Monk in the Trunk (Charlie Crespo)

This column reviews a beer based on aroma, appearance, taste and palate (mouthfeel). At the end of each review, we score the beer based on a five-star system (one star meaning you will likely regret ever drinking such a horrible concoction, five stars meaning it’s your new favorite beer, and two, three, and four stars falling somewhere in between).

Inlet Brewing company is a brewer based in Jupiter, Florida. For whatever reason, I couldn’t find much about Inlet Brewing online and their “about us” page from their website only has this to offer. Interestingly, though, my research did lead to the discovery that Inlet Brewing doesn’t actually brew its signature Monk in the Trunk Organic Amber Ale on premises. Rather, Inlet Brewing sends the recipe and brewing instructions to Thomas Creek Brewing in South Carolina and Monk in the Trunk is brewed there. Contract brewing isn’t necessarily a bad thing in the beer world, though there is certainly some debate over whether it affects the overall quality of the product.

Fortunately for me, my job free review service (?) isn’t to settle these controversial debates in the beer world; it’s just to drink beer and give you an idea of whether you might like it. Monk in the Trunk is a Belgian-style amber ale, which isn’t actually a classic brewing style. It’s brewed with an authentic Belgian Abbey yeast and USDA and California Certified Organic Farmers organization certified organic grain and hops. These certifications make it the first organic beer I’ve tried.

Monk in the Trunk had a pretty basic aroma for its style. There were notes of caramel malt along with hints of fruit and/or floral in the nose. As the name suggests, the beer pours an amber color with a tall head that dissipates quickly.

Like the aroma, the taste, unfortunately, is pretty basic as well. Of course, that’s not to say the beer is poor quality or unpleasant. Rather, there just isn’t much to make it stand out. The taste is bready and malty with a faint bit of spice and a slightly bitter finish at the end. As far as mouthfeel is concerned, Monk in the Trunk sits right in between light and medium-bodied with medium carbonation, giving it a thin presence as you drink.

Overall, like its qualities suggest, Monk in the Trunk isn’t terrible, it’s just not great. Sure, it’s worth a try and if a friend bought a six pack I could drink a couple on a hot day. If the choice is up to me though, I’ll pass on the Monk in the future.

Little Utopia Rating: Three out of Five

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Charlie Crespo (@Little_Utopia) is the editor-in-chief of Little Utopia.

Previously from Charlie Crespo:
♦ “World War Z” Moves Too Fast for Its Own Good
♦ Ilya Kovalchuk’s Retirement Won’t Worry NHL
♦ Viral Video of the Day: Watch in Case of Bear Attack
♦ Carne Asada Fries: Fusion Cuisine at its Finest
♦ Lou Reed, Kanye West, and the Failure of “Yeezus”