Monk's Blood from 21st Amendment Brewery

By Don

So, I stopped in to see the folks at Herwig's Austrian Bistro in State College the other day.  By the way, if you're ever in State College, PA and want an incredible, authentic Austrian meal, you have to stop in to Herwig's.  Not only is the food great, but eating there is an experience like no other.  For example, if you don't finish all your food, you might get hit with a big red stick!  I recommend the Schlachtplatte.  It's a lot of meat!  Check it out, you'll love it.

When I'm in there, I always talk to Bernd about any new beers that he's discovered.  He asked if I'd heard of 21st Amendment Brewing from San Francisco.  He mentioned one of their offerings called "Monk's Blood."  Hmmmmmm.  Sounded interesting.

On my way home, I stopped by Wegman's and there it was!  Monk's Blood is a special release that just came out in February of this year.  It comes in a 4-can box and it's a Belgian Style Dark Ale.

I used one of my tulip pilsner glasses for this one.  Monk's Blood pours to a dark caramel color with a big, frothy head that stuck around for awhile.  Good lacing on the glass too.

Take a good whiff of Monk's Blood's aroma.  There's a lot going on here!  You get a good woody smell.  Monk's Blood is aged on oak.  You also get a strong aroma of fig.  Monk's Blood is brewed with vanilla, cinnamon and dried figs!

Monk's Blood is potent.  It has a nice woody taste with a strong kick from the figs.  It has a coating feeling in your mouth and a warming feeling going down your throat.

This is definitely a sipping beer.  It clocks in at 8.3% ABV.

If you're going to pick up some Monk's Blood now, it might be nice on a cool summer night sitting outside by the fire pit.

They also make a "Back In Black" which is a Black IPA.  That's next on my list!

Cheers!