Terrapin Monk's Revenge - Terrapin Beer Company

tectactoe

Michigan

3.71/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Pours a golden-yellow color with a weird, amber and copper wave of darkness sifting separately throughout the middle of the beer, providing a huge hazy and cloudy effect. White head plops on top of the brew and leaves a little bit of lacing on its way down. The smell was kind of muted and weak at first; light apple skins, crisp on the nose, very light clove and spice, white grapes, banana, with a hint of that good ol' Belgian yeast strain - although not nearly as powerful and commanding as it would be in an authentic Belgian tripel.

Monk's Revenge is much heavier and more flavorful on the palate than it was in the aroma. Sweet molasses and sugary fruits are the result of a tripel-type malt bill. Sugary and sweet with a solid foundation of spices; clove, coriander, mint, and a light bubblegum flavor from the yeast. The American hop addition adds a bitter bite to the brew - mildly leafy, grassy - a "raw floral" flavor, although the actual hop notes are muted a bit by the large malt structure. Slight rubbing alcohol flavor comes through upon warming, as well. Sweet and bready in the finish with a large dose of carbonation; medium bodied, not quite sticky and not quite dry.

They were aiming for a tripel malt bill with an American hopped IPA bill, right? It was a good attempt, and it's a tasty beer, but the drinkability wasn't too great - I dunno if I could have more than one of these. Sweetness is nice at first, but tiresome by the end. Not bad, but not great.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2013 15:04:41 | More by tectactoe

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer is much more Belgian than IPA. Smooth and sweet with a mild hop tone to things; and I do mean mild. A slight touch of a burn from alcohol, which seems minimal in comparison to the 9.6% abv. Very smooth feel and very easy to drink. Nice brew. American brewers strike again with an excellent interpretation of a Belgian style.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 04:32:29 | More by RblWthACoz

AgentMunky

Alabama

3.63/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 ounce bottle into a BrewDog cervoise glass.

A: Murky-clear straw yellow, effervescent and topped with a finger of tight head. Heavy lacing.

S: Soapy, piney hops. Touch of flowery yeast. Pretty flat and boring.

T: Very interesting! A huge, fruity, alcoholic base offers a foundation for citrusy hops. Unfortunately, this hops underperform. They are bitter, but not flavorful, instead delivering a tart lemony quality and a drying endtaste that mostly overshadows the excellent yeast strain. There is some tropical fruit that may be as much hops as yeast, but the musty-fresh spiciness is the best part of the beer.

M: Great! Crisp, refreshing, and well-carbonated. Balances a big and complicated beer.

O: Interesting, but not exceptionally so. Recommended, but I wish it were more Belgian-y and less IPA-y.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 23:30:44 | More by AgentMunky

Lawl3ss

Texas

3.88/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Lightly chilled 12 oz. bottle into a shaker pint.

Look- Clear amber with two fingers of off-white head, loose bubbles. Good retention, good lacing.

Smell- Rich, strong Belgian aroma backed by caramel and fresh herbal hops. Touch of nectar. Nice.

Taste- Much more aggressive than the aroma, lime on the sip followed some roastier flavors in the background with a trace of burnt caramel. moderately citrusy, overall impression of Mandarin orange. A little bit of funk and it's good to go. Lingering pine, honeyed tea aftertaste.

Mouthfeel- Medium body, light carbonation. Slick, not quite syrupy. Moderately boozy, sharper edge at the finish.

Overall- Well executed but fairly typical for the style- nothing new, surprising, or particularly complex. Worth trying, although a bit on the heavy side, a six pack would last me a while.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 20:03:38 | More by Lawl3ss

micromaniac129

Pennsylvania

4.23/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy lazy orange amber color. A lusiously dense white head sits on top with a slow fade, plenty of lacing too. Carboantion is fairly robust helping to prop up the head.

Aroma is slightly hoppy with equal amounts of malts yeast and some light funk.
Hops are fresh smelling and floral.

Tasty with malts hops and yeast. Sweet alcohol kisses the lips.

Prickly and dry with a bitter aftertaste.
My only problem is the high abv. It would prevent me from having to many and this beer screams out for more.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2012 11:49:17 | More by micromaniac129

dogma46an2

Alabama

5/5  rDev +29.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

appearance was a golden cloud of deliciousness.

aroma was a mix of belgium and california like they had a baby of awesomeness with hay notes citrus notes and pine notes. i felt like i was on the farm in north belgium.

the taste was remarkably similar to the aroma with a rich characteristic of grapefruit and spiciness, with finish of pepper.

mouthfeel was proper with a lingering lace of butter and caramel that laid stayed on te pallet.

overall i thought this was a perfect beer for its style.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2012 03:24:10 | More by dogma46an2

BhamBeerLover

5/5  rDev +29.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Huge floral nose. Thought the yeast added a great deal to this brew in terms of both aroma and flavor. Have never had any complaints about this hopped up belgian and hope I never will. Will continue to drink this beer at home and in bars when presented with the (all too rare) opportunity. Thanks Terrapin and keep on truckin'!!!

