Sound to Summit’s Monte Cristo converts a Belgian beer-hater

Published 11:30 am Thursday, December 24, 2015

I don’t really like Belgians.

Not the nationality. I’m sure they are a fine group of people who contribute much to our global community. I hope to one day befriend several of them. I’m talking about the style of beer. I like most things fermented and distilled, but Belgian-style ales tend to rub me the wrong way. I feel like beer shouldn’t taste like bananas and bubblegum.

That being said, I’ve never met a beer I wouldn’t try. I was fully prepared to not order the Belgian ale, per my usual habit of not ordering them. My plans changed when I found out that Sound to Summit Brewing in Snohomish had aged their Monte Cristo in a barrel that had previously held Skip Rock Distillers’ apple liqueur.

You see my casual dislike for Belgian ales is usurped by my unending love for all things Skip Rock Distillers. I’ve yet to have a spirit I didn’t adore from their exposed brick distillery in downtown Snohomish. They have developed a great barrel program and, having had the privilege of tasting the apple liqueur, I couldn’t say no to this particular beer.

And the beer is fantastic. It’s a copper color so deep you couldn’t see through it. It’s thick enough that it creates slow legs along the side of the glass when you swirl it. The nose was unadulterated apple. My eyes and nose were begging me to take a drink.

So I did.

The mouthfeel was thick and rich and my initial taste reminded me of vanilla ice cream. But that only lasted for a split second before it turned into spiced apple. You know, the bright red rings your grandmother put on the relish tray at Thanksgiving. Cinnamon and the sweetest apple flavor you can imagine filled my mouth and then slowly faded into other mulling spices. Yes, this beer is basically a blast from your holiday past in the best way possible. It ended with enough alcohol heat to let you know this baby is 8.5 percent.

I’m not sure how much they made or how much is left but I want more. And maybe when it’s all gone I can make some sort of shandy with Sound to Summit’s Monte Cristo and Skip Rock Distillers’ Apple Liqueur. And maybe I can put it all in a barrel and it will end up just fine. Or maybe, just maybe, I’ll have to file this away in my memory and let it be yet another lesson that every beer is worth trying.

Perhaps someday I’ll even find a hefeweisen I like.

Scott Wetzel owns Fresh Bread Design, an Arlington graphic design business that works with breweries and distilleries. Follow him on Twitter at @freshbreadd.