Monkshine Belgian Style Blonde Ale - Uinta Brewing Company

alpinebryant

Connecticut

4.48/5  rDev +26.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Pale clear straw yellow with a sticky head and heavy lacing.

S: Aroma of loads of yeast, sourdough, pale malt and a dosing of fresh citrus hops.

T: Very nice fresh tasting belgian pale ale. This has more of an American hop flavor profile, but otherwise is an exceptional tasting belgian pale ale. Bread / dough in the middle and a nice bitter finish that is refreshing as well as bitter. Green Apple that is faint, more white grape at the end.

M: Extremely smooth and mildly carbonated.

O: Very impressed with this Belgian pale ale. I would definitely get this again and probably will pick up a few 6 packs when I see it in a shop.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 00:33:35 | More by alpinebryant

cdizinno

South Carolina

4.43/5  rDev +24.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Hazy golden color. Slight head with minimal lacing.

S: Spices and fruity belgian yeast. Slight floral and citrus hop aromas.

T&M: Nice balance of complex flavors. Nothing is overpowering with spicy undertoned character.
Medium bodied and very smooth.

This is a very good attempt at belgian style and I will definitely try again.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2009 02:51:18 | More by cdizinno

PhantasIPA

Delaware

4.23/5  rDev +19.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The appearance of this beer is very similar to apple juice. Same color and opacity. The head that formed when I poured this beer into a glass was very thin.

The smell is distinct and strong. It is malty with a hint of cloves and spices.

The taste is balanced between a light clove flavor and a medium malty flavor. The after taste is spicy and moderately strong. The beer has an ABV of 6.8% so it's not light or heavy and has a flavor that matches its alcohol content.

Mouthfeel is light and carbonated. Although the head on the bottle that I poured was pretty insignificant, the bubbles were non-stop from the base of the glass.

Overall I like the beer; the mixture of clove, spices, and malt is nice. The ABV is still enough to get the job done and the carbonation of the brew is different but not overpowering. (As a side note, the label on the bottle that I purchased is different than the label in the picture).

Serving type: bottle

02-29-2012 02:12:26 | More by PhantasIPA

Amalak

New York

4.22/5  rDev +18.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had out of a 12 ounce bottle. It's gold, very bubbly, and somewhat cloudy. It has a bubbly head and some lacing with a malty scent.

It has a nice apple taste, malty. Some caramel. Sweet. Very smooth with a slight bitter aftertaste. Vice nice, balanced beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2010 22:08:18 | More by Amalak

GClarkage

California

4.15/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

05/15/09- Purchased at a Utah state liquor store in Park City, CA.

Presentation- 12oz bottle with a botled on date on the label..this one happened to be Nov 08' Poured into an oversized wine glass.

Appearance- Mid range golden colored pour. Full one inch semi-frothy head. Slight rim remains for the whole consumption and leaves some light spotty lace.

Smell- Smells like a mix between a saison and a pale ale. Some light hops, some white pepper for sure and a touch of sugar and lemon rind.

Taste- Has a very slight macro-belgian taste (if there is such a thing). Maybe a touch of grain note is what I am tasting. Lots of white pepper, some lemon rind and a touch of sugar. All flavors meld very well and overwhelm the light grain flavor I originally tasted.

Mouthfeel- Really brisk and crisp vigorous carbonation level. Drinks well considering. Exceptionaly quenching. Pretty clean aftertaste.

Drinkability- Very drinkable. Flavorful and nice feel. Would have bought a six pack of this instead of the other one I purchased.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2009 02:07:42 | More by GClarkage

Crow153248

Illinois

4.13/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Uinta has been extremely hit or miss for me.

That being said, I decided to try Monkshine.

A: Golden yellow with a small, thick head

S: Citrus, yeast, and a bit of a pleasant bread smell

T: Surprisingly refreshing. Not quite a sipping beer, I got the best taste on a half mouthful. While not quite a traditional Belgian, this little brother stands strongly on its own. The bread taste is there, but not at all overwhelming. A pleasant, slightly bitter finish.

M: Light carbonation and refreshingly smooth

O: My favorite Uinta that I have tried by far. Definitely a solid, safe choice if I can't find anything else. I like their interpretation of a Belgian very much.

Serving type: bottle

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 10:40:26 | More by Crow153248

brdc

Wisconsin

4.1/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to fishdawg71 for this one.

Poured from the small capped bottle into a tulip, producing a nice looking golden beer with a nice white head with average retention and lacing.
Aroma is not powerful but really pleasant, malty and biscuity, with some yeasty hints.
Medium bodied but quite refreshing despite its modest carbonation, the taste is as advertised, malty and biscuity, earthy, with a nice balancing dry finish playing with the yeastiness.
It is not terribly complex, but given the very low alcohol for such a tasty brew, I wish I had more of this around during summer- very few session beers taste like this.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2008 02:09:58 | More by brdc

scruffwhor

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Syrupy brass color with a quick head an very little residual foam. OK bubbling.

