Victory White Monkey
Golden Monkey aged in Chardonnay barrels.
“Our Golden Monkey is beloved by many, so we anticipate some heartfelt responses to our intriguing transformation of this beer,” expressed Victory brewmaster Bill Covaleski. “The wine barrel aging has had a substantial and delicious impact on the Golden Monkey.”
Approximately 100 oak barrels that once held chardonnay varietal white wine from Wente Vineyards of Livermore, CA were filled with Golden Monkey and aged at ambient temperatures in the Downingtown brewery for 3 months. This process is an extension of an experiment dating back 6 years prior, when a single oak barrel once holding white wine from local vintner, Chaddsford Winery, was used in a similar manner to produce a test batch which never left the brewery. Deemed delicious by Victory brewmasters and brewing staff, the White Monkey project was made possible through a collaborative partnership with Wente Vineyards.
“Our Golden Monkey is beloved by many, so we anticipate some heartfelt responses to our intriguing transformation of this beer,” expressed Victory brewmaster Bill Covaleski. “The wine barrel aging has had a substantial and delicious impact on the Golden Monkey.”
Approximately 100 oak barrels that once held chardonnay varietal white wine from Wente Vineyards of Livermore, CA were filled with Golden Monkey and aged at ambient temperatures in the Downingtown brewery for 3 months. This process is an extension of an experiment dating back 6 years prior, when a single oak barrel once holding white wine from local vintner, Chaddsford Winery, was used in a similar manner to produce a test batch which never left the brewery. Deemed delicious by Victory brewmasters and brewing staff, the White Monkey project was made possible through a collaborative partnership with Wente Vineyards.
3.6
261 reviews
Downingtown, United States
Community reviews
Pours deep gold with a medium white fluffy head. Aroma is chardonnay, oak, florals, grass and hay. Taste is sweet with a tinge of sourness that is rounded out with some spiciness. Medium bodied, slick texture and a drying finish. Overall, this is solid and the aging turns this into a very enjoyable and well rounded beer.
How: Bottle..
Where: Tasting 2015-10-09, bought from Systembolaget.
Appearance: Golden colour with a white head.
Aroma: Caramel, spices, alcohol, dried fruit.
Body: Full body, medium carbonation.
Flavour: Caramel, vinous, spices, alcohol.
Pours a clear, bright golden orange color with tangerine edges and a half finger white head that quickly settles into a thin, lasting ring. Minimal spotty lacing left behind.
The barrel presence is really strong in the aroma which is surprising considering it was only aged for three months. Decent amount of oak but not too overpowering or toothpick-like. Subtle vinous wine presence with grape, raisin and other light berries. The most prominent barrel characteristics in the nose are toasted coconut and vanilla. They really stand out and add another dimension to the base beer. That being said, the base beer is overshadowed with faint hints of American tripel. Picking up some ester-y light fruit along with some bready yeast, faint spice and alcohol. The barrel elements smell pretty good but I would have preferred a little more of the base beer in the nose. I don’t think I could have guessed that it was Golden Monkey if I didn’t know that it was the base beer.
Medium body with soft carbonation and strong barrel flavors that linger over the yeast, spice, light fruit and alcohol into a sweet, slightly dry finish. A little more toothpick than in the nose but not overly charred or harsh. Dry, toasted oak along with some toasted coconut and vanilla. Again, these are most prominent but the white wine character is a little stronger in the flavor profile. Hints of wine, grape, raisin and other vinous fruit followed by peppery spice, bready yeast, light fruit and boozy sweetness. Some sourdough bread alng with cider and pear flavor before finishing with a touch of heat. The high ABV is decently masked, however and this beer is surprisingly easy to drink given it’s complexity. Overall, this isn’t the most interesting barrel aged beer but the white wine barrels provide a nice variation on the regular version.
bottle. Golden with two finger head. Really interesting flavors here. The white wine adds some mild tartness. The sweetness of the base tripel counters. Plenty of belgian esters. Yeasty goodness. Mild booze. A bit of a sipper, but very nice beer.
Tripel with some oak and sour aroma and flavor added. On special for $5.99 for 750 ML. No dating but will probably age for years!
Bottle 75 cl. Pours a hazy golden with a white head. Lovely complex vinous, woody aroma - very refined. Rich, malty, fruity body. Tart, citric again with this lovely silver lining of wood, Lovely and sophisticated and neatly balanced. 180815
Bottle. Pours a darkish golden color. Aroma and taste are white wine, fruits, and spices.
Bottle in fridge. Pours a golden color, white head. Aroma is mostly wine. Taste is dry, sweet wine, weird. Not my thing.
Sample from 75 cl. bottle. Slightly hazy, amber-golden colour with a thin, white head. Fruity aroma with citrus fruits, caramel malts, spices and vanilla. Taste is lightly sweet. Excellent flavour. Medium to full body, creamy texture and a soft carbonation. Finishes dry and herbal-spicy with fruity hints. OK
Bottled. A hazy golden beer with a beige head. The aroma has notes of hops, malt, and caramel. The flavor is sweet with notes of malt and straw, leading to a bitter finish.
Bottled. Amber coloured. Unclear. Dense off white head. Aroma. Light butter, sweetness, fruits, yeast. Flavour. Perfume, sweetness, fruits, yeast, light cit5rus. me4dim bodied. ends sweet and light citric.
