Blue Moon Honey Moon Summer Ale - Coors Brewing Company

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

2.4/5  rDev -22.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

"Happiness consists of living each day as if it were the first day of your honeymoon and the last day of your vacation."

--Anonymous


Crystalline amber with a drop or two of orange juice. Given that Honey Moon is a witbier (or is it?), I expected something more pale and more cloudy. Expect for the slightly bolder hue, it looks disturbingly like a macro lager. The beautiful cap of polished eggshell more than makes up for the beer's shortcomings. It has a wonderfully sticky texture and is leaving loads of good looking lace.

I might like the nose... if I could smell something. I was looking forward to seeing what Coors (excuse me, Blue Moon Brewing Company) could do with a 'witbier' that uses clover honey and orange peel, but no coriander. Too bad I can't appreciate much at all. Maybe a whiff of honey, but I never would have been able to make that call if I had been ingredient ignorant.

Honey Moon Summer Ale is not good beer. Honey comes through loud and clear, with citrus peel (lemon as much as orange) a distant second. I'm pretty sure this is the most honey-like ale that I've had yet. In other words, if you aren't a fan, don't bother. I like honey, but I'm not thrilled with the way it comes across here.

I think the biggest problem is an overly grainy base beer. Pale malt and malted white wheat shouldn't be too hard to screw up. This is one of those beers that will turn five degrees of nasty if it's allowed to warm up. Coriander might have been able to cover up a few of the flavor sins, but I doubt that it could have saved the day in the end.

The mouthfeel borders on pathetic. It achieves wateriness well before the swallow and goes downhill from there (if that's even possible). Even the carbonation seems uninterested. That makes two of us.

Blue Moon Honey Moon Summer Ale is a big disappointment. At one time, the original Blue Moon was my highest scoring macro, so I had every right to expect that this beer would be of similar quality. Instead, I find myself recommending a complete overhaul. This honeymoon was over before it even began.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2007 13:42:46 | More by BuckeyeNation

mikesgroove

South Carolina

3.3/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I grabbed this one out of my in-laws fridge last night, well mainly cause I was out of everything that I had brought and this was all they had. My first experience with this season I poured the twelve ounce bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance - The pour was actually very nice. A very bright and somewhat hazy bright yellow appeared before me. Nice three inch high head of frothy white hung around for a good few moments before finally settling down into a thin pillow across the top, nice carbonation.

Smell - The aroma was rather bland an nearly non existent. Light floral yeast, a touch of honey, maybe and that's a stretch and the typical touch of lemon and grass. Very light smell overall.

Taste - The flavor was just as light and bland as the smell was/ Light grassy and wheat with a touch of lemon and honey. Not much in the finish as it was clean, and quick.

Mouthfeel - Super light bodied and ultra carbonated. If that's the style they were going for they sure nailed it.

Drinkability - A outstanding beer for the hot weather, as I could have easily threw down several without batting an eye, however the question remains if I would want to.

Overall not a bad, very light bodied water substitute, however I think I will pass on it again,. It was not terrible or bad, just way too light and boring for my tastes.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2008 10:28:18 | More by mikesgroove

womencantsail

California

3.35/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: The pour is a pale straw color with a bit of cloudiness and a finger or so worth of white head.

S: A light floral honey like note along with plenty of wheat and grain. Also a bit of orange, which I'm unsure as to whether or not it really works here.

T: Tons and tons of honey with a light floral quality to it. Again, the orange flavor is there along with some wheat and grain sweetness. A slight biscuity quality to the beer, actually.

M: Light bodied with a moderate-to-high level of carbonation.

D: Say what you will about Coors or Blue Moon, but this one actually isn't too terrible. I don't know if I'd really buy this, but there are certainly worse beers.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2010 17:37:35 | More by womencantsail

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

2.65/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Appearance: Pours a lightly hazy, yellow body with a small, white head.

Smell: Crushed wheat crackers, light citrus, and a vague honeyish scent. There ya go!

Taste: Wheat and honey and a middling sweetness. Background taste of orange. Not much in the way of hop flavor or bitterness, though. Same till the finish, which unfortunately just deposits that cloying honey taste on your tongue. Be sure to have a glass of water handy!

Mouthfeel: Medium-thin body. Medium carbonation.

