Old Combine 4-Grain Lager - Moonlight Brewing Company

largadeer

California

4.38/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Toronado. Pale golden-amber in color with a small but lasting head. The body has a hazy, unfiltered, slightly chewy look to it.

Clean malt and yeast dominated aroma, delicate and mild. Light spiciness with herbal hoppiness, hints of lemon oil.

Flavors are delicate and complex; the spiciness of the rye is immediately evident, but it's at balance with the sweeter, cleaner barley malt flavors. A grassy and herbal hop character is surprisingly prominent too, right up there with the malt and leaving a firm bitterness on the tongue in the finish. Quaffable and complex with a silky mouthfeel, this is one of the more enjoyable American lagers out there.

Serving type: on-tap

05-01-2010 21:56:40 | More by largadeer

popery

California

4.13/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Tap, City Beer Store. Glowing medium gold in color with a small white head that fades mostly. Looks thick and rich for a lager. Not a big smell, but it's all clean lager yeast and rich, fresh grain. Flavor is mostly dry with grassy hop notes. The yeast flavor dominates when the beer is cold, but as it warms up, the wonderful grain flavor comes out more. Moonlight makes the best light, pale malt flavors I've ever tasted. The mouthfeel is relatively thick and luxurious for a pale lager. The beer drinks very cleanly, but the feel is still quite full. Very drinkable as with all of Moonlight's beers.

I adjusted scores up a bit given the style comparison, but the scores should probably go up even more. It's not the best beer in the world, but it's a ton better than any other American Pale Lager that I've tried.

Serving type: on-tap

04-03-2010 04:44:16 | More by popery

Georgiabeer

Georgia

3.88/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this on-tap at Toronado in San Francisco. Pours golden withb a very thin head- wispy white, and some scant lacing. This is a four grained beer, and there are some elements of the different grains, but to me, the lager yeast somewhat overpowers the grain subtleties. Smells grainy with strong notes of lager yeast, and some sweetness from the grain. Tastes slightly sweet and grainy with a smooth almost slick feel. There aresome spicy notes from the rye, and some earthy and citrusy hops. Very well rounded. Very smooth in the mouth. I have to say, this beer grew on me as I continued to drink it and it opened up. The lager yeast that was so forward through much of the beer started to take more of a back seat role. I wish it had been that way all along.

Serving type: on-tap

08-25-2009 04:00:42 | More by Georgiabeer

Natural510

Ohio

3.4/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours the prototypical pale gold of a lager with decent enough head & lacing.
A bit of grassy malt to the nose, otherwise not much scent worth noting.
Crisp, somewhat sweet and grainy in flavor with a mild hop note in the finish.
Easily drinkable, if not distinctive. This will do in a pinch if you're in the mood for a lager, otherwise not worth seeking out.

Serving type: on-tap

08-13-2009 01:24:24 | More by Natural510

illidurit

California

3.88/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

RBSG09 on tap at Toronado SF. Pours an orangey gold color with a nice lasting white head. Earthy aroma with some grassy hops, spicy rye, and light malts. Flavor is toasty and grainy with a super crisp grassy hop finish. Lightly bitter and satisfyingly dry. Another good one from Moonlight.

Serving type: on-tap

07-14-2009 07:12:07 | More by illidurit

Halcyondays

California

3.85/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at Beachwood BBQ,

A: Pours a light amber, with a thin white head, has some nice lacing though.

S: Very bready, some spice, light hoppiness.

T: Very spicy on the first taste, probably from the rye, then the other malts come in and balance the spice with notes of freshly baked multi-grain bread. Grassy hop notes finish the beer.

M: Light and crisp, smooth, high carbonation, creamy.

D: A really nice lager from Moonlight, interesting with all the different grain used, definitely a different flavour profile than in any lager I've ever had.

Serving type: on-tap

04-24-2008 04:04:13 | More by Halcyondays

jwolfie70

California

4.2/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Had on tap at Jupiter in Berkeley. I was told that this is a four grain beer (barley, wheat, rye and oatmeal I believe). I was expecting a dark syrupy concoction, and was surprised when a light butterscotch lager was presented. It has a limited head when it reached my table, but had decent lacing. The beer was nice and crisp and refreshing, with several layers of complexity, as the spicyness of the Rye showed through, as well as the bready sweetness of the oatmeal. The hops seemed toned down, but I imagine this may be on purpose to let the malts show through.

This is a great lager. Just do not expect a large beer. I would love to get bottles of this for a tailgate on a hot day if they existed.

Serving type: on-tap

04-23-2008 22:14:21 | More by jwolfie70

m1ked

California

3.43/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Had this in santa Rosa after leaving RR, right around the corner is a restaurant with a bar that serves only Moonlight brews on tap. Place is called Flavor.

A- Clear butterscotch color with a 1.5" white foamy head, with adhering lace.

S- Bitter grainy notes with some sweet biscuit. Slight metallic hint.

T- Light malty sweet forward, followed by light biscuit/cracker. Some bitterness cuts right through.

M- Active bubbles all the way down. Crisp & refreshing.

D- Easily sessionable, no etoh heat makes it easy to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

04-08-2008 04:01:08 | More by m1ked

flexabull

California

4/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

From some notes scribbled at the Toronado...

Pours a light and clear brown color with a faint head.

Aromas are light, bready, crisp, and biscuit like.

Beer is smoky and spicy flavored. Almost reminds me a bit of steam beer. Some bready rye like flavors, slightly creamy and tea like malt flavors, and a light bitter and sharp hop bite.

Mouthfeel is good and full. Carbonation is about right, this feel about right in the mouth.

Drinkability is good. This is a tasty and interesting session worthy beer. I like the smoky rye flavors. I was tempted to have another, but it's tough when you are staring at the impressive beer board at the Toronado.

Serving type: on-tap

03-23-2008 06:25:17 | More by flexabull

rastaman

United Kingdom (England)

2.78/5  rDev -28.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Tap, Toronado, San Fransisco. Not bad for a lager, i had this pegged as a really weak APA, lemon, with some piney citric bitterness, not too bad as far as pale lagers go, and definitely one of the better American lagers i had on my trip, quite decent in the end.

Serving type: on-tap

09-18-2004 09:53:22 | More by rastaman