21st Amendment Monks Blood
Monk’s Blood pays homage to the monks of Belgium’s monasteries who have been
brewing some of the world’s great beer for centuries. During times of fasting, the monks
subsist solely on beer, which they refer to as “liquid bread”. Beer, quite literally, is in their
blood. The most sublime of the monk’s premium brews is dark like blood, rich and nourishing.
21st Amendment founders Nico Freccia and Shaun O’Sullivan traveled to Belgium to
develop the recipe for this special beer, visiting small, traditional breweries in the hop
fields of west Flanders, not far from the famous Trappist abbey of Westvleteren. Monk’s
Blood is designed to pair beautifully with rich winter stews, creamy cheeses, unctuous
desserts or just by itself, in a Belgian tulip glass, with a good book by the fire.
brewing some of the world’s great beer for centuries. During times of fasting, the monks
subsist solely on beer, which they refer to as “liquid bread”. Beer, quite literally, is in their
blood. The most sublime of the monk’s premium brews is dark like blood, rich and nourishing.
21st Amendment founders Nico Freccia and Shaun O’Sullivan traveled to Belgium to
develop the recipe for this special beer, visiting small, traditional breweries in the hop
fields of west Flanders, not far from the famous Trappist abbey of Westvleteren. Monk’s
Blood is designed to pair beautifully with rich winter stews, creamy cheeses, unctuous
desserts or just by itself, in a Belgian tulip glass, with a good book by the fire.
3.6
640 reviews
San Leandro, United States
Community reviews
Can at home. I’d call this "Belgian-ish." It’s definitely got the Belgian abbey yeast smell going on, and there was a good amount of sweet, fruity malt flavors as well, but it’s also definitely less complex than real trappist stuff. I can’t quite put my finger on it; it just felt thinner, sweeter, and more one dimensional. Still, I’d definitely drink it again.
2015 BJCP Category: 30A Spice/Herb/Vegetable (base style: 26D Belgian Dark Strong Ale)
AROMA: Dark fruit is prominent plus a general spice scent. Malty, but not indications of faux sweetness. No hops or alcohol presence. 9/12
APPEARANCE: Burgundy hue; dark but mostly transparent. Small, tan, foamy head. 2/3
FLAVOR: Malty sweet throughout with some spice on the finish. Spices and additives are subtle. The base brew carries most of the weight. On-point for specs, but not to a commendable degree. Palette is enjoyable, but mild. 14/20
MOUTHFEEL: Medium light body; well carbonated but not spastic or sharp. Alcohol comes through in the flavor, but not as heat. Finishes entirely too clean. 3/5
OVERALL IMPRESSION: Doesn’t seem very authentic, though the taste is good. Works better as a 30A than a 26D. 6/10
TOTAL SCORE: 34/50
DISCLAIMER: The author is not a certified BJCP judge; therefore, this score sheet is not necessarily indicative of proper BJCP judging techniques and protocol. The author is grading to 2015 BJCP Guidelines in order to prepare for examination.
Pours dark ruby Brown with a beige head that leaves a small ring. Cinnamon, mexican chocolate and a bit of dark cherries for the bouquet. Surprisingly light bodied, low to medium carbonation, a bit of figs, kirsch and a slightly sticky finish. Interesting take on a belgian dark.
Pours deep red with a medium light tan head. Aroma is Belgian yeast with overtones of lemony sourness. Taste is initially Belgian yeast (which overwhelms me as I’m not a Belgophile) and bready thickness, but it quickly gets smooth chocolatey overtones and maybe some red ale-like qualities. Definitely a hybrid beer, tastewise anyway. Overall, I just had a meal.
SMOOTH BUT FLAVORFUL TASTE. ONE OF THE BEST BELGIUMS IVE HAD IN A WHILE. CAN TASTE THE VANILLA , FIGS AND HAS THAT OAK BARREL AROMA.
2012 edition. Red brown. Aroma tobacco. Tastes toasted marshmallow, some tobacco bitter. Cherry.
Nice malty beer. Malty flavours, grain, and caramel. Long lasting flavour, I miss some balance from the hops.
Can (12oz). Can’t describe it, but the armoa was a putoff. Taste was very maltly with a tiny bit of hop bitterness. Burnt sweetness. Not a favorite.
335ml can at my daughters house in Orange County, California on 1st May 2016. Red hue to the body, creamy topping. Cinnamon aroma and initial taste, malty flavour with a fig trace within the fairly sweet brew. Decent, but just a little too sweet in my opinion.
Can, deep red amber, cream colored head. Aroma is malt, vanilla, dried fruit. Taste is malt, spice, dried fruit, vanilla, booze, citrus rind. Palate is fairly rich. This is slightly sweet, and then bitter. I don’t like the balance on this at all.
Ok, my taste buds were broken when I rated this. The day after its much better. Spice, toast, raisins and figs.
Pour is a murky dark brown with a small tan head. Aroma is a mix of molasses and dark fruit. Also a big candi sugar sweetness. Flavor is a sugar covered plum with dark candi sugar aftertaste. Very sweet beer but has a nice dark fruit flavor with a little tootsie roll after the swallow. More dopplebock than Belgian dark but stll plenty flavorful albeit sweet.
