2011 Blushing Monk

Tasted following a Friday work day at Great River. Enjoyed at the back bar with Scott, Caley, JB, Trevor, Wheels, and Adam. Thanks to Trevor for popping the bottle open which he received from one of the bartenders for his birthday.

Appearance: Robust blushing rose pink with a light pink head. It looks to have a high carbonation with an accumulation on the side of the glass. Turbid and glowing up to the light.
Aroma: Sweet and a very tart taste. Smells literally like raspberries. Mellow, but maintains a rich underlying sweetness.
Taste: To the palate, it resembles grape-juice, choked full with concentrate and fruitiness resembling blueberries/raspberries and plums. Smooth and tart. The fruity sourness seems to mask the high ABV quite efficiently. Nevertheless, one can still begin to feel the effects after several minutes of sipping. Scott noted it tasted like a raspberry blow pop. Low attenuation, high sweet/tartness.
Mouthfeel: Sweet and very soft feeling, the body is quite light with a micro-bubbled zing that tinges the tongue exposing more of a soured fruitiness. Finishes rather dry but clean, perhaps contributed to some tannins.
Overall Impression: An extremely sweet beer that resembles almost a framboise, but I'm guessing there are some regulations about doing that. I figure this beer would be a great beer for introducing women to new beer.


87/100