Monkshine Belgian Style Blonde Ale - Uinta Brewing Company

DrFayhee

2/5  rDev -43.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

I was pretty surprised at how bad this beer was. Quite pale, almost lager-ish in color. Smell is pretty simple, light but with some alcohol to it. Flavor is very starchy, with a stale cereal quality. Mouthfeel is a bit acrid. Overall pretty disappointing.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2012 04:44:24 | More by DrFayhee

TheFlern

Idaho

2.15/5  rDev -39.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Picked a six pack up at the brewery on a snowboarding trip.

Once back at my hotel I cracked open a bottle to enjoy while watching a game.

Appearance: I did not have any proper glassware to pour this brew into. I have given it an average rating to be fair and will return to this review once I can pour into proper glassware.

Smell: The Belgian yeast overpowers most of the hop smell and there is little to be found malt wise. The smell is sweet (from the yeast) and has just a bit of hop bitterness on the nose.

Taste: Dominated by the yeast strain. I have a slight bitterness on my tongue. I would have preferred this brew to have a much hoppier profile so as to balance with the flavors the yeast brings out.

Mouthfeel: This is a fairly juicy brew on the tongue that dries at the finish. It keeps you wanting another sip despite the lackluster taste and nose.

Drinkability: I'll definitely take it up on the mountain with me but I will not bother to purchase this beer again.

Sadly this 6er was the first brew from Uinta that I have not really liked. The good news is it has a lot of alcohol (6+ %) and was pretty darn cheep at just over 6 dollars for the 6 pack.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2011 04:13:31 | More by TheFlern

JISurfer

South Carolina

2.42/5  rDev -31.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

This was my first beer from Utah and hopefully the rest aren't like this one. It started out kind of nice, with it's very fluffy head and super cloudy body. Then it just went down hill from there. The smell was pretty much average for the style, except it lacked the alcoholy hint in it. The taste was pretty much blah. Nothing really stood out to write about. The mouthfeel was more of a champainge than a beer. It was really bubbly and thin on the palate. Nothing to get excited about, but it's another state in the annols of beer reviews.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2005 04:05:57 | More by JISurfer

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

2.45/5  rDev -31%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

On tap at the Judge's Bench the other day.

The beer pours a pale gold color with minimal head retention and virtually no lacing. On the nose this beer is flat out bizarre. There's a touch of honey, but it's coupled with almost a glue or paste aroma. To say the least, it's not attractive. Flavors on the palate replicate the nose, though there's less of the glue/paste flavor. In fact there's very little flavor at all and this beer is remarkably bland and watery. Mouthfeel is very light and alcohol not at all noticeable (the beer list at JB's indicated an abv. of 7% or 8%, which seemed incredible. I got nothing like that amount of alcohol, and the 4% listed on this site seems much more realistic).

This is not an impressive beer and struck me as an amaturish effort. I'm thinking this is a beer and brewery to be avoided.

Serving type: on-tap

11-15-2008 16:31:54 | More by johnmichaelsen

barnzy78

Illinois

2.5/5  rDev -29.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

12oz bottle, pours bright gold with a thin head that holds no retention and leaves no lace - looks like apple juice. Smells like apple juice too. Tastes like apple juice with some grape qualities - dry white wine perhaps, earthy, herbal hops, fruity, with a slight Belgian flare from the yeast. Mouth-feel is rather thin with no carbonation. Finishes dry like a cheap chardonnay. Alcohol is well concealed for 6.8%. Overall, I don't know what to think of this one. I see other reviews are giving this a higher score, but this wasn't any different than drinking a glass of apple juice mixed with some cheap white wine. I wouldn't recommend this beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2012 19:57:44 | More by barnzy78

colts9016

Idaho

2.53/5  rDev -28.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Appearance: A golden orange color that is cloudy. There was a one finger head that quickly diminished to a white ring. There seem to be some particles supendend in the beer.

Nose: Cooked corn, toasted malt, phenols, and citrus. There are hints of esters and grass.

