Grumpy Troll Monk Sweat

Brewed by Grumpy Troll Brewery, Restaurant and Pizzeria
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Mount Horeb, Wisconsin USA

Draft at the brewpub. Poured a clear orange color. Head was filmy, white, and left zero lace. Aroma was of light apple juice. Occasionally I also detected a whiff of clove. Slightly sweet on the tongue. Tasted of alcohol, apple juice, and subdued clove. I disagree with the previous raters. I didn’t particularly like the beer, and It didn’t smell or taste even remotely like a Belgian.

On tap at brewpub

This was another pleasant surprise. While Belgian strong ales are easier to make in the sense that even an average one will be enjoyable, it takes skill to make one that stands out. In this case they have one of the better strong ales that I’ve come across from a small brewpub. Either they have been taking notes from Ale Asylum or they really know what they are doing - I’m going with the latter.

Aroma / Appearance - Lively carbonation bubbled to the top of the small sample glass. Releasing scents of cotton candy, orange peels, honeydew melon and caramel, the light golden body was a sight to see. Most light filtered through quite easily though I will call it just short of transparent. The finale for the aroma was fresh sourdough bread just out of the baker’s oven.

Flavor / Palate - The rich and dense mouthfeel unleashed a torrent of flavors on the tongue. Chewy caramel, apple pie, candy sugar, bubble gum and vanilla cheesecake create an interesting group that unfold one after the other. Despite being thick it is never cloying. The finish is also strong, leaving a malty aftertaste. This is more of a sipping beer than one to open the night.

Pours to a clean golden body with a white head. The aroma is fruity with golden raisins and Saaz hops. The flavor is lively and full of green raisins, pale malt, and a nice hop profile. The beer is extremely refreshing and leaves only a light sugary sweetness on the finish. I could drink this all day long on a hot summer day.