REVIEW: Blue Moon - Rising Moon Spring Ale… too soon, fellahs, but… your beer is fine
By Captain Beer on Jan 22, 2008 in Brew Reviews
OK look… I’m upset to see Spring beers on the shelves. It’s too soon. It’s like Christmas decorations at Labor Day* or something. It’s January! It’s Winter! It’s time for WINTER BEER, man! “So Captain…” you may ask in your husky, Georgia drawl, “why’d you buy a Spring Ale, then?” To which I… uh… hadn’t actually… hmm… didn’t think of that exactly…. Hey, listen man! I’m out there on the front lines, trying new beer for the rest youse… youse folk. And… I was curious.
Blue Moon’s** signature beer, their Belgian-style wheat, is OK but not my favorite. It’s a safe bet on tap in bars without great selections; it’s a decent 6-Pack for someone to bring over… it’s OK. This, their Spring Ale, is pretty good. I was refreshed, even if it was 2 months to early. And I’ll tell you all about it…
Know what’s in this beer? Huh? Do ya? Huh? Lime. L i m e. Says so right on the bottle—confirmed by my nose and tongue. This here is a wheaty, limey beer. The aroma is a wheat-malt and citrus smell, punctuated by a light hop character. The mouthfeel is light, with active carbonation. The head can, as I learned in my haste, fill the entire glass. Man, some wheat beers… you hold the bottle a bit too high or don’t tilt the glass quiiiite enough and bam—glass full o’ foam. The second time, when I was a bit more cautious, I got a nice white head that diminished rather quickly.
The taste is what you’d expect, buddy. It’s wheaty, bready and pretty light. Not what I’d call complex, and to be honest, as the brau warmed the lime flavor became a bit much. The beer is too sweet, and not bitter enough for this Captain. Refreshing, yes, and if it weren’t still WINTER and were actually warmer out, then perhaps I’d like it more. As it is… all I’ll say is hey, try it yourself if you’d like. Or not. But it’s OK.
Mrs. Beer and I were in the mountains skiing this weekend, and amid the snow-covered pines and moonlit night, we kicked back a few porters and stouts. THAT was a bit more like it. Captain out!
*I think that was the first time in my life I have ever not gotten Labor Day and Memorial Day backwards
**you do know who brews Blue Moon, don’t you? They also make a little beer Nascar enthusiasts know as the Silver Bullet. So don’t worry if you buy another beer instead… they’ll survive even if you don’t fatten their coffers.
Hehh… well I recently polished off a six-pack of this as well, and I say… the regular Blue Moon is better. Simply adding lime does not a spring brew make. If you want a real spring ale, wait for Sam Adams to let fly (at a more apt time, of course). There’s nothing Sam can’t do. He’s like Rubberman.
One should note that NOWHERE on the Blue Moon label does it make ANY reference to said parent company, which may or may not rhyme with “snores.” Oversight… or embarrasment?
But wait, you say, Coors Light has the Frost-Brewed Liner©! Huh? You mean the blue paint inside the can? Oh, that’s what you mean. Blue paint inside the can. Jeezus.
OH… AND THIS JUST F*#$ING IN… now Coors is introducing a revolutionary Cold Certified Can©, on which the mountain logo turns blue when the can is cold! Since… otherwise we wouldn’t know it was cold! I mean, if we were in a spacesuit, like!
But hey… I’m sure the beer itself is good enough to stand on it’s own without any retarded gimmicks.
Wow. time for another Sammy. Um… enjoy your Blue Moon.
Kolonel Tripel | Jan 22, 2008 | Reply
Yeah, I’d go with knowledge that their signature release is more like “beere” or some such thing CLOSE to beer than actual beer is why the Coors folks don’t make it clear that they’ve got many markets and demographics covered.
Frost liners and changing labels and all… jesus, what a bunch of asshats. it’s just the same as guys who put massive spoilers and exhaust pipes on mini vans
Captain Beer | Jan 22, 2008 | Reply