Name: Monstre Rouge
Style: Imperial Flanders Red Ale
Brewery: De Proef Brouwerij (bvba Andelot). & Terrapin Beer Co. “Brewmaster’s Collaboration”.
Country: USA & Belgium
Region: Brewed at De Proef &Terrapin Monstre RougeBrouwerij in Lochristi, Belgium.
ABV: 8.5% Abv
How served: 750 ml corked and caged bottle poured into a Rodenbach Grand Cru tulip.
My Overall Opinion: Good. 
I paired this beer with: Fish Stew.
Tasted on: Monday October 4th, 2010
Note: This beer poured an opaque reddish brown with a 3 finger a light brown head which left a thin lacing in the glass. The nose was oaky and sweet with some mild piney hops. The taste was not what I would consider to be that of a Flanders Red, let alone an Imperial Flanders Red. The taste was caramel sweet & rye bread up front then finished with a citrusy and piney hop bitterness. I was unable to detect any of the tartness you would usually get with a Flemish Red like Rodenbach Grand Cru or Vichtenaar. It tasted good, but not at all to the style. The mouthfeel was of a medium body, smooth and with a nice level of carbonation for the style. The drinkability was pleasant with a nice level of warmth from the 8.5% abv.
On the Label: Pushing the envelope and creating new beer styles is what Terrapin Beer Company is all about. When our Brewmaster Brian “Spike” Buckowski found that he would get the opportunity to help create the next “Brewmaster’s Collaboration” with Dirk Naudts from De Proef Brouwerij, all gloves and brewing boots were off!
To stay true to Terrapin Tradition, Spike and Dirk have outdone themselves by creating an Imperial Flanders Red Ale Called “Monstre Rouge.” Brewed at De Proef Brouwerij in Lochristi Belgium, these two creative masterminds of malts and hops have come up with an offbeat style that combines new age American and old world Belgium brewing techniques.
Monstre Rouge is loosely based off Terrapin’s “Big Hoppy Monster” recipe with a little of Spike’s favorite ingredient (Rye Malt) thrown in for good measure. Fermented with one of Dirk’s coveted yeast stains (Brettanomyces) and aged on toasted American oak, this beer is tart, sour, sweet, hoppy and woody all wrapped in a beautiful red color. Brewed with a copious amount of crystal malts ranging in color from 20-75 lovibond as well as Munich and Rye, the Monstre Rouge is not your ordinary Flanders Red. American hops impart hints of citrus and pine complementing the complex malt and yeast flavors.
We hope you enjoy our creation of water, malt, yeast and hops.
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