Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Not So Blue Moon....

Seasonal Craft Beers are a staple of the market, and after the success of their Blue Moon Brand , Coors decided to branch out with a Blue Moon inspired Seasonal "Blue Moon: Spring Blonde Wheat Ale"  The beer touts to be brewed with Orange and Lemon peels and oils, but as you will see, it comes through little if at all. 

Served at a rather cool 38 degrees, the ale, when poured, has clear golden-copper color.  The color resembles the Blue Moon of old, but this beer has been filtered.  The diminishing, fizzy head lingers slightly and leaves no lacing on the edge of the glass.  The beer looks okay from the start.  Appearance: 3.5 out of 5

The beer has a sweet scent with little to know hint of citrus.  The hops, however, give a wonderful floral and grassy odor, and the yeast helps bring forward the floral scent.  However, the aroma is not as pungent in glass as you would hope.  Aroma score:  8 out of 10

Now to the good part....Tasting the brew.  We get the bulk of the flavor from the malts that has a somewhat caramel flavor with some bitter notes as well.  You get a hint of citrus, but not as much as you would think from the advertisement and the selling point of orange and lemon additions to the beer.  The hops bring forward the aromas from the nose of the beer.  Herbal tastes dominate and a floral or ester-y taste follow as you swig the beer.  Taste score: a lackluster 18 out of 25.

The mouth-feel of this wheat ale is little different from the "father" beers from the Coors Breweries.  The spritzy carbonation leads to a crisp and smooth finish.  The beer has an unfortunate light body.  Compared to the Blue Moon Classic, this beer is like drinking seltzer water as far as mouthfeel.  Quite an average finish.  3 out 5.

Overall -  This crisp beer is quite average in it's aroma, taste, and finish.  It is visually quite nice.  Unfortunately, when you see a seasonal from such a trusted, strong brew, you expect a solid beer.  The medium body and light grassy taste leave much to be needed.  Especially when the Witber is touted as being noticeably more citrusy than it's predecessor.  Total score 32.5 out 50. 

Swing and a foul ball from the folks at Coors.  Stick with the original and be happy.  Especially if you tried this seasonal before trying the original. 

And as always DRINK ON, BEER DRINKER!  DRINK ON!




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