Bubbley, light Spring fruit yeast, pale toasted malts. Very crisp and slightly sweet aroma. Very inviting.

Lightly fruity, yeasty flavors play with light, soft baked sweet muffin malts. The bubbling adds a slight prickly feeling to the tongue.

This beer taste great, has a little mineral quality on the finish that just completes everything. Easy to drink, and brings a smile to my face!

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2012 22:48:02 | More by scruffwhor

Wasatch

Utah

4/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is the 6.8% ABV version.

Bottled: 11/10/08

Pours a hazy golden yellow color, nice carbonation, nice little white head, with some nice sticky lacing and oil slicks left behind. The nose is malty, with a good dose of yeast, some spice. The taste is malty, yeasty, nice touch of spice. Medium body. Drinkable, this is a tasty brew, I like it better than the 4% ABV version, more body.

First off, I cannot believe someone else has tried this brew. I guess it's a new brewery. Dated 10/28/05, I like this when a brewery puts a date. Pours a nice golden yellow with a real nice head which lingers alittle while. There's a nice trace of lacing left for the whole duration. Has a wheat/malty scent with a nice light-medium body. Never had a Belgian Pale Ale before, so I cannot comment on that, but it does remind me of a Hefe-Weizen. This is a very social brew.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2005 00:44:59 | More by Wasatch

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Interesting label. Pours a clear golden body beneath a full head of dense bright-white froth. Head retention and lacing could be better. Fine bubbles can be seen rising quickly. Lots of clove in the nose. A note of vanilla. A bit of earthiness as well, and some minor sulphur. Sweetish malt. The mouthfeel is good. It's medium-light bodied and creamy smooth. The flavor is mainly sweetish and doughy golden malt and yeasty earthiness, spiciness, and clove and vanilla. Some leafy hops are present as well, but the sweetish, almost candyish maltiness is clearly the showpiece. Restrained bitterness. Long, lingering finish. 4% abv? I'm not sure about that. But it is from Utah, so of course it is, right? I said the same thing about their Wild Fire Extra Pale Ale... I don't think it will turn any beer geek heads, but it's a pretty good initiation to this style of Belgian beer for everyone else. I wouldn't turn it down :)

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2009 20:56:52 | More by NeroFiddled

indiapaleale

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a shiny, peachy, goldeny orange with a thin white head. Looks nice in my snifter glass!

Smells of sweet orange, sour malt, some spicy yeastiness and some bitter lemon.

Taste is the initial wave of Belgian yeast, clovey, spicy goodness. Following that is some bitter sweet citrus flavors (lemon/lime/orange) and just a small bit if funky leather taste in the follow through.

Overall I really dig this beer and I can't think of too many that would be that much better on a hot day.

Thanks to wasatch for this one via a recent trade. I think that just about does it for all the Utah beers I've had in the fridge this past month!

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2009 00:44:47 | More by indiapaleale

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

4/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Lustrous lemon with a light yeasty haze and dozens of rapidly rising bubble streams. The thick crown of alabaster colored foam has a wonderful texture that could almost be called Belgianesque. It also has enough stickiness to grace the glass with small sheets of delicate lace. This one passes the look test...

... and the sniff test. The brewers decided to ease back on the hops and let the estery Belgian yeast strain carry the load. That seems to have been a good decision. The nose features sweet golden grain, loads of banana, bubblegum and a modest amount of clove.

While Monkshine won't make anyone forget the greats of the style, it's one of the better American efforts at a style that doesn't get as much attention in this country as it should. Does every brewery really need an amber ale and a pale wheat ale? For whatever it's worth, this bottle is about one year past the bottled on date and it tastes just fine.

The brewers must have done their homework because I would not have been able to pick the country of origin if blinded. The pale/pils malt doesn't provide much flavor. And there isn't as much sweetness as expected. In fact, the finish is dryish. The hops don't provide much flavor either (maybe a little grassiness), though there is some bitterness on the denouement.

As designed, the Belgian yeast provides the bulk of the flavor profile. Let's go with snappy pears, meadow grasses, banana, pink bubblegum, white pepper and spicy clove. This is a nicely constructed, balanced, drinkable Belgian pale. The brewery has every reason to be proud.

The body/mouthfeel keeps pace. Given the style and the ABV, it doesn't need to be hugely expansive and creamy... just moderately expansive and creamy. Mission accomplished.

Monkshine is a pleasant surprise out of left field. Who would have thought that a brewery from Utah (Uinta) would be able to kick ass and take names when it comes to the creation of a Belgian-style pale ale? This is good beer if you have the opportunity to buy it or trade for it.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2009 12:26:33 | More by BuckeyeNation

plaid75

New York

4/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On draft at Waterzooi, Garden City, New York.

