Lay it on me, Brother.

Brewery: North Coast Brewing Co.
Location: Fort Bragg, CA
Name: Brother Thelonious
Type: Belgian style Abbey Ale
ABV: 9.4%
It's only fitting that a beer named after jazz music legend Thelonious Monk be an abbey ale. Hell, it's the guys namesake! And honestly, the label is pretty rad too. The halo of the 88 ivories, the sweet beard, nice RayBans, and a skull make one think this beer will be a wonderful trip to Flavor City. The opening act is a wonderful mahogany (Ron Burgundy would be proud) color with glints of auburn throughout. The khaki colored head foams up full, bubbles a bit, and then glides slowly to the edge of the beer and nestles nicely against the glass. The bouquet is full and inviting. You get a strong presence of dark fruits and rich caramel. Spices and pepper weigh in strong but aren't heavy-handed. Malt and molasses are the foundation on which all of these smells rest. It is a little more carbonated than I was expecting and leaves a pretty clean mouthfeel. Malt is plentiful in the molassy-caramely sweetness form. The dark fruits aren't as prevalent but the spices pop up nicely. The whole flavor profile is pervaded by the almost harsh yet completely warming alcohol content. I was hoping that the transition would have been a bit more subdued but alas, not every high ABV beer can hide its boozy nature flawlessly. The big booze on the end might cause some conflict with folks. While fairly flavorful, a hard alcohol ending can be slightly off-putting unless you're prepared for it. So, consider yourself warned! The Brother Monk does not mess around. This ale will warm you quickly and deliver a pretty good abbey ale experience. Just don't expect to fall in love with it on your first go around, unless you're that easy. In which case, you beer hussy!

Would've given it a 3.5 and that ain't no jive!