”Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat…..is your name?”
“Arthur, King of the Britains.”
“Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat…..is your quest?”
“To seek the Holy Grail.”
“Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat…..is your favorite beer?”
“Why Monty Python’s Holy Grail Ale, of course.”
“Fine. Off you go.”

Beer enthusiasts and Monty Python fans everywhere rejoice. Now there’s a beer that combines two of your passions in a convenient half-liter bottle. I’m talking about Monty Python’s Holy Grail Ale, of course, a delicious beer that the knights of the round table would have been honored to have named for them. Brewed by the Black Sheep Brewery in Masham, Yorksire, England, Holy Grail Ale is not just a cheap attempt to cash in on the notoriety of a classic English comedy film. Rather, it is a delicious brew of great complexity and flavor.

In their continuing quest to discover something new, beer enthusiasts often refer to a “holy grail” of brew. Almost invariably, this will be a particular brand or style that they have set their hearts on finding. When I saw an ad for Holy Grail Ale in All About Beer Magazine, I set out to make this a beery holy grail of sorts. I just had to try it. So faster than you can bang two empty halves of a coconut together, I was off in search of Holy Grail Ale.

And of course I didn’t find it. Instead, it found me one day when I was beer shopping at one of my usual haunts. There was no price on the bottle, and to my surprise the cashier demanded a shrubbery when I went to check out. Not having one readily available, I got him to settle for $2.99 instead.

Holy Grail seemed to be selling well: there weren’t a great number of bottles left on the shelf, even though Holy Grail Ale had just come in a short time ago. It was brought into the Atlanta area along with several other Black Sheep brews. For additional availability, see the importers website:

www.eurobubblies.com

Certainly, this is not the first beer to be so named: Oldenberg Brewing Company has had a Holy Grail Nut Brown Ale for many years now, although without the connection to John Cleese and company. Then too, that beer did not have the extra measure of being tempered over burning witches, as Monty Python’s Holy Grail Ale claims to be. It’s those little extras that make all the difference.

Monty Python’s Holy Grail Ale pours to a deep amber gold color with a thick creamy head of tightly packed bubbles and an appetizingly buttery nose. A firm body and full mouthfeel combine with a biscuity malt flavor and rich buttery notes. An herbal, grassy hop presence permeates the beer, and gradually becomes increasingly bitter into the finish. A gentle hop buzz lingers on the tongue after sipping. A considerable amount of Brussels lace clings to the side of your glass (an English 22 ounce Imperial pint glass in my case), following the liquid all the way to the bottom.

I absolutely loved this beer. It’s a delicious English ale, perhaps best described as an Extra Special Bitter. In many respects, it is a bigger and bolder version of the same brewery’s Black Sheep Ale, but with a firmer malt body, more aggressive hopping, and a tad more alcohol (4.7% as opposed to 4.4%).

So what are you waiting for? Get out there and start your quest today. And don’t forget to bring a shrubbery.

Update: May 24, 2014: Took a walk to Taco Mac today and, having already browsed the draft list at home on the TM website, I knew the first beer I would order: Monty Python's Holy Grail Ale by Black Sheep. It was a great choice: the beer was a little thinner in body than I recall but perfect after a walk here in the hot sun. Malty-buttery nose, same in the palate after the sip, a little flinty but mostly light toasted malt and butteriness, gentle bitter-herbal hops in the finish. This was a very pleasant beer indeed, and I will say it has one of the coolest tap handles you ever will see. $7 a pint (20 ounces for me as a Brewniversity grad) seems a little steep and given the thinner body, I'm taking this down a half star. Still a great beer all the same.

And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.

*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.

(B)=Bottled

(D)=Draft



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