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Twisted Monkey

Pennsylvania
United States
Twisted Monkey, Victory Brewing Co.
Judges Ratings 
1 Review
82
Aroma:
22 / 24
Flavor:
32 / 40
Appearance:
4 / 6
Mouthfeel:
8 / 10
Overall Impression:
16 / 20
Description 

Born into a family of mystical monkeys, this light-hearted sibling brings a twisted spin to the bunch. Hearing about the flavorful excitement that the overgrown jungle had to offer, he set out to explore. It was a sensory overload, and he had to try it all. His favorite – the mango. Introducing hints of his favorite fruit to the same imported malts and Belgian yeast favored by the family, this magical ale results in big flavor refreshment that only the Monkey can deliver.

Beverage Profile
ABV: 
5.8%
Hops: 
Tettnang
Malts: 
Pilsner
Judges Review 
Joseph Formanek's picture
Judges Rating:
82
Aroma:
22 / 24
Appearance:
4 / 6
Flavor:
32 / 40
Mouthfeel:
8 / 10
Overall Impression:
16 / 20

Twisted Monkey by Victory Brewing Co. is a variant of their Golden Monkey Belgian-style Blond ale which is then fruited with mango. As such, the idea of mango in a Belgian base beer sounds quite attractive. While the mango does marry well with the overall Belgian character of this base beer, there are a few issues that need to be addressed to make this a more refreshing Summer offering. This beer is being evaluated as a Category 29A Fruit beer as per the 2015 BJCP Style Guidelines with Belgian Blond Ale as the base style. 

Light mango and typical Belgian fermentation characters of banana, clove and spice come through well in the aroma. The beer is a slightly hazy golden color, with a rather thin white small bubble head with fair retention. The head should be much more impressive for this style. 

Mango simply dominates the flavor of this brew, from start through finish, along with a background of the typical Belgian fermentation notes. The hop character is very subtle in both flavor and bitterness. The sweetness from the mango builds from the middle through finish leaving a very sweet nectar-like finish.  It’s almost as if you were drinking mango juice with a bit of a kick. The finish retains the sweet character, coming off as being rather flabby and not overly refreshing. The body is perceived as medium in large part due to the sweetness. 

This one is great if you are a true mango juice fan. With a little more balance, particularly with more hop character, the overall enjoyment of this offering would be improved. Cheers and enjoy!