Monk's Blood - 21st Amendment Brewery

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A cup of zest. Looks good, cloudy grapefruit. Tasty, very drinkable, licorice, cinammon. Sweetish from the yeast and cinammon, some dark fruit. Yeast and spice aromas.Not true to the style but fun, would have this again.Thank Mike D. for ringing it back, via Jason.

Serving type: can

03-20-2011 04:27:23 | More by northyorksammy

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

4.1/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Chestnut brown with red-orange highlights and bright Sunkist edges. A splendid looking crown of pale golden foam occupies the upper third of the glass, shrinks slooowly, and does a pretty good job when it comes to lace deposition.

To their credit, the brewers spent time in Belgium learning the finer points of crafting a BSDA. It shows. The nose features the usual medium-dark fruit of the style and is spicier than most, probably due to the use of cinnamon. Here's hoping they added just the right amount because too much could overwhelm the rest of the flavor profile.

I'm all for putting beer in cans, but putting beer of this style in cans just seems... wrong somehow. A pale ale? Sure. An IPA? Okay. Even an American Imperial stout? Why not? BSDAs should come in corked-and-caged 750 ml bottles. In the end, it doesn't matter because this is good beer no matter what vessel it was packaged in.

First of all, the Belgian brasseries don't need to worry that 21st Amendment has one-upped them. Monk's Blood is tasty, but it isn't anywhere near world-class. The added ingredients give it a complexity that the best Belgians achieve with malt, hops, yeast, candi sugar and water. These include cinnamon, vanilla beans and dried black Mission figs. Oh yeah, and oak aging.

Thankfully, the cinnamon isn't overdone. Flavors include dark caramel, ripe figs, vanilla, anise, clove, cinnamon, and hints of bourbon. That last one is most likely due to the oak and the vanilla. This is enjoyable beer that is even more drinkable by virtue of expertly masked alcohol.

The mouthfeel doesn't impress when beer first contacts tongue, but it holds on very well and stays (mostly) inflated until the end of each mouthful. Improvement with warming allowed me to go with the higher of the two considered scores.

Monk's Blood is a wonderful first effort at Belgian-style ale from 21st Amendment and is my favorite (so far) of their canned beers. By traveling to Belgium and learning at the feet of the masters, the brewers showed the BSDA style the respect it deserves. And they deserve respect for the end result.

Serving type: can

10-08-2010 11:56:30 | More by BuckeyeNation

mikesgroove

South Carolina

3.58/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

another great extra thrown at me that i decided to pop open this evening. served cold and allowed to warm up, this one was consumed on 08/14/2010.

nice dark garnet pour. thick looking with a nice head of off white that caps it off quite well to a height of around two inches. smooth lacing flows down the sides of the glass

aroma is a little muddled. figs, dark fruits, lots of malts, and hints of raisins, but nothing really taking the lead and showing off for me. still though nicely put together and warming brings this out quite nicely. smooth and even feel, a bit filling at times even with more then adequate carbonation and a creamy finish. warm and soothing up front with figs, raisins, hits of spice and a touch of caramel malts, but i sit and wait for it to go somewhere that it never really does. nice clean finish with a light dryness and sweet touch to the palate.

overall not bad. i could drink it without issue but there is nothing really calling me back to it again.

Serving type: can

08-15-2010 02:32:07 | More by mikesgroove

womencantsail

California

3.68/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Gilmango for bringing me a couple cans of this.

A: The pour is a dark, reddish-brown color with perhaps a hint of orange. The head is fairly fluffy and off-white in color.

S: There is quite a bit of spice (cinnamon) in the nose, along with some dark fruits as well as bready malts.

T: The flavors were a bit disappointing, to be honest. Plenty of caramel malt, alcohol, spice, and overly sweet. The fruits were not as "real" as I was hoping, but more of a sugary, fake fruit flavor.

M: Decent enough body (medium) with a fairly high level of carbonation.

D: Perhaps my expectations were a bit too high for this one. I found it to be alright, but not amazing, and the alcohol presence doesn't really make me want to drink a significant amount of this.

