Recently, the beer department at Holiday Wine Cellar were the beneficiaries of a happy accident. One of the bottles of Firestone Walker Brewing Company’s 2015 Stickee Monkee that we received a few weeks ago was damaged in transit, but only ever so slightly; the seal between cap and bottle was broken just enough so that the beer was no longer saleable. Luckily for the employees at HWC, however, it was still very drinkable.
Stickee Monkee is a Belgian style quadrupel (quad) that has been aged in oak barrels, and is one of several yearly releases from Firestone Walker’s barrel-aged Proprietor’s Series. A Quad is a Belgian style ale of great strength that is always malt-forward, showcasing varying flavors ranging from plum and black cherry to leather and tobacco. Firestone Walker is careful to specify that, while this beer begins its life as a Belgian Quad, the finished product is something different: a Central Coast Quad.
They have, of course, created this appellation themselves, but it does have a nice ring to it. Firestone Walker does not specify what type of barrel aging this beer undergoes, but then again, they don’t specify much else about the brewing process either. Hop varietals and malt bill are left out of the brewery’s specifications for the beer, but they do disclose that it is brewed with Mexican turbinado sugar and Belgian candi sugar.
The former, turbinado, is a semi-refined brown sugar of sorts similar to the “Sugar in the Raw” packets one might find in cafes. Belgian candi sugar is produced by taking common table sugar and putting it through a heating process that changes its molecular structure and lends it a bit more flavor and color. Together, these two types of sugar – used judiciously in the brewing of this beer – contribute to the beer’s rich, sweet, and toasty flavor profile.
When we opened the 2015 Stickee Monkee and divided it amongst ourselves, it became apparent that there was little carbonation in the beer. This is likely a combination of the fact that the seal was broken prior to the beer’s consumption and the beer having little carbonation to begin with. This was no point of concern, as beer such as this should not have too much carbonation, which will overshadow the massive flavor profile that the beer contains.
We experienced this flavor profile first with a gaze upon the beautiful, opaque, mahogany brown color of the beer. An inhalation of intoxicating aromas of roasted chestnuts, vanilla, and toasted oak followed, which led to the first sip. This was characterized by sweet flavors of caramel and toffee, a touch of chocolatey roast, and brown sugar. The beer sat fairly heavy on the palate and the consistency was thick and rich. This was all followed by a lingering aftertaste which slowly crept away but left just enough of a trace of flavor behind to remind everyone that the beer had been there.
In other words, the 2015 Stickee Monkee was absolutely delicious. Unfortunately, there is none left, but fret not – Firestone Walker comes out with special releases like this several times throughout the year. Keep up with our Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram accounts to be one of the first to hear about the next special release!
