Blue Moon Valencia Amber Ale - Coors Brewing Company

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.31/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.25

12 ounce bottle - $1.49 at Total Wine & More in Kennesaw, Georgia.

Date code: JUL1513.

Appearance: Pours out an amber-hued body, great clarity, with a not-so-great, very thin, white head.

Smell: Sweetish scent of toffee atop bready, scantly grainy malts with just a tickling of wheat and a juicy orange topnote.

Taste: Toffee-laced, bready grains, moderately sweet adjoined to a sip of everyday OJ. Minimal hop character, bitterness. Slight wheaty accent here and there. Orange peel taste on the back-half and into the drying, zippy finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium-plus carbonation.

Overall: While the VAA is not exactly bad, I just wasn't exactly keen on the flavors presented here.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2013 00:17:00 | More by ChainGangGuy

UCLABrewN84

California

3.06/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

Best before 6/24/13.

Label calls this one Valencia Grove Amber.

Pours a clear orange with a foamy tan head that settles to a partial film on top of the beer. Foamy dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, caramel, and a slight citrus aroma. Taste is much the same with earthy, spice flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of spice bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with an almost flat mouthfeel. Overall, this is an average beer that is fairly drinkable but sort of boring all around.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 05:07:34 | More by UCLABrewN84

Mora2000

Texas

3/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

The beer pours an amber color with a white head. The aroma is grain, bread and a little bit of orange. The flavor is more of the same, with quite a bit of sweetness from the toffee and bread malt. There is a hint of orange, but basically this is just a beer full of grainy sweetness. Thin mouthfeel and medium carbonation. Certainly nothing special.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2012 04:19:51 | More by Mora2000

zeff80

Missouri

3.16/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A - Poured out a clear copper color with a one-finger, khaki colored head of foam. It left little to no lacing.

S - It smelled of oranges, lots of them. Some toasty notes.

T - It tasted of orange - less strong than the aroma. Some sweet caramel and toffee.

M - It was crisp, sharp and smooth. A medium bodied ale with a dry finish.

O - This was interesting, but I don't think I need to have another one.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 22:44:34 | More by zeff80

metter98

New York

2.71/5  rDev -12%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2.75

A: The beer is clear light amber in color and has a moderate amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a finger high off white head that died down, leaving a thin layer of bubbles covering the surface and a collar around the edge of the glass.
S: Light aromas of caramel malts, wheat and orange citrus are present in the nose.
T: The taste is similar to the smell but the mixture of flavors isn't very pleasant.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: I didn't really enjoy the combination of flavors as they didn't seem to have a good balance that were palatable to your taste buds.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 22:35:55 | More by metter98

Billolick

New York

3.03/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.75

12 ounce bottle, w/o freshness info. Part of the "seasonal collection", not sure which season they are talking about.

LOOK: Pours clear amber, with a copper hue. Light tan head, that stays, leaves a thicker collar and moderate thicker blobs of lace.

SMELL: Notes of oranges dominate the nose.

TASTE: Oranges again come to mind. With some bready/toasty notes. With a strange, burnt plastic note in the finish...nasty

FEEL: Medium, with carbonation on point for the style

OVERALL: Meh, fake "craft beer", fake "seasonal" beer. Would do, in a pinch, ice cold on a hot day, or not.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2013 23:52:01 | More by Billolick

BlackHaddock

United Kingdom (England)

3.61/5  rDev +17.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

'Valencia Grove Amber' on my label: drank 5 Feb 2013 in my hotel room in San Francisco. The 12 ounce bottle was chilled with ice in the wash basin and poured twice into a plastic beaker.

I found this OK: good amber hue to the body and an off-white head that didn't want to hang around for very long.

Flavour wise it had a pleasant orangey feel within what is a malty brew that has very little hop action in the nose or taste.

I prefer maltier, semi-sweet brews and this fitted my profile fairly well. One of the best beers from Coors I've had either side of the Atlantic.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 10:14:54 | More by BlackHaddock

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

2.03/5  rDev -34.1%
look: 4 | smell: 1.75 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

I love being able to buy singles. I can then review the beer and if such is my wont, I can buy more of the same. I am not a fan of buyer's remorse, which is what generally ensues when I buy in quantity.

