Monk in the Trunk Organic Amber Ale

Brewed by Orlando Brewing
Style: Amber Ale
Orlando, Florida USA

Bottle served in Duval snifter: Clean amber hue with a fading frothy head and minimal lacing. The aroma has notes of crystal caramelized and biscuity malts, herbal and earthy esters, slight apricot and peach, beernuts, and some butterscotch. The taste is pretty much a hybrid of your paint by numbers Amber Ale and a mild Belgian Ale. Sweet and fruity with some diacetyl notes. Herbal, nutty and slightly spicy finish does help with some semblance of balance. The mouth feel is just there, a tad thin and chalky with a hint of metallic notes. It is what it is, just your average brew.

pours a clear brown with small head. aroma is nutty with a hint of spiciness. mouthful has a nice nuttiness to it then finishes with Belgian spice. Belgian yeast seems out of place in sunny FLA, but nice brew none the less.

I’ve never really tried organic beers in my comings and goings of beer stores but this one is pretty damn good. Has a light brown gold color when poured. Definitly has a light spice note to it with a little bit of fruit in there as well.

Spicy like a Unibroue product. Lots of Nutmeg and cinnamon, maybe cloves. This should be a Christmas Ale. It’s fantastic as long as it stays cold (like most heavily spiced beers) but with warm food, outdoors in Miami’s 98 degree weather, it gets nasty quick. On Tap at Yard House, Coral Gables.

A nice abbey style amber ale. On draft at a quaint Irish bar in Jupiter, FL. Good flavor and balance--not too strong. Color was light amber.

Sampled at Whole foods, Boca Raton. light amber color, almond colored head. Aroma of fresh malted barley and some grassy hop notes. Flavor is of sweet vegatables an a spicy hop finish. Very balanced, some what compaiable to Sam Adams Boston Lager.

on tap at brewpub -- poured to shaker pint despite a rack of chalices. aroma of yeast and fruit, slight funk. body is thin. appearnce is dark amber. some maple syrup in nose. very low carbonation, thin mouthfeel. aroma does not translate to flavor very well. ABV is too low and it shows, this is a frail beer with big dreams.

On tap at the Titanic brewpub. Pours clear copper color with off white head. Aroma is lots of spices and bread. Flavor is very sweet with malt, clove, caramel, banana and Belgian yeast. Medium body with moderate carbonation.