Berry Monkey is the latest in the Belgian-style “Monkey” beers from Pennsylvania’s Victory Brewing, joining several other high-strength brews in the series (Golden, Sour, Merry, Tart). I’d posted the press release with details here, and Victory had sent me cans of Berry Monkey to sample as well.

It’s brewed as a soured Belgian-style tripel, with raspberries added, and is 9.5% alcohol by volume. The brewery says:

Coming in at 9.5% ABV, Berry Monkey is a Fruited Sour Tripel Ale Brewing using imported malts and Belgian yeast. The addition of real raspberries adds a subtle sweetness and rose hue that complements the delightful tang. Berry Monkey is the ultimate addition to the Monkey crew.

Appearance: Golden orange color with some unfiltered haziness, with a fizzy white head. Knowing raspberries were used, I expected it to have a pink color, but not so.

Smell: Bright berry notes, tart and fresh, with sweet raspberry jam. Some bready malt and subtle Belgian yeast character.

Taste: Starts with a tart character that’s mostly lactic with a slight bit of acetic acid (balsamic), then bright, sour(ish) notes of fresh raspberry compote. I get a bit of a Rodenbach vibe from this beer, which is definitely a compliment. The acidity squashes any real spice character you’d find in the style, but there’s a good crackery malt character that gets out of the way of the other flavors. No sense of its strength, which is surprising, it’s just a nice berry-balsamic sipper.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light body, well attenuated, with a tart finish. Crisp.

Overall: This is quite good, and moreish even at 9.5%, and would be a great food pairing beer.