Blue Moon

I've been writing about beers that are on the sweet side of the scale, so I'll stick with that for at least one more entry...

Blue Moon is a Belgian-Style White Beer (yes, another Witbier) that contains fruit overtones and spices -- notably coriander and orange peel. It presents as a slightly foggy-looking brew, meaning that is a traditional "unfiltered" wheat beer. Blue Moon seems to be a very popular draft beer in the central Ohio area, and is traditionally served with a slice of orange adorning the glass. It certainly represents an interesting alternative to the traditional on-tap macrobrews.

For beers of this ilk, Blue Moon represents the point of maximum sweetness that I can tolerate. It is far sweeter from start to finish that Samuel Adams Blackberry Witbier, for example.

As always, your mileage (and enjoyment) may vary, but I find this beer to be an enjoyable companion for my food. It is refreshing and enjoyable as a stand-alone beer, but without something to offset its sweetness, it tires my tastebuds more quickly than I'd like. This is in no way a criticism of the brew -- it is a well-crafted beer that I enjoy on a fairly regular basis. For me, it just needs a little something with it.

Another interesting observation from my experiences with Blue Moon... If I drink a fair amount of Blue Moon (especially without the accompianment of food), I feel "thirsty" even though I have consumed a fair amount of actual liquid. I do not have an explanation for this, but have observed it on several occasions. The beer is completely refreshing while being consumed, this "thirsty" feeling occurs some time afterwards.

Blue Moon opens with a noticeable orange and spice scent, and the initial flavor impression is dominated by the orange peel, at least to my taste. The orange does not overpower, but it does not give way as willingly as the Blackberry overtones of Samuel Adams Blackberry Witbier. To my tastebuds, the underlying Wheat Beer in Blue Moon is probably slightly on the bitter side, and this provides the nice balance that the brew creates. The character of the wheat beer rises to meet the orange and spice overtones of the opening.

Blue Moon holds its taste throughout, and finishes much the same way as it began -- with a hint of Orange and Spice.

Because of the "makes me thirsty" thing, I usually only have one or two of these if I'm not having food with it. Still, the brew is quite good and very enjoyable. It is also nice to see an unfiltered brew make a regular appearance at the tap. Many people are of the mistaken opinion that beer has to be clear in order to be good; or worse, that a beer that appears hazy is somehow "spoiled" or "bad." This is hardly the case, and hopefully Blue Moon is making inroads in dispelling this myth.

So -- give Blue Moon a try. I recommend having it with food, as I mentioned previously. It does well as a complement to something with some zip -- a spicy sandwich, foods with onions/peppers, buffalo wings, chili, etc.