Twist Of Fate Bitter Ale - Moonlight Brewing Company

womencantsail

California

4.1/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On cask at Toronado

A: The beer pours an amber in color with a nice tall, creamy, white head.

S: Probably a bit more hoppy than the typical English ESB, but I like that. Nice foral hops with a light citrus character. Plenty of bready malts with a heavy toast character.

T: Starts off with a lot of bready malts and a light toast. A moderate bitterness to the beer which helps to break up the somewhat sweet nature of the malts. Floral hops and a touch of citrus also assist in that.

M: Medium in body with a smooth, slightly creamy mouthfeel.

O: Really a nice beer. One of the better Moonlight offerings and one I wanted to have after a long break from Moonlight beers.

Serving type: cask

06-26-2011 05:06:53 | More by womencantsail

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On cask at Toronado San Francisco in August 2009. Reviewed from notes.

Pours a nice amber-copper with a big white head and quite a bit of lacing. The nose is pretty hoppy with a big of lighter malt in the background. Good pine, earthy, and floral notes. The taste is not quite as nice as the nose, but works quite well. Nice crisp and bitter feel. A really nice ESB; one of the better ones that I've had.

Serving type: cask

11-14-2010 04:45:51 | More by Thorpe429

brentk56

North Carolina

4.63/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Arrives at the bar with a hazy amber color and a modest head that coats the pint glass with lacing

Smell: A fruity aroma of apricot and lychee wafts above the underlying earthy brown bread base

Taste: The earthy brown bread malt flavors are quite distinct up front but the beer gets aggressively bitter by mid-palate with a pithy aspect that is almost sour; after the swallow, it is the fruity flavors from the aroma that arrive and really make the beer very enjoyable; a hint of dusty chocolate powder on the finish

Mouthfeel: Medium body with low carbonation

Drinkability: An extremely flavorful bitter that you just want to linger over rather than quaff; unique in the way that it is constructed

Serving type: cask

05-05-2007 13:11:24 | More by brentk56

Halcyondays

California

3.68/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

On-tap at the Beachwood BBQ, in Seal Beach, CA,

A: Dark red, with a thin, white to off-white head, pretty typical of a bitter.

S: Toasty malts, biscuits, toffee, with a crisp baked bread smell.

T: Very hoppy for a bitter with lots of pine, very peaty, almost thought it was a derivative of a Scotch-style ale. One of the bitterest bitters that I have ever had, would say it needs to be more mellow, like an English-style bitter, but it is hard to find other faults with this one, they just aren't there, in the taste.

M: Chewy and resiny, though quite smooth, like a bitter is, lowly carbonated, kind of has a light quality to it.

D: A good, well-made bitter, easy to drink, though not quite as quaffable as I would have hoped, a lighter English-style bitter is one of the most drinkable ales around, but overall, it is very good.

Serving type: on-tap

08-11-2007 22:02:22 | More by Halcyondays

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

It's interesting to me that this is more "abrasive" to me than the Bombay by Boat IPA. I suppose by that I mean more boisterous. Nice oily flavors to it. And I think I'll leave it at that. A well made beer. Intense on appropriate levels, but not really trying to be obnoxious. Another good one by Moonlight. An awesome brewery...apparently.

Serving type: on-tap

08-30-2012 17:06:40 | More by RblWthACoz

Viggo

Ontario (Canada)

4.33/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A pint of this on cask at the Toronado in San Fran.

Pours a mostly clear orange/brown, thick white head forms, great retention, leaves a solid ring around the glass, and some lace rings. Smell is great, caramel, bread and biscuits, floral, very malty, some light grains, raisins and strawberry, some grassy hops, dark fruits, real nice. Taste is a nice thick caramel malt base, grains, biscuit, some nice fruitiness, grass, raisins, finishes with a solid spicy bitterness, nicely balanced. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with low carbonation, very smooth, very good ESB. I could drink this stuff all night.

Serving type: cask

09-05-2008 20:44:01 | More by Viggo

corby112

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Draft at The Linkery in San Diego.

