Monarch White Beer (2011)

Thanks to Jaron Gaier and Maggie Hayes for dropping this beer off the other day. Tried Sunday afternoon while enjoying a old world ciabatta bread that the Mad Farmers taught me how to make.

Appearance: Golden in color with a subtle haze about the beer. A white frothy head braces the top with intermittent soapy bubbles. Carbonation looks high. Clarity is inhibited by a protein haze, a product of the unmalted wheat.
Aroma: Sweet and citrusy with some biscuit malt at the beginning. The spicing is highly apparent in the form of a finishing orange peel and coriander scent. A generous character of yeastiness permeates under the spicing, along with mild breadiness.
Taste: Foretaste is sweet and bready, but the back half of the beer is strangely flavored. I'd characterize it as coriander, but a sage and bay leaf finish. Combined with this is a stale grassy hop flavor that only encourages the beers uncommon flavor. Finally I taste brief notes of pepper-corns combined with a floury flavor from the oats and an nondescript orange peel bitterness. Extremely herbal.
Mouthfeel: Very light body with a frothy texture and a soft carbonation. The carbonation itself immediately fizzes the tongue, but mellows soon after. Some tackiness.
Overall Impression: As the beer warms, more bready/flour flavors emerge and the spicing only gets stronger and more bitter. Finally I sense oregano/thyme as well in this one. Eh. I think they over did the spicing and definitely went over the edge for a white beer. I congratulate the creativity but frown on the balance. I thought the 2010 version was a LOT better. Too herbal for my liking.


Tim: 68/100
Jen: 75/100