Chicagoist's "Beer of the Week": Founder's "Blushing Monk" Ale
By Chuck Sudo in Food on Oct 3, 2007 4:00PM
Rather than go out to participate in last Sunday's national toast to Michael Jackson, we decided to stay at home and raise a glass in honor of the "Beer Hunter." Earlier that afternoon we finished the remaining bottles of Goose Island Harvest Ale during that debacle of a Bears game and were left with a varied selection in the fridge — a couple brews from Three Floyds, a bottle of Unibroue 16, two cans of Tecate left over from a barbeque, and a bomber of Founders Blushing Monk.
That bomber looked pretty separated from the rest of the beers, almost as though it was calling out to us. And an occasion as momentous as toasting the man who made writing about beer an art form called for a beer worthy of his praise. Its label describes Blushing Monk as a "Belgian-style ale fermented with pure raspberries." You attentive readers might be asking, "didn't you already review a raspberry beer from Founders a few months ago?" We sure did. Blushing Monk is essentially an Imperial version of Rübaeus. It's brewed using four times the raspberries of Rübaeus and a Belgian yeast strain. The result is a beer weighing in at 12.3 percent alcohol. This week, we'll dispense with the usual tasting notes; if you pick up anything else besides raspberry on the nose, palate, or finish, then you're just trying to screw with someone's head. There is some effervescent carbonation reminiscent of sparkling wine. The amount of fruit used in the brewing gives Blushing Monk an almost syrupy quality when pouring; we detected legs on the glass. This beer would be an amazing pair with dark chocolate. It also makes for a nice dessert on its own.
Unless you want to drive to Grand Rapids, you'll have to shell out some bucks for a bomber of Blushing Monk. It retails at Archer Liquors for $15.79 and $18 at Lush Wine & Spirits. You don't have to wait until the next toast to the "Beer Hunter" to enjoy Founders Blushing Monk, Chicagoist's "Beer of the Week."