Moon Man - New Glarus Brewing Company

THANAT0PSIS

Wisconsin

4.2/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance-Moon Man pours a beautiful, light, crystal-clear golden color akin to light apple juice or, negative connotations aside, urine. Perched atop this marvelous looking beer is a roughly 3/4" pure white head that looks almost like soap suds; this head has staying power, too (far too long for me to wait for it to dissipate, thanks to the delightful aroma, but we'll get to that later). This impressive white color is also present in the equally staunch lacing that is left behind with each sip. Carbonation is typically not something this taster likes to mention, but the effervescence in this specimen is plainly visible, and the bubbles just keep coming; if this beer were a bit lighter, one could almost confuse if for champagne.

Aroma-This is a strong-smelling ale; the extremely citrus, almost tropical notes leap out of the bottle the second the top is popped, and continue to pour out of the glass long after the beer is consumed. There are hints of a grassy scent, but floral and citrus (lemon?) aromas dominate the nose of this ale. Apple notes are also present, though minimally.

Taste-The nose doesn’t lie: this beer is bursting with citrus flavor from orange to lemon and beyond. The apple that was only hinted at in the smell is more pronounced in the aftertaste of this beer. The harmony that the hops come together to create is quite tasty and refreshing. There are few malty flavors to be found, despite what the label states. Again, comparisons to champagne could be made, though they mayn’t be as accurate as with appearance. The only problem with this pale ale is that it lacks the bitterness that some hopheads may be expecting out of a beer so named.

Mouthfeel-The fizziness and creaminess are the main things to note as far as mouthfeel is concerned. The medium body hosts a creaminess that really is delightful (perhaps due to the malts that are not as present in the taste). As previously mentioned, there is no bitter, hoppy aftertaste that some drinkers may crave.

Overall-This is an impressive brew from the usually spot-on New Glarus company. It is a choice beer for Spring and Summer, as its refreshing, citrusy, smooth, and, most importantly, drinkable nature screams to be enjoyed on the porch on a sunny 60º day. Additionally, because of its relatively low 5.0% ABV (by craft beer standards), Moon Man is a great session beer. As the label states, "Don’t let this one lay around;" it would take immense restraint to allow oneself to do so. 17.5/20

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2012 21:20:05 | More by THANAT0PSIS

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