Victory Brewing Company Sour Monkey Sour / Wild Ale at 9.5% ABV (US$9.99 at Knightly Spirits Williamsburg, 750 ml, bottle date 1-Jul-2015, acquired 1-May-2016, reviewed 8-May-2016)
Appearance: clear pale amber with a short, short-lived off-white head, patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: tart citrus, apples and pears, wet hay and barnyard funk. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild bitter, moderate tart. (8/10) Light body, moderate carbonation, short mildly warming finish. (4/5)
It’s been quite a while since I had Golden Monkey, but I think this is just a little better. Sour all the things! Like Golden Monkey, the ABV is extremely well-integrated, coming through as only a mild warming in the finish. The tartness of this one works well with the light, clean body. It’s quite bizarre, though, that essentially none of the original Golden Monkey flavours are coming through: I’m getting none of the banana and cloves that were so present there. Maybe the year in the bottle is the explanation there, but in any case: a solid performer. (15/20)
7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