Taste: Toasted malt, cooked corn, phenols and citrus. There are notes of ester, grass and not much else.

Overall, A very poor resemblance of a Belgian pale ale. I don't think that they use corn to make it. I didn't not like this beer. I think it came from Budweiser.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2008 06:59:10 | More by colts9016

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

2.53/5  rDev -28.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

12 ounce bottle - $5.25 at Taco Mac in Kennesaw, Georgia.

Appearance: Pours out a lightly hazed, burnished bronze body with a thinnish, white head.

Smell: How frustrating. A tart-smelling whiff of soured lemons with hints of barley and spicing.

Taste: Particularly pale, faintly grainy malts accompanied by a snap of lemon juice, lightly sweet and popping with acidity. No real hop character or imparted bitterness. Subtle hint of spicy coriander. Finishes dry, slightly spicy, and a bit tart.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium-high carbonation.

Drinkability: The thumb points down on this one. Many beers could benefit from tweak or two to get things back on track, others just need to be scrapped. This is a case of the latter.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2010 15:37:41 | More by ChainGangGuy

crossovert

Wisconsin

2.63/5  rDev -25.9%
look: 5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

12 oz bottle. Bottled 01/04/12.

It pours a brilliant clear gold, one of the clearest most pure golden-hued beers I have ever seen. The head is foamy and white and leaves some nice lacing.

The smell is okay. Huge esters but honestly this almost just smells like an adjunct lager without the corn. It has that sourness to it that isn't "sour" but that tart AAL scent.

The flavor is flowery and yeasty. It has a decent sweetness, some metallic flavors, and basic grain flavors. Not too bitter.

It is just really plain, there is nothing that distinguishes it besides its gorgeous appearance.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2012 22:23:38 | More by crossovert

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

2.65/5  rDev -25.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

For a Belgian ale this really needs to have more substance to it. The beer pours out yellow and has some decent head on it. The beer itself is pretty bland in flavor, There isn't much other than some Belgian Yeast flavors in it. The mouthfeel is light. There just isn't anything standing out to me in this brew. I strongly feel that this beer could have been a lot better with some more time and effort put into it.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2011 02:57:50 | More by Knapp85

Kemmerlin

Colorado

2.78/5  rDev -21.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: a darker straw yellow color thin and quickly dissipating head.
S: light caramel malt notes with a citrus mixture.
T: lemon citrus taste with a slight sweet alcoholic taste.
M/D: light bodied didn't really pack a pale ale feel and drinkability. Almost feels and drunks like a coors.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2010 01:00:10 | More by Kemmerlin

JoeAmerican77

Colorado

2.78/5  rDev -21.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A golden sappy fluid topped by half a finger of sudsy white head...

I never want to say this, but kind of a coors light smell, super light malts, a little tin nothing else

Revisit of that tinny smell in the taste, some semi sharp hops breathing a granny smith, black pepper. Decent sized profile, but I'm not sure if I like it

Medium light body, some vibrant carbonation, and a bit of afterburn warmth

Overall I think I'd not recommend this drink to many, I find Uinta falling short on my list from what I've had from them, and this doesn't bring much either

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2011 02:28:05 | More by JoeAmerican77

Kraken

Maryland

2.85/5  rDev -19.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Reviewed 1/11/09

Best by 5/23/08. Poured from a 12 oz bottle into an oversized wine goblet. Extremely firm pour meets with little to no success in evoking a head. Faint lace. Color is a dull cloudy orange cider.

Nose- Smells slightly of sour apples. Hint of lightly citric hops, not much else.

Palate- Faintly metallic. Light biscuity sweetness. Very mild finishing hops, very nondiscript, immemorable.

Mouthfeel- A bit thin, faint carbonation.

Drinkability- Slight

Immemorable, sums it up.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2009 03:01:04 | More by Kraken

sevopie

Colorado

2.85/5  rDev -19.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Golden in color with a quickly dissipating white head. Practically no lacing.