From the bottle: "This copper-colored ale is crafted with roasted malts, Valencia orange peel, and a touch of wheat for a smooth taste with notes of citrus."; "Our Valencia Grove Amber is crafted with roasted malts, Valencia orange peel, and a touch of wheat for an uplifting orange, caramel aroma. It's the perfect inspiration for taking advantage of the season."; "Taste Responsibly" is negated by the presence of a fruit slice garnishing the glass. I thought that it already tastes of orange - are they suggesting a) gilding the lily, b) adding a different fruit or are they just mindless?

Onward! My initial pour netted me two-plus fingers of fizzy, tawny head with negligible retention. Nose was soft, definitely with a wheat presence underlain by a light citrusiness. Color was a deep amber/light copper with NE-quality clarity. Mouthfeel was soft and silky, terms that I usually do not associate with Blue Moon. The only problem was its lack of any real flavor. I did not get caramel either on the nose or in the mouth and the orange was so lacking as to constitute a waste of the Valencia orange peel prominently mentioned on the label. Finish was semi-dry, but so what? The astounding lack of discernible flavor left me wanting more. Not more of this, but more beer, like one with something that I could taste. This was as bland as white bread.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 18:29:51 | More by woodychandler

kojevergas

California

2.23/5  rDev -27.6%
look: 2.25 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.25

12 fl oz brown glass bottle with branded screw-top cap served into a Uinta pilsner glass in me gaff in low altitude Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live. Expectations are average; a lot of people like to bash Coors, but I think Blue Moon isn't all that bad. 5.9% ABV confirmed. Best before 06/03/13.

Served straight from the fridge. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated; hell it'll probably be overcarbonated.

A: Pours a three finger, beige colour, thin head of no cream and below average (~1 minute) retention. Body colour is a yellow-copper. Semitransparent; translucent.

Sm: No yeast or alcohol comes through. Light light light caramel malt. Light amber malts. A touch buttery. Light to mild in strength.

T: Buttery toffee. Light caramalt. Clean barley. No yeast notes or alcohol come through. Imbalanced and mediocre. Simple. Lacks complexity or subtlety. Kinda crappy, to be honest. Clean. Maybe - maybe - a touch of brief orange; but it's as crap an orange note as you'll ever find.

Mf: Smooth, wet, light, and poorly carbonated. Not crisp enough for the style. Suits the flavour profile poorly. Clean, at least.

Dr: Drinkable but severely underwhelming. Dareisay crappy - and I do. Yeah, this kinda sucks. Definitely wouldn't get this again. It's far worse than ordinary Blue Moon. ABV is hidden alright. Another poor beer from Blue Moon.

High D

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 05:30:33 | More by kojevergas

mactrail

California

2.76/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.5

Pours a handsome amber color with a very thin foam in the big Duvel tulip. A whiff of custard. Lightly carbonated with fine bubbles. The mouthfeel is thickish. Something like malt with some caramel. Reminds me of Hawaiian bread, kind of sweet and doughy.

I don't taste oranges specifically, but there is a citrus tang. It's more like a fruity bitterness with a touch of yeast. I can't say there is anything really wrong with this, it just has an odd, persistent flavor without much beery refreshing quality. No trace of hops, which would be odd for an Amber Ale, if that's what this is. It seems more like a bleary and bloated Witbier. From the 12 oz bottle bought at Ralph's Supermarket in San Clemente.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2013 05:46:58 | More by mactrail

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

3.19/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.25

LOOK: Clear copper color with a white film on top.

SMELL: Wheat malts, bread, dusty musty aroma. Some orange soda like scents eventually emerge as well as some floral hops. An interesting nose.

TASTE: Wheat and a good bit of citrus. Mild bitter hop touches and finishes with a snap of tangy orange peel. Soft citrus skin comes through in the taste. This is a mild ale but the orange flavors grow increasingly evident as it warms. In the summer I can see this as an ideal beverage to drink ice cold out of a cooler during a cookout or something.

FEEL: Medium bodied, well carbonated and spritzy. There is a lingering finish of orange peel and citrus oils that coat the palate.

OVERALL: Not bad, and def drinks easy. For those not fond of oranges, steer clear.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 23:03:10 | More by Stinkypuss

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

3.29/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

I picked this up a part of a mix-a-six at Giant in Linglestown, poured chilled into a tulip.

