Golden Monkey - Victory Brewing Company

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Its nice and fairly smooth, but tastes like its missing the candi sugar. There;s a sweet complexity missing here, the flavor is all on the golden grains. Still, this beer really hides the alcohol to the point of being a little dangerous. Just remember it's not a session ale. It's tasty and smooth enough to put you on the floor.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2007 02:13:04 | More by tempest

akorsak

Pennsylvania

3.65/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I am drinking this ale from my old standby Chimay chalice in the range of 45-55 degrees.

Appearance: This is a golden ale, very clear with a great deal of yeast suspended in the glass. The ale poured with little head that did not stick around long.

Smell: Malty notes and spices dominate the smell. The significant alcohol content also peaks its head in the smell, providing a hint of what is to come.

Taste: Curacao jumps out at me as a spice in this ale. The pleasant orange tones taste very well in the ale. There is also a pronounced pepper taste (as I've come accustomed to with tripels). The tastes, which one would expect to be in conflict meld nicely together.

Mouthfeel: The spices create a very nice mouthfeel. The curacao, which gradually makes itself known throughout the glass, provides a clear sweetness that make the ale and its ABV much more palatable. This is an excellent primer for those just beginning to learn of the tripel.

Drinkability: This ale is surprising drinkable. At 9.5%, one would expect the alcohol to dominate and prevent a drinker from having more than one. This ale defies that stereotype and gives a drinker a very pleasant experience.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2005 02:00:28 | More by akorsak

WVbeergeek

Ohio

4/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

My first Belgian style trippel that I had toward the beginning of my journey into the realm of beer. Now, I approach the mystic monkey once again a more disciplined deciple. Pours a vibrant drop of sunshine golden with a white highly carbonated, quickly dissipating head. Very alcoholic nose with fruit esters, honey, and cloves contains a sharp sweetness that tickles the nose. Taste is spiced up quite a bit, very unique banana esters in the flavor. A syrupy mouthfeel with a very alcoholic finish, this in my opinion is one of the most unique offerings from Victory. Pretty drinkable for the high ABV, but I would tend to stick with something a little more quaffable.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2003 21:47:19 | More by WVbeergeek

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

2.93/5  rDev -20.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Pours hazed gold. Lots of sediment floating all over. Nose is subdued with a mild chalky yeast. Flavor is...ack! Sweet! Bitter on the tail end, but nowhere near good enough to save this. Feel is low on bubble, thicker on sticky syrup for the liquid feel. Drinkable? No. Actually...this is pretty damn bad.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2007 01:09:42 | More by RblWthACoz

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Slight cloudiness; golden color. Nearly no head or lace.

Strong barnyard aromas...very earthy.

The flavor features a creaminess that doesn't show up in the mouth. I notice some bitterness from hop and certainly the alcohol level. High carbonation. Slight sourness in the aftertaste.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2007 21:25:03 | More by smcolw

rhoadsrage

Illinois

3.78/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

(Served in a chalice)

A- This beer has a nice bright orangish-yellow with a slight haze. The head is a white creamy film that fades to a white rim around the edge. There are lots of tiny bubbles trailing to the surface. No lace at all in this one.

S- There are faint hints of pale malt and orange notes with a floral perfume note. The finish has a nice green hop bitterness.

T- This beer has a smooth mellow spicy flavor with notes of pears and oranges with some peppery spice and green hops in the finish. There is a very faint alcohol note that enhances the pepper and hops in the finish.

M- The beer has a medium-light mouthfeel but the fizz in the texture really makes it appear much more full. There is a faint alcohol warmth in the finish that hangs on your breath after each sip.

D- This has some nice qualities of a Triple but they are very faint and aren't strong enough. The alcohol boost the taste of hops and spice which are two flavors that stand out over the other flavors. Perhaps it is an "American Tripel"?

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2006 00:44:02 | More by rhoadsrage

Wasatch

Utah

4/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottled on May 22, 2003. Pours a cloudy yellow, nice carbornation with a nice little white head. Leaves a nice bit of lacing after pour. There are some sweet and fruity scents. The taste is very sweet with a little bite, but for being a 9.5% ABV not much of an alcohol taste. Light in body, and very drinkable. Compared to the one or two tripels I've had, this is very unique. Give it a shot if you can get your hands on some.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2005 00:29:03 | More by Wasatch

Jason

Massachusetts

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

Man oh man, this is strong @!#$. What a kick, they should have named it after the devil though. Not all Belgian beers are as wild as this, some are just clean, bitter and alcoholic.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2001 23:46:01 | More by Jason

mdfb79

New York

3.38/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Drank on tap 1/16/10 at the Iron Horse in DC.

a - A nice golden color with a decent amount of while head. Little carbonation.

s - Smells fruity and a little boozy. Also smells of yeast.

t - Kind of taste like it smells. Smooth but kind of hoppy eventually.

m - light to medium body, little carbonation, pretty smooth .

d - It was a decent beer, not the best tripel I've had but I would try it again.

