Boaks Two Blind Monks Ale - Boak Beverage

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

First had: on tap at Prohibition Taproom, Philly, PA

Poured into a stem glass, a dark mahogany color with a small off-white head. I actually inquired if I was poured the correct beer, because the appearance (and aroma) seemed very deviant from a typical dubbel. Aroma rich with caramel, molasses, and cocoa. Taste was, well, really good actually, though totally not what I expected. Rich and velvety smooth, with dark malts and chocolate up front, almost reminiscent of a sweet stout, mellowing out mid-palate to reveal more of the molasses and sweet dark sugars present in the aroma, with touches of bready yeast, cherries and plums. Surprisingly complex and very tasty. Medium-bodied and very drinkable. My friend who was with me ended up ordering 3 in a row, and I would've done the same, but I like to diversify when I'm at the bar.

Serving type: on-tap

11-12-2011 13:15:06 | More by Rifugium

BeerCon5

Pennsylvania

3.45/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a very dark amber color with a perfect foamy off-white head with good retention.

The scent was of caramel malt, some notes of bread.

The taste was of sweet malts, yeast, and a bit nutty.

Medium body, a little creamy and smooth, a bit thin, low carbonation.

This was a pretty decent beer, nothing too interesting but it was flavorful and easy to drink. It sort of tasted more along the lines of a brown ale.

Serving type: on-tap

01-14-2011 21:35:06 | More by BeerCon5

NJFeurious

New Jersey

2.33/5  rDev -34%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

After reading the reviews on this beer, i was convinced to give it a try since it was on tap.... and man, i was sorely disappointed. This really isn't a dubbel and shouldn't be billed that way.

Should have known after reading the first page of reviews that this beer was a bit of a risk. Unfortunately, these were followed by a lot of hyped up reviews and good recommendations.

Presentation: On tap, served in a tulip glass.

Appearance: Golden with little to no head retention.

Smell: Maybe some apple, yeasty.

Taste: Somewhat off. It had a generic, mass market type of flavor. Similar to Amstel Light.

Notes: I didn't bother to finish the beer. Next to a solid, traditional dubbel, this beer really doesn't compare. Plenty of other beers to spend my money on and I wouldn't recommend it to others unless you are looking for a good beer for a beer pong tournament.

Serving type: on-tap

04-02-2009 20:47:18 | More by NJFeurious

SHU06Les

New Jersey

3.88/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into a Chimay glass. Pours a dark amber, with little head. This is the first dubbel that I've had, so I'm not sure if it's consistent with the style. Smells of dark fruit and malt. The taste is the same. It's a very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 01:36:35 | More by SHU06Les

wac9

Pennsylvania

3.65/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

got to say i was surprise by the beer wasnt as dark i thought it should be but has a great taste goes down smooth heavy in acl so i wasnt going to drink a 4 pack if i had to get up in the morning but a good tasting beer smell of friut and citris give it a shot on a long weekend i like it

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2012 01:54:00 | More by wac9

rwrk42

New Jersey

3.68/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours an amber reddish color with some nice head
Smell: Nice smell of caramel sweet maltiness with slight cherry and dark fruit undertones
Taste: Nice taste with sweet caramel malt flavor. Finishes nice with a good balance. Slight cherry and dark fruit flavors. Very smooth
Not bad, would recommend

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2012 04:32:00 | More by rwrk42

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.45/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bottle: Poured a deep hazy brown color ale with a medium size foamy head with OK retention and minimal lacing. Aroma of caramelized sugar with very subtle fruity ester is OK. Taste is overly sweet for style with notes of caramelized sugar and light dry fruits with some notes of fruity ester. Body is quite full with OK carbonation and no apparent alcohol. This one is kind of average for the style but definitely lacking some of the subtlety that makes dubbel such a great style to being with.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2011 17:46:40 | More by Phyl21ca