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2012 02:46:46 | More by BhamBeerLover

Jimmys

Pennsylvania

2.58/5  rDev -33%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

12 oz bottle. poured into long stemmed tulip. 2012 vintage.

A: bright orange hue. slightly hazed. head is very slightly off-white. retention isnt that great. some lacing.

S: a syrupy sweetness. this nose has a touch of hops, but it leaves almost as soon as the pour is over. this thing is a sweetness bomb.

T: a little bit of alkalinity in the finish. well even in the start. the syrupy sweetness makes up the bulk and almost the entirety of the palate. a little bitterness, but this one is all tripel over ipa.

M: mild carbonation on a big sweet body.

D: needs a lot of refinement. just a big sweet mess with a touch of metal. hardly any hoppiness in my opinion. pass from a brewery that has a lot of other solid offerings.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2012 01:14:39 | More by Jimmys

AndyAvalanche

Massachusetts

3.93/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle poured into a Sam Adams Perfect Pint Glass. Liquid is a golden straw yellow color. there is some haze too it. I didn't pour the last little bit into the glass to avoid the sediment. Small white cap, mostly small bubbles and a little frothy. Goes away after a little bit, maybe slightly better than average lacing.

Smell is good, lots of tropical fruits, some hop presence and a little yeasty. I like the hop presence here, but I wish it was just a little stronger. Definitely plenty of citrus based hops, but like I said, not overly strong. Classic Belgian yeast present if that's your thing. Really well blended, smell is probably the best part of the beer.

Taste is a slight step back from the smell. Like many Belgian styles of beer it's bready and has those Belgian banana yeast flavors. Again some faint citrus hops present, pretty much all citrus in the hop flavor. There is a lot of bitterness and virtually no sweetness in my opinion so the balance of flavors is slightly off. Buuut I guess that's not the point in this style. Slightly hints of alcohol in the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel I personally wasn't digging, but I think it was a decent representation of the style. The carbonation level was ok. Light bodied working its way to medium. Fairly aggressive bites and bitterness from the alcohol and probably the hops as well, not completely balanced. Overall seems to be a decent representation of the style. Happy to have tried it, Terrapin knows how to brew a good beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2012 00:45:57 | More by AndyAvalanche

BlackBelt5112203

South Carolina

3.7/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into a pint glass at cellar temperature.

L – Pale amber color with a 3-finger white bubbly and pillowy head. Really nice retention as the head fades down to a 0.5 cm cap that lasts throughout. Pretty good lacing. Clear with a good amount of bubbles.

S – Grainy and bready malt, banana and coriander yeast, and a touch of earthy and citrus hops. Not a big hop presence, but they’re there. Most of the aroma is from the yeast.

T – Starts off sweet with bready malt, apple, and banana flavors. Taste progresses to spicy peppery and coriander yeast whose flavor lasts throughout the bitter grapefruit and floral hop finish that appears. Kind of a random assortment of flavors but fits the label of Belgian IPA.

F – Medium-bodied with good carbonation, a mouth coating and creamy feel, and a slightly bitter, moderately spicy, and very dry finish. Of all the flavors, yeasty spice lingers the longest. There’s a very subtle throat-warming sensation from the alcohol, as well.

O – This beer is very interesting. As far as positives, it looks great and hides the moderately high ABV extraordinarily well. Unfortunately, the more important parts of the beer – aroma and taste – are so-so. They fit the supposed mold of a Belgian IPA, but the beer just doesn’t smell or taste particularly good in my opinion. This is not a bad beer, but I won’t be searching it out again. I’m interested to see how other Belgian IPAs taste to compare to this one. Maybe I’m just not a fan of the style.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2012 00:42:03 | More by BlackBelt5112203

One2Remeber

Florida

4.38/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Snifter

A: Fluffy, cloud white head. Big bubbles clump together and stay put. Bright orange body, bright yellow hue, tons of carbonation rising to top.

S: Sugary sweet malts, funky spicy yeast, slightly soapy. Big herbal hops.

T/M: Oh yeah. Big juicy citrus, piney hop presence springboards off a solid sweet malt backbone. Belgian yeast is there yet subtle bringing all the flavors together. No alcohol presence, all that lingers is a wonderful herbal hop note.

