Mom... Theres a 400 Pound Monkey under my bed...

With a name like "400 Pound Monkey" I thought I might be facing a badass crazy hoppy Imperial IPA. Well, I should have known better due to it being billed as an English IPA, but I tend to be a slow learner, especially when my mind is allowed to stray towards the arena of huge, lineman-sized monkeys. 

Either way, this Monkey was not the best beer that I've ever had, but certainly a very tasty and sessionable (yeah, using a buzzword, so shoot me) English IPA that'll sneak up on you with its deceptively high ABV (almost 7%). 

It poured a light golden yellow with a nice, small head and had a very understated aroma. Herbaly(?) hops were definitely the first aroma I got, with a little bit of citrus mixed in. 

The taste followed in just the same manner, with a forefront of subtle pine notes and some lemony citrus bite afterwards. As I usually find with IPAs, the flavors are enhanced as the beer warms and the Monkey was no exception. The flavor became better and better with every sip, but no one flavor ever took over the show. 

All in all, a very well balanced B+ grade English IPA. If you want to enjoy an IPA but can't handle something like a Double Dry-hopped Arrogant Bastard, this one is a great starter with which to begin understanding the nuances of the style. And trust me, I should know... I'm a total wuss when it comes to extremely hoppy beers... and I totally liked the Monkey.

- Andrew


QUICK TASTE

Left Hand Brewing Company 400 Pound Monkey 

Longmont, CO

ABV 6.70%

English IPA

Appearance: Light golden yellow with a quickly diminishing 1-2 finger head

Aromatics: Quite subtle, with herbal smelling hops

Taste: Fairly thick mouthfeel for an IPA. Lower bitterness, as would be expected from the English style, yet still maintains a nice dry, citrusy finish. A few different flavors coming out, from pine to an almost lemon-honey flavor. Well balanced though, so no one flavor dominated.

Notes: A great "beginner" IPA due to its non-overwhelming hoppiness and nice bright flavor. A tasty, above average representation of an English IPA. 86/100.