Blue Moon Grand Cru - Coors Brewing Company

frankiepop

Pennsylvania

3.05/5  rDev -9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I couldn't really distinguish Cru much from the original. I did not do a side by side comparison, bit it felt the same. Possibly it lacked a little on the flavor. More alcohol flavor? I will stick to the original. No reason to spend more.

I might recommend the Ella Fitzgerald version of Blue Moon might be the appropriate music for this beer. Enough said.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 05:53:30 | More by frankiepop

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.7/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Served in a Lagunitas mason jar.

I remember being surprised by how much I enjoyed this a couple years ago, so I'm anxious to see how things pan out today. This stuff pours a clear golden-brass topped by a finger of relatively short-lived lightly off-white foam. The nose comprises orange zest, light coriander, very light banana peel, and a sizable portion of blunt, vague wheat. The taste brings in more of the same, with a bit more of a spicy edge (particularly coriander) and enough orange character to keep those damn Florida grove-tenders on the phone 24/7 with their lawyers, trying desperately to maintain their virtual monopoly on that fresh-squeezed flavor. It's surprisingly effective (the flavoring, not the Floridians' efforts). The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a fluid feel. Overall, this stuff is still pretty enjoyable. It's nothing earth-shattering or anything, but I'll readily take it over most any other Blue Moon variant I've come across thus far.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 06:29:01 | More by TMoney2591

JohnnyMc

Ohio

2.39/5  rDev -28.7%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2.25

This was the 2009 vintage.

Pours out a pretty hazy, deep orange with about 2 fingers of white head.

The aroma is mostly coriander with some orange peel and a little bit of wheat notes along with some slight bready notes.

The taste is dominated by coriander at this point and there is a hint of orange peel along with some generic citrus flavors. There are some light wheat and bready notes and a bit of alcohol taste as well.

The body is light and the mouthfeel is crisp and refreshing. For the most part....this tastes like Blue Moon with more alcohol. There is some definite alcohol taste even though it's been 4 years.

Not a particularly great beer, but not the worst thing I have ever tried either. Coors is doing about as good as usual in my books.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2013 04:00:44 | More by JohnnyMc

jsisko01

Michigan

3.68/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

My bottle is the 2009 edition, with the best by date stating 4-12-10. So hopefully this doesn't affect the review negatively..

Appearance - Pours a yellow-orange color with a half inch thick head that lingers for a minute. Leaves a very nice lacing behind. There is an extreme amount of yeast chunks throughout the glass, from the old age I'm guessing.

Smell - Smells just like a regular Blue Moon. Orange peel, citrus, coriander, and Belgian yeast.

Taste - Same as the aroma. This is just a Blue Moon with a high alcohol percentage. It has an unpleasant alcohol bite in my opinion..

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied with medium carbonation.

Overall - Honestly, I love Blue Moon. But I find this a little hard to drink on because of the strong alcohol flavor.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 03:11:15 | More by jsisko01

HamFon

Florida

3.73/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

This 2009 vintage bottle came from my cellar. When I had it fresh, it was unimpressive, but it cellared well, and except for the big chunky sediment (so the beer was poured carefully off of the sediment instead of being rolled to distribute the yeast), was surprisingly good.

A: hazy orangish gold with slight off-white head of small bubbles that fades to a ring and generates minimal lacing, significant amount of sediment in the bottom of the bottle

S: nice combination of orange, pineapple, and malt

T: pineapple, bready, orange, woody, coriander, moderate hop bittering

M: medium body, no alcohol warmth

O: interesting added pineapple component gave some complexity and made this beer quite drinkable. The main offputting note is the visual chunks.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2012 16:35:13 | More by HamFon

metter98

New York

3.53/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: The beer is cloudy yellow in color and has a high amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a half finger high bright white head that died down rather quickly, leaving some bubbles on the surface and a thick ring around the edge of the glass.
S: There are light to moderately strong aromas of orange peel in the nose.
T: The taste is similar to the smell and also has notes of coriander and wheat flavors; the spices particularly linger through the finish.
M: It feels medium-bodied on the palate (definitely fuller in body compared to most witbiers) and has a moderate to high amount of carbonation.
O: This beer isn’t quite as drinkable as the standard Blue Moon but for the most part the added alcohol is well hidden from the taste, particularly when it is cold.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2012 23:46:57 | More by metter98

AWolfAtTheDoor

California

3.23/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Finally decided to try this bottle that I've had for a while..