Poured a hazy dark straw hue with a one finger frothy white head. There was good retention and lacing.

The smell featured a full cereal malt, esters and lemon.

The taste consisted of a full doughy malt, sweet raisins and a touch of honey.

The mouthfeel was full fir the style.

Overall a pleasant and relatively full bodied pale ale.

Serving type: on-tap

01-10-2010 01:40:42 | More by plaid75

BeardedBoffin

Minnesota

4/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer decanted with a little cold haze, golden in color, tinged with orange. The head was white and modest but left nice lacing. The aroma is fruity and malty. A hint of bubblegum? Some spice-like hops round it out. The alcohol is noticeable as it clears the senses a bit.

Light to medium on the palate. Some sweet pear, sweet apple, and tart apple provide a nice mix to the malt up front. Dry through the center. The finish has clove and spice. This is a balanced solid brew. The fruity yeast nicely complements the spice in the finish. I enjoyed it.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2010 00:28:17 | More by BeardedBoffin

rapidsequence

Virginia

4/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle. Bottled on 10/12/11, so 3 months old. Chris gave it to me.

Appearance: Perfectly clear yellow gold. Smallish head with brief retention, but with some decent lacing.

Smell: Sweet malt and light fruits-- pears, some banana. Little hint of clove, but wouldn't describe it as "spicy". I would guess this is made with Duvel yeast.

Taste: The flavor is a bit more spicy with clove, but tons of fruit, bubblegum, and a bready yeasty flavor too. A bit of herbal hops and a kiss of bitterness o round it out.

Mouthfeel: Smooth and feels a bit soft, but wouldn't suffer from a touch more carbing. Slick in the finish.

Overall: This was a surprise. A really good Belgian style beer. Like a Duvel light, and at a bargain price. I've been impressed with Uinta.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2012 01:57:05 | More by rapidsequence

jmerloni

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a pretty golden, translucent. Big white head that laces thickly on the glass.

S - Very very yeasty, bread, slight citrus, and a tinge of booze.

T - Cool flavor. Belgian yeast, light fruits. White grapes, apple, pear, a bit of raisin. Light molasses malt backing it up with a nice Belgian hop profile. Solid flavor. Very beery taste to it too.

M - One of those beers that dances in your mouth. Medium bodied.

D - Such a beery beer. I would get this again. Quality. Unita is so underrated. Everything I've ever had from them has been solid without fail. And this is another good showing.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2012 01:46:49 | More by jmerloni

MaltyGoodness

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz. bottle

Pours a light amber color with a thin white had that fades. Mild lacing on the glass.

Bready and yeasty aroma with a caramel maltiness ,lots of fruity tones and a bit of herbal hops.

Slightly sweet upfront with a caramel maltiness. Bready and yeasty flavors take over along with a nice fruitiness. Mildly aggressive bitterness and mild herbal hop flavor. Finishes mildly sweet and rather clean.

Medium body, mild carbonation.

A totally competent rendition of a Belgian Pale ale, which is pretty impressive for a 4% ABV beer. Easily drinkable, and the low ABV lends itself to enjoying several in one sitting.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2008 02:07:28 | More by MaltyGoodness

Yesac

Georgia

3.98/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Received on trade from pokesbeerdude - thanks!

A- Transparent orange/yellow. Almost no head. Tiny bright white ring of foam around the glass.

S- Belgian yeast, honeysuckle, banana and bubblegum.

T- Pretty much like the smell.. Belgian yeast.. banana.. slight lemon zest.. sweet malt. Dry finish.

M- Low carbonation. Medium bodied. Dry on the palate

D- Easy drinking and pretty average. Nothing spectacular.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2009 03:58:11 | More by Yesac

ely2000k

California

3.98/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Organic, quite tasty. Fruity banana like smell that comes out somewhat in the taste. The Belgium yeast is prominent, and gives the beer a nice subtle complex flavor. Hints of clove. Full mouthfeel. Finishes dry, but at the last second some sweet creeps in. Overall I like this and would get it again.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2012 04:12:10 | More by ely2000k

AlphaRanger

3.98/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Light copper with an ever so slight cloudiness. Nice thick white head with very good retention. Lacing was amazing. I refer to it as "artwork".

S- AWESOME! Yeast, spices, corriander, citrus notes, very unique and complex. An inviting aroma.

T- Sweet, tangy, yeasty, and slightly dry. A nice complex yeast flavor backed by citrus and spice notes with a nice malty finish. Very earthy and interesting and Incredibly refreshing.

M- Light and very drinkable for almost 7%. Perfect amount of carbonation which lent a really nice smoothness to the ale.

