Brooklyn's Monster Ale came to LCBO's shelves some time ago, however, the bottle I picked up during its release week got the chance to spend a considerable amount of time in my basement getting to know all my old books and the small collection of beers I am aging. The bottle is cheap and at 10.3% ABV it is definitely worth the purchase.
The Monster Ale is amber/brown in color and just a touch hazy. It pours with a short head which recedes to a thin film. As expected the aroma is sweet and malty with a bit of dried fruits (raisins and dates) and some spices. The taste is sweet, but there is a decent hop backbone which tries to balance out the malt towards the finish. Banana, papaya and raisin hints lurk beneath the sweet maltiness, giving the barley wine style ale some additional depth. The finish is warm and bittersweet, though a bit more sweet than bitter. Some malt lingers long after and builds up to a very sweet, "need-a-glass-of-water" level, but that did not stop me from enjoying the bottle. On the downside, the 10.3% ABV can be noted through the slightly boozy aroma and taste.
Scores:
Cost - $2.90
Taste - 8/10
ABV - 10.3%
Overall - 8.1/10...I feel like giving it an extra 0.1 for the high ABV/lower-ish cost combination
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