Drinkability: The standard-issue Blue Moon is acceptable. This, however, is kind of icky.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2008 02:25:31 | More by ChainGangGuy

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

2.63/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Bottle: Poured a light golden color ale with a small foamy head with OK retention and no lacing. Aroma consists of light wheat malt with notes of orange peel and honey. Taste is also a nice mix between some wheat malt with notes of orange peel and honey. Overall this is quite bland with a limited flavour profile.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2010 19:46:13 | More by Phyl21ca

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.35/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Everyone seems to be taking a stab on what beer style this is. I vote for Pale Wheat. A lackluster style with timid wheat additions. Enough to pull it above a blonde but not enough to impart any meaningful character or atributes. A lightly hazed canary hue with an abundance of carbonation. Just enough wheat to keep the brew from being fizzy. The smell and flavor are a blend of pilsner malt, cereal grains, and lemon-grass. Makes for a modestly pleasant, yet unoffensive brew. The lack of direction, makes this beer bland and uneventful. A watery finish and astringent lemon / hop lingering becomes tea-like late. Not bad, but not a Wit.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2007 17:06:01 | More by BEERchitect

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +28.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Blue Moon's Honey Moon Summer Ale pours a clear yellow gold body beneath a full head of bright white foam. The head retention is good and it leaves some nice lace at the outset of the glass. The nose is honeyish and sweetly malty, subtly chalky with yeast, delicately fruity, and floral. It's medium bodied and creamy with a dextrinous edge and median, fine-bubbled carbonation. Honey returns in the flavor, but it's also distinctly wheaty and a touch chalky. It's sweetish but not overdone, and finishes drying. There's enough body and flavor to keep it interesting, giving it a decent amount of drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2007 20:43:58 | More by NeroFiddled

WesWes

New York

3.5/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The beer pours a pale gold color with a thick frothy white head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is decent. It has a light pale and wheat malt scent along with a sweet honey presence. It's dry, yet refreshing. The taste is decent also. It has a pale wheat flavor that goes down easy, but finishes a little too sweet with a bit too much honey flavoring. The mouthfeel is decent also. It is a medium bodied beer with good carbonation. This is an above average beer, but nothing that great. I'm glad to see more Blue Moon varieties, but they should shelve this one.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2007 21:56:31 | More by WesWes

Mora2000

Texas

3.15/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

The beer pours a clear golden yellow color with a white head. The aroma is grain and wheat with some grass from the hops mixed in. I don't get any honey in the aroma. The flavor is somewhat bland. I get a lot of wheat notes as well as quite a bit of sugar, possibly from the honey. I also get a little bit of a honey flavor. Thin mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2011 01:42:05 | More by Mora2000

zeff80

Missouri

2.9/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

A - Poured out a straw, yellow color with a pillowy, white, two finger head. It was highly carbonated and no lace.

S - It smelled of wheat and orange.

T - It tasted mostly of honey. There was some wheat and orange flavors.

M - It was crisp and a little too fizzy. A light-bodied beer.

D - This is okay, but it tastes nothing like a witbier. I'd rather drink a regular Blue Moon than this one.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2007 16:18:26 | More by zeff80

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.2/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a 22oz bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a light yellow color, with a thin white head that fades very quickly and leaves a very thin lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains honey, wheat, light caramelized malts and a faint touch of hops.

T: The taste starts out with sweet flavors of honey and citrus. Then some breadiness comes in from wheat and a thin malt character. The hops presence is very mild but brings a little bit of balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: A little crisp and a little smooth, light-to-medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

O: A little tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, mild kick, decent representation of style, there are definitely a lot of other beers in the style that I would pick first.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2012 01:57:06 | More by TheManiacalOne

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

2.78/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This beer pours out a little on the clear side. The head comes and goes not leaving much behind. The smell is mostly sweet malts and some wheat. The taste is pretty light and has a slight honey sweetness to it. There is a hint of yeast in there too but not much. The mouthfeel is pretty clean and smooth. A bit too light overall for me. Would have liked something a little more flavorful.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2011 18:08:08 | More by Knapp85

Halcyondays

California

3.48/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle,

A: Pours yellow, not very cloudy for the style, looks filtered, medium white head with good retention.

