OCC's Naughty Monk Belgian Stout

The menu description sounds enticing, if not down right poetic: “Belgian stout with chocolate notes and a hint of roast, Belgian yeast fruit esters and a dry finish make for a dark yet refreshing beer.” With the thousands of IPAs out there, this sounds like a welcomed break; a vacation from over the top hops!

The first thing I noticed is that it has some vibrant carbonation for a stout, but this is a Belgian stout, which must be different some how. I can see the little bubbles zooming up to the top adding to the foamy white head. This stout isn’t dark as night, but more like a dark chocolate brown. It certainly isn’t like those stouts with the viscosity of motor oil: There’s nothing worse than drinking a stout that sits in your belly like some sort of gut bomb. The description tells me that it’s refreshing, so I have some hope.

At first sip, it fits the description. It has a nice creamy taste to it, not strong on the chocolate or toast, but enough to make it delicious. Maybe I’m starting to get sensitive to it, but it’s got a bitter bite at the end. Not enough to be turned off, but its the bitter that lingers, along with a little toastiness if you smack your lips (which could be a little creepy while drinking alone at a brewery).

I’m partial to all Belgian style beers, which makes me think that I might have been a monk in another life. The beer fits the description in that it’s both dark and refreshing, but I’d change the ‘dry finish’ to a slightly bitter finish, although I’m not sure that would help sell it, so let’s stick with dry.

As I get about halfway through this 7% ABV beer, the Belgian yeast did its job well. I’m getting a nice warm, euphoric buzz. I’m also picking up some booziness in the aftertaste, which I tend to like, but this one has a bit more of the ethanol taste. I can deal with that, and I’m not quite sure how a brewer could do away with that once the ABV starts to get up there (I’m sure there’s an answer). If I could change anything, I’d say ease up on the bitter, ethanol aftertaste and this beer would be addictive. Maybe one more notch of chocolate, whether via grains or cocoa nibs, but that there’s a fine line between hints of chocolate and overbearing chocolate. If you’re into the standard American style stout, this wouldn’t be what you’re expecting. Since I’m a Belgian beer junky, I knew what I was getting into, and I was happy to do it! If you don’t like stouts, I think this one is worth a try since it doesn’t really fit the profile of the average stout.

Now for the brewery. OCC is a relative new comer to the brewery scene; a few years old now. I like the Old Colorado City vibe. There’s local artwork on the walls (for sale of course), and a nice mix of people. It’s different than the suburban crowd, and you can tell that there are people from all walks of life. Mostly younger, with a smattering of hipsters. They serve great food, in my opinion (even though I’m not one to judge food, only beer). So, it also has a bit of a restaurant feel. There’s nothing wrong with that, other than the lights are a little bright. Good if you’re reading, but it feels a little like the ‘closing time’ vibe you get when the flood lights crank on after last call.

It’s the art that really pulls me into hanging out in this brewery (besides the beer, of course). There’s also some good background music which is just loud enough to hear and set the mood. I’d stay for another round, but the bright lights make me feel like I’m in an office building. If only they had a dimmer switch. Despite the lighting, it's another great brewery to visit.

Naughty Monk Belgian Stout from OCC (also used as my site's main background photo).