Golden Monkey - Victory Brewing Company

BryanRex

Virginia

3.98/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Clear yellow/orange with plenty of carbonation (compared to the bottle version). Noisy head that disappointed into thin lace.

S - Citrus and bananas with hints of yeast and bread.

T - Pretty much the same as the smell with a slightly disappointing aftertaste compared to other tripels.

M - Incredibly light bodied with no indication that this is a 9.5 beer. Dangerous!

O - Feels like a standard pale ale, and regardless of the other reviews I feel this is an incredibly smooth beer. Definitely one of my favorite American beers along with Weyebacher's Merry Monks. Best bang for your buck on the market.

Serving type: growler

Serving type: growler

09-06-2011 03:56:45 | More by BryanRex

iRoy

New York

4.75/5  rDev +28.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a Golden Yellow, bright and clean with a nice creamy head. I'll be honest, I looked at the BA review as I was deciding weather or not I would buy this brew. I am so glad I did. It's heavily carbonated, which I'm personally fine with and heavily acholated. That's not a word but I'm finishing this growler right now, the carbonation I think hides the alcohol well. Also do smell a light Banana flavor, maybe that's where it gets it's name from. A very very bready, Banana bready taste that I really like. Not too sweet per say, I've definitely had sweeter beers so can't complain about that. I love the aftertaste. I think it is really drinkable and will definitely be going so far as to recommending this to all my friends.

Serving type: growler

02-10-2011 03:50:21 | More by iRoy

One2Remeber

Florida

3.83/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

My first tripel style beer, must say it is my new favorite just edging out 90 minute IPA. Only need one or two beers after a long day at work to help unwind. The brew was from a half barrel keg and stored in a growler. The last beer from the growler had a built-up volume of the wheat and yeast giving the initial pour very attractive. Golden Monkey is where its at.

Serving type: growler

05-18-2010 23:09:21 | More by One2Remeber

david18

New York

4.25/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I got this in a growler at Whole Foods on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. I think I like this even better than the bottle version. The difficulty is to drink a growler of Tripel fast enough before it goes flat.

Color is a perfect gold, carbonation is good at first but goes flat pretty fast. Flavor and aroma are perfect to the style.

I will get this as an american tripel alternative often.

Highly recommend.

Serving type: growler

12-29-2009 23:00:00 | More by david18

truknon

New York

4.05/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a Pint glass from a recently filled Growler with a beautiful foamy head and strong golden color.
The smell is overwhelming with hints of Fruit, Cloves, Flowers and Yeast and it taste even better!!
There are strong citrus notes in the beginning and a smooth chewy taste of Flowery Hops for the encore.
The ABV is well hidden in this Light Bodied beer and it can sneak up on you fast. Like a Monkey with several arms hitting you over the head with a baseball bat!!

I would definitely buy this again and highly recommend it. Looking forward to finishing the Growler...tomorrow!

Serving type: growler

09-07-2009 00:41:24 | More by truknon

LennyV

New York

4.18/5  rDev +13%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Purchased a growler from Halftime.

Pours a golden yellow into my Gulden Drak Tulip. Nice creamy head that does not hang around.

Smells of sweetness and flowery.

Taste is intially sweet them some mild bitterness, it finished very dry.

A little to fizzy in the mouth for me but that is not so uncommon for this style.

A nice drinker and a good representitive of a Triple. High ABV does not make this a session beer.

Serving type: growler

02-26-2009 03:52:21 | More by LennyV

Jerico

New York

3.35/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - this beer pours with slightly cloudy, golden honey color. There's a fair amount of puffy head but it fizzles pretty quick. Only slight lacing.

S - the smell is bready and sweet, with some spice. I found it pretty typical of a good triple.

T/M/D - bready, powdery yeast taste, with a good wallop of candy sugar. It finishes nicely, and the alcohol is apparent. This a pretty good beer, but I find it a touch on the ordinary side when compared to some of its Belgian brethren (Karmeliet comes to mind as a good benchmark).

