So here’s the thing. Once you’ve written as many beer reviews as I have (somewhere over 2200 now), it’s inevitable that at some point you’re going to repeat yourself. So fair warning: I’m sure I’ve said this before (and maybe you read this before), but there are two ways you really should look at a beer: stylistically, and hedonistically.
Stylistic evaluation is really and truly the only fair way to judge a beer. You can’t rate down a certain witbier because you don’t like witbiers any more than you can say lobster is bad because it’s not steak. It’s not fair to the lobster, and it only irritates the steak. So, when you judge, you should first do so by style.
Now that that’s out of the way, though, remember this: a beer can be not the best example of its style, but still taste pretty damned good. That’s the hedonistic component, and it’s happened to me frequently, most recently with Monk IPA Belgian Style IPA from the Inlet Brewing Company of Jupiter, Florida. Inlet seems to be a contract brewer with two main beers, Monk in the Trunk Amber Ale being the other. Their beers (at least the bottle I’m sipping) are brewed by my old friends at Thomas Creek in South Carolina under contract.
Here’s what Inlet says about Monk IPA on the label:
Monk IPA is a hop forward Belgian inspired India Pale ale. Copious amounts of the freshest American hops deliver an array of citrusy, piney, tropical flavors and aromas balanced by the distinctive Belgian yeast. This bonafide combination of styles exemplifies the age old saying “in life, balance is everything!”
Inlet Brewing Monk IPA has an alcohol content of 6% by volume with 75 IBUs. It’s not sold here in Georgia, but my good friends at Stout’s Growlers here in Canton were kind enough to bring me back a bottle on a recent trip to Florida.
Inlet Brewing Monk IPA pours to a bright orange amber color with a massive rocky foam head and a resiny pine and citrus nose. The beer has loads of carbonation and I had to repeatedly pour to let the head go down not just in the glass but also in the bottle.
Taking a sip, this one gives me some chewy caramel malt up front (I always love that) with a little slightly toasty malt as well followed by bright orangey citric notes, resiny pine needles, bitter grapefruit peel and at the very last some notably grassy, herbal bitter notes. The finish is long and dry and quite bitter (I like that a lot too!).
What I’m searching for and not really getting are the Belgian yeast notes, so points off for that. As a Belgian IPA it’s missing something. Still, hedonistically it’s a very well done India Pale Ale with beautiful balance between malt and hops. I’m giving it 3 stars by style, but it tastes so good I’ll tack another ½ star back on for good measure. It’s a beer I would certainly buy again, and that has to count for something.
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