Weyerbacher Merry Monks' Tripel

I received Weyerbacher's Merry Monk Belgian Style Golden Ale, which they classify as a tripel in a recent trade. It was thrown in as an extra and I had not previously been aware of this brew. The beer clocks in at a hefty 9.3% ABV and is bottle conditioned.

Poured into my Brewer's Art Chalice I get a nice built up white fluffy thin foam on a light golden body. Tons of bubbles rise from the bottom of this. The monks on the bottle portray what must be the monk way of life. They look really happy and it must be because of the beer in their glasses. If I had seen this on career day in high school I would be a monk right now.

The aroma is very sweet, and very aromatic. The Belgian yeast phenols are in there somewhere. The taste is a lot like the smell in which that Belgian earthiness from the phenols takes a back seat and instead I get candied plumb, not because I know what candied plumb tastes like, but because it's a sugary fruit type of smell and saying "candied plumb" is more interesting. There's some banana-y esters as well. Really good tasting brew, though I think it could beef up its Belgian feel a bit. The taste also finishes pretty sweet, I think it could improve by drying out a bit.

Congrats to Weyerbacher, this is the first beer in 4 I've tried from them that I liked. I struck out with the Pumpking and Hops Infusion and didn't completely enjoy Double Simcoe. Merry Monks however is a fantastic beer. 4.1/5