Full Moon

‘What is my favorite beer doing in a white dress?’ I ask myself in the beer isle at Kroger. I don’t know, but I don’t like it. I buy a six-pack to investigate. I don’t need to use my Law & Order detective skills to solve this mystery, though one of Lenny’s wisecracks would be nice. This is the Blue Moon Brewing Company’s Winter Ale. I know I’m from Chicago, but since when did Christmas come before Thanksgiving? Is it such a crime to want to drink a fruity beer all year long? Some people say that Blue Moon is ‘too rich’ and that the citrus taste is 'too overpowering.’ I say ‘we used to be friends.’

Winter Ales are generally darker in color and may contain a higher percentage of alcohol than other beers and may or may not have a richer, more nutty aroma. I may or may not be confused about how Winter Ales are different than other beers.

Full Moon is an Abbey Ale brewed with a hint of dark Belgian sugar. It is one of four seasonal beers that Blue Moon Brewing Company offers in addition to the original Belgian-style wheat ale, Blue Moon. Harvest Moon is a Pumpkin Ale offered in the Fall, Full Moon is the Winter Ale, Rising Moon is the Spring Ale, and Honey Moon is the Summer Ale.

Appearance: It has a dark amber color but isn’t too cloudy. Its thick foam lingers on the sides of the glass long after the beer is gone.

Smell: Full Moon has a rich, nutty fragrance with a hint of coffee beans. Not too overwhelming, though, like Porters can be.

Taste: There is a mild coffee flavor in my first sip of Full Moon, though not in the aftertaste. Hmm....strange. It has virtually no aftertaste at all, which is good because I don’t much care for coffee. Coffee’s smell is delightful, its taste is tolerable, but its aftertaste is pretty damn unpleasant. The entire glass of beer drinks this way—a hint of coffee taste initially, but not aftertaste. When I’m finished, little beads of foam still hang on the sides of the glass.

Mouthfeel: Thicker and frothier than most beers I can think of, but a lot lighter than any Porter I can think of.

Drinkability: While Full Moon is a far cry from my beloved Blue Moon, this Winter Ale isn’t half bad.

Here's what my friend Rebecca says about Full Moon:

"It tastes like Sierra Nevada mixed with regular Blue Moon, with a kitty litter aftertaste."

If that's not a ringing endorsement, I don't know what is.