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So, this is one of the Monkey variety. I don't know that Monkey beers have become a sub-brand like the Voodoo Ranger or similar, but I am kind of hoping that they all have something in common. I believe, and it has been a while since I had any of the Victory Monkeys, that I've enjoyed most of them, and I want to enjoy more. This one is supposed to be juicy, and the tropical IPA that I just had from Victory was incredibly juicy. This one claims to be both juicy and hazy, and we're about to find out.
Upon pouring, I can't say anything about juicy yet, but I would say this isn't particularly hazy. The only reason "hazy" is associated with this beer is because they bothered to put it on the can. Yes, there is a slight haze in the beer itself, but it's not nearly enough to claim it as one of the defining characteristics of the beer. This orange beer doesn't spout a whole lot of head, and it doesn't leave much in its wake, either. There isn't any lacing that I can see, and a few measly islands of bubbles are left afloat on top of a relatively bare surface of the beer. The smell is quite juicy, so it appears to have earned that name. Pineapple, guava, orange, and a whole bunch of other fruits are absolutely busting out of the beer.
One of the things I liked about the tropical beer was that it didn't have much of a bitter bite and somehow still managed to maintain so much juice. First sip of this indicates that it is not as well balanced. Bitterness is heavy on the back end, while the juice isn't really allowed to flow freely before that. By that I mean that the imperial nature of this particular beer has forced the fruits into rinds and pits. The result is not enough fruit meat and juice that has been somehow tainted by the other ingredients.
Tip-in is strangely more like a stronger alcohol like a liqueur with the mango absolutely shoving itself into the tastebuds. The middle becomes rough with fruit rinds and bitterness. The finish is a real mistake with bitterness, funk, and rinds hitting hard before an off-kilter trail off.
Bottom Line: They make other beers. Try one of those.
1.5/5
