Beer Reviews: Honest, Simple, and Dog-Approved
Welcome to the Beer Reviews section of Monkey’s Brewing — where I taste, evaluate, and occasionally overthink beers so you don’t have to. This is the place for honest impressions, simple explanations, and tasting notes that make sense whether you’re a beer beginner or someone who swirls a pint like it’s a wine glass.
I’m not a certified beer judge.
I’m a homebrewer who loves great beer, loves learning how beer works, and loves sharing that with anyone who wants to explore new styles, breweries, or flavors.
Monkey used to sniff at every beer I opened with deep suspicion. Freyja… well, she seems mostly upset that none of the beers are for her. But both of them have supervised plenty of tastings, and their presence seems worth noting.
Why I Review Beer
Brewing your own beer teaches you something: every pint has a story.
When I started homebrewing, I found myself paying closer attention to:
- Aroma
- Hop profiles
- Malt character
- Balance
- Mouthfeel
- Yeast expression
- Even the way a beer looked in the glass
Reviewing beer helps me grow as a brewer — and hopefully helps you discover something new, avoid something disappointing, or understand why a beer tastes the way it does.
How My Reviews Work
Each beer review follows the same simple, consistent format:
- Beer Name & Brewery
- Style
- ABV
- Appearance (color, clarity, head)
- Aroma
- Flavor
- Mouthfeel
- Overall Impressions
- Would I Buy It Again?
- Brew Dog Comment (optional… but usually entertaining)
No snobbery, no pretension — just clear, honest impressions from someone who loves beer and wants to share that love.
What You’ll Find in This Section
🍺 Local Favorites
Craft beers from around Colorado (and beyond).
🌍 Classic Styles
Benchmark examples of IPAs, pilsners, wits, saisons, stouts, and more.
🔎 Hidden Gems
Small breweries doing surprising things.
🥇 Best-In-Category Picks
- Best beginner IPA
- Best first Belgian
- Best summer beer
- Best dark beer
- Best “beer to hand a friend who claims they don’t like beer”
🧪 Brewer’s Perspective Notes
Occasional deep dives on what makes a beer interesting:
- Hop choices
- Yeast character
- Grain bill
- Fermentation profile
- Technique notes you can use in your own brewing
Dogs and Beer: A Quick Clarification
Monkey and Freyja never drink beer —
except for the mandatory foam sample, which they consider their sacred brew-day right.
Their contributions are otherwise limited to:
- sniffing
- staring
- silently judging
- refusing to move from key walking paths
But their presence makes every tasting session better.
Where to Start
Coming soon in this section:
- How I Review Beer: My Simple Scoring System
- A Beginner’s Guide to Tasting Beer
- The First Official Beer Review
- 5 Beers Every New Brewer Should Try
🍻 Here’s to discovering great beers — one pint at a time.
— Monkey’s Brewing