Serving type: can

01-19-2010 16:38:20 | More by womencantsail

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

4.03/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: In the glass it's quite a dark amber-hued body under a medium-sized, off-white head.

Smell: Sweetish on the nose, toasty, caramelly, hinting of vanilla, and with a vibrantly rich scent of sugary candy-coated and cinnamon spiced fruits.

Taste: Sweet upfront, with bready, toasty, caramelized maltiness. Fruitiness tasting of black cherries and macerated figs, but it's a bit hearty, like a spoonful of jam. Yeasty, with a noted spiciness given an extra little boost from the added cinnamon. A bit of zestful oak buried in there. No more than a slight bitterness coming through all the add-ons. Finishes drying, fairly smooth, warming, and with some enduring hints of fruit and spice.

Mouthfeel: Medium-full body. Just a notch above medium carbonation.

Overall: A nice albeit gussied up beer. The slight rise in carbonation aids in the overall drinkability of this one, though a bit less sweetness would be appreciated. Pretty enjoyable.

Serving type: can

03-25-2011 14:51:34 | More by ChainGangGuy

brentk56

North Carolina

3.2/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance: Pours a tea brown color with a modest cap that leaves some dots and dashes of lace

Smell: Figs and caramel, with some earthy and fruity tones

Taste: Brown bread, up front, with a Juicy Fruit, fig and cherry character developing; by mid-palate, a harsh, oaky, cinnamony phenolic flavor arrives and lingers in the aftertaste, with a hint of cherry on the finish

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Overall: Not too crazy about this one; Belgians are tricky and some breweries struggle to deliver the package; this beer is an example of that problem

Serving type: can

04-06-2012 22:42:34 | More by brentk56

UCLABrewN84

California

3.65/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Canned on 3/26/12.

Pours a murky dark brown with a 1/2 inch foamy dark khaki head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Small dots and streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of toasted malt, dark fruits, vanilla, brown sugar, and some woody aromas. Taste is of malt, prunes/figs, vanilla, brown sugar, alcohol, and a dry woody flavor on the finish. There is a slight hint of spice bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer but I am enjoying the aromas coming off this one more than the flavors.

Serving type: can

06-13-2012 04:31:53 | More by UCLABrewN84

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.65/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A powerful, yet seductively sweet American rendition of Belgian strong dark ales. Very sweet but with complex alcohols, candied sweetness, and spicy yeast character: this beer makes up a lot of ground on its more authentic bretheren.

Dark ruby and with a modest haze, the beer has a fuller look, carrying a dense lightly tanned head and solid lace. A good looking beer overall.

Grain, malt, sweetness all hit the nose with a musty and sugary scent Fruity with plumbs, raspberries, figs, dates, grape, and raisons, the beer is decidedly fruity and alcoholic to the nose. With no real hop influence, the beer relies on spicy alcohol scent and delicate sugarly malts with esters to carry the beer.

Sweet with maltiness and sugars take the flavors through a range of grainy-sweet and malty rich taste: caramelized sugars, mild maltiness, and a somewhat cola-like flavor shapes the complex barley profile. Esters bleed in and out of the sweetness and amplify the sugary affect with the figs, dates, and grape character that's described in aroma. Light herbal hops fade out of flavor quickly and only adds a slight bitter balance to assist the peppery phenolics and alcohol going into the finish.

Very sweet feeling on the palate, the beer is medium-sweet with early creaminess that allows for the take over of a tacky sugary feel in finish. Alcohol warmth and spicy dryness helps to diffuse the sweetness late but the beer only finishes semi-dry and without the true succulent feel of well made Belgian varieties.

Even with a few characteristics that degrade it from those authentic Belgian ales, Monks blood offers enough complexity, balance, and quality in taste to garner good marks. It's a very good beer who should win over any Belgian beer fan.

Thanks Tim!

Serving type: can

05-18-2011 05:03:29 | More by BEERchitect

oberon

North Carolina

3.38/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from the can a deep ruby tinged chesnut brown with a large light tannish colored head atop.Aromas of spiced cherries,brown sugar and malt loaf,maybe a bit much on the spiced cherries wich come into play even more on the palate.Dark fruit wich mainly means cherries and phenolic yeasty spice dominat the flavors with cakey brown sugar-like notes underneath,sweetish alcohol rounds out the finish.It's not horrible but there are many more complex and not so sweet versions of the style.