Pours a dark golden amber color with a one finger off white head that slowly fades into a lasting ring.  Spotty lacing left behind.

Floral, earthy aroma with a nice balance of piney and citrus hop notes.  Pine needle, grapefruit and orange peel along with some biscuity malt.

Fuller bodied than expected with a good balance of dry bitterness, citrus rind and sweet malt.  Slightly dry and resinous with some pine needle and floral notes countered by some grapefruit and orange peel. Decent malt backbone provides balance without taking away from the hops.  Slightly sweet with hints of caramel, subtle toffe and biscuit.  Well done.

Serving type: on-tap

01-25-2012 22:22:43 | More by corby112

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4.03/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at the Flavor Bistro last night.

The beer pours a dark amber color with very good head retention and lacing. The nose is very attractive in this one, though it also tends to show Moonlight Brewing's fondness for hops. In any event, I get aromas of wet wood, white pepper, underlying citrus and even a whiff of light sour. Flavors on the palate replicate the nose, except the beer has a very dry, roasty, bitter finish. Mouthfeel is pretty light, and you can tell right off that the alcohol is dialed down nicely in this beer. The beer finishes well, with the abv. very well disguised.

This is a very easy to drink ESB, albeit it clearly has considerably more bitterness then what you find in your typical English ESB. This, I would say, is an ESB for hopheads. Nothing wrong with that!

Serving type: on-tap

09-06-2009 14:48:02 | More by johnmichaelsen

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

4.45/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Came with a finger's worth of thick, deep tan head like a milkshake with good retention. Color was a deep amber with NE-quality clarity. Nose had a mild bitterness. Mouthfeel was so silky smooth that I barely registered it going down. The taste was mildly bitter, very English, not intense at all. Great lacing throughout. Finish was lip-smacking tasty. VERY pleasant, probably sessionable. Again, everyone should try a cask ale at least once in their lifetime.

Serving type: cask

12-24-2009 20:38:07 | More by woodychandler

HopHead84

California

4.47/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

8/14/2010

Cask at Toronado SF.

A: Deep amber a big frothy white head.

S: Displays a nice balance of malt and hops, biscuit and pine, with notes of earth. Hops are aggressive for a bitter. Citrus is very light.

T: Moderate bitterness with biscuit and toasted malt. Hop profile is grapefruit and pine. The finish is toasted biscuit and lingering pine.

M: Mouthfeel is great, smooth and sticky.

Overall: A delicious beer. Very bitter for the style and higher in ABV, but such improvements on a classic style are to be expected in California. I wish I had a pint of this in front of me right now.

Serving type: cask

09-09-2010 19:34:52 | More by HopHead84

Georgiabeer

Georgia

4.3/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Had this on cask at Toronado, poured from a hand pump. I've had this before on tap, and the cask just accentuates the lovely nature of this beer. Poured into a nonic, looks the classic english bitter. On the darker side with a fine, slightly grainy head and excellent lacing. Smells like a solid English bitter with the biscuity malt and light metallic bite as well as earthy hops. Beautifully balanced flavors of soft malts and earthy hops. Gentle, but memorable. Soft and oh so drinkable. This tastes like a bitter should.

Serving type: cask

06-30-2009 02:00:59 | More by Georgiabeer

RoyalT

Ohio

4/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance – This Bitter is a moderate brown in color with a huge, explosive, yeasty white head that showed the classic retention associated with the EB style.

Smell – The malts are lightly-toasted and very fresh. The yeast imparts some nice bready notes as well. The bittering hops can be found easily.

Taste – The big, toasty malts come out much stronger at the taste. There’s more bread and the bittering hops are honest.

Mouthfeel – This is shy of medium-bodied but bigger than light. The bittering feels a little different in the mouth but it’s a nice signature creation by the Moonlight brewers.

Drinkability – This is a good drinker. It’s a stiff bitter belt, but why the hell else do you order an EB?