Dvarneckas

New Jersey

4.4/5  rDev +24.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The Two Blind Monks Ale was Medium Amber in color, a Little Malty at 7.0% abv, a Little Tart from the Yeast, a Little Residual Sweetness from the Belgian Candy Sugar ... very interesting. This is a good beer for any season and any time of the day or night.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2011 19:21:47 | More by Dvarneckas

tone77

Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev +21.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a brown 12 oz. bottle. Has a pretty, hazy amber color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is of fruits, banana, yeast. Taste is good, lots of fruits, some spice, a bit malty. Feels full bodied in the mouth and overall this is a high quality beer worth seeking out.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2011 16:06:35 | More by tone77

ToddT

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- Hazy caramel color topped with a large khaki colored head. Head falls slowly and leaves lots of rings of lace on the glass.

S- Banana, clove, spice, caramel, and hints of yeast. Classic aroma of a Belgian styled dubble.

T- Taste follows the nose pretty closely. Banana, clove and spice right away, then some candied fruit notes and caramel. Finish has a slight sour note to it, not unpleasant just a little unexpected, and a lingering funky final note.

M- Medium in body and well carbonated, the finish is dry and clean.

O- Solid beer, a classic representation of the style, nothing too special, but not one to turn down either. The 7.0% ABV is well hidden and this is drinkable brew, just wish it stood out form the crowd a little more.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2011 02:49:27 | More by ToddT

JerzDevl2000

New Jersey

3.6/5  rDev +2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Picked this up in Totowa to give it a try. The previous Boaks beer that I had wasn't that enjoyable but I could tell from the pour and the hue to this that that wouldn't be the case here. This was by no means outstanding but I'd certainly give it another go if I ever found this on tap!

Decent pour to this with a nut brown hue and relatively fluffy head. The carbonation was somewhat strong here with a feeling similar to that of soda. This wasn't complex in taste but there was plenty of dark fruit here offset by malty sweetness. Not sticky like a brown ale and without any caramel too. The lacing wasn't anything to behold and this went down relatively easily. Like any goo Belgian beer, this had a nice warming effect to the aftertaste but there wasn't a lot to dwell on here between sips.

I could have easily had another one of these after I finished this, since it was that mellow. This isn't a session beer but for someone who's never had a Belgian beer before, this would be a good introduction to a Dubbel. No spice here means that this is a textbook example of the style and certainly a step up from the previous Boaks beer that I had. Nice to see New Jersey finally toss their hat into the ring in brewing this style!

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2011 19:59:37 | More by JerzDevl2000

LeftyEtc

New Jersey

3.78/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-A dark amber body topped by a thin white head that quickly recedes to a faint ring a-round you glass.

S-Smells appetizing, lightly roasted malts and a fruity cherry smell.

T-An initial malty sweetness makes way for a nutty finish. Hardly any aftertaste and no alcohol burn.

M-Thin and very little carination make this a highly drinkable beer, i wish there was more intense flavor from Belgian yeast. Good beer and well made. Happy to support a local brewery especially one that makes so many great beers.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2011 21:19:02 | More by LeftyEtc

montecristo2

New Jersey

3.28/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a small pint glass.

I wanted to pair something with apple pie for dessert. I figured the amber style/maltiness would go well. I was right!

Pours a dark amber color, very little head.

An interesting in between beer- not quite a dubbel, not quite an amber...a dumble?
I tasted the dark fruits more so than expected, which might not go well alone, but with the pie, it was awesome. Brought out the sweetness of the pie really well. Definitely got those belgian yeast flavors intertwined with the malts.

I would buy this again if pairing with apple pie. I have two left to try alone.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2011 05:31:49 | More by montecristo2

beertunes

Washington

2.42/5  rDev -31.4%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Thanks to Chris G. for bringing this back from a trip to visit family. Poured into 10oz glass. Poured a slightly reddish amber color with no head, thus no retention or lace.

The usual earthy scents of the style were present but very subdued. The flavors were also very muted compared to most of the style. The body was very thin and watery, far below average. Drinkability was OK, but nothing special.