Very clear urine color. Thin head, bubbly CO2, no lacing.

Smells like blue moon on steroids. Bit of booze, that sweet/tangy citrusy note.

Tastes like a boozy blue moon. Tangy (probably from the alcohol), little bit of orange, hint of malt backbone in there. Not really digging this. Tart alcohol flavor lingers a bit, not good.

Full bodied, for sure. Clings to the palate. Fairly carbonated. Can't really complain here.

Overall, swing and a miss. Alcohol presense just killed it.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2012 05:21:33 | More by AWolfAtTheDoor

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a brown 25.4 oz. bottle. Has a cloudy golden color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is alive with citrus and spice. Taste is crisp, a bit boozy, citrus, a touch of spice and a tad tart. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall is a pretty good beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2012 11:48:48 | More by tone77

djbow

Maryland

3.68/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Vintage = 2011.

Glass = Tulip.

Temp. = 50F.

A- Hazy burnt orange color. 1-1/2 finger head of tight well formed bubbled that dissipate quickly. Descent lacing and some alcohol legs.

S- Sweet orange / citrus, banana from the yeast, spice and faint alcohol.

T- Orange, spice and banana yeast flavors. The not well concealed alcohol taste and mild hop round out this taste. If this beer were give 6 months to a year t age I think it alcohol forward taste would be less dominant.

M- Medium body, medium carbonation, alcohol warmth.

O- This beer is what it is. The big, muscular brother of Blue Moon. Considering that this is a product produced by a Macro brewer (Coors) it is a very good attempt at a Belgian strong beer.
I like this beer for what it is and will age a bottle to see what I get. Hell, at $5.99 a bottle why not.

CHEERS!!!

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2012 01:57:30 | More by djbow

Yoda22

North Carolina

3.35/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A- Pours a hazy straw color. 1 finger of head. Not bad lacing.

S- Smells nice, a little banana seemed to hit me at first but upon further review it's more orange and spice, coriander I believe.

T- Orange and Coriander at first, but it finishes mostly alcohol. The 8% ABV isn't masked very well.

M- Medium body, medium carbonation. Slight alcohol burn is ever present.

O- I am sure many people will take this down a peg because of it being a Coors product; but I am a sucker for regular blue moon and enjoyed this as well. The lingering alcohol bite really brings it down a notch for me but overall it's a pretty good attempt at a craft beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2012 23:42:56 | More by Yoda22

HighballurRollby

California

4.1/5  rDev +22.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Just thought I'd give this a go after passing it up several times despite it catching my eye every time. I'm a fan of Blue Moon belgian white.

Pouring it makes me think I'm about to have a regular blue moon, but I'm not. I'm looking for what is different about this beer compared to the standard. The most noticeable characteristic to me is the increased alcohol taste lingering in the finish, and I can feel it go down. So its a bit more rough than the standard. Taste is of malted oats, wheat, and Big orange peel and coriander. Taste like oranges simmered on a frying pan and then dipped in alcohol. I'm not getting a whole lot more flavors, BUT it may just be that my palate isn't a refined as someone who might be able to tell all the differences well. This is not a turn off though at all, in fact I think its great that it tastes similar to regular blue moon, and that it gets me warm twice as quick. It's definetly full bodied, and is carbonated in moderation.
I see that this brew is not getting that great of press for what its supposed to be, a "grand cru", but I think that it might have something to do with it being affiliated with a macro. To me, its regular blue moon with an alcohol kick, what's not to like about that?! At least Coors is trying, lets give them that won't we?

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2012 10:34:23 | More by HighballurRollby

sholland119

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

After a few days off from blind beers, time to get a couple more in tonight. Blind #4 from johnbjaeger is a bomber, into my New Holland glass and Vickie Devil's Backbone snifter.

A-Pour is a hazy golden apricot. A light effervescent white head does not stick around long. 3.5

S-Some banana and clove notes here, a bit light. Bottle says 8.2% but nose says hefeweizen...I think. 3.5

T-Fruity, with apricot and banana, a modest amount of boozy heat in the finish and a nice bready malt base. 4.0

M-Medium bodied, light carbonation. 3.5

O-Pretty decent beer overall. 3.5

HV

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2012 01:41:49 | More by sholland119

Treyliff

West Virginia

3.35/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

2010 bottle. Transfered over from old tasting notebook. I bought a bottle of this because I am a fan of Blue Moon, so I hoped that this one would be even better, not so much.