Thanks to oldrtybastrd for the can -- poured into a snifter. Active carbonation upon pouring. Clear dark caramel colored brew with no head. Malty and boozey aroma. Flavor is Belgian fermented malt, slight hop bitterness. Very nice beer.
Pours a dark mahogany brown with fluffy tan head. Aromas of dark fruits, spice, and some woody notes. Flavors of dark fruits, sweet malt, and hints of cinnamon.
Dark copper, clear.
Full body, smooth texture, dense flavor, hot mouthfeel, long palate.
Intensely bittersweet, balanced.
Malty, roasty, dry fruit, tar, coke, yeast, sweet spices.
Typical of style, tasty.
I don't know why this only gets a 3...it's great. Rich caramel malt fills the mouth and calm to a mild, slightly sweet malt while the alcohol warms. Very good!
A beautiful glass of beer. Color is a deep red amber. I will have to update my rating in the future...I have a cold and my taste is way off...I was hoping to be able to enjoy some of the distinct flavors attributed to this brew but it isn’t happening. The best I can say is that it must be quite flavorful because I can taste it and I detect absolutely no bitter whatsoever.
Pours clear ruby with a moderate tan head. Nose is a bit strange and earthy without the expected Belgian notes...not much nose at all. Flavor is stronger to the backside With darker and sweeter malts coming out balanced against a touch of hops and what taste like light Barrel aging. Not as good as I had remembered but might be a bad keg.
Can. Pours lightly hazy amber with a creamy off-white head. Strong malt aroma, toast, ripe fruits, brown sugar and dates. Medium sweet flavor with some grapes, toasted bread, alcohol and wood. Medium bodied with average carbonation. Lightly warming to finish. Decent. Thanks for the trade JB
Soft mouthfeel but lacking in aroma. The taste is robust w/ belgian spice & has a hint of bitterness in the finish. Nice beer!
Light reddish-brown, clear, persistent beige head. Malt character of dark bread, baker’s chocolate, raisins and dried figs, spicy Belgian phenols, cinnamon, a hint of licorice, and an earthy, damp-cave character. Finishes dry and spicy. Well made spiced Belgian dark strong.
On tap at Gourmet Haus Staudt in Redwood City, CA. Pours a beautiful deep burgundy. Aroma is dark fruits, figs, strong cherries. Taste is fruited bread pudding with yeasty / chalky floral flavors on the finish. Solid American Belgian Strong Ale.
Pours cleanish, with a good tan head. Aroma of dried fruits and sugars. Taste is a bit different, smooth and rich, notes of malt and a bit sweet. A very good beer, a bit more than a typical Belgian. Thumbs up!
Aromas of malt funk, metal, licorice, toffee, dark fruits and tangy malts. Pours a dark brown with a crimson tint and lively carbonation. Taste brings assertive carbonated dark fruit, black cherries, blackberries, raisin, malt funk, toffee, musty grape juice and merlot. Finishes with Belgian yeast funk and old pomegranate. Overall, a moderately decent brew with funky overtones. Nothing really stands out though.
Pours a murky ruby with one finger head and no lacing. Aromas of cherry, plums, candy sugar, a little boozy heat. Moderate body with medium sweetness and mild tart taste. Medium finish. Soft carbonation. Tasty dark belgian.
A lot of complexity, some subtle fruit notes but I could not pick out what fruit I tasted. Alcohol is present in taste and aroma, almost too much so. Could not evaluate appearance because I did not have a glass.
My kind of brew. Mostly clear, a touch of haze, dark brownish red, beautiful. Head is there, tan. Minor lacing and retention. Dark fruit, cherries, plums in the nose along with a bit of cola. Mouth feel is medium, not super sticky or lush, but the body is there. Finishes sticky. Taste is a touch tart, then sweet, and is a bit subdued. Nice all around.
Very nicely done. A hint of smoke, with some florals and light prune. Pours dark cloudy brown with decent initial head and lacing. Bittersweet finish. Very nice, and a great package all around. Well balanced, and good justice to style. A hint of barley and oak in finish. Can from Total Wine.
Poured from a 12 OZ can into a tulip glass.
Aroma- A nice blend of yeast, pepper and vanilla
Appearance- A dark brown color with a medium sized tan head.
Taste- Has a really good wood and fruit blended flavor with a hint of vanilla, really good.
Palate-A medium bodied beer with light carbonation. Has a dry finish.
Overall- A really flavorful and satisfying Belgian Strong Dark Ale, highly recommended.
Pours a dark reddish-brown with a foamy off-white head that stays a while. Nose is that dank aroma of Belgian brew with notes of prunes and dates. Taste is on the sweet side, but there’s a nice hop bite that follows the sweetness. Medium body. Lively carbonation. Tasty brew.
Can. Heavy roasted and caramel for the malt, light cooked orange for the hops, moderate dough for the yeast, with notes of date and fig. Head is small, fizzy, off-white with some slippery lacing and good legs, and is mostly diminishing. Color is murky dark brown. Flavor starts moderately sweet and lightly acidic, then the long finish is moderately sweet and lightly bitter. Palate is on the fuller side of medium, syrupy, with a fizzy carbonation and a moderately alcoholic finish. A nice smelling Belgian Strong Ale with rich flavors, but it’s just a bit cloying in the finish.