A few missing days here puts completing the 12 Beers of Christmas by the 12th day of Christmas in jeopardy. Gonna be close.
But the first of the new year accompanied the visit from my brother and sister-in-law for our second Christmas. Kip, former winemaker, now an artist in his retired life, has a well-practiced nose and he had the ideal one-word review on Victory’s Merry Monkey: “Delicious.”
Merry Monkey is a variation on the original Golden Monkey reviewed here way back in 2010. And Victory Brewing showed up on the list in 2013 with its Winter Cheers.
The brewery, originally out of Downington, PA, is still there, but with additional tasting rooms and now an alliance with Artisanal Brewing Ventures of Charlotte, NC, which encompasses Victory, Sixpoint Brewery of Brooklyn, Southern Tier of Lakewood, NY, and Bold Rock Hard Cider of Virginia.
Southern Tier is no stranger to these pages or to the 12 Beers of Christmas with 2XMAS in 2012 and Frosted Sugar Cookie in 2021. Sixpoint contributed Global Warmer in 2013. So it’s all in the family in more ways than one today.
Golden Monkey is one of Victory’s most popular beers and it has spawned a number of spinoffs and plenty of merchandising. It’s one of my favorites, and the Merry Monkey doesn’t fiddle greatly with the original, just adding some roasted malted barley to the pilsner malt, and some Cascade hops to the usual Tettnang.
Kip said, “There’s a malty entry, and then a hop bite that scrubs that away a bit. It’s good to have something to nibble on, because after about 30 seconds you can feel those hops starting to work on your tongue.”
I detected some fruit in the nose, which suggested the real holiday additions: cranberry, orange peel, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Lynn, she of the natural palate, took one whiff and said, “What is that? It smells like cinnamon.” Then she took a sip and said, “This tastes like a Christmas cookie.”
After the beer warmed up a bit, the cranberry appeared in the nose, then the cinnamon and finally the nutmeg, making Kip think it tasted a little like a pumpkin beer.
And the 10% ABV becomes evident fairly quickly as well, suggesting the brewery put a good tag line onto its packaging: “And to all a good night.”
It was a good way to get the new year rolling. And in the end, Kip’s one-word review said it all: delicious.
Name: Merry Monkey
Brewer: Victory/Artisanal Brewing Ventures, Downingtown, PA/Charlotte, NC
Style: Spiced Belgian Golden Ale
ABV: 10%
Availability: Winter seasonal, 34 states
For More information: victorybeer.com
[January 2, 2024]
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