On the heels of Victory Brewing Company’s first wine barrel-aged release, Red Thunder, comes the newest kid of the aging block—the white wine barrel-aged White Monkey.
Available today, March 2, 2013, as of 9 a.m., White Monkey reinvents the Downingtown-based brewery’s iconic Belgian-style tripel, Golden Monkey, into a sophisticated and smooth golden ale.
Corked and caged, the 750ml release arrives with an elegant bronze body and a thin ivory head. Matured for three months in Wente Vineyards’ white wine American oak barrels, the end result is a medium-bodied, well-balanced beer that weighs in sharper and less sweeter than its predecessor. Barreling up the ‘Monkey enables the pre-aging boozy finish to be sliced, and instead, an attractive sweet-copper backbone lingers with each sip.
Pairing tip: During our Town Dish tasting, we paired White Monkey with an agave nectar-accented scallop small plate. The dish’s honey-like finish was a perfect accessory when coupling it with this subtlety sweet release.
Dying to try the new release? To celebrate the beer’s debut, Victory’s brewpub is allowing locals to try White Monkey before they buy it, with samples available at $2.50 each and 12-ounce pours offered at $5.50. The latest barrel-ager is only available in corked 750ml bottles, and is up for grabs by the case or by the bottle at both the brewpub and retail operations as of today.
White Monkey retails at $9.49 per bottle. More information is available here.
Photographs credited to Nina Lea Photography.
