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!