Penpont Brewery
Monk’s Brew 1127
6.4%
Cornwall, UK

When I was in my teens the “standard” present at Christmas was either a selection box of chocolates or socks, however these days it has become custom for my family and friends to buy me beers. Usually, it is the “real ale” they can find me from supermarkets like Speckled Hen etc. However, my sister got me four beers from beer52.com, who deliver craft beers to your door. Pretty rad.

Included in the four was Monk’s Brew by Cornwall brewery Penpont. It was a brewery I’d never heard of before so proof that something like beer52 is a great idea. The brewery was founded in 2008 by Joseph Thomson and Stephen Medlicott and at the time of starting out Joseph was one of the youngest brewers in the country. Impressive stuff. The Monk’s Brew isn’t one of their standard beers and is an abbey style ale. It is very dark in colour and the immediate comparison when I taste the first drop is something like a Leffe. It has a real Belgium influence.

Monk’s Brew is a dark, bitter and malty beer that uses traditional malts and Belgian style yeast. It certainly compares well with Belgian counterparts such as Leffe, Erdinger and so on. Surprisingly high ABV at 6.4% for a beer that is quite smooth and easy to drink, despite the bitter undercurrent that it has. It is a fantastic looking bottle and I love the story of the Monks from Normandy providing the brewing prowess in 1126.

I am not a huge fan of abbey style ales such as this, unless they are very, very good ones, usually from Belgium. However, this is a pretty good drop and has made me want to investigate more beers by Penpont.

OVERALL: 2.5/5