Monks' Ale - Abbey Beverage Company (Monastery of Christ in the Desert)

Kemmerlin

Colorado

3.98/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Cloudy golden color with a thick head and sticky lacing.

S: Provides a very sweet malt and hop ale smell with good amount of yeast aromas coming in the back.

T: Kinda tastes like a belgian tripel but only lighter. Slight banana with crisp malts and light yeast tastes in between.

M/D: Slightly watery and light bodied not the best feel for the taste and smell you receive. The drinkability is good and pleasant but could be better with an improvement in the feel department.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2008 22:12:10 | More by Kemmerlin

bleeng

Texas

3.73/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at the restaurant in Albuquerque. Served in their glass=nice. Light brown and filtered and a bit too cold. Nose is malts and sweetness-this has all the makings of a dubbel. Taste of malts, candi sugar, lightly spiced, alcohol is present but not overwhelming. Body is light and fluffy, very drinkable. Goes down very smooth and the flavors really come out after the beer warms up. Will search out this in bottle.

Serving type: on-tap

06-05-2008 03:21:10 | More by bleeng

edisonst

Virginia

3.88/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I had this beer out in Santa Fe recently. It is only available on tap now and I wanted to say that I have read the previous reviews for this beer and they do not do it justice. I have had hundreds of belgians and american micros. I feel this was the best balanced, most drinkable and finest crafted beers I have had on tap in the U.S.. Maybe I just had a good keg or the fact that there are few places in Santa Fe that have great beer. But all things considered I was very jazzed to have an american Monk Ale and I was not disappointed. I am proud to have enjoyed their holy brew!

Serving type: on-tap

05-29-2008 02:28:21 | More by edisonst

vurt

California

3.38/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Purchased in Albuquerque, NM, at Kelly's Liquors on Coors Rd. Enjoyed in a Lucky Baldwin's 8th Annual Belgian Festival snifter.

Appearance:
Attractive copper-orange color, very clear but still showing a bit of hazy glow when held up to the light. The head is ivory white and a bit sticky, clinging briefly to the glass and leaving small flecks of foam behind.

Smell:
Lightly honeyed bread, with notes of sweet orange and pear skin and some peppery spiciness. There is also a pleasant herbal hoppiness and some alcohol (a bit surprising, as this is not a strong beer).

Taste:
Flavors follow the nose, but are much milder than I was expecting. Orange honey on bread, with some banana character and a little spice in the background. The flavor drops right off in the middle. There is some fruit and malty sweetness in the finish, which doesn't last long.

Mouthfeel:
Light-bodied and a bit frothy. The beer's texture runs out right about the time the flavors diminish, leaving the rather odd sensation that the beer has evaporated in your mouth.

Drinkability:
I have no problem with subtle beers, but this one starts off intriguing and winds up bland. Doesn't do anything particularly wrong, but doesn't do enough right to have me looking forward to another one.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2008 04:43:38 | More by vurt

Bitterbill

Wyoming

3.95/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I got this bottle in a trade with russpowell. Thanks Russ!

It pours a clear and very bubbly orange amber witha 3 finger head of foam that I was afraid would overflow but...it didn't. ;^)

It smells of fruit and yeast with a touch of caramel malt.

The taste is also fruity; I think I pick up notes of tangerine, some yeasty flavour, and honey with earthy notes. Fairly light bodied and medium to lightly carbonated, the finish falls fairly flat and becomes somewhat watery but before I get to that point, it's a pretty good sipper and quite drinkable but it is not quite what I'm used to when I think of Belgian Pale Ale.