Serving type: on-tap

01-17-2010 07:29:06 | More by mdfb79

Billolick

New York

4.1/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle, bottled on date of dec. 03. Pours light golden and clear, white, tiny bubble head and leaves some lacing. Nose in lemony, powdered sugar, flowers and a hint of spice. Crisp and a bit prickly on the tongue, flavors are subtle, sweetness evident but not cloying. Fruity, yeasty, spicey. I love this stuff. Nice American Triple style from Victory. If you like the style , this one will be a pleaser.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2004 01:14:54 | More by Billolick

ppoitras

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle from santoslhalper as part of BIF 17. Thanks for the opportunity.

Poured into an imperial pint glass, formed a 1/2" white head above the clear golden brew. Head lasts well, with average to good lacing. Aroma is malts and spices, as expected for the style, but with a bit of a sour undercurrent. Taste starts with pale malt sweetness, sliding into some spicing (but not too much), and then a slight alcohol warming to close. Mouthfeel is pretty good, although nearing the cloyingly sweet line, and drinkability follows the same road.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2005 22:28:12 | More by ppoitras

weeare138

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +18.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Vintage '00 bottle, courtesy of egajdzis...
Appears a golden hazy yellow with an expected amount of yeast and sediment.
The smell is very yeasty, sugary, and citrusy.
The taste is better than the usual Monkey, which I like as is. Nice yeasty, candy taste that's been smoothed out from the aging.
Mouthfeel is smooth and well done with barely a trace of alcohol.
Drinkability is good but it's a bit too good for it's own good.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2005 17:07:50 | More by weeare138

Zorro

California

4/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Corked 750-ml bottle bottled March 6, 2003.

Pours a cloudy golden brew.

Smell is sweet and fruity and a bit spicy. Has a strong herb smell to it.

Taste is sweet with a spiced apple flavor to it. A pleasant brew but it seems a bit rough on the edges might benefit from cellaring for a year or two. Still tasty, has a rough herbal flavor to it.

Mouthfeel is good.

A tasty and drinkable brew, mine was only a year and a month old when sampled. Would like to try a 2 and 3 year old specimen.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2004 02:10:25 | More by Zorro

Viggo

Ontario (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Yardhouse in Glenview, Illinois. Served in a chalice.

Pours a slightly hazy golden, thick white head forms, great retention and sticky lace all over the glass. Smell is sweet, caramelly, alcohol and citrus through the middle, yeast, wheat, some honey as well. Taste is more or less the same, very sweet up front, wheat and alcohol, lots of citrus, yeast, very flavorful. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with medium carbonation, some significant heat going down. Not bad, pretty different, not as subtle as most tripels, but enjoyable.

Serving type: on-tap

08-25-2006 03:41:09 | More by Viggo

Bighuge

Minnesota

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

Pours cloudy golden with a fizzy white head an inch thick. Small sediments make their way through the beverage. The head has good retention as it laces the glass nicely as I consume this beer. Aroma is spicy. Orange peel/orange curaco. Nutmeg. Cinnamon. Very nice. This beer has some taste. There's a bit of alcohol. There's a bit of hard candy. There's some spice, including cinnamon and pepper. A bit lemony. Tangy. All of this backed up with a nice belgian malt backbone. Very complex beer. Has a light-to-medium body I would say. Very drinkable for a beer with this much alcohol.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2002 20:11:30 | More by Bighuge

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

2.05/5  rDev -44.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

First had: bottle from Westgate Pub, Havertown, PA

Not a fan of this. It seems more of a "strong blonde ale" if anything, but not really comparable to a good authentic Belgian tripel. I don't like to bad-mouth Victory, but there you have it.

Pours clear golden yellow with a moderate head that typically displays some decent lacing. Vaguely yeasty aroma, banana and cloves, but on the light side. Tastes a bit chemical-y, biscuity, with banana and spice notes, alcohol is not hidden. Medium-bodied, and not too drinkable in my book, though it seems the ladies tend to like it. ?

