I had some of this a couple weeks ago when I was in Rhode Island.
It was tasty and pretty much as they described it. Peppery. Had a linger bitterness that was a bit odd but not off putting.
All of the bottles (4 pack) were gushers. Slow gushers, but nonetheless. I’m wondering if they bottled too early or if they were infected. Maybe that’s the odd bitterness.
The beer was expensive. I’m not sure I’d do it again, but I probably would just cuz. And to see if another four pack would be gushers.
I’ve had quite a few and no gushers, just a lovely head. I have noticed that I need to be careful with the pour. I get clove in addition to pepper.
Yea, its expensive, I have seen $16 and $17 for the 4 pack of 11.2 oz bottles. That’s my only problem with it, its a pretty sessionable beer but at sippable prices.
Word has it they will be a coming out with a second beer in 1 or 2 years. They’re pretty tight lipped about it but I hear its going to be dark and it needs to be aged.
My experience is the same, but I wouldn’t quite say slow. Not explosive, but I did have to open all 4 above the sink. Didn’t taste infected, but who knows. I originally chalked it up to transport since I received them in a trade. Maybe they were still working out their bottle-conditioning ratios.
That’s what I think. The one I tried was not a gusher at all, but (per style) was heavily carbed. And excellent by the way. I could drink a lot of that.
A co-worker gave me a bottle a while back and I don’t recall it gushing. My co-worker has been on retreats at the abbey and knows one of the brothers involved in the brewing, so he was quite proud to share it with me. I thought it was quite good, too.
Still waiting to get my hands on some of these. My buddy has family near the brewery and travels there once a year (or so) to visit. Gotta convince him to bring me back a 4-pack (or two)…
I think the yeast has isn’t very floculent and with the high carb level if it gets stirred up it makes for nucleation sites. and it gets stirred up easily
i’ve only had it once and it was freshly driven up from MA so it was a gusher and yeasty. I can see how it’s a really nice sessionable beer with some yeast character but not overwhelmingly complex. pretty well made, not hot or phenolic beyond that hint of peppery spice. I will reserve final judgement till I can sit down with a whole bottle to myself as I was shareing at a homebrew meeting.
I was flabbergasted to see this in Target(!) in downtown San Francisco last week. It was warm on the shelf and it was my last day in the city, so I didn’t spring for it. But should you find yourself near the Moscone Center, it was the Target right up 4th Street.
They also had some Ninkasi, Lagunitas and Bear Republic bombers, among others.
I picked up a few bottles in Denver two weeks ago. Great beer, spicy and Belgiany, certainly a strong member of the Trappist tradition! I’ll have to keep better tasting notes on the next one.
In MA visiting my son and saw it in the local liquor store. Had read about it - how the monks got started with it, etc. just finished the single bottle I bought for $4.69. Big, foamy head but not a gusher. High carb. Peppery taste. Great mouthfeel. Good aftertaste. Liked it and would buy it again.
There’s a place called the Black & White a mile north of the abbey on Rt 31. Its not a great restaurant but the fried seafood is good and the pizza is decent. The abbey doesn’t give tours of the brewery because its in the monastic enclosure but you could visit the monastery. You can go into the chapel where there is a section for lay people and the grounds are beautiful and you can go to the gift shop and buy Spencer ale chalices and of course Trappist preserves. I imagine there are places out your way that have it on tap though.