Serving type: growler

07-29-2008 01:23:22 | More by Jerico

IntriqKen

California

4.43/5  rDev +19.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Growler received via a trade with jonjon...
Poured a golden/yellow/orange with a half finger white head that becomes sticky lacing just like from the bottle except with less carbonation.
Aromas of bread, candy malt, tropical fruits (tangerines, oranges, papayas, bananas) and belguim yeast.
Taste is considerably fresher, cleaner, and brighter than from the bottle (no doubt due to the freshness of the brew) with more dimension and a gentle blending of all of the flavors.
Alcohol is deceptive and surprisingly abscent Aftertaste is very clean.
Unfortunately, if this were on tap in my area I could spend the whole day at the bar...maybe the weekend.

Serving type: growler

10-06-2006 19:01:10 | More by IntriqKen

dancaplette

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

poured from a bottle into a chalice glass.

appearance is a bright, but slightly hazy gold, with a white creamy two finger head that disappears quickly but, leaves a thin white layer. this beer also has a light carbonation.

smell- the first sense is of a weak saison with banana in the forefront. a deeper smell unveils a fresh clove aroma. and sweetness with the malts.

taste- the banana and clove come through, with some hops also as it warms up. the high alcohol is hidden well. and a sticky sweetness flavor from the hops.

m- has a heavy bready feel as you swirl it in your mouth, along with the carbonation that last through this pour. feels thick and syrupy as you swallow

o- a nice effort. I expected a little more though with the high abv. a good beer to take your time with

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2013 20:59:54 | More by dancaplette

MistahBeah

Massachusetts

3.43/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

Appearance: Clear copper. Thick two finger head that sticks around for a while. Lots of tiny bubbles and a good amount of sediment floating around. Good amount of lacing. Looks tasty enough but a little too clear for the style (in my humble opinion)

Aroma: Very sweet smelling. Fruity esters. Sugary toasted caramel. Herbal notes take a backseat here - very faint but hops are detectable. Cloves become more apparent as it warms. Smells inviting

Taste: Surprisingly not as much going on as I would have liked. Biscuity up front. Some toastiness. Banana and clove towards the finish. Alcohol is apparent but not overbearing. A little disappointing. Hop bitterness comes out a little more as it warms.

Mouthfeel: Very carbonated. Pretty smooth. Creamy at times, watery at others. Medium bodied.

Overall: I remember liking this beer a lot more the last time I had it. Maybe got a bad bottle or tastes have changed. By no means bad just not great

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 04:36:02 | More by MistahBeah

toshiromifune69

Massachusetts

4.4/5  rDev +18.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

I found this at a small local market with a nice craft beer selection in Lowell, a little pricey at $14/six pack but the quality has had me come back and buy it at least 8 times since I first tried it. It's a spice-laden ale with some nice mouth feel that hides it's fairly high ABV well--great for sipping at the end of a hectic day and feeling it slowly unravel your overtaxed mind.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 00:50:10 | More by toshiromifune69

AlCaponeJunior

Texas

3.5/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Yellow and clear with a half finger head and pretty good lace. Normally I'd expect more head on a tripel, but it ain't bad looking.

Cloves and yeast dominate the smell, along with a little banana.

Flavor is very banana and clove, with a good portion of Belgian yeast. It's very sweet and has a bit of fruitiness too.

Body is medium and less carbonated than I'd expect from the style. It leaves a sweet and yeasty aftertaste.

I don't think it's on the short list of tripels for me, but it's still a pretty good beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 19:08:55 | More by AlCaponeJunior

Hoptometrist

Oregon

3.95/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served from the bottle into a globed glass

A- Poured a very clear dark golden color with soapy white head with big bubbles. Lots of visible streaming carbonation and some spotty lace left behind.

