was too bitter...then when my tastes buds dug into the beer, it really became the beer that i was hoping to enjoy tonight. the creaminess and body are like many classics and the flavor, although on the bitter side, really hit the mark. this is a solid beer...in a style where this is stiff competition.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2011 01:48:57 | More by cosmicevan

cpmichael

Indiana

3.53/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a New Belgium Tulip, No noticeable date.

A: Pours a very dark brown, especially for a quad. A medium amount of mocha head, that dissipates slowly.

S: Dominated by spicy/clove smell, with some sweet malts, raisins and plums, and some chocolate.

T: A watered down quad with some coffee and baker's chocolate. A small amount of hops come through on the end. The alcohol is well masked, but it does not save this beer's flavor.

M/D: There is a medium amount of carbonation in this bottle, but it just seems flat and watery. Not a good representation of a quad at all. Nothing complex, it seems like there is no cohesiveness with the flavors, they don't mix well together and none of them stand very well on their own. Not a drainpour, but not a very good beer either.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2011 17:05:30 | More by cpmichael

SkeeterHawk

Texas

4.03/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours as dark as could be with about an inch head after a pretty careful pour. The head started fading after the pour, but was at least half its original height after a solid minute. There is already some lacing left on the glass after the head falls. The head never completely disappeared, and ended up as a creamy tan layer on top that left a solid wall of lace after drinking the beer.

Aroma: I initially got a whole lot of the sweet dark fruit wholesommy goodness that you get with the Belgian Strong Dark series. So far so good. As the head falls a bit, there is a bit more raisin coming out and the alcohol is already making a showing in the cold beer adding some spice. There is a bit of a smokey aroma coming out as it warms that is a little unusual, but is adding complexity so it isn't screwing anything up.

Taste: The flavor follows the aroma pretty closely. There is lots of sweetness and dark fruit along with a strong alcoholic presence all mixing together to make the aroma come across like some exotic dessert...as it should be for this style. The body is light to medium, which is surprising for a beer so big. The carbonation is also high, so the beer comes across the palate dangerously drinkable. If it weren't for the lingering heat that is left on the back of the throat after the sip, it would be a subtle butt kicker. As it is, it is really well blended and the alcohol is reserved, but it is definitely there...so this still isn't a "slammer" by any means.

Opinion: This is a very good beer. I don't know how much it fits into the "quad" category versus the "strong dark" category. I would put it in the latter as it holds up against some of the great beers like St Bernardus Abt 12 and the likes...so this is not a beer to be taken lightly. That said, I prefer the blatant drinkability that you get with some of the other Strong Darks over this one as this has a relatively assertive dark malt character that isn't quite as "quaffable" as it is adding acidity and a burnt toffee note that slows down the whole drinking process. Either way, this is a very good beer and I would recommend that you pick one up and try it for yourself. It is good enough that it just may be YOUR beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2011 09:40:49 | More by SkeeterHawk

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

STEG

New York

4.15/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A special thanks to jefferz5000 for trading this to me.

Looks as a quad should, deep brown, ruby highlights when held up to the light. Creamy one finger off white head with moderate retention dissipates to a collar of bubbles.

Smell has sugar cookie, molasses, wheat bread and some dark fruits, a typical quad nose.

Taste has some breadiness up front and then there's almost a cooling mint like sensation that permeates throughout the progression. It ends with some bready yeast flavors and that odd cooling presence.

Mouthfeel is silky with mild carbonation a tad bit too light for me though.

Highly drinkable given the ABV, I will easily finish this.

Thanks Jeff

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2011 04:39:30 | More by STEG