Serving type: can

03-26-2012 23:35:54 | More by oberon

TMoney2591

Illinois

4/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a Kasteel chalice.

An interesting read on the outside, an interesting concoction on the inside. It pours a very dark garnet-brown topped by a half-finger of ecru foam. The nose comprises figs, dark roasted malts, raisins, and a bit of oak. The taste holds notes of everything listed above, along with brown sugar and some bitter chocolate powder. The body is a heavy medium, with a light carbonation and a thick, almost chewy feel. Overall, a strong Belgian, especially considering its aluminum origins (such has been my experience). Get some!

Serving type: can

06-23-2010 14:28:38 | More by TMoney2591

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

3.9/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

21st. Amendment Brewery, Monk's Blood. Belgian-style dark ale brewed with cinnamon, vanilla, oak chips, and dried figs. That's all I'll share from the label of this can. There's a long story in Gothic typeface that's difficult to read. It begins "Legend has it…" and I'll let your imagination run wild with the rest. Wait. I really should read it…. Couldn't. It's impossible. Can't make out 10% of the words. The rest are over-cooked and overly dramatic. Apparently, elder monks believe in capital punishment when dealing with young monks who tinker with old recipes. Sure, makes sense. Or maybe it was the cigars, "nice hands of Texas Hold 'Em" and "breaking the vow of silence by spinning a remix of Gregorian chants" that drew the Abbot's ire. I wouldn't know.

Unfortunately, it tells me nothing about the beer.

8.3% ABV. 12 oz. can. brewed in Cold Springs, MN.

Dark, plum brown body, opaque, smallish cream-toned head, drifts down, but leaves lace.

Aroma: dark fruit aplenty. raisins, dates, figs. Plum. With plenty of spice, as well, and a hint of sweetness. Wait, more than a hint, with the vanilla and oak coming in loud and clear.

Taste: First sip is rich and full, with a complex mix of flavors coming together in the mouth. A touch sour, lush with fruit and spice, dark, deep and delicious. Reminds me of favorite authentic Belgian dark ales, with without that rare quality from the Belgian yeast. Comes close enough. Very delicious.

Full-bodied, long finish, deeply textured, with apparent alcohol. Rises higher with each additional drink. Rich, warming, and comfortable. But I couldn't more than two of this without causing trouble. In fact, I can feel the urge to raise a ruckus right about now.

Serving type: can

05-22-2012 06:19:21 | More by feloniousmonk

drabmuh

Maryland

3.68/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

My wife picked this out at the liquor store based on the crazy packaging, I didn't realize it came from 21st amendment until we opened it later that night. A pleasant surprise.

Beer poured from a can into an etched tulip glass. Beer is dark brown / red (can barely see through it). THICK! AGGRESSIVE! head. Head consists of off white small to medium bubbles and there is a ton of lacing as the initial head settles to a much more modest and practical level after a minute. Rate of carbonation is moderate and is good enough to keep the head propped up for the duration of the beer. At the corners of the glass you can see the red hue to the beer and that even though it is dark there is nothing to see here, beer is totally clear. Honestly, I think its one of the most attractive beers I've seen in a while.

Aroma is nice and spicy with the familiar smell of the esters Belgian ale yeast throw off at warmer temperatures of fermentation. Overall the aroma is a little light but its still really enjoyable. There are no hop / bitter aromas associated. There is some sweetness in the nose, could be malt or perhaps some alcohol. Aroma could have been slightly more aggressive.

This beer set me up for high hopes in a lot of ways. The flavors kind of let me down though. Beer has a medium body and there is a slight boozy character to it. There is no hint of roast or of hop based bitterness leaving the back of the palate blank when confronted with the sweetness from the alcohol and malt up front. Beer seems to be disconnected. There is no aftertaste and overall I'd say its worth a look, but I won't be very quick to finish my 4 pack.

Serving type: can

12-17-2009 21:28:06 | More by drabmuh

Mora2000

Texas

4.22/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to exiled for sharing this can.