Some alcoholic fruits, namely pears, with a touch of grain.

Sweet alcohol laced fruit flavors with sour grains to back it up.

Decently carbonated beverage with a mild body.

Overall, I found this one to be rather lacking. It seemed to have a lot of alcohol taste for only 6.8%, and really lacked anything of substance.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2009 09:14:24 | More by sevopie

MRsojourner

Massachusetts

2.88/5  rDev -18.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

pours a golden orangey clear color, although i'm not looking into daylight it looks really clear. small white 1" head that dissipated quickly.
The taste is semi sweet with a touch a bitterness. not much complexity. way to clean for a Belgian blond imo. not much to glean from this beer. its drinkable I guess but I would think the yeast selection along with the filterering just take out all the character of this beer. pretty disappointing.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2013 00:07:29 | More by MRsojourner

BeerAmbassador

Arizona

2.98/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a golden copper color with a thin head that dissipates very quickly. No lacing to speak of.

Aroma is stone fruit, maybe peach, Belgian candi sugar and yeast.

Flavor pretty much follows suit with a bit of green apple tartness on the finish. Not quite a juicy green apple, maybe apple skin.

Mouthfeel is ok, the carbonation could be a little more lively.

Overall this beer is not bad, but not one of my favorite examples of the style.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2011 01:29:58 | More by BeerAmbassador

DoubleJ

California

2.98/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Belgian blonde generally go in two directions; sweet or rustic. Which way will Monkshine go? From a 12 ounce bottle, on to the beer:

Monkshine is a couldy orange looking beer with a small head that doesn't last long and deflates into a small lace. At least the nose is fun, which at first is merely okay (sugar and alcohol), then sugared apricot snacks and gum add additonal pieces to the picture.

The taste is very dry, which is strange after what I smelled. I epxected a fruity and sweet taste, and instead is a dry and bitter drink. There are a few echoes of apricot which attempt to inject a little exceitement. The bitterness seems to be coming from the carbonation, and there are subtle rustic notes. It actually has some degree of drinkability despite being almost seemingly tasteless. The beer is medium bodied with healthy carbonation that leaves a dry aftertaste.

What happened to the flavor? If this is what it's suppose to be, sorry, I'm not usually a fan of very dry beers.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 20:22:23 | More by DoubleJ

Reidrover

Oregon

3/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12 oz single from Roths Sunnyside market, S.Salem. $1.50 Slightly misty lookng golden beer with a very bubbly off white head. Aroma is slightly spiced some slight earthiness.weak clove, cereal and some slight earthiness. Taste is strange not like the aroma..semi-bitter..tasty..some black pepper and thats it. Its OK on the tongue the carbonation is OK but far from a great mouthfeel. Not impressed by thisn one..i guess its drinkable..but a dissapointing Belgian style ale

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2011 20:29:17 | More by Reidrover

Arithmeticus

Maryland

3.03/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured chilled in flared ale glass

A: billowy head; no lacing; clear yellow; well-defined carb streams
S: sweet banana, pear, lemon aroma with esters
T: strange Belgian version; brutish; banana, pear; tastes a bit like seltzer water; hops under-pronounced

Think of this as a Belgian-inspired ale and you might not be so critical.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2011 16:22:11 | More by Arithmeticus

bubseymour

Maryland

3.03/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance - looks like an American Adjunct. Little head and clear pale yellow.

Smell - Seems to have an almost sour smell to it.

Taste - Tastes like a high-alcohol American Adjunct. Not too many off tastes but definitely notice grain and barley notes.

Mouthfeel - ok

Overall - Doesn't taste like anything Belgian to me. Rather disappointing IMO.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 02:16:00 | More by bubseymour

beerpadawan

California

3.1/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Into a fat, stemless wine glass, glinting brilliant and beautiful gold. Forms a half-inch head which does not stick around long.