Bottle at yespr.
Hazy amber colored with a medium sized white head.
Sweet and fruity aroma of caramel and oak with notes of berries.
Sweet and fruity flavor of oak and spices with notes of vanilla.
Spicy finish.
Bottle@Yespr’s - burnished golden coloured pour with white head. Medium sweet citrus lemon and orange fruity aroma and taste, with some prominent vanilla on the palate, yeast, some spices, but has a creamy milkyness about it as well, interesting brew.
cloudy yellow, small offwhite head.
hoppy and yeasty and dough like aroma. boozy woody notes.
flavor is booze, banana, yellow fruits, lots of estes, but they are pretty weird.
75 cl. bottle. Clear golden colour with a white head. Aroma and flavour of malt, hops, spice, fruit, yeast and vanilla.
75 cL bottle. Pours cloudy orange with a small white head. Aroma is milky and light fruity. Mild spiced, sweet and light milky. Bitter, fruity and slight herbal. Dry and slight spiced finish.
The fact I have a great way for me and I don't think that it was not immediately available to all of them in my head and shoulders
Pours semi clear golden with a large frothy white head. Aromas of honey, white wine, marinated peaches, tropical fruit, caramel, figs. Taste is honey, marinated peach, white wine, caramel, figs. Mouthfeel is oily and sticky with medium carbonation.
Sweet malt aroma with hints of light wood. Sweet malt beginning with a bitter and sour wood finish.
Bottle. Thank´s vjohans.
pale goldeb, white head.
butterscotch, caramel, raisin and sour aroma.
slightly sweet, lightly bitter, lightly sour, caramel and raisin taste, still fresh and light body
Bottle, thanks vjohans.
Pours hazy Amber with a white head.
Aroma of clove and banana.
Taste of bananas, alcohol, white wine and herbs. Quite sweet.
750ml bottle, thanks ctomson! White wine aroma with yeast and fruity notes including grape and pear. Pours cloudy golden colored with a thin white head with no retention and very little lacing. Starts with a lively carbonated mouthfeel as well as vinous white wine grapes and pear fruitiness. Finishes smooth with Belgian yeasty notes as well as more white grape vinous flavors. Good stuff.
Bottle - 750mL corked and caged. Hazy amber with a medium white head. Wine, grape skins, yeast, wet oak and yeast notes in the nose. Taste is grapes, wine, yeast notes, grains, malt, oak and light earthiness. Body is medium with a moderate, bubbly carbonation. Light stickiness. Ends with more grapes, wine, wet oak, yeast notes, grains, soft malt and light earthy notes. Tasty!
Corked and caged bottleneck. This is Victory’s Golden Monkey aged in oak chardonnay barrels. The pour into a Belgian chalice is nice and not too foamy. This has a pretty odd but effective combination of flavors. The winey sourness and woody dryness is pretty powerful, and pretty much overwhelms the characteristics of the golden ale. (I see it is called a tripel here, but it didn’t seem like one to me). Some complexity on the palate. It is interesting, but I wasn’t blown away.
Had on my old rating system with no tasting notes. So I would like to have again in order to write real comments. Bottle
Bottle at home shared with step father. Nose is fruity, with notes of pear, melon, citrus, wine barrel, Belgian yeast, bubblegum, and light sour notes. Interesting! Pours a fluffy head with a pale yellow body. Flavors are similar with tons of fruit, sour vinous notes, Belgian yeast spices, clove, tropical fruits. Very nice and a great price, too. 8$ is hard to beat for a barrel aged brew of this caliber.
Pours a golden yellow color with a white head. Wheat, yeast, clove, fruit, spice, honey and hop aroma. Yeast, pear, apple, orange, wheat, spice, clove, hop and honey flavors. Light body and lively carbonation. Fruit and spice finish. Little off.
Poured into a snifter. I absolutely hate Golden Monkey, so I don’t have high hopes for this. Hopefully I’m wrong.
2.75 A: Murky golden brown color. Not a lot of off-white head formed and what did fell pretty quickly.
4.5 S: Well this is already an improvement over the Golden. The wine and especially the barrel come through quite well. Vinous white grape, vanilla, melon, and wildflowers. Oak and vanilla. Spicy peppery yeastiness. Hay, light fruits, honey. I don’t know if Golden Monkey just needs time to develop or if the barrel makes this the way it is, but this smells wonderful and totally unlike the regular.
3.75 T: The taste isn’t nearly as good as the nose, but it’s still a helluva lot better than Golden Monkey. Again the barrel leads the way. White grape, melon, floral, vanilla, and oak. Peppery yeast, honey, honeydew. Again, it’s good, but it’s just missing the smoothness the nose has.
3.75 M: Lighter medium to medium body. Good spritzy carbonation. Good here.
3.75 D: Infinitely better than Golden Monkey. I enjoyed this quite a bit. Give it a go if you see it.
DavoleBomb, Jun 05, 2013
Bottle shared at the holiday tasting
Cloudy straw golden with a small white head, some lacing. Aroma and flavors are woody, oak, wine, dry finish
Ok, but too sweet.
Draft at Big Wood 2014. White wine and honey. Not much oak. Golden. Only slightly boozy.