Pours dark red/brown with a khaki head. The aroma is a mix of dark fruit (figs, prunes) with a sour note, not what I was expecting but still a good smell. The flavor is more of the same with dark fruit and vanilla with some sour aspects, but not quite as much sourness as was in the aroma. The vanilla is strong in the aftertaste. Medium mouthfeel and lower carbonation.

Serving type: can

01-11-2010 20:37:52 | More by Mora2000

metter98

New York

4.13/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: The beer is very dark red with a little bit of head
S: You can smell a bit of hops
T: It tastes like a strong beer with some sweetness and a bit of hops in the aftertaste
M: It goes down smooth and definitely tastes like a strong beer
D: This is a beer to sip and enjoy

Serving type: on-tap

03-14-2010 16:30:10 | More by metter98

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

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

Acquired from Jayli so a big "Thank You" goes out to her. Poured from a 12oz can into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a deep reddish brown color, with a thin off-white head that fades quickly and leaves a thin lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains caramelized malts, brown sugar, fruit, some spices and a touch of hops.

T: The taste starts out with sweet flavors of fruit, brown sugar, caramel and some spice. Then a hearty malt character comes in along with some Belgian yeast. The hops presence is mild but complementary and brings some balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

D: Tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, good kick, good representation of style, it's a decent beer to drink for a while but there are others in the style that I would choose first.

Serving type: can

01-25-2011 04:15:30 | More by TheManiacalOne

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.98/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Thanks to WoodyChandler for this one!

Pours a garnet hued chestnut with 2+ fingers of khaki colored head. Nice oily sheen to this, average head retention & lacing

S: Dark fruit, cherry & dark chocolate, plus plums. Holds up pretty well over the course of 12 ozs..

T: Plums, figs, faint brown sugar & a touch of prunes up front. Oaky dryness, leafy hops, more pruney action once warm, faint dark cherry as well. Finishes with a bit too much woody dryness, port notes, figs & plums

MF: Medium bodied, slick, but carbonation is a bit sharp. Becomes somewhat warming after a while

Drinks pretty easy for the ABV & style, but more of a good entree' to the style versus a great example...

Serving type: can

08-15-2010 02:10:48 | More by russpowell

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.2/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

On-tap at Stub & Herb's for $5 a goblet. Eh, this came off like another American attempt on a Belgian beer that doesn't quite make it. The aroma has a pleasant toast crust and cocoa character that reminds me of Belgian stouts. The flavor then splits into chocolate roast and cherry juice. Those would be ok, but they're accompanied by an acetone note that throws this whole beer off.

Serving type: on-tap

12-30-2009 06:29:57 | More by tempest

WVbeergeek

Ohio

3.8/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appears a deep crimson mahogany red hue with light tan head and speckled lacing surrounding the sides of my Allagash chalice. Light beige head with thin speckled lacing. Aroma has a sweet sugar backing with hints of vanilla and spice. Sharp sweetness filled with raisins and plum, and I guess fig additions according to my can. A touch of cider like notes to it, very cohesive with mellow booze. Flavor is nice slightly acidic with raisins and figs exchanging strokes of flavor ample bitterness to balance it out, and a touch of mellow alcohol in the finish this brew from a can for 8 bucks a 4 pack equates to a good deal. Mouthfeel is medium to fuller bodied with slightly sticky edges a nice all around drinking experience especially for a canned strong Belgian style dark ale. Drinkability was solid a beer I will revisit during the next three cans offered by this small brewer.

Serving type: can

02-20-2010 22:28:50 | More by WVbeergeek

barleywinefiend

Washington

4/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a dark reddish brown with good carbonation and a small white head Nose is dark fruits. Taste is grapes, booze, rum, figs, raisins and very good at that. Alcohol definitely shows through towards the end. Very goos overall and would drink again and recommend.

Serving type: can

01-24-2010 16:08:59 | More by barleywinefiend

smcolw

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours ruby brown with a glowing clarity. Thick beige head that settles slowly, but doesn't leave much lace.

Sweet caramel aroma of darker crystal malts. No notable hop to the nose.