O: 2010 was one of my favorites, '11 was forgettable and this '12 is back on track. Excellent, complex and well put together Belgian IPA, comparable to an Allagash Hugh Malone.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2012 02:50:17 | More by One2Remeber

tdm168

North Carolina

4.03/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - bright orangish amber with a nice, soft, dense cap of white head that has decent retention

S - pine, fruit, bread, yeast, spice, faint citrus

T - bread, faint apples, herbal bitterness, pine, faint citrus, mild yeast and spice; alcohol in the finish

M - warm, crisp, medium bodied

I rather enjoyed this beer. It was a bit more complex than I had anticipated. The flavors were well balanced, and I thought it had a strong hop presence. I'll definitely pick this up again.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2012 15:27:03 | More by tdm168

ProudBeerSnob

New York

3.55/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from bottle into tulip glass. Cloudy straw color with a thin head that leaves very little lacing.

Not much in the nose, but that yeasty Belgian aroma. Taste lacks balance; hops are there for sure, but no extra fruity boost from the Belgian yeast.

Sharp alcohol bite at the end, and I can't decide whether I like it.

A tough style to do really well. Since Terrapin is a brew I can't get normally, I'll seek out their other brews in the future.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2012 00:28:51 | More by ProudBeerSnob

Jason

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz brown bottle with a vintage date.

LOOK: Slightly cloudy light amber color, superb lacing down the glass

SMELL: Papaya, pineapple skin, melon rind, juicy fruit, medicinal phenols, peppery, cotton candy, nectarines, herbal tea

TASTE: Smooth, semi-creamy, moderate body, big alcoholic esters, juicy, bitter, bubble gum, powdered aspirin, oily hop, mild resin, ripe fruit, very warming, bitter phenolic end

Not as I remember, beers change ... palates change. Regardless this brew is flavorful but a controlled mess at the same time. Bitterness seems to be pulled away from the flavor and strikes quick and then pulls back and the alcohol character is a bit out of whack. Still a fun brew to drink.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2012 02:41:02 | More by Jason

JCaweinstein

Ohio

4.33/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Copper colored, clear with lots of carbonation which leads to very good head retention. The head was a foamy pure white!
I got some fruity and yeasty aromas along with some grassy notes.
Flavor notes of lemons, grass, fruit esters and yeast. It was so tasty and very complex.
Mouth coating and smooth, it's fruity at first then the bitter hops follow and it finishes with yeast flavors.
This beer is aromaticly and tastefully satisfying. I am a huge fan of this mix of styles. I want more and if I get more I'm not sure I will share.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2012 19:03:53 | More by JCaweinstein

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

3.53/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from bottle into pint glass at mellow mushroom panama city, fl. Bottle says vintage 2011.

No head at all...no lacing, and very little carbonation. You would think it would have at least a little personality for a belgian right?
Aroma is pleasant; orange citrus, belgian yeasty hops, and fairly malty. Taste is a bit disappointing...its too sugary and way overly malty. Its basically an overly malted ipa fermented with a belgian yeast...
Some banana and clove notes but flavor is lacking. It drinks easy for such a high abv but its not very tastey.
I don't know about this one.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2012 22:59:14 | More by DrinkSlurm

marvin213

North Carolina

4.13/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Look is pretty Plain Jane. When you get up to smelling it, however, things change! It smells like a champagne or another something similar...it's refreshing like a steam room or something. It smells as if it's bubbling! There's definitely a mint or similarly "clean" component to this....

It's readily apparent why it's no longer a side project, it's a well-done tripel-sorta style with a lotta hops. It's consistently the same, Belgiany sort of spritzer-like zing with a nice hoppy (genuine IPA-style) batch of hops. It's delish! The feel is a little flighty, as the bubblies flatten to a finish rather than tickle the cheeks (it IS a beer). Haven't I seen this in Cabernet barrels? Now there's a side-side project (in a bottle) I could go for! Why not release that in a series with Substance Abuse (WnB in JD barrels)? That'd be awesome.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2012 19:37:40 | More by marvin213

MacQ32

South Carolina

3.93/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Admittedly I am just not down with Belgian yeast, I wish I was but I just am not

A - Pours a nice golden/straw color with a decent half inch near white head. head is still 1/4"+ 15 minutes later, very dense and smooth looking. Great lacing, this is a fantastic looking beer.

S - Lots of Belgian (fruity/clove) esters/funk from the yeast, slight pineapple hop presence.

T - Lots of clove/banana type flavors up front, thankfully the citrusy hops make a pretty noticeable appearance. Clove/banana (maybe even grape ish?) flavors from yeast, citrusy pineapple hops. I actually quite enjoy this and am very pleased the yeast isnt as overbearing as the smell would suggest.