O- Starting to take the plunge into belgian ales. This one being on the "lighter" end of the spectrum I think is a great foray into the world of belgian golden/pale ales. Overall I was very impressed. I found the flavors to be very pronounced and bold and complex is a word which really describes this type of ale. Can't wait to sample more like this. Pick it up.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 04:13:23 | More by AlphaRanger

HardTarget

Texas

3.95/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A) Red amber glass fails to support a head.

S) Belgian, grainy with a serious bubble gum note.

T) Full flavors! Rich, earthy almost a dirt taste with a peppery spice.

M) Low carbonation, medium body, dry finish

O) Peppery, earthy, full of Belgian/Utah goodness. A well brewed piece of work.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2008 01:26:35 | More by HardTarget

Domingo

Colorado

3.95/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Had this on tap at the Mellow Mushroom. A $3 pint for a Belgian pale? Sounds good to me.

Arrives a light yellow color with a nice 1" head (from the tap) that doesn't falter and stays for the life of the beer.

A boldly sweet apple and caramel malty flavor hits up-front with the typical Belgian pale corn-like flavor coming through in the middle. The finish is sweet and lingers.

Mouthfeel is bubbly and light.

For something over 6% ABV, this is easy drinking.

A little sweeter and less in-depth than Duvel, it's still a nice brew and holds its own with solid drinkability and minimal heat.

Another brew from Four+ that was better than I expected. In general, if something's good enough to ship out of Utah, it's probably pretty damned good.

Serving type: on-tap

02-01-2010 22:29:03 | More by Domingo

thegodfather1076

Ohio

3.93/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Presentation: Label is old school in appearance and printed on a non-glossy paper that gives it a very simple look and doesn't try to do to much. I like it. Label gives a bottled on date as well as the style and ABV info. Label states this is USDA Certified organic.

Appearance: Monkshine pours out a clear orange gold color with a 1 ½ finger white foam head of a lighter more airy density. Head retention was short at 1min 35sec before fading into a thin white foam coating and ring. Average Lacing.

Smell/Aroma: Smells slightly sour and yeasty with hints of clove, banana, and light fruits. Very crisp and light on the nose.

Flavor/Taste: Tastes of sweet light fruits and clove spiciness on the front end with a bread-like taste coming through followed by a surprising herbal and floral hop bitterness on the back end.

MouthFeel/Drinkability: Medium bodied with an above average carbonation yet has a crisp and refreshing feel. Very drinkable and not overly filling.

Overall/Comments: A good Belgian style blonde ale here nothing spectacular but a good representation of the style. Picked this up in Salt Lake City, Utah. Classified as a Belgian Pale Ale at 6.8% ABV. Brewed on 9/7/12. Consumed on 12/23/12.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2013 10:40:00 | More by thegodfather1076

Gueuzedude

Arizona

3.9/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottled December 2007; Sampled May 2008
As I pour this into my 25cl tulip I get a distinct aroma of fresh pear juice. The beer is pretty well carbonated as it produces four fingers of light tan colored froth. The head as it slowly dissipates leaves lots of sticky lacing to the sides of my glass. The beer is a clear, light amber color that shows a lightly hazy, full copper color when held up to the light. A deeper inspection of the aroma yields more pear aromatics as well as a touch of saltine-cracker like malt, crushed pale malt, some slight green grape aromas, a light herbal note, a nice grassy note as well as some spiciness that leans towards earthy coriander and a touch of lemon-pepper. This has a nice, lightly complex nose to it that is quite enjoyable.

Sweet tasting up front (though not heavily so) with a zippy carbonation that adds a bit of fizz and texture. The beer tastes sweeter than it actually is as there is not much in the way of balancing bitterness. The sweetness accentuates fruit flavors of green apple, pear and some green grape flavors. Right towards the middle some spiciness kicks in and provides a balance to the sweetness, though not quite in the same way as a hop bitterness would. Grassy coriander notes, some light white-pepper notes, a touch of clove, some lightly tongue numbing turpene like notes, light phenolics and a touch of light, green herbal notes are each noticeable, though not necessarily all at the same time. This finishes with a nice malt character that has notes of sweet, honey like grain and dry cracker like malt. Quite light bodied, but it does have a touch of heft to it.

This has a lot of fermentation character packed into it without being overly funky. It is actually much nicer than I was expecting, though I wasn't really expecting anything as I have no experience with this brewery.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2008 22:25:24 | More by Gueuzedude

magine

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured this brew into a hefe glass

Pours a golden orange brew with little head and minimal lacing.

Smells of yeasts, fruits and floral hops.

The brew tastes of yeasts and some fruits - much like the smell.

The brew has a nice mouthfeel, bubbly and crisp with a nice aftertaste.

The brew is very drinkable, with a nice aftertaste. Very drinkable - just not spectacular. Very much case worthy.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2009 20:17:13 | More by magine