It pours a hazy orange- copper color with a small white head and little lacing. Smell is very similar to original blue moon, citrus, coriander, grains, a bit more alcohol on this one. Taste of citrus, grains, slight hops presence, not what I had hoped for. Alcohol is definitely more noticeable. Mouthfeel is decent.

This is still a decent brew, but for the money I paid for the bottle, I would just rather drink regular Blue Moon.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2012 18:09:57 | More by Treyliff

gtermi

Texas

2.93/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: This beer has a very cloudy orangish red with a little lace around the glass. Too me it looks like an apple cider.

S: There is a lot of citrus fruit on the nose. The biggest part of the nose is the orange and coriander. I am also getting banana, some apple and some slight pineapple.

T: Man I was really expecting a lot more from this beer. It is very watery, with some malt. It has a little bit of a coriander taste the more it lingers in your mouth, but I was expecting it to have a lot of flavor after the smell was so nice.

M: Very crisp and sort of burnt going down. I was hoping for it to be smoother like other witbier.

O: The appearance and smell of this beer were very nice. It caught my attention and got me excited to drink this beer.... but then the taste made me remember that Coors makes this beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2011 05:04:17 | More by gtermi

tdm168

North Carolina

3.03/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a dark, hazy orangish-yellow with a thin, foamy, fizzy lacing of head that fades very quickly. The nose is dominated by orange zest with undertones of lemongrass and faint clove. The taste is also orange-heavy with faint clove spice and alcohol esters. This one is overly carbonated bordering on fizzy which detracts from the overall mouthfeel. It's medium bodied and smooth.

Ultimately, this is drinkable, but there's nothing here that would have me putting a "Grand Cru" title on it. For me this is nothing more than an amped up version of the original with more booze and a ton of orange zest.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2011 15:35:05 | More by tdm168

karait95

Mexico

3.55/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: nice pale orange color, with a rich carbonation for a medium head that dissipates after not much time leaving a small layer on top of the beer, the body is very cloudy as should be and looks not light.

S: Some orange peel and the spiciness of the type is present but is not as intense as expected maybe due to the high level of alcohol.

T: the wheat is the first thing and the alcohol flavor is also firm, some coriander can be sense

M: the mouth-feel is not bad, even that always the alcohol can cause a little of rejection in the mouth, it start basically with the characteristic sweetness but turns a little to a bittersweetness with a nice ending.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2011 04:44:35 | More by karait95

Crossmd

Virginia

3.4/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured probably 55 degrees Fahrenheit into a Tom Collins. No born date.

Pours a muddled orange with yellow rims. Comes with a one finger white head that dissipates into a thin ring. No lacing.

Smells of sweaty metal. A hint of wheat in there, not really all that appealing though.

Taste is pleasantly surprising after the nose. A soft and pillowy mouthfeel supports a citrus character unseen in typical Blue Moons, if still not exactly there in force. Teritary hints of coriander and Belgian yeast poke through. Enjoyable though, if rather trite.

Overall, I think this gets much closer to a real Belgian style, compared to what Coors typically calls a "Belgian." I want to hate this just because it absolutely isn't enough to be called a "Grand Cru," and isn't that flavorful in general. If standard Blue Moon Belgian was more like this, I would be a lot happier with them. Something about it for me personally though, is just really appealing. The softly pillowy mouthfeel, the higher sugar content. It feels mass produced, and probably is, but it's inoffensively populist and despite this, I really did enjoy it, as soon as I could curb my beer snobbery and start to see it as something really sort of unique. That being said, I definitely will not be spending $8 USD for another bomber of this.

84.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2011 19:34:50 | More by Crossmd

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.3/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

PIcked up a bottle of this and I suppose I was hoping for something special here. This poured out as a hazy orange color with a white head on top much like the regular Blue Moon does. The smell of the beer had some light citrus aromas and wheat in there. The taste of the beer is pretty typical of what blue moon is, it's got some light spice notes and a little bit of citrus fruit in there. The mouthfeel of this beer was drinkable but also pretty light. OVerall it's not somehting I'd put the name Grand Cru on. It just didn't wow me enough.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2011 01:37:34 | More by Knapp85

oberon

North Carolina

3.13/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

I split this with my wife last,I was hoping this would be a more complex larger version og the standard,I was wrong.Pourred into atulip glass a hazed orange with a decent white fluffy head atop.Sweet aromas of artificial fruit,a little toasted cereal grain th there as well.Much sweeter than the the standard but the alcohol isnt in your face,again that artificial fruit flavor and toasted cereal in the finish.I didnt really care for the beer but its not awful,its just not worthy of the price I paid for it.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2011 12:31:16 | More by oberon

KansasBeerLover

Kansas

3.13/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Found some of these bombers on close-out for $1.99.

