21st Amendment from San Fransisco, California is another leader in the craft beer can revolution. Their Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Monk’s Blood, is packed into an ominous black can with an interesting scroll transcribed on it. At 8.3% ABV, this is our first review of anything from 21st Amendment, so hopefully the Monk’s Blood leaves a good first impression.

Poured from the 12 oz can into my snifter glass, the Monk’s Blood gives a creamy, one and a half finger tan head. Keeping that afloat below is a rich, dark brown body with some faint mahogany wood hues throughout. Although nothing is ever uniform, this is pretty typical for the Belgian Strong [Dark] Ale style.

The nose is loaded with darkly roasted cane sugar, and engulfed by some sweet dark fruits. Prune, plum and raisin are evident up front, as well as a profound dark malt character. It seems a bit roasted but still sweet. There is a faint whiff of hops in the backend, but they’re definitely masked by the stronger, sweeter smells.

I can see this being a bit of a sipping beer, for me anyway. While there is no noticeable alcohol burn, the flavor profile here is powerful but surprisingly delicious. It’s medium-bodied with tame carbonation that doesn’t detract from the flavors at all. Up front it’s evident the dark fruits and sweet sugar are the focus of this beer. Coming back are the prunes, raisins and a hint of blackberry, while in the finish you get a great little hop-bite that helps balance everything out. Although, I think it could be a bit more for an extremely well balance, it still does the job.

My relationship with Belgian Strong Ales is really a love/hate one. I never know what to expect (except the typical “dark fruits”) when trying one. Sometimes I love them, sometimes I hate them. This one [thankfully] is one I don’t hate. But, I don’t love it either. In fact, the more I sit here and drink this, the better it’s becoming. The balance could be better, but if you like the sweet dark fruit flavor profile with a touch of hops to nudge it in the right direction, grab yourself a can of the Monk’s Blood. Oh and please – don’t be afraid of canned craft beer!

Overall: 8.6/10