First of all, I love Barrel of Monks.
Love love this brewery.
They are one of my favorites in the state, brewing some of my absolute favorite beers, and I consider myself fortunate that I am so close to them.
That being said, they have sort of started to make two different styles of beer.
First is the traditional Belgian-style that they are such good experts at. They love to take it, sometimes push the boundaries a little bit, but still have an amazing attention to quality and history.
The other kind are what I will consider ‘Told You So’ beers, in that they were basically made to show everybody that they are not a one-trick pony. In fact, I know their recent anniversary beer was a double IPA named Just To Prove A Point because, basically, that’s what they had to do.
So their witbier, White Wizard Wit, seems to be the runaway favorite. It’s incredibly approachable, very easy to drink, and it’s an easy sell to macro drinkers used to the watered down versions of witbiers that are out in the market.
But it’s not like they can’t play with the formula, which is how I found myself with a can of Pineapple Coconut Super Wizard (Imperial Wheat Ale, 10% ABV).
It’s funny to me that a brewery known so well for its Belgian-style beers made not only an Imperial Wheat ale, but a fruited Imperial Wheat ale. It’s a little humorous.
And while the label describes their trademark wizard as wearing board shorts and flip-flops, the label art on the front does not show this and I am a tad disappointed.
Definitely not disappointed with the beer. This wizard packs a wallop and is quite enjoyable to behold. There’s a moderate orange color with a very large and candy-like aroma, very reminiscent of Juicy Fruit bubble gum, if you remember that.
It feels like the beer aroma is a mixture of fresh orange juice mixed with candied pineapple. Not the fresh stuff, the candy stuff.
I doubt they use the candied pineapple in this beer, that’s just the aroma that I get.
The flavor does two things immediately. First, it gives you a big hit of citrus, as those orange and pineapple flavors really explode right off the bat. The second thing it gives you is a warming boozy hit, and it’s going to let you know that you chose a 10% ABV beer and not forget it anytime soon.
Once the booziness subsides and the pineapple starts to dissipate a little bit, then you get sort of a silky coconut finish. It’s a little deeper, it’s a little more mature and less sweet, but it’s a wonderful finish to the big decadent pineapple.
Definitely not a wizard for the faint of heart, but if you’re game, it’s a wizard that will treat you quite nicely. Sure, it’s a little less Brussels and a little more South Beach, but that’s the fun of it.
Almost as fun as seeing a wizard in Bermuda shorts.
Drink Florida Craft,
Dave
@floridabeerblog
floridabeerblog@gmail.com
Florida Beer Blog is a part of Florida Beer Media. Find us at FloridaBeerMedia.com.
Listen to the Florida Beer Podcast – Powered by Florida Beer Blog on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and more!
Get 10% off a new Stone Brewing mini fridge from NewAir with code FLORIDABEER10!
If you’re looking for awesome beer glass or cigar gifts, make sure to head to GroovyGuyGifts.com!
Florida Beer Blog 