Overall, this beer struck me more as an american amber than a Dubble. Worth trying but not worth seeking out.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2010 00:11:35 | More by beertunes

irishking1977

New Jersey

3/5  rDev -15%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: Dark brown/ruby read with no head and virtually no lacing.
Nothing special looking about this one.

S: Malty sweetness with a hint of hops and a yeasty bread like quality.

T: Perplexing. Malty sweetness, caramel, brown sugar and an unusual metallic finish at the end. This almost ruins the beer. It's like they dumped a sack of pennies into the wort during the brewing process.

M: Thin mouthfeel, though the carbonation is right where it needs to be.

D: If it wasn't for the fact that I feel like I'm drinking sweetened liquid pennies, this wouldn't be such a disappointment. Perhaps I got a bad bottle. I've had this once before on tap and found it to be drinkable yet unremarkable, but this time around, it has a mildly offensive finish.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2010 01:36:50 | More by irishking1977

metter98

New York

3.28/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: The beer poured cloudy brown into a goblet with a thin layer of bubbles consistently covering the surface. A light amount of carbonation is evident from the rising bubbles.
S: There are aromas of sweet malts in the nose along with notes of dark fruits and hints of spices.
T: The taste has lots of malty flavors with some sweetness. There are notes of caramel and raisins along with some hints of honey
M: It feels medium-bodied and slightly dry on the palate; the dryness is unusual for this style.
D: The flavors were good, but the high amount of dryness will likely keep me from trying this again.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2010 02:27:43 | More by metter98

thecarster1

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

a- bottle poured into a chimay chalice, chesnut brown color, few floaties, little more than a fingers head that fades semi-quickly leaving a swirling layer of lace.

s- lots of belgian yeast, some bananas/clove - this is like a belgian hefe almost. more pepper in the nose as well.

t- nice, authentic belgian taste, some pepper, slight banana, some fig/raisin, alcohol not really present, but the strength can be felt, very estery as well.

m- medium to full bodied and coating.

d- this is a solid dubbel, belgians not really my bag, but this one is pretty drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2010 22:47:42 | More by thecarster1

beerthulhu

New Jersey

3.4/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Poured a dull rustic-orange with a medium haziness and a rapidly rising, sudsy, 3-4 finger high head that was quick to fall and weak lacing wise. A vibrant and dense carbonation shower pours upwards while a misty haze of fine particles offers a slight resistance to both light and clarity. The bottom of the glass shows a bran colored coating starting to form soon after the pour.

S: A good sense of yeastiness and wet grains is fully experienced upon opening and on the pour at arms reach. The aromatic punch soon diminishes to a showing of musky fruit of pears and bananas of moderate proportions. The overall perception was mixed, a good yeastiness but was rather flat lacking depth and complexity.

T: Mushy fruit of pears and bananas open the flavor along with wet grains. Yeasty with a good maltiness with a touch of spicy alcohol and a warming spiciness of cardamon and warm apples. There was a bit of worty sweetness along with caramel coated raisin. Overall was sweet and malty with a nice yeasty bite.

M: An active carbonation with a fizzy hold soon settles to a slick malty texture with a fluid motion when swirled around the tongue. Finishes up with spicy alcohol tones compliments of the 7.0%abv.

D: A bit gassy which may limit multiples. Distinctly malty and yeasty providing a full drinking experience where one should be enough to fill you up and satisfy.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2010 22:34:44 | More by beerthulhu

number1bum

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a medium-dark brown with a quickly rising, somewhat fizzy tan head. Active carbonation helps regenerate the head and keep it full to the bottom of the glass.

Nose is very fruity, with some sweetness and a lot of estery yeast character. I'll call the dark fruit aromas raisins, plums and cherries. Dark caramel and some brown or perhaps candi sugar too. Subtle spiciness is evident as well. It does have a bit of an oxidized smell to it, like overripe fruit, but it's a nice nose.

