Brother Thelonious (North Coast Brewing)
This Belgian-style dark abbey is a standard of mine. This is the one that I direct beer lovers too as well as people who have never had an abbey ale. The first beer I ever brewed was similar to this impressive ale. I figured it was time to get another pack of this standard brew. I was interested to try it again. .
General Thoughts
Look and Smell: It was a medium to dark brown. No so much I'd say it was black, but just on the darker side. It had just a small bit of head. When I poured the rest in, the head was creamy but settled quickly. A foamy ring did linger, but this beer had no lacing as I drank it down. I smelled the grains and earthy-sweet malt.
Taste: I could taste the grain mixed with the malt. It had bitter notes, but it was mostly sweet. Call me crazy, but I was tasting tobacco in it and caramel. Odd combo, especially for an abbey ale. The flavors masked the 9.4% ABV beautifully. While it was light in weight, it still had a creaminess to it. The aftertaste was a coating of malt. This beer isn't as complex as some abbey ales, but it's warming and nice for a cold evening at home.
Lining this brew up next to some of the fantastic brews I've had lately, it still remains a go-to standard for me.
From the North Coast site:
Like a Belgian “Dark Strong Ale”, the beer is rich and robust with an ABV of 9.3%. The package is a 750 ml bottle with a traditional cork and wire finish or 12oz 4 packs and features a label picturing the jazz master himself.
When you buy Brother Thelonious Belgian Style Abbey Ale you also help to support the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz whose mission is to offer the world's most promising young musicians college level training by America's jazz masters and to present public school-based jazz education programs for young people around the world. All of these programs are offered free of charge to the students and schools.
General Thoughts
Look and Smell: It was a medium to dark brown. No so much I'd say it was black, but just on the darker side. It had just a small bit of head. When I poured the rest in, the head was creamy but settled quickly. A foamy ring did linger, but this beer had no lacing as I drank it down. I smelled the grains and earthy-sweet malt.Taste: I could taste the grain mixed with the malt. It had bitter notes, but it was mostly sweet. Call me crazy, but I was tasting tobacco in it and caramel. Odd combo, especially for an abbey ale. The flavors masked the 9.4% ABV beautifully. While it was light in weight, it still had a creaminess to it. The aftertaste was a coating of malt. This beer isn't as complex as some abbey ales, but it's warming and nice for a cold evening at home.
Lining this brew up next to some of the fantastic brews I've had lately, it still remains a go-to standard for me.
From the North Coast site:
Like a Belgian “Dark Strong Ale”, the beer is rich and robust with an ABV of 9.3%. The package is a 750 ml bottle with a traditional cork and wire finish or 12oz 4 packs and features a label picturing the jazz master himself.
When you buy Brother Thelonious Belgian Style Abbey Ale you also help to support the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz whose mission is to offer the world's most promising young musicians college level training by America's jazz masters and to present public school-based jazz education programs for young people around the world. All of these programs are offered free of charge to the students and schools.
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