Poured in a Sam Adams glass. First pour was wheat to dark amber in color with some cloud. Second pour was more orange with considerable sediment from the orange and some yeast.

Minimal head, which rapidly disappeared. Some carbonation, but not enough to replenish the head. No lacing.

Smell was orange with a trace of hops and spices, all weak.

Taste was orange with wheat, spices and a touch of sweet malt.

Mouthfeel was medium, a little coarse in the second pour from the orange sediment. Some alcohol present.

Overall - a decent beer. Drinkable, but not overly strong on any aspect. A step up from Blue Moon. A great buy at the discounted price.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2011 20:42:01 | More by KansasBeerLover

JMad

Texas

3.08/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

I drank this from a tulip...

Pours a hazy golden orange color with a small white head. There are very faint aromas of orange, wheat, lemon and alcohol. The taste is mostly alcohol along with orange, pineapple and lemon. This beer is light and warming with a rush of carbonation. I didn't enjoy this beer, the alcohol was way too dominant.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2011 21:20:59 | More by JMad

OCBeerBaron

California

3.33/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A- Pours ok with a noticeable orange hue. Lots of bubble action with what looks like orange pulp floating all around but it's just the unfiltered nature of this beer.

S- smells like you'd think, citrus.

T- Average taste, has a little more bite than standard Blue Moon.

M- Thick feel to it, goes down easy.

O- I'll pick up another bottle as long as it's around $5 like I paid for it today.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2011 04:39:44 | More by OCBeerBaron

SWMeyer4141

Texas

3.6/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Found this bottle for 2.49 for 750ml at a local liquor store so grabbed one, thinking the wife would like to split it with me, and she liked it.

Poured into a pint glass without an Orange.

Appearance-Cloudy light orangy/brown. Plenty of floaties. 2 finger off white head that dissipates almost immediately, no lacing.

Smell-Orange and Bananas. Some Pepperiness in there as well.

Taste-Sweet malts upfront with some orange. Finish is very hefeweizen like with some banana, clove, pepper. Slight bitterness.

Mouthfeel-Light to medium bodied, little watery. Medium amount of carbonation.

Overall-This beer reminded me that some BMCs can be pretty good. I don't love it, but for 2.49 a 750 I'll have another if theres any left.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2011 20:41:59 | More by SWMeyer4141

gpogo

California

3.6/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- Hazy dark golden orange body with large white head that dissipates quickly to a foam ring.

A- Smells very similar to a blue moon with an orange in it. Notes of corriander are a bit more than blue moon. Sweet orange smell, rather nice.

T- Very similar in flavor to a Blue Moon. Orange flavor is also much more present. The alcohol is definitely more noticeable, not hidden at all, but not a bad. Gives it a spicier finish.

M- Medium body moderate carbonation.

D- Eh, for the price I have seen this it isn't worth it. If you like Blue Moon and want to try something with more concentrated flavor and alcohol check it out.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2011 20:21:59 | More by gpogo

Snamnoum

Georgia

3.18/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Appearance - color of golden unpopped corn, tons of sediment make this brew very hazy. Very effervescent, produced three fingers of white head which subsided quickly and left no lace.

Smell - mildly phenolic with hints of cloves, orange, citrus, and pepper, coriander, butterscotch, and a hint of bananas

Taste - begins with sweet pale malt. In the middle is more sweetness from honey and orange zest. A touch of buttery diacetyl and then a tart and dry finish. Enjoyable and drinkable.

Mouthfeel - medium bodied and heavy for a Belgian White. Aggressively carbonated and a tad bit prickly on the tongue but transitions into a creamy finish.

Overall - a highly drinkable beer for the abv. The alcohol is hidden well. I cracked this beer open not expecting much but this is not a terrible beer. Definitely not incredible, authentic, or rememberable but not bad. Basically an amped up version of the original. Over priced for what it is.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2011 21:39:45 | More by Snamnoum