Serving type: on-tap

03-27-2006 03:35:45 | More by RoyalT

largadeer

California

4.33/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

On cask at Toronado, this was an especially fresh pint.

Appearance: Copper colored with an inch of off-white foam that lasts and lasts.

Smell: Citrus, earth, a hint of toffee. Doesn't smell English at all, more like an American take on the classic English style.

Taste & mouthfeel: Citrusy with a big biscuity malt backbone. Very clean and dry, this definitely has an American yeast character to it, though it manages to retain a hint of that English character. The finish is dry and bitter - very bitter, in fact. The mouthfeel is unbelievable here; creamy and smooth with very light carbonation.

Notes: I loved every drop of this beer, and it certainly helped that the cask was very very fresh.

Serving type: cask

07-06-2008 19:31:43 | More by largadeer

TurdFurgison

Ohio

3.95/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Had on cask at Toronado's in mid July. The color was murky and auburn, almost opaque, looked pretty good.

I can't say the aroma did a lot for me, but it did smell about right for an English bitter. Kind of neutral leaning to the malty side.

The flavor was slightly malty sweet with a dry bitter after-taste. The carbonation was smooth and authentic (hand-pumped) real ale as if it was served in the UK. Overall not bad.

Serving type: cask

07-23-2006 13:41:38 | More by TurdFurgison

DefenCorps

Oregon

4.33/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

On handpump at the Toronado. What a remarkable beer.

Mildly hazy copper/amber with a dense, off-white head with excellent retention and gorgeous lacing, this beer is everything a cask beer should be. The nose is excellent too, a blend of toast, toffee and a beautiful hop character, lightly minty, earthy and complex. Opening with a citrus-mint hop combination, the delicate malt flavors take over mid-palate, with biscuit, toffee and a classic English yeast character. A combination of drying, hoppy bitterness and a creamy, dextrinous malt character is present on the finish, with the minty, herbal hop character being most dominant. Creamy on the palate with soft carbonation, this pint of beer lasted about 5 minutes. Oh, how I miss Moonlight!

Serving type: cask

01-09-2010 04:47:01 | More by DefenCorps

francisweizen

Australia

4.68/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Dark reddish amber with a small head of foam, just right for a cask ale. Aromas are all fresh citrusy hops and big bready malts in perfect unison. The hops are also a bit floral and spicy with their complexity. All UK hops? Who realy knows. I won't even guess, because I will most likely be dead wrong. After all Brian Hunt is a magician. The taste is so fresh, unique, refreshing, and tasty. Fresh citrusy hops and big doughy malts fight it out and complement one another in perfect unison. Mouthfeel is cask perfection, as is the drinkability of this one. I really can't believe, that I consumed this at a California beer bar. Shocking really. This is one of the best cask beers I have ever imbibed. I can't believe that this is not a UK brew! Try it and see for yourself. Magic, I say....Magic!

Serving type: cask

05-03-2005 09:38:14 | More by francisweizen

GClarkage

California

4.1/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

10/09/05- On cask at the Toronado in San Francisco, CA

Presentation- Via cask into a typical pint glass.

Appearance- Deep amber colored pour. Slightly murky with bits and pieces of yeast all around. Nice 1/2 inch creamy looking head and excellent clinging lace.

Smell- Very laid back scent. Nothing really jumps out at you. Bits of floral hops here and bits of mild toasted malt there.

Taste- Just as in the scent. A very mild and drinkable bitter. Nice rounded flavor of lightly toasted malt and a medium bitter twang from the hops. Maybe a touch of citrus flavor as well.

Mouthfeel- Almost smooth as silk. No carbonation, just a tiny touch of a watery feel.

Drinkability- Nice English Bitter which is very drinkable. Not to bitter, which is good once and a while.

Serving type: cask

10-10-2005 18:42:09 | More by GClarkage

ngeunit1

California

4.38/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - Served a clear copper-red color with a finger of frothy/creamy off-white head. The head fades down at a normal pace leaving behind some nice lacing.

S - Aroma is a mix of rich sweet lightly toasted caramel malts and some piney hops. There is