S- Dominant chalky yeast and clove notes, some banana and citrus notes, lots of candy sweetness

T- Big honey and candy sweetness, big chalky yeast notes, candied mandarin oranges, some clove and alcohol notes on the finish

M- Fuller bodied, big alcohol warming, slight alcohol burn, finishes very dry, and effervescent carbonation

O- Really nice tripel with a lot of sweetness but the alcohol really helps cut it from being too sweet.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 03:47:47 | More by Hoptometrist

Lemke10

Wisconsin

3.69/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

This pours a clear, golden yellow color with a slight, white head. The aroma is yeasty with banana and citrus. The taste is sweet and refreshing with lots of yeasty banana flavor. It drinks very smooth and clean leaving behind a yeasty after taste. Not to bad, but doesn't begin to compare to a real Belgian made Tripel.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2013 06:16:38 | More by Lemke10

PhantasIPA

Delaware

4.19/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

The appearance of this beer is a golden colour that holds a lot of sediment in it. The head poured fairly thick and the lacing on the glass was average. I expected a heavier, thicker head and lacing...

The smell of the brew is candy sweet up front, followed by pungent alcohol, followed by the spices (cloves and pumpkin spice).

The taste of this beer took me by surprise at the beginning, but once I became accustomed to it (maybe 6 drinks from the first glass) the taste really grew on me. The taste is a strange combination of nutty followed immediately by the candy-like sugar of the malt. Then the cloves and pumpkin spices show up just in time to let the subtle banana flavour into the party. Really complex, not necessarily balanced but absolutely original! Oh yeah, the final flavour on the palette is a heavy, full attack mode alcohol...just to add another note to every drink.

Mouthfeel is good - very smooth given all of the flavours. The carbonation is minimal, which I prefer, so it makes it even easier to drink.

Overall this beer has a VERY unique and ORIGINAL taste and smell. It is complex but not balanced, which would normally make me rate the beer lower, but because of the myriad of flavours that this beer produces and the high alcohol content (9.5%) I can see past the lack of balance. Worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2013 21:37:21 | More by PhantasIPA

MisSigsFan

California

3.98/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Pours a light golden color with a thick white head. Smell is very unique. Yeast, spice, and fruitiness stand out right away. Taste is similar but has a strong alcohol taste following. Surprisingly easy to drink given the 9.5% ABV, much like other Victory brews with high ABVs. This being the only Tripel I've had, I'm very impressed and look to try others in the future.

Re-review 4/16/2013

Pours a light gold/yellow color with a two finger white head. Smell is of banana, spice, and some other sweetness. Taste is much of the same. Quite spicy with a boozy kick at the end. Mouthfeel is pretty smooth with below to average carbonation. Still very drinkable for a 9.5% ABV. A good tripel with spices, but there are much better.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2013 03:42:21 | More by MisSigsFan

Treyliff

West Virginia

3.15/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

A- poured into goblet. Pours a slightly hazy, bright golden color with a small fizzy white head that reduces and completely dissapears quickly, not as much head as I would expect from a tripel

S- typical, yet slightly subdued tripel aromas; powdery yeast with some fruit esters, peppery with a touch of clove, finished with some grainy malt

T- woah, they certainly aren't trying to hide the booze here, as it attacks the palate right away. Once I get past the alcohol, I pick up some faint banana with peppery spice, herbal notes, with a strong boozy finish that is slightly bitter and dry

M- medium body with moderate carbonation, foamy mouthfeel and finish with some alcohol burn at the end

O- the best examples of Tripels are the ones that masterfully hide the high ABV in the beer, this one does not. The alcohol overpowers the traditional tripel flavors and makes it a bit of a boozy mess. I'll stick with the Belgian's.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2013 01:56:56 | More by Treyliff

tviz33

New York

3.35/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle in to a Duvel tulip.

A- Pours with one finger of soapy white head over top of a clear golden body.

S- The Belgian spice surely doesn't jump out to me, but it's there in the background. It smells really sweet, but nothing else that really sticks out.

T- This thing is very sweet. The taste is quite off for the style, but still not totally off-putting. The Belgian yeast taste is there but it does leave me with that crisp spice I expect from a tripel.

M- The mouthfeel is actually pretty good. Medium-full with great carbonation.

O- Not an outstanding representation of the style by any means, but not terrible. I'e tried it once before the review, but I will most likely not visit again.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 03:12:38 | More by tviz33

HopsMathias

Ohio

3.68/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Got on tap at The Pint Room. Served in a 13oz fluted glass.
Golden pilsner style color with intermittent lacing.
Smells a little sweet.
Taste is slight banana and clove.
Light mouthfeel with a nice amount of carbonation.
Overall pretty good - a mix between Hoegaarden and Stella.