The color is copper with good clarity and thick tan cap with average sized bead and stringy lace. The smell has a bready aroma with mild yeast and malt esters with light citrus tinge. Mouthfeel is gently malty entry with semi-high carbonation and mild sweetness with light yeast tanginess and semi-dry finish with light alcohol presence.

The flavor has a slight nutty toastiness with mildly malty and slightly caramel notes with mild citrus element in the background with a gentle yeast creaminess and element of biscuit in the finish. Overall, not too bad, but this was pretty plain and ordinary which is not something I would want to purchase again- just ok drinkability wise.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2013 17:02:31 | More by Slatetank

Bitterbill

Wyoming

2.8/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Sampler bottle.

It pours a deep amber with a nice head of foam and very good lacing.

It smells malty, bready, with a light note of some hop citrus.

The taste is malty but not overly sweet, grainy-of bread, slightly nutty, almost no hop bitterness. Dull.

Not offensive but not something I'd turn to. I'm glad I paid 0$ for the bottle.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2012 16:58:20 | More by Bitterbill

tdm168

North Carolina

3/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

With dinner at Olive Garden. From the bottle.

A - advertised as copper ale; from the rim it appears to be a as advertised

S - smells a bit grainy with big caramel aromas and some faint citrus

T - big, sticky caramel followed by a quick, faint chocolate malt note and finishes with a sweet, citrus character

M - very crisp, overcarbonated, the carbonation messes with the flavors on the palate

This is a bit boring. It's also unbalanced. The flavor is dominated by the boring caramel malts and the citrus is an afterthought. I'll definitely pass on this in the future.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 21:01:25 | More by tdm168

dbrauneis

New Jersey

2.61/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2.5

A: Pours a clear light to medium amber in color with moderate amounts of visible carbonation and some golden orange highlights. The beer has a half finger tall light beige head that quickly reduces to a very thin film covering about half of the surface of the beer with a thin ring at the edges of the glass. Light amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Light to moderate aromas of caramel malts with just a light touch of orange citrus though there is something slightly artificial about it. Some notes of wheat as well.

T: Very similar to the smell, there are light to moderate flavors of wheat and caramel malts upfront with some lighter notes of orange/citrus (though it is not a citrus hop but more of an artificial orange flavor). Light bitterness that fades pretty quickly.

M: Light to medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation.

O: I did not have very high expectations for this beer but I was still slightly disappointed - I really like Valencia oranges and I could not really detect that smell or flavor at all. Easy to drink but really nothing special and the flavors do not seem to integrate well together.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2013 23:06:39 | More by dbrauneis

budgood1

Minnesota

3.13/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

pours out perfect amber colour with a modest off white head leaving a little lace. aroma of lightly caramel tinged roasted malts and a touch of citrus. the flavour profile runs to the sweet side...fairly rich caramel maltiness...a little on the nutty side with hints of orange/citrus for a refreshing splash. decent enough for a blue moon offering. overall body is medium, with a lightly textured mouthfeel making for ease of drinkability.

overall about what one might expect from the blue moon line up. a fairly tasty beer with some residual sweetness and a quasi inspirational profile. oh well...sort of hit the spot after a hard day at work.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2012 23:01:42 | More by budgood1

jera1350

Minnesota

3.15/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Burnt orange color with a thin head on top.

Very BMC like smell with some wheat and orange peel notes.

A heavier wheat presence with orange. Not actually too bad. A touch of hops on the back side.

Carbonation feel is great, lighter medium body, very dry finish.

Drinks easily, just not the most interesting. The orange is evident and the overall beer would be on the slightly adventerous side of novice. Could see how people would like it for warmer temps.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 22:18:26 | More by jera1350

HalfFull

California

3.13/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12 oz. twistoff bottle poured into a pint glass. Pours a clear copper/light amber with a slightly off white cap of foam which offers moderate retention.

Nose has a light hop presense but tends more towards a light pumpkin ale and with some added cinnamon in the mix along with some subdued caramel notes. Taste follows with a light caramel influence and some remote hop spice. While light in body it remains fairly well balanced. Aroma expands with warming to a degree.

