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

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

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

cvm4

Mississippi

3.35/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This is the hardest cork I've ever tried to get out of a bottle. Say no to synthetic corks!

A - Pours a murky brown with a tan one finger head. It's not pretty to look at.

S - The smell comes off sweet. I'm getting some raisins, prunes and caramel.

T - A bit sweet and syrupy. Once that subsides, then you're left with figs/raisins/dates. The finish does last a while and so does the alcohol presence.

M - Somewhat thin and watery. Could use more substance.

O - Nothing to rave about here. Just a good mid-road quad that offers nothing new or something you can't live without.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2012 23:52:37 | More by cvm4

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

3.98/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle from Beer Deluxe simply labelled Monk's Elixir. From notes.

A - Poured a very dark brown, almost black. Good carbonation, one finger of light brown head left a film of retention and spotty lace.

S - Sugar with sugar fruits. Yeast and creamy chocolate. Prune perhaps and alot more lighter dark fruits. Very neat.

T - Lot's of dark fruit, sugar, light chocolate, caramel apples, and raisins.

M - Decent carbonation, full body and a sweet finish.

O/D - A really nice Quad. Maybe too sweet but tasty all the way through and had nothing to complain about.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2012 09:49:21 | More by tbeckett

kojevergas

California

3.68/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

1 pint 9.4 fl oz brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap served into me Guinness goblet at me gaff in low altitude Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live. Mikkeller is me favourite brewery in the world and I love quads so I'm really excited for this and I have very high expectations. Labelled a "Dark Ale" on the bottle; I'll review this as a quad per the site but I'm always suspicious of Beeradvocate's categorization.

Served refrigerator cold and allowed to warm over the course of consumption. Side-poured in a standard manner; no carbonation issues are anticipated.

I enjoyed the Mikkel-as-monk artwork on the label.

A: Pours a one finger head of nice cream, good thickness, and good retention - especially considering the high ABV and the serving vessel. Retains for at least three minutes, but I can't wait that long to try it. Colour is an extremely dark ruby-black. Nontransparent but not opaque. Floating yeast particles are visible and abundant. I'm surprised at how dark its colour is given the style.

Sm: Cherry and berry fruit esters, cream, plums, biscuity malts, clean light malts, rich cream, and complex yeast aromas. A marvellous aroma. Really gets me excited to drink it. Subtle. A mild strength aroma. I'd like it stronger; it's quite pleasant, alive, and inviting.

T: Plums, heavy raisin, dark berry esters, very restrained dark cherry (not tart at all), some light caramelization tones, clean dark malts, complex biscuity yeasts, cream, biscuit malt, a bready note (but not in a thick sense), and hints of grape. Quite complex, with some layering but not as much as I'd like. Subtle but still understated. Nicely balanced but perhaps not as full bodied a flavour profile as would be ideal. It comes off feeling a bit empty near the climax because not that much additional flavour comes through. No alcohol is detectable.

Pleasant and enjoyable. It isn't unique, but it's certainly special. A well built quadrupel, but not incredible. This might be great with some red wine aging.

I noticed towards the bottom third of the bottle that a chocolate flavour crept in. I don't know how a chocolate flavour could be connected to yeast content, but I observed and verified this phenomenon.

Mf: Delightfully creamy throughout. Very smooth and wet, rolling across the palate nicely and staying out of the way of the flavour profile. The cream in particularly is subtly complementary of the flavours without intruding on them. A bit thin.

The raisin seems to dry out the climax somewhat, a nice touch but an awkwardly executed one.

Dr/Ov: Very drinkable, especially for the ABV - which is incredibly well hidden. I would certainly have this again, preferably aged or on-draught (the former more than the latter). As noted above, red wine aging might make this great.

This drank just fine out of me Guinness goblet, but if I had it again I might go for a goblet with a wider mouth. I wouldn't recommend a snifter for this one; the aroma is nice but it isn't integral and doesn't need trapping.

B

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2012 03:20:45 | More by kojevergas

rapidsequence

Virginia

3.78/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

750 ml corked, caged, foiled bottle. It was $13.49 from Beer Run. Can't find a date, but its at least a year old.

Appearance: Dark brown pour. Pretty unimpressive head, but some decent lacing.

Smell: This is a really great smelling beer. Sweet dark fruity esters, rich malt, and a bready yeastiness. The aroma rivals the very best quads.

Taste/Mouthfeel: Doesn't live up to the aroma. Feels thin and kind of fizzy. The flavors just don't open up on the palate like they should. I think the mouthfeel makes the taste suffer. A bit too boozy too.

Overall: Its a good quad, but has the above issues. Stick to St. Bernardus or Rochefort.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2012 02:24:30 | More by rapidsequence

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

mrfrancis

Kentucky

3.35/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: Pours a murky brownish amber with virtually no head. The thin, creamy beige mousse only survives a couple of seconds.

S: Very sweet. Aromas of raisins, prunes, candy sugar, and caramel are quite pronounced. This is a little much for my taste.

T: A sweet, syrupy entry reveals notes of caramel, candy sugar, dark chocolate, port, figs, dates, prunes, raisins, and dark bread. The finish is long and sweet with dried fruit and caramel notes underpinned by mellow alcohol.

M: Oddly light and thin in the mouth. Very oily as well. Carbonation is decidedly lacking. Alcohol presence is initially well hidden, but really comes out on the finish.

O: This is an ok quad, nothing more, nothing less. If you're a fan of the style, you may find that this is not offensive, but also offers nothing remotely new.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2012 14:25:35 | More by mrfrancis

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

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

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

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

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