This is a tale of a sweet, rich beer. Here, I can detect the slightest of hop bitterness. Lots of sweet cola flavor. The alcohol doesn't show up until the swallow. Very true to the style even with the oily body.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2010 01:38:18 | More by smcolw

Wasatch

Utah

4/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks goes out to ybnorml for this brew.

Poured into a chalice a nice dark reddish color, nice carbonation, nice little creamy tan head, with some sticky lacing to follow. The nose is malty, slight yeast, slight vanilla, figs, plums, raisins, very slight cinnamon. The taste is malty, with some yeast notes, slight vanilla, dark fruits, very slight cinnamon. Medium body, the brew has a weird consistency, with a dry finish. Drinkable, this is a nice brew, finally got a chance to try it. Thanks Wayne.

Serving type: can

04-24-2010 20:13:43 | More by Wasatch

Billolick

New York

3.98/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Gotta love living in a country where its brewers will brew quality Belgian style brew and put it in a can! This one pours a nice rudy shade of dark mahogony with some ruby glimmers, loose dark khaki head, clears out pretty rapidly, leaving a thin film, a collar and ample spots of fine lacing. The nose is loaded with darker ripe fruits, cherries and figs come to mind as well as raisins and light rum. Flavorful and quite tasty, with more dark fruit notes, raisins, figs, dark grapes, vanilla and perhaps a wiff of the advertized (on the can) cinnamon. Great winter brew, pleasant and easy drinking. On the sweat side buy nowhere near cloying. Nice beer to take winter camping, easy to pack in and worth the effort...Christmas dinner desert beer and/or as a quality night capper

Serving type: can

12-11-2009 00:17:48 | More by Billolick

mdfb79

New York

4.03/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz. can into a pint glass.

a - Pours a dark brown with a hint of red when held up to light. Had a very nice head, about1-2 fingers with great retention.

s - Smells of fruit, bread, and a little bit of alcohol at the end.

t - Has a largely fruit taste, cherries and plum jump out. Also has a sweet molasses taste to it. Very nice.

m - Medium body that was a little lighter than I was expecting. Small amount of carbonation, feels great.

d - I really liked this dark ale. It not only looked, smelled, and felt great, but had a very complex taste that was unique, but tasty. I would definitely try this again.

Serving type: can

01-24-2010 16:26:54 | More by mdfb79

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.8/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Tried this before, and have had a can sitting in the fridge waiting to do a review. Then got it as an extra from womencantsail today, so I figured it was a good time to do it.

A: Large frothy big bubbled 2 finger head rises over the very dark but somewhat clear brown color.

N: Brown sugar and dark malts dominate the nose. A little hop bitterness is there, as well as some dark fruits, plum, raisin. Lots of caramelized brown sugar.

T: Starts with lots of sweet dark malts. A chewy malt flavor with some light roast, Belgian malts, and caramel malt. Lots of dark fruits, raisin, plum, fig, etc. Again tons of caramelized brown sugar comes through. A touch of hop bitterness. It gets a very slight boozy quality but hides the 8.5% well.

M: Decent body and good carbonation.

F: Finishes still pretty sweet with more brown sugar and fruit. Some strange bitterness comes through on the finish too, but its a somewhat unpleasant bitterness. The sweetness, syrup, and brown sugar never wants to go away. That is probably the only downfall of this beer. I wonder if it will mellow as it ages. With how sweet it is, it makes it a tough drink actually.

Serving type: can

02-25-2010 01:25:32 | More by jlindros

ppoitras

Massachusetts

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

12oz can purchased as a single at Julio's, Westboro, MA.

Poured into an imperial pint glass, formed a 1/4" tan head over the slightly cloudy burgundy brew. Head lasts alright, with good legs but quick-falling lace. Aroma is dark fruits, alcohol, and spices. Taste is malty to start, fruity and tart in the middle, and then warms up with alcohol and another shot of sweetness to close. Mouthfeel is smooth, and drinkability is good for the style. Better than I expected, not being the biggest spiced beer fan.

Serving type: can

12-26-2009 02:42:50 | More by ppoitras