When I thought about how to begin this profile, I figured I would get the most famous line from the most famous New Kids On The Block (NKOTB for the cool kids. Y’know, acronyms and all) song but when I Wikipedia’d NKOTB I couldn’t work out what their most famous song was, nor did I recognise any choruses.
Well that didn’t work out like I’d planned, did it?
The connection of course, being that Monster Mash Beer are the new kids on the block.
Gee, that took a long time to get to.
From the makers of Golden Axe Cider in Melbourne’s south east is their second beer offering, a highly hopped red ale.
It’s not overly logical, but when some of the beer geek faction heard that a cider mob was starting to make beer there were a couple of scoffs and snickers. The condescending jibe that is, not the chocolate bar.
That matters not now because another quality that binds good beer fans is that they will try anything, and if it’s good, that’s all I need.
The first beer that Monster Mash Beer released was a Double India Pale Ale, and although I wasn’t able to snag any before the first batch was all snapped up, everything I’ve heard about it is that it’s a bona fide belter.
This was all the encouragement I needed to grab the second release from these guys.
The 6.4% red ale is close to auburn in colour and retains a thin, dense head in the glass.
Aroma is right in my wheelhouse with a huge, piney, tropical fruit from the late hops and this just demands that you further investigate and treat yourself to a sip.
There’s a reward there because this is a gorgeous, hop focussed red ale. Straight away there is bitter, citrusy, tropical hop character that scratches the itch of every hop head.
It’s not imbalanced however as there is a lovely, sweet malty backbone that all those big hop kicks are tethered to.
Enjoying this tonight has only heightened my desire for their Double IPA.
Patience is a virtue.