Btw, the second pour was equally clear and the head retention was above average with some good lacing.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2008 22:25:36 | More by Bitterbill

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

2.85/5  rDev -18.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Monk's Ale, made with care and prayer.
Aw....
Abbey Beverage Company, Pecos, NM
Hazy, rosy orange-ish color, tangerine and peach...small head.
Sweet nose, plenty of fruit, and a hit of spice. Lively yeast. Apricot and orange, and a little straw.
In the mouth, it's ...it's.. ah, ...eh...oh.
Bleh, to be succinct.
Thin bodied, small in flavor, lacking a lot. Drinkable, inoffensive, but lacking in charm, to say the least. Passable, at best, with hardly anything Monk-ish or abbey-like at all. Hardly even interesting as a pale ale.
Can't really hate it. Can't like it, either. Sorry.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2008 06:11:12 | More by feloniousmonk

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.08/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Based on notes, picked this up in Las Cruces, NM

Poured an effervescent amber with a very modest white head. Average head retention & lacing

S: Fruitty with some musty notes

T: Apricots & peach, plus some honey up front. Lemony hops & honey malt as this warms. Finishes dry with peppery & lemony hops & fruitty

MF: Chewy with moderate, but assertive carbonation, skews a tad malty for the style

Drinks pretty good, reminds me of Duvel, minus some hops

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2008 14:31:06 | More by russpowell

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.4/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear, slightly darker amber. Minimal head. Has a slightly sweeter edge with a nutty tone and deep body. Full and frothy on the mouth. Might be a bit too heavy for some for a session beer.

Overall I can't say I was entirely impressed by this production. In no way did it remind me of a Belgian brew at any level. (though before I departed the NM area for good, someone told me they changed the recipe...so maybe it will be better) It will be the first brew to be produced by an American monastery in 100 years when they get their facility set up on the grounds, but I can't say I felt there was anything special about it. I am wondering if the tap I had it from was not the best at the time. I plan to try it again and keep an eye out for other productions from the company/monastery.

Serving type: on-tap

12-30-2007 05:38:09 | More by RblWthACoz

Zorro

California

3.63/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Picked this up at Kelly's in Albuquerque.

Gemstone clear copper colored beer with a decent tan head.

The scent is mild and sweet with the unmistakable scent of coriander and spice, as you would expect from a Belgian style beer. Lots of herb and spice scent are present, pretty much your standard Belgian Pale Ale scent.

The taste starts malty with coriander and malt being the dominant flavors. Herbal and woody in the mouth this isn't an over sweet ale. Not a lot of nuance just mild and fault free Belgian Pale Ale flavor in a dry rendition.

The mouthfeel is good.

Very drinkable ale here for those that like them mild and dry. When I got this it was just as a wild gamble I never expected this to be a good beer or and accurate one to a style. Mild and Dry Belgian Style ale from an unexpected source and place.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2007 04:00:19 | More by Zorro

Domingo

Colorado

3.68/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Interesting that there aren't more reviews of this. This is relatively common (bottled) in the Santa Fe area.
I'm honestly not sure what to think of this brew because I'm not sure what type of style they're shooting for. The original reviewer went with Belgian pale, which is as good of a guess as any.
Pours a light copper color. It's more red than a typical Belgian pale ale, but it's not quite the color profile of a dubbel, tripel, or quad either. Head's minimal, which is typical for the bigger styles, but not necessarily the pale ale.
Smell is of a Belgian yeast strain for sure. This always comes across as a corn smell to me personally. It reminds me of a typical brewpub's attempt at a tripel by the nose.
Flavor starts off sweet, nutty, and and yeasty, but fades and the finish is minimal. It's certainly enjoyable, but the abrupt finish is unusual. Considering the warm location, this isn't necessarily bad. It pairs well with the local food, but it definitely doesn't have as much depth as you'd expect.
As it warms, a little more flavor comes through, but it almost seems to be missing something.
It's a little thin, which might be the culprit, but it's pretty drinkable. For a warm climate with really complex food, it actually makes a very good pairing with red or green chile. By itself it's only average.
If you're in Sante Fe, grad some of this and see what you think of it. It's certainly not bad, but it could be better. I'm sure as the NM monks become more adept brewers, we could see some amazing results based on this first attempt.
If you're in the area, you might try a bottle or two of this, but I prefer to stick to the Sante Fe Brewing Co. items.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2007 23:26:17 | More by Domingo