Big Boss Surrender Monkey Farmhouse Ale

Brewed by Big Boss Brewing Company
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Raleigh, North Carolina USA

Growler (9+% version) thanks to Turdferguson in the mystery swap 2.0. Pours a much darker than expected deep amber/woody brown, slight hazy and a nice tight fluffy dense grayish head. Awesome lace as well. Carbonation held up surprisingly well for a growler. Aroma is doughy earthy, faint farmhouse- manure, light german spalt or perle earthy hop hints as well. Lots more specialty malts in the flavor, like dark crystal, spec B fruitiness, sharp and caramelly with a sharp alcohol burn as it warms . Tasted more like a belgian dubbel/strong dark ale than a saison. Phenolic peppery finish with a bit more alcohol and a clean zesty finish. Nice unique saison. Thanks again Sam.

Draft at WBF Raleigh on 5/2/09. Called Monkey Business Farmhouse Ale. Cloudy gold pour. Short white head. Aroma is rather spicy and yeasty. Taste is equally spicy with more yeast notes, flowers, and fruit coming through. Light candyish sweetness as well. Light-medium feel and very bubbly. Ends with more spices, yeast, light grain, fruit and sweet malt. Listed as a saison, if I recall the fest notes correctly.

Draft at 42nd St Oyster Bar in Raleigh, NC. Poured a clear dark orange brown color. Darker than I had anticipated. Head was thin and off white. Aroma was of subdued clove and alcohol. There was also an occasional whiff stale beer, akin to what the last few drops in the bottom of a bottle smell like after a day or two at room temperature. Dry on the tongue. Flavor was clove/spice dominated with easily perceived alcohol and a bit of banana. There was also a pleasant dash of brown sugar at the end which asserted itself more as the beer warmed. Plenty of alcohol and clove survived well into the finish. Pretty good.

Cloudy orange, decent white head. Spicy and very fruity aroma - cherry and blueberry and maybe some coriander. Flavor is notes of clove, white wine, some banana and pineapple and perhaps some herbal, oregan-ish notes. At the Raleigh WBF.

On tap; poured an orange that was so dark it was almost brown. Aroma of yeast, clove/spice and must. Flavor of belgian yeast, fruit and spice. Easy drinking. Some minimal sweetness. Just ok for me

On tap at Tyler’s, Durham, NC. Dark, hazy amber with no head. Mild, wheaty nose, some banana. Wheaty flavor, lightly toasty, a touch of funkiness. Grows a bit more saison-like as it warms, with some spicy clove emerging. Odd, but a nice beer.

Brown pour, with a yeast aroma. Clove, coriander, and esters. Decent in a pint glass , but could be better in proper glassware.
Earlier Rating: 7/13/2007 Total Score: 3.7
they upped it to 9.2% :) on draft from horiblows. pours dark dark amber with little head and lacing. earthy mouth-feel with sweet finish. very nice! Not sure why they call this a farmhouse ale

WBF sample. Pours a hazy soft yellow with a one finger offwhite head. The nose was yeasty, peppery, spicy, Belgian yeast for sure, orange peel, some coriander. The flavor is yeasty, orange peel, Belgian/earthy feel, spicy, slightly sweet, nice flavor. Spicy crisp palate.