Brother Thelonius
Belgian Style Abbey Ale
Review Date 8/14/2006
Try?
Re-buy?
It always amuses me when people tell me that beer and
religion just don’t mix. Perhaps they’re thinking of the bible-thumping
prohibitionist preacher stereotype, but I they did their homework, they
would know that in Europe things are much different. Indeed, in some
countries there beer and sometimes wine are made in monasteries by monks.
The ales they brew, and many more brewed after their ubiquitous styles, are among the most complex of all beverages in the world. Some of these abbey-style ales are even brewed here in the United States. Of course, we have monks here in America, too. So, when the North Coast Brewing Company of Fort Bragg, California decided to make a Belgian dark strong or dubbel, they named it after a monk. But this is a monk of a different kind-Thelonious Monk, the famed Jazz musician.
The night before I enjoyed my bottle of Brother Thelonius, I sampled a double of a different kind-Ettaler Curator Doppelbock . German double bocks and Belgian dubbels have a lot in common. They’re usually close to the same alcohol content by volume at 7% to 8%. They both use dark malts and offer malt sweetness as one of their drawing points. Interestingly enough, both of these beers, the Curator and the Thelonious, are a bit stronger than usual at 9% alcohol by volume.
Of course, dubbels and double bocks do go there own separate ways in many respects. Double bocks are bottom-fermented lagers, after all, while dubbels are top-fermented ales. This means you will often find a fruitiness in dubbels not found in double bocks. The Belgians sometimes add spices as well, something their German counterparts would lose their brewers licenses for doing.
North Coast Brother Thelonious Belgian Style Abbey Ale pours to a
bright mahogany color with a light tan head formation and a sweet candy malt
nose. The palate is at first chocolaty like a good dubbel should be. But I
also get notes of sweet rock candy, prune, earthy Belgian yeast notes,
candied fruit, raisin, vanilla, banana, and molasses. The body of the beer
is surprisingly lighter than I expected. It's a bit thinner than most of the
Belgian dubbels I've experienced, though just a bit. All the same, it will
satisfy you, and this is a sipping beer to be sure.
The sweet juicy dark malt flavors intensify into the finish, where they're balanced out by the mouth-warming alcohol burn. That makes this an excellent choice to whet the appetite before a meal or aid in digestion after consuming a hearty one. Either way, be sure to drink at a cool (but not cold) 55 degrees or so to best appreciate all of the beer’s complexity.
The ales they brew, and many more brewed after their ubiquitous styles, are among the most complex of all beverages in the world. Some of these abbey-style ales are even brewed here in the United States. Of course, we have monks here in America, too. So, when the North Coast Brewing Company of Fort Bragg, California decided to make a Belgian dark strong or dubbel, they named it after a monk. But this is a monk of a different kind-Thelonious Monk, the famed Jazz musician.
The night before I enjoyed my bottle of Brother Thelonius, I sampled a double of a different kind-Ettaler Curator Doppelbock . German double bocks and Belgian dubbels have a lot in common. They’re usually close to the same alcohol content by volume at 7% to 8%. They both use dark malts and offer malt sweetness as one of their drawing points. Interestingly enough, both of these beers, the Curator and the Thelonious, are a bit stronger than usual at 9% alcohol by volume.
Of course, dubbels and double bocks do go there own separate ways in many respects. Double bocks are bottom-fermented lagers, after all, while dubbels are top-fermented ales. This means you will often find a fruitiness in dubbels not found in double bocks. The Belgians sometimes add spices as well, something their German counterparts would lose their brewers licenses for doing.
North Coast Brother Thelonious Belgian Style Abbey Ale pours to a
bright mahogany color with a light tan head formation and a sweet candy malt
nose. The palate is at first chocolaty like a good dubbel should be. But I
also get notes of sweet rock candy, prune, earthy Belgian yeast notes,
candied fruit, raisin, vanilla, banana, and molasses. The body of the beer
is surprisingly lighter than I expected. It's a bit thinner than most of the
Belgian dubbels I've experienced, though just a bit. All the same, it will
satisfy you, and this is a sipping beer to be sure. The sweet juicy dark malt flavors intensify into the finish, where they're balanced out by the mouth-warming alcohol burn. That makes this an excellent choice to whet the appetite before a meal or aid in digestion after consuming a hearty one. Either way, be sure to drink at a cool (but not cold) 55 degrees or so to best appreciate all of the beer’s complexity.
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
