For February 2013, Taco Mac is featuring Monday Night Brewing as their brewery of the month at their Georgia locations. That’s fitting, since Monday Night is a Georgia based operation. At present, Monday Night doesn’t have a brewery, instead contracting out their production to Thomas Creek in South Carolina. To date, I’ve enjoyed two Monday Night brews, in fact the only beers they’ve brewed.

Drafty Kilt is a hearty Scotch ale, while Eye Patch Ale is a decent but less impressive American Pale Ale. The newest beer from Monday Night, Fu Manbrew, is described as a Belgian style witbier, though it is not brewed with the traditional spices associated with classic wit. To see what I mean, we’ll cut right to the chase and tasting notes. Keep in mind that when I ordered up a mug of Monday Night Fu Manbrew I was expecting coriander and citrus. I got something different entirely.

My mug of Monday Night Fu Manbrew arrived a brilliant golden color with a light wispy head formation. Now for the surprise-I took a whiff and got..drum roll please….fresh ginger! The ginger was quite unmistakable in the nose, and upon reflection the inspiration for the “Fu Manbrew” moniker.

I took a sip and got crisp biscuity malt underneath, then the fresh ginger I got in the nose. The spice is certainly well stated but not overpowering. Notes of rock candy emerge. There are no citrus or coriander notes but tart wheat is apparent. A hint of subtle Belgian funk pokes through, too. A gentle balancing grassy hop bitterness works with the ginger spice to dry in the finish.

Here’s what the brewery says about the beer:

A bright, spicy Belgian-style wit. An effervescent, easy-drinking wheat beer, brewed with Belgian yeast, German hops, and a whisper of ginger from the Far East. This mustachio’d Belgian-style wit believes that good beer defies borders. The name Fu Manbrew was crowdsourced with some help from our friends at Scoutmob. They call the mustache a “Flavor Savor” for a reason.

I fell in love with this beer from the first sip. It’s truly delightful, a delicate, well balanced beer that is eminently drinkable and gets the ginger spice just right. Just a wonderful beer of 5.2% alcohol by volume. Fu Manbrew has 15 IBUs and is brewed with German Hallertau hops, ginger juice, and pilsner and wheat malts. An authentic Belgian yeast strain is used as well.

Draft only for now, and limited distribution, but this one is worth going out of your way for.

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

(G)=Growler



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