I’m behind on pointing to my latest article for The Bulletin, profiling the specialty Monkuccino ale from Monkless Belgian Ales, a quadrupel-style Belgian ale infused with coffee and raspberries.

“The main inspiration for Monkuccino was Curtain Closer, our late-winter seasonal,” he said via email. “We typically age Curtain Closer on raspberry and cacao (either nibs or Cholaca), but this year the brewing team decided to have a little fun and mix it up by going a few different routes with the base beer.”

It started as a 16-barrel batch, with approximately two pounds of raspberries per barrel added to the fermenter. Coffee beans were added later, when the beer was conditioning in the brite tank after primary fermentation; about one pound of beans per barrel were used.

The coffee was locally sourced from Backporch Coffee Roasters. Clement and his team tested several flavors, including Peloton and Daybreak, and settled on Daybreak. Backporch’s description of the variety says, “Dark chocolate notes meet caramelized raw sugar in this full-bodied cup of coffee, finishing with a smokey and sweet toasted barley flavor.”

It was brewed in part for the upcoming Bend version of the Baker’s Dozen Coffee Beer & Doughnut Fest taking place next month, and I can confidently say that this is an extremely coffee forward beer. It’s also a big beer, with 10.3% ABV. Want my review? Check out the article!