M - Lightish bodied+, appropriate carbonation. Very drinkable, a really nice warm day type of brew

O - The aroma was less than desirable although I didnt blow it up on my rating because I can appreciate the style, its just not something I'm into. Thankfully the flavor of the brew had more going on than the nose would indicate and the yeast allowed really nice citrusy hops to come through. Really kind of surprised how much I enjoy this one, one of the most enjoyable Belgian IPA's I have had

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2012 02:11:58 | More by MacQ32

metter98

New York

3.75/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: The beer is very hazy yellowish orange in color. It poured with a thin off white head that died down leaving wispy patterns of bubbles on the surface and lacing down the sides of the glass.
S: The smell is a bit sweet and has aromas of Belgian yeast with notes of caramel malts.
T: The taste is similar to the smell and has peppery spices in the finish along with a moderate amount of bitterness. No hop flavors are detectable.
M: It feels medium-bodied and a bit crisp on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer can be considered as a Belgian Double/Imperial IPA and hides its alcohol very well from the taste.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2012 23:26:24 | More by metter98

mscudder

Georgia

4.03/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A- A hazy straw yellow with a fair sized fluffy head. Nice bubbles from the head but receded quickly.

S - Belgian yeast, hops and some warming fruits. Nice aroma.

T - Wow I like the Belgian style fused in an IPA. Follows the aroma with a crisp bitter finish. Another please?

M - Too thin and light in my opinion. There is a lack of body here that I cannot ignore.

O - A good beer with high drinkablility. The ABV is masked well but I feel there is much that could be improved.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2012 04:13:13 | More by mscudder

cindyjeffsmith

Georgia

4.08/5  rDev +6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

appearance: OClear orange. Fluffy head on the pour that quickly reduces to a ring with a smattering in the middle.
smell: That is nice and alluring. Sweet fruit with a hint of aromatic spice, maybe cardamom? Alcohol too, but just enough to know it's there. This nose says drink me.
taste: Not up to the nose but still nice. The refreshing sweet fruits don't quite deliver.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2012 21:57:36 | More by cindyjeffsmith

Kromes

Georgia

4.1/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A: A hazy gold color with a soapy white head.

S: Belgian yeast, funk, pineapple, and hops.

T: There is a strong Belgian yeast, tropical fruit and alcohol flavor right off the bat. The flavor doesn't really subside and remains up front throughout. There are also some earthy hop flavors in the background, but it doesn't really come through until near the end and then you get a heavy dose.

M: Heavy body and a little syrupy. Peppery on the tongue.

O: In the Belgian IPA style it is pretty good. I would definitely recommend this beer. No off flavors, very crisp and clean with natural Belgian flavors.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2012 00:24:09 | More by Kromes

macrosmatic

Florida

4.18/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Reviewed from notes. Poured from 12 oz. bottle into snifter glass.

A: Hazy, light apricot copper in color. Medium head.

S: Very Belgian in the nose - yeast esters, banana aroma. I don't get a ton of hop aroma.

T: Starts like a good Belgian, yeasty, sweet; then a bit of pine hop flavor. There's a bit of a sticky finish with accompanying alcohol taste.

M: Lightish mouthfeel, not very much hop hang.

O: Good, one of the better Belgian IPAs in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2012 17:52:22 | More by macrosmatic

Tilley4

Tennessee

3.83/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into an Orval goblet...

Well, there's one thing that stands out about this beer from a strictly appearance standpoint... It looks like apple juice except it's crystal clear... not much head or carbonation that I can tell... Very clear and very amber much like apple juice...

The aromas are pungent... A huge dose of Belgian yeast present with an every once in a while whiff of booze... Hops are definitely present and accounted for and seem to be more Noble in nature than anything... Rather earthy and floral if you will... Interesting...

Big splash of hops right up front followed by this earthy yeasty Belgian-ness that is rather enjoyable although I am getting some of that 9.3% here... Not knock you down booziness but it's there... The piney hops keep making an appearance here and at times they're wonderful but at times... they seem a little harsh...

I actually think a little time would do this beer a lot of good. The hops are a little prevalent just yet but I'm guessing that in a couple of months, this will be a nice brew...

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2012 02:04:56 | More by Tilley4

chinchill

South Carolina

3.7/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Label proclaims "2010 vintage". After some warming, poured into a Unibroue snifter.

A - orange-amber color; hazy with a short-lived, bone colored head. Spotty lacing left on the glass.

S - True to style with fruit, spice and floral esters dominate a light malt background. Hints of orange/tangerine, white pepper, ripe banana and pear.

M - Moderate carbonation; medium body; a slightly dry finish

T - Bittersweet flavor with plenty of malt toastiness and a clear spicy-earthy hop component. Mildly astringent, peppery and bitter. Less fruity than aroma indicates. Hoppy, as well as Lightly spicy and yeasty, finish and aftertaste.

O - A tasty Belgian style IPA with initially subdued hops and a very well-hidden, high ABV.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2012 01:30:49 | More by chinchill