My first whiff was fresh baked bread, grain. After that, I strained to smell some faint peach, apple, apricot notes. Faint floral, but even as it warms the aroma is somewhat weak.

Very dry finish and highly attenuated throughout, with just mild sweetness emerging as the beer comes to room temperature. The flavor goes with the faint aroma: light fruit--peach or apricot. Some grass and light earth hop. The dry finish reveals some mild bitterness and spicy yeasty notes. Finish is clean but over quickly. Highly drinkable but unremarkable.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2012 04:39:00 | More by beerpadawan

Georgiabeer

Georgia

3.13/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a golden amber with a somewhat short white head that fades to a thin cap. Very light aromas of stone fruits and a touch of vanilla and citrus. Tastes a little harsh, with notes of spice, grain, stone fruit, and solvent. A little too carbonated as well, with a seltzery finish. It seems like the Belgian yeast notes haven't really matured here. I'd say back to the drawing board with this beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2011 20:27:33 | More by Georgiabeer

Jsteez

New Mexico

3.13/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a tulip beer glass.

A-It poured a foamy 2-finger white head that left some sticky lace on the glass. The color fell somewhere between a pale to a deep gold, with an orange hue. A slight cloudy look to this beer. I was expecting it to be more like a Leffe Blonde Belgian ale because of the supposed style, but it still looked pretty appetizing.

S-Cloves, banana, some spice. It had a dry smell to it. I never knew something could smell dry, but it did.

T-I thought the smell was better than the taste. I could taste strong clove, no banana taste to this whatsoever! The aftertaste was bitter and dry. There needed to be more balance to this beer style. The clove taste is usually excellent for this particular style of ale, but not when it's overpowering. I would have liked it to be more complex because that is what my experience with Belgian beers has been in the past. The beer was a little flat.

M-Full-bodied, low carbonation. Just average.

O-I have another one of these in the fridge. I will drink it, but will I buy it again? Maybe. I have had better Belgian ales before.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2012 17:58:34 | More by Jsteez

mikereaser

Pennsylvania

3.15/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - pours a clear orange yellow with no foam whatsoever

S - yeasty, peppery, slightly funky wheaty aroma

T - belgian yeast taste along with some pepper and lemon corriander

M/D - good carbonation and mouthfeel, decent flavor that is easy to drink, pretty standard and nothing too amazing

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2010 16:04:04 | More by mikereaser

DeliciousSeeker

Maryland

3.23/5  rDev -9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A- an off gold color, with moderate amount of carbonation. Head about 3 cm after a minute or two. Fairly hazy, but still translucent.

S- good hops tones, although slight alcohol smell towards the end.

T- This beer tastes fairly strong, and the flavors seemed to be masked by a moderately strong citrus taste. There a fair bit of flavors in the beer, but not all of them compliment one another, and it throws off the balance of the beer as a whole. Halfway through this glass, it seems to get in order a little better, and it makes quite a difference.

M- moderate body, with good feel.

D- I think this is a beer tailor made for people who enjoy the occasional beer. This isn't a beer I could see myself having more than a glass of, mainly due to the taste towards the beginning. This isn't a bad beer by any means, but more for occasions rather than a session beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2010 21:34:47 | More by DeliciousSeeker

trevorjn06

Washington

3.23/5  rDev -9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a light copper/honey color and is crystal clear. 2 fingers of tight, white foam sit atop the beer and recede slowly.

Aroma has some odd notes to it, a hint of cheese. Other than that it's light malt character, some fruity/spicy yeast notes and a hint of earthiness.

Taste is on the dry side with some yeast character. There is light pilsner maltiness with a slight bit of DMS (vegetal character) and some light fruitiness and spice from the yeast. The yeast character is very light, overall this beer tastes more like a Pilsner than anything.

Mouthfeel is medium/light with medium carbonation.

Overall this beer is way too simple and devoid of all the upfront yeast character that is tradition in Belgian ales. It's pretty drinkable but I won't be having this again.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2011 00:43:48 | More by trevorjn06