S: Clover honey, light orange, wheat bread.

T: Honey really dominates, giving a meady flavour, but not terribly complex. Orange peel is more evident at colder flavours, but really disapperars with the wheat as the beer warms and the honey takes over.

M: Quite light and crisp. On the thin side, but easily drinkable and refreshing.

D: A surprisingly good wheat beer from Coors, the Blue Moon beers that I have had from them have been rather good. I'd take this over the Sam Adams summer, really like the honey flavour in the end.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2008 04:06:45 | More by Halcyondays

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.15/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This beer pours a clear, pale golden colour, with one finger of soapy white head, which leaves nary a speck of lace around the glass in its departure. It smells of mild white barley grain, with a bit of spicy wheatiness, and a tinge of earthy sweetness. The taste is sweet honeyed malt, a bit of mild citrus, and earthy, floral hops. The carbonation is moderate, the body medium weight, somewhat smooth, and it finishes off-dry, a soft graininess offset only slightly by an earthy hoppy dryness.

A nice, muddled sweetness makes this beer an adequately drinkable summer quaffer, given its ubiquity (stateside, at least) and price point.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2010 03:32:54 | More by biboergosum

jwc215

New Jersey

2.78/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Freshness date of Oct. 28, 07:

Pours slightly hazed golden yellow with a thick creamy head that leaves a fair amount of lacing on the glass.

The smell is of honey with some wheat.

Honey dominates the taste with only a hint of wheat malt backing it up. Some hops must be in there, but they only balance out some of the sweetness. The orange peel that is claimed to be in there is faint, if at all present. Sticky honey lingers.

The feel is watery with some sticky honey sweetness remaining.

This is is not for me. Might be interesting to have one if you are into honey beers, but...bottom line - There are too many other summer beers out there. Even for a light summer brew, this one just doesn't have enough to it.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2007 02:23:49 | More by jwc215

tempest

Pennsylvania

2.68/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

On-tap at JP McGrady's

Wow, I had this the same night as a Sapporo and the two beers actually have a lot in common. Honey Moon was a little, thicker, and sweeter. There was also a hint of wheat in it. But for the most part, it was just a bland, clean beer, like the Sapporo. I mean, the Sapporo at least had a bit of hops. This just hints at having malt and not much else. Pass.

Serving type: on-tap

10-23-2007 01:52:04 | More by tempest

jdhilt

New Hampshire

3.43/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a three finger white head that fades to a thin layer leaving some lace. Clear pale amber color. Light carbonation and light-medium bodied. Faint honey nose. Flavor is light and smooth, honey comes through but orange peel doesn't, clean finish. Good summer ale. Label has this brewed by BMBC in Toronto, Ont. $1.50 for a 12oz bottle from Capitol Convenience Concord, NH.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2007 22:36:57 | More by jdhilt

Jason

Massachusetts

3.25/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 oz brown twist off bottle with a best before freshness date printed on the bottle. "Ale brewed with honey and orange peel" is stated on the label.

A- Fluffy white head, retention is solid and a few rings of lace on the glass. Very mild haze off of a bubbly golden color.

S- Hint of spicy wheat and sweet honey.

T&M- Very crisp and smooth with a velvety light body. The honey flavor is a bit forced to start but then a graininess, meek hop bitterness and orange peel help to balance that out. The wheat character is timid and the palate is nearly wet or even on the thin side. Finishes with a slight sweetness from the honey.

D- Decent, drinkable though the honey character did start getting to me after one bottle. I'll stick to their white ale even if this seasonal comes out again.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2007 01:53:22 | More by Jason

Billolick

New York

2.83/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

12 ouncer, with "Oct2807" imprinted on the bottle. Pours clear, medium golden, off white head showing decent retention, bubbles rising and leaving better then moderate lacing. Sugary, tropical fruit nose. The problems begin here when it is consumed. Slightly metalic and bland brew. Where is the wheat, yeast and flavor? Honey? Orange? Spice? Pass this one by, boycott macros trying to look micro...the regular Blue Moon wit is 5 times better then this lame offering...

