Matrimonium by Monkish Brewing is an 11.1% ABV Belgian Imperial Stout brewed with Portola Coffee beans and Lavender.
Released on 3/22 (My Birthday) limited only to the Brewery and in limited quantities. This beer caught my attention since it was like for the”occasion” moment. There are several good friends of mine getting married in March and April and I wanted to do a beer review for the occasion I guess. A limited, yet accessible release from one my local Belgian inspired breweries was a must.
Aromas:
Very fancy chocolate, dulce de leche caramel, chocolate mousse, lavender flower notes, vanilla, anise, hazelnut, peppercorns, herbs, spices, dark fruit raisins, plums, mocha, java, figs, dark cherry, earthy notes, tobacco, oak, marshmallow smores, molasses, toffee, dry apricots, brown sugar and other stone fruits.
Flavors:
Herbal chocolate, lavender flowers, mocha, really fancy coffee, milk and dark chocolate, espresso beans, dark fruit raisins, dark cherries, plums, stone fruits like peach, dry apricots, , vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, peppercorns, hazelnut, anise, Bakers chocolate, earthy hop notes, tobacco, leather, oak, marshmallow smores, chocolate abuelita, cinnamon, capirotada bread pudding dipped in a frappuccino with vanilla coffee beans and lavender garnish.
Aftertaste:
Lingering Lavender, fancy coffee, caramel, cinnamon, chocolate abuelita, herbs, bakers chocolate and more. No alcohol in the taste. A sipping beer with a full to syrupy mouth feel.
Overall:
Exceeding expectations in the sense that this is way different from the other Monkish beers I have tried, except Apophatic. This beer takes it to the level of best coffee beers out there. Lavender is already a very enjoyable fragrance of mine but they were able to exact it on the taste with is very unique. A very different and very enjoyable beer. This is not Mocha Wednesday or even a Barrel Aged Kopi Luwak Imperial Stout but this is still in a very special category of flavor. Maybe not as super complex as the others but it falls high in a very unique aspect. This is why local breweries rule, First, the pistachio vanilla ice cream Seme de La Vita beer, and now this. Very damn good and props to Monkish for making such an outstanding beer.
Anime Corner:
Rider from Fate Stay/Night, Nun original artwork and Tokiko and Morichika from Touhou series artworks were used in this pairing to showcase the colors of the label, the flavors and the Monk, church and marriage aspects from the beer. Lavender, the color purple was the perfect choice for Rider, The Monk aspect or in this case the Nun as well as the church represent matrimonium as the woman must take a vow of celibacy like the man but in doing so, it is like saying she is marrying Jesus Christ, so to speak. The Tokiko and Morichika was obvious as it shows the bride and groomsman in holy matrimony. I definitely like how Tokiko’s hair with the blueish purple and white hair pairs very well with the flavors and colors of the label. All in all, I was very happy with choosing the right pictures for the beer as it took a very long time.