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2011 00:59:33 | More by Rifugium

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

2.98/5  rDev -19.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours golden. Hazy. Aroma lacking. Taste, lots going on, didn't like the yeast sweetness and undertones of apple.

Mouthfeel thins, which was welcome since I didn't like what it brought to the table upfront. A little expensive and tough to drink to be deemed a drinkable beer. Pass.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2010 20:34:25 | More by Beerandraiderfan

corby112

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours golden with a quicky dissipating white head. Aroma is very spicy with hints of yeast and citrus. The golden flavor of this beer is beautifully balanced with a generous amount of spices and hint of hops. Very underated tripel from Victory. I loved this beer a lot more when I first sampled it.

Serving type: on-tap

12-01-2008 08:36:16 | More by corby112

lacqueredmouse

Australia

3.48/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Spices. They don't mention which, but we'll see how we go with it anyway. Head is crackling and large and almost more white than I've seen from any other beer. It's really quite bright, light and blank, made up of large bubbles that sizzle themselves into oblivion. Body is a very pale and clear yellow colour, and the carbonation speeds through the thin body, trying in vain to keep the loose-bubbled head alive.

Funky nose, big on Belgian notes, but extremely phenolic. Meatiness, a little clove, sandalwood incense, crushed grass and something even more organic comes through. It's quite a classic Belgian nose, obviously brewed with a genuine yeast strain. They've done a reasonably good job of it as well - I feel as though something's missing, but I have a hard time working out what it might be, and as a result I think it ends up pretty good on the nose.

Taste is also pretty true for a Belgian styled ale. Quite light on the body, but that's to be expected, slightly phenolic flavours throughout, with spice reaching up to abrade the palate, and a pleasant bitter almond character on the finish. Feel is surprisingly flat for a beer with such lively carbonation, but the lightness in the body compensates for the somewhat sharp flavour profile.

It's an interesting brew, but not something I'd necessarily seek out again. There are better Tripels out there, especially from the Belgians themselves, and while this is a fair representation, it's also something that doesn't need to exist.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2010 04:39:20 | More by lacqueredmouse

DoubleJ

California

3.23/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Ahhh, it's time to relax with a Belgian-styled beer in my chalice. On to the beer:

The sound of carbonation fizzes loudly inside my chalice where the beer itself is hazy blonde. The head on this one rises nicely as one might expect, but is fizzy and retains poorly. The aroma is pleasantly spiced with a sprinkle of yeast. This is a good sign for the taste.

But something's off in the taste. By now the head has completely dissolved and the appearance looks dull. Carbonation is thin on the palate, as is the peppery kick for balance, and the taste is mostly sweet sticky candied sugar. A touch of honey and spice (cloves) floats around in there too. How about pumping some carbonation in this puppy? It seems thin for the style. The good news? The alcohol is hidden nicely.

The bottle has a best-by-date of "Nov 05 12" printed on the label for you skeptics who think I simply got a bad bottle. Sorry Victory, but I sense defeat in this beer. Back to the drawing board on this stuff.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2008 03:58:48 | More by DoubleJ

glid02

Georgia

4/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at Twain's in Decatur, GA.

Pours a hazy lemon-yellow color with a two-finger white head. The head recedes into a thin layer on top leaving solid lacing.

Smells of pears and bread-y sweet malts. Also present are mild amounts of clove.

Tastes similar to how it smells. Sweet malt flavors up front have a bread-like heft backing them up. Midway through the sip light fruit flavors come into play - mostly pear but with hints of banana. Very mild spices enter into things right before a crisp ending.

Mouthfeel is good. It's got a nice thickness with moderate carbonation.

Drinkability is also good. I finished my glass without a problem and could have another.

Overall this was a solid tripel but nothing to write home about, good for fans of tripels that are malt-dominant, as opposed to those dominated by fruit flavors and spices. Worth a shot if you see it around.

Serving type: on-tap

03-22-2010 23:30:22 | More by glid02

wl0307

United Kingdom (England)

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

Purchased at the UTOBEER stall in the Borough Market. BB 19/02/2006 (oops!!), consumed late by 6 months... Served lightly-chilled in a large Burgundy bulb wine glass.

