Saturday, July 17, 2010

A passable summer ale: Honey Moon by Blue Moon

The last couple of hot weeks we had very hot weather, which changes my appetite away from the heavier full bodied beers.  Sadly I am finding that the supermarkets are carrying fewer and fewer choices and the speciality stores are getting rarer and reducing their hours.  So I gave a try to a Coors product brought to you via the Blue Moon label called Honey Moon.

It is a summer wheat ale brewed with orange and finished with honey added.  It has a clear golden color and pours with only a thin head.  You have to strain yourself to pick up any smells beyond the faint aroma typical to wheat ales.  It tastes like a mild wheat ale, thin but not watery.  It was slightly sweet with the honey, nice but not over powering.  The citrus or orange flavor hovers just out of tasting, I could tell something was there but it was not coming through as orange.  This ale is a smooth drinker with moderate to low carbonation and just over 5% ABV.  

Nothing excitable here, but it is easy to drink and I have not got tired of it.  I must say I have had quite of few of these over the last couple of weeks, they leave you feeling clean enough to have another as you enjoy the summer sun.  It gets a Gnotions rating of passable and pleasing in the right weather.

Cheers.

4 comments:

  1. I like the Sierra Nevada Summerfest brew. It's is a very crisp, slightly floral, brew and quite a departure from the other Sierra Nevada products.

    The other day I had a Magic Hat, summer ’10, Odd Notion. I tasted banana in a beer for the first time. Of course, there is no banana in the beer. The taste is created by the yeast and wheat combination. I should hope you can find a Magic Hat mixed 12 pack in the neighborhood of New England?

    I've been drinking my latest homebrew this past week. It's a hefeweizen and is not too shabby.

    ReplyDelete
  2. @Chris - I find that I don't care for most Sierra Nevada brews that I have tried. I don't recall trying the Summerfest, but that may be me avoiding the brand altogether. If I have the option, I will try that particular brew.

    Being so close to Vermont, Magic Hat beers are readily available in most stores here. Though the selection is usually limited to Number Nine, a seasonal, and a seasonal variety pack. I really like Number Nine, and purchase that several times a year. I have had less luck with their other concoctions. I find they miss more than they hit. (I should have done a review of Wacko - that would have had a no recommendation). Ever the optimist, I purchase the variety pack only to be disappointed by half the contents. Ah, such is the life of the beer adventurer. :)

    I have not done homebrews. It is more time than I am willing to invest and there are so many beer choices without that. Part is the volume. I drink such a variety of libations that I would be hard pressed to finish the home brew while enjoying other beers, wines & whisk(e)y. Now, if only my neighbors would make home brews... that would be different.

    Thanks for posting. Cheers!

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  3. Magic Hat tries some "odd" combinations in brewing but that's the trend in modern brewing. I enjoy their dark beers or ales more than the wheat styles. Until recently I wasn't a fan of wheat beers and I still prefer pub ales or lagers to whit bier.

    Magic Hat #9 is one of the top 5 beers in North America and I actually like Wacko. It's nice to chat about beer with a fellow rpg blogger. I feel there's a Magic Hat beer review in my blogging future!

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  4. Chris - who's ranking has #9 in the top 5 in North America? I won't argue it is quite good, but wondering who rated it.

    I am a fan of most beer styles. The only one that really turns me away is IPA, I cannot get past over the top hops taste. Wheat beers, lagers, dark beers, stouts, all find favor in my taste buds.

    I'll look for your Magic Hat review.

    ReplyDelete

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