Taste is also estery and fruity like the smell, with the same edark fruits picked up there. It has a slightly oxidized taste, as well. There's a dark caramel and slightly smoky malt base. One difference from the smell is the spicing is much more substantial. There is a big black pepper spiciness in the finish which lingers on the palate, along with the smoky flavor and some bitterness. Interesting flavor combination. T

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and quite crisp. It's pretty smooth.

This is a pretty solid dubbel here from Boaks. Interesting smokiness going on in this beer, which for the style is probably a love/hate kind of thing. I think it's interesting, and overall pretty good.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2010 17:33:48 | More by number1bum

Seanibus

California

2.7/5  rDev -23.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Is it weird to say that my first thought was of bacon?

Well, it was.

And when I tasted it, I thought of Chinese food.

Ok, I know that sounds gross. But it does make some kind of twisted sense.

Pours a slightly hazy deep copper with a smallish tan head that fell away quickly.

The aroma has a spicy edge, with a thing. A thing, you know? A baconish thing. What is it? A nitrate quality, perhaps? A saltiness? A slight, unintentional smokiness? I think it's smoke.

The flavor follows through, with a slightly smoky malt, with a sourish thin fruit, perhaps some overripe peach, some clove and allspice. But there is that Thing. This time it comes across as Pork Lo Mein. Maybe it is that nitrate thing. A little sesame perhaps. A hint of green onion.

The mouthfeel is tingly and leaves a lasting prickle in the mouth. It feels like more than a carbonation issue. Maybe a spice issue. A bit of white pepper.

So now you think I hate this beer.

No. Not really. It's not great. It's not a particularly inspiring Dubbel. But it's not awful.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2010 23:09:28 | More by Seanibus

bookwyrm

New Jersey

3.23/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

A- Light reddish-brown. Little to no head
S- Malty with a little citrus.
T- Sweet malt, molasses, and little alcohol aftertaste
M- A little too thin. A disappointing almost "lite-beerish" quality

Overall- Decent, but not worth $12 and change I paid for a four-pack.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2010 18:34:38 | More by bookwyrm

saccro

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - copper/amber. Nice foamy head that reduces to a film. No lace. Fairly clear

S - sweet. malty. maybe a little cidery. cherry and raisins. belgian phenolics. Not too much alcohol. No hops.

T - sweet. caramel. dried fruits. belgian phenolics. Alcohol in the background. This is a pretty good beer. Not sure why people would hammer it.

M - moderate carbonation. sweet. alcohol warmth

D - a bit heavy, but a decent belgian beer for an american brewery.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2010 02:44:48 | More by saccro

weeare138

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appears a semi transparent chestnut toned amber with a small white head that fades into a gentle collar. Tiny spots of lacing are left around the glass.
Smell is of cocoa, cola, raisins, cherries, sandalwood, vanilla, and brown sugar.
Taste is of brown sugar, dates, caramel, dried apricots, golden raisins, and ripe fruit.
Mouthfeel is full bodied, spicy, sweet, dry, and yeasty.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2010 02:07:28 | More by weeare138

bonkers

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I poured from a 12 ounce bottle into my SA pint glass. It is clear amber in color with a medium white head. The aroma is sweet and spicy. The flavor follows the nose, very estery up front. It finishes very spicey. It is medium in body and well carbonated. The styles are kinda mashed up, IMO this is a triple/dubbel that does not work for me.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2010 23:55:55 | More by bonkers

speter

New Jersey

2.08/5  rDev -41.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

A: Poured a murky brown with a fairly-large head that faded to a little lace. The initial pour had a good amount of carbonation.

S: Some malt, but mainly booze. There are very little of the Belgian yeast estery smells I would expect for a dubbel.

T: Booze. There are hints of a background malt basis, but the alcohol is what comes through the most. Very little of the complexity I've come to associate with Belgian yeast. In fact, this strikes me as even less complex than a Munich Dunkel, and perhaps less malty.

M: Somewhat thin, although the carbonation gives it a bit of heft.

D: Unfortunately, I cannot say I will be picking up any more of this. (I did use one of the six pack in a split-pea soup, and it did enhance the flavor a bit there.)

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2010 23:52:40 | More by speter