Day 353 Drink: Monstre Rouge Imperial Flanders Red

We live in the age of collaborator beers. It is always interesting to see what two great brewers come up with when they decide to brew a special beer.

Each year Seattle's SBS Imports selects a U.S. brewer to produce a special collaboration beer with De Proef Brouwerij in Belgium. Previous partners included Tomme Arthur of Port Brewing/Lost Abbey (2007); Jason Perkins of Allagash (2008); and John Mallet of Bell’s (2009). For 2010, Terrapin Co.'s Brian “Spike” Buckowski went to Europe to brew alongside De Proef Owner-Brewmaster Dirk Naudts.

Monstre Rouge Imperial Flanders Red is an 8.5 percent alcohol by volume brew based on Terrapin’s Big Hoppy Monster, fermented with brettanomyces and aged with toasted American oak. The beer pours a slightly cloudy brown with a medium head. A good citrus report from the aroma. There is a good level of sourness to the beer, but it is balanced with some sweet malt. The finish has some interesting spice notes.