A: hazy, dark orangey+honeyish golden in colour, using a force pour the beer head builds up to 1cm thick cap but rather frothy, slowly retreating and leaving very fine lacing; gently bubbly body.
S: fruit-estery fragrance upfront, showing mixed exotic fruits like pineapple+banana+tangerine+apricot, while an overwhelming flow of candy-sugar, cane-sugar juice, and sweet and dense, almost honeyish pale malts follow up and overwhelm the aroma; a strong hoppy scent of flowery hops, a deeper banana-oily yeastiness and coriander's refreshing spicy edge float in the air after a good swirl, adding more complexity to the slightly overly sweet forenote. The longer I smell it, the less sweet it becomes and a pleasant sour edge comes forward to take over. Nice!
T: lots of rounded-textured melted sugar, orange-candy, sweet lemon and dried apricot are coupled with a flow of ve...ry smooth, candyish pale malts, ensued by a faintly dryish-bitter edge of aromatic hops... quietly, a warming aftertaste takes over, slightly ginger-tea-ish and spicy at the same time while rediating heat-waves deep down the throat, just like what a liquor could do... although my palate craves for a longer after-taste instead of after-heat...
M&D: so...ft in texture and rounded in mouthfeel, the full-flavoured beer benefits from a relatively light body and an overall balance... well-crafted! This is the first Tripel I've tried that's made-in-USA, and not bad at all it is. Yet somehow the yeastiness hasn't been able to create a deeper complexity that is THE key to the success of this beer style. Even so I'm quite satisfied that I've tried it and feel really impressed with what this great brewery could achieve...

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2006 03:50:07 | More by wl0307

Gusler

Arizona

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

Its been a long time since I sampled my last “Golden Monkey” about two and a half years, way to long in my book.

The pour a slightly blurred golden amber color, the head is modest in size, the texture frothy, the color and off white, with a fine coating of lace left behind. Nose is sweetly malt, crisp and clean, fresh as a spring day, with the start ambrosial, and loaded with malt, the top is middling in its feel. Finish has a purposeful acidity, the hops are mellow and pleasant to the palate, quite dry and long lasting aftertaste, a “Most Quaffable” beer to say the least, and I must thank “beerluvr” for this bottle,

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2003 16:04:40 | More by Gusler

beerthulhu

New Jersey

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

A: Poured a golden color with a moderately lasting white head.

S: fruity, with spices, higher alcohol phenols, sweet malts and aromatics of musky bananas, dough and pears.

T: For flavor there was a nice spiciness and peppery nature with some spicy high alcohol notes. The palate was doughy with a good alcohol warming and fruitiness to heat and finish things up.

M: warming, with a nice alcohol exocite spices a thin body and a touch of floral hopping.

D: Drinks bigger then its 9.5% alcohol but is crisp with a good warming sensation that is fairly easy to handle.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2008 00:03:29 | More by beerthulhu

kojevergas

California

3.58/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 fl oz brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap served into a generic pilsner glass in me gaff in low altitude Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live. Acquired at Hi-time Liquor in Costa Mesa, California. Expectations are high; I really like this style. My limited experience with Victory Brewing has been positive. I'm hoping to keep the track record going.

Served refrigerator cold and allowed to warm over the course of consumption. Side-poured with standard vigor.

A: Pours a three finger fluffy head of white colour, slight cream, decent thickness, and very impressive retention considering the high ABV. Colour is yellow-gold. The head is quite nice, but the colour is lackluster given the style.

Sm: Very fresh aroma of pleasant spices, complex orange citrus, hints of cream, biscuity yeast, clean unobtrusive malts, and fresh fruit peel. Very luscious and inviting. Quite appealing indeed. I'm excited to try this. A moderate strength aroma.

T: Fresh orange peel, lovely clean malts, well balanced spices, lovely floral notes, no real sign of hops (if present, they're seamlessly balanced), hints of biscuity yeast, lemon, and hints of cream. All around an extremely pleasant and refreshing beer that hides any trace of alcohol from its profile. I'd prefer more yeast, but that's nitpicky. Subtle. A lovely tripel. Its lack of complexity prevents it from attaining greatness, but all around it's really nice.

Mf: Smooth and wet, with just enough cream for the style. Thick enough and adequately carbonated.

Dr: Incredibly drinkable for the ABV. Hides its ABV quite well. An impressive brew from Victory. Well priced as part of a build-your-own six pack. Matched my expectations. I'm looking forward to trying more beers from Victory as a result. Give this one a spin if you're a fan of the style.

It could use less of a malt presence.

Pairs decently with pizza. Drank fine out of me pilsner glass, but a tulip or flute might be ideal.

Low B

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2012 06:33:42 | More by kojevergas