Decent feel with a supportive carbonation. Touch of orange and lighttly sweet and smoky malt on the finish. Overall a bit subdued as expected but worth some merit.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2013 07:04:38 | More by HalfFull

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.58/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from bottle into pint glass

Appearance –A light copper mixed with amber color. It formed a huge white head upon pouring which lasted with some persistence, leaving a little bit of lacing.

Smell – Mainly malty in nature with some nice biscuit and caramel aromas. While those are the heavier aromas, there is a little bit of orange citrus aroma in it the smell as well that is more prevalent toward the end of the smell.

Taste – Sweet malt is present up front. It consists of a mix of breadiness and some orange as well. The citrus and a bit of more bitter lemon seem to come into play more toward the end of the flavor profile. These citrus and lemon taste lessen the presence of the maltiness originally present, but leave a very nice taste in the mouth.

Mouthfeel –A medium bodied brew with a lighter level of carbonation. Very normal, but not bad.

Overall – This brew has a nice citrus and malt flavor, but lacks some complexity. It is very easy to drink and definitely not a bad brew. Well worth a try and one I hope Blue Moon keeps in the rotation.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2012 02:46:53 | More by Darkmagus82

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

2.5/5  rDev -18.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Light amber/iced tea color. Surprisingly crystal clear. Inch and a half of foam on top. Held pretty well, too.

Prominent coriander and pilsner-like malt grassiness. Faint citrus peel. Hop bitterness comes through, partly lost in metallic notes. Missing a more prominent ale yeast profile. Lager-y.

I taste bitterness, fake citrus, and nickels. Very thin wheat profile, thin malts in general. Hops haven't really contributed to flavor other than some grassiness. Hard to imagine that they were going for an orange-y amber ale. Shaking my head over here.

A little too fizzy, but the body isn't terribly thin. Dextrin-y for this style.

Biggest penalty incurred right here. Poor. Avoid.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 05:18:24 | More by thecheapies

hosehead83

Ohio

3.21/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Poured from a 12oz. bottle into a standard pint glass.
Clear gold in color, with a decent head of off-white foam.
Aroma-Toasted malt, faint orange note
Taste-Orange zest, toasted malt, wheat note. A bit thin-bodied and not-quite balnced. An o.k. offering.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 16:56:43 | More by hosehead83

kangarooAdam59

Maine

3.05/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

August 05, 2013:

In a pint glass:

A: clear amber colored body yielding a decent sized two finger white foamy head that quickly recedes leaving some nice speckled foamy lacing surrounding the sides of the pint glass. Some fast rising carbonation is seen.

S: orange, lemon, caramel and coriander coming through a slightly bland sort of way.

T: bland again through light roasty bitterness.

M: light to medium, sessionable, carbonation slightly felt, aftertaste and finish has a bland dry nuttiness.

O: I'm not really into this beer, and its just an average beer for its style. There's too many other good American Reds that I'd probably have over this. However, it looks great in my pint glass.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2013 14:18:43 | More by kangarooAdam59

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

3.51/5  rDev +14%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from bottle into tulip. Pours a golden amber with a finger of head. Sweet caramel and slight citrus aroma...taste is the same. Its got lots of sweetness. Its slightly citrus but nice. Glad to see a little alcohol in a blue moon brew...
Its a good decent brew...not amazing but good

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 02:08:55 | More by DrinkSlurm

RonaldTheriot

Louisiana

3.73/5  rDev +21.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Blue Moon Valencia Amber Ale has a thick, light beige head and a somewhat hazy amber appearance with minimal lacing. The aroma is pronounced- sweet, brown bread and a touch of citrus. Taste is of sweet brown bread, caramel, some slight citrus, a touch of hop bitterness, and alcohol. There’s an underlying cloying sweetness to this, which evokes malt liquor. Mouthfeel is medium and somewhat fluffy, and Blue Moon Valencia Amber Ale finishes semi-dry and relatively easy drinking. Overall, this is a good and interesting beer.

RJT

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2012 21:29:54 | More by RonaldTheriot

Fatehunter

Oregon

3.04/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Almost a finger of head on a dark amber colored body.
The aroma is a mild grain and orange zest. Mild though.
The taste is mildly bitter with moderate sweetness. Bland.
The texture is crisp with moderate to high carbonation.
A lack of depth and flavor keeps this back.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2013 02:00:28 | More by Fatehunter