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2007 20:25:58 | More by Billolick

weeare138

Pennsylvania

3.05/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appears a semi transparent light gold with a small white cap that quickly fades away. Tiny speckles of lacing are left around the glass.
Smell is of obvious honey, orange zest, honeysuckle, white pepper, and other spicing.
Taste is of the aromas with a sweet flowery flavor and light caramel malt.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied, sweet, chewy, and soft in the finish.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2010 23:58:20 | More by weeare138

Zorro

California

3.7/5  rDev +19.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

This should probably not really be in the Witbier category because of the lack of cloudiness this is really closer to an American Wheat Beer or a Kristal Weizen.

In the glass I have a clear golden colored ale with a healthy white head formation. Not really a witbier because there isn't a speck of yeast left in bottle to add to the beer for extra flavor and the characteristic cloudiness.

Th smell is pleasant and mostly malts with some herb scent from the hops used and an aroma of citrus. The citrus smells to me like lime zest rather than the claimed oranges.

The flavor begins sweet and spicy in the mouth with a good doughy wheat malt taste and the taste of lime. I know this is supposed to have clover honey in it and there is a trace of clover in it but clover taste like grass to me. Citrus is the main flavor here and I KNOW that this is supposed to be orange but it still tastes like lime to me. Ignoring what it is supposed to contain this is a tasty spicy wheat ale that doesn't lack for flavor.

The mouthfeel is good.

A nice and easy to drink beer for sure and I plan to have another right after this one. This is a beer I can see drinking again and again. Very tasty and mild mannered.

ADDENDUM: This has been chewing on me all day and I finally have the taste of this nailed. This tastes exactly like....Cinnamon Roll with Orange Frosting! Serve this at a brunch with one of those and watch the look on peoples faces!

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2007 03:39:50 | More by Zorro

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

2.73/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Straw yellow from millercoors again, decent 3/4" white head that evaporates into nothing leaving no remnants behind. Sweet was the first descriptor of the aroma. Lacking wheatness.

More sweet, touch of corn, touch of wheat, lemon on the first sip. Just too much of the honey/sweetness thing for me to really get behind this beer. They should bulk up the wheat to offset this. Not a horrible beer, pretty much what you'd expect. Feed these to unsuspecting women in the summer.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2011 17:00:07 | More by Beerandraiderfan

DoubleJ

California

2.5/5  rDev -19.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A pseudo-Irish Pub I went to for dinner tonight was letting consumers keep the Blue Moon glass if they ordered a Blue Moon product. I fell for the promotion, but I orrdered their seasonal summer brew they had on-tap. From notes I put on my phone, on to the beer:

A- Filtered yellow-orange with just a little haze

S- Tap water at first, but honey emergres as warms.

T- Somewhat grainy at first. There's the honey, but it's subdued with a borderline cloying sweetness to it. Minimal hop flavor to balance it out. Hint of biscuits with honey in the aftertaste.

M- Smooth and somewhat seltzery, but a tad watery.

D- Nothing to go nuts about. A bit too sweet and subdued in overall flavor to be enjoyable for more than a pint. At least I got a free glass out of it.

Serving type: on-tap

05-28-2008 04:13:37 | More by DoubleJ

Gusler

Arizona

3/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

The pour is a clear yellow with a bright white frothy head that fades with the lacing a thin coating upon the glass. Nose has a decent malt presence, hints of honey; fresh and clean, start has an adequate grain presence, sweet with the top light. Finish has an acceptable acidity, the hops mild and the aftertaste overly sweet and long lasting, an average beer, nothing more, nothing less.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2007 20:28:30 | More by Gusler

beerthulhu

New Jersey

3.13/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Poured a slight hazy, pale lemony color with a thin, fizzy white head that soon dissipated. There were a couple of small bran-like floaties observed floating steadily in the medium carbonation streams.

S: fresh, and lemony with some citrus (oranges).

T: sweet with some honey and lemony citrus complimenting each other rather nicely. The spritzy carbonation brings out the zesty sweet and sour nature of this beer. A sweet lemony finish with fresh oranges rounds things out with a subtle citric sourness.

M: light, very smooth and slick on the tongue with a nice, lemony citrus fade.

D: Pretty good drinkability. A nice summer quencher that was citrusy and refreshing. Could easily enjoy this in multiples. Regardless of many peoples perception of the brewery, this makes for a refreshing summer time drink.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2008 23:09:26 | More by beerthulhu