Serving type: on-tap

04-13-2013 21:56:46 | More by HopsMathias

Rope

Illinois

3.18/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Appearance-
The truest thing about the beer, it is a nice golden yellow with a white head.

Smell-
Honey and malt, but really struggling to find the Belgian notes.

Taste-
Starts with a slight lemon, but the honey malt from the nose overpowers. Once again struggling to find anything Belgian.

Mouthfeel-
Well Carbonated, aftertaste lingers a little.

Overall-
A good beer, but it doesn't strike me as a Tripel Belgian.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2013 16:38:45 | More by Rope

Bauzen

New York

3.58/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

The color is a misty pale yellow and foam laces beautifully in the glass, but dissolves quickly.

Aroma is potent. Hints of banana and candied ginger round out the bouquet.

An aggressive ABV punches up the all the flavors you take in from the initial aroma, though I found it a little too aggressive for a beer of this genre. The potency won't deter most beer enthusiasts, but it makes for a very 'beefy' tripel - a genre that generally lends itself to Belgian finesse. This beer does not. It wants you to hit you hard, and I don't feel it does the genre justice. The 'higher-rated' tripels out there are lighter and smoother.

That being said, it's a 'good' beer, flavorful and pleasant but deceiving as that 9.5% ABV hits you and you're left wondering what did it. I wish Victory could have let the flavors speak for themselves in this beer. They're certainly using quality ingredients and they know what they're doing.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 03:22:23 | More by Bauzen

NateEmz

Tennessee

3.03/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Drank this straight from the bottle.

Smell was very powerful and almost overwhelming. Taste was very intense and perfume-like. Strong alcohol flavor with intense herbal tones. Too much for my liking. First beer was very strong and potent. After the initial bottle my pallet embraced the beer and I enjoyed it more.

Would like to try this beer on tap, but don't think I will be buying in a store again.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 02:00:34 | More by NateEmz

DenverLogan

Colorado

4.24/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

On tap at the Royal Hilltop Tavern in metro Denver.
Served in a stemmed pokal glass.
Gold with significant head.
Aroma of Belgian candy sugar, banana, anise.
Significant carbonation and big mouthfeel.
Flavors of bitter grapefruit rind, grains of paradise, candy sugar, malts.
Overall tasty and rich with some bitterness and pepper spice.

Serving type: on-tap

03-26-2013 04:52:16 | More by DenverLogan

deeznuts420

Pennsylvania

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

poured into a chimay goblet. pours a hazy almost straw like color with sediment floating around and carbonation streaming from the bottom.smells fairly floral with bready and caramel notes. taste and mouthfeel - fairly medium to full body with some bitter hops up front and bready almost funky maltiness. overall a middle of the road tripel that would be alright for newbies to the style to try, but if you've had any of the belgian ones like westmalle, chmay white, or a ton of others it definently doesn't hold a candle. not half as complex as those.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 11:52:36 | More by deeznuts420

spoony

Colorado

3.76/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

From a 355 ml bottle into a tulip.

A-The pour produces a pale, yellowish-gold colored brew with a very bright, sunny look. The beer is mostly clear with active, champagne-like carbonation visible. The head is one fat finger of dense, white foam that drops slowly.

S-The smell is full of pepper, straw, hay, and a touch of sweet banana. There is definitely some alcohol here, too, with a sweet, estery, candied fruit like nose reminding you that this is no light beer.

T-The taste is mildly sweet banana; earthy straw/grass, and obvious alcohol. Lots of esters coming through. The spices are pepper-heavy, but there is some clove, too. The whole thing is a bit musty tasting, which is not a bad thing.

M-The feel is medium-bodied with prickly, assertive carbonation.

O-I have had better tripels and I have had worse tripels, so I guess this one is middle-of-the-road. High points for looks, in particular. The alcohol is a touch aggressive, and the complexity is not up to par with the best of the style, but I found this beer to be a decent representation of the style. I give this decent marks for emulation of old-world, Belgian style.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 04:11:42 | More by spoony