Victory - Golden Monkey

The Victory - Golden Monkey is an American spin on a Belgian Tripel. Similar to traditional Tripels, the monkey packs a punch at 9.5% alcohol by volume. This beer is surprisingly sweet and floral with a cloudy gold body. It includes various "exotic" spices that make it complex. Their website proposes making a "Monkey Julius" cocktail with 1 part OJ, 3 parts beer, and topped with champagne.

Beer stats:

Malts: 2 row German malt
Hops: European whole flowers
Yeast: Imported, of Belgian origin
Alcohol by volume: 9.5%

(Beer Rating: 8/10)

Sierra Nevada Celebration

Sierra Nevada is famous for their hoppy IPAs. The Celebration Ale is their winter seasonal and is inclusive of a piney aroma and bitter citrus hops. Despite the full hops, the beer drinks fairly smooth. My only critique of Sierra Nevada is that their beers don't have adjacent complex flavors to really make them stand out. I would put 3 Floyds over Sierra Nevada any day of the week (let's hear it for the small guys)

(Beer rating 6/10)

Three Floyds Alpha King

Three Floyds puts forth an array of high quality hoppy beers. The Alpha King is a citrus hop flavored pale ale with a great label. The beer is flavored with Centennial, Cascade, and Warrior hops. These guys aren't capable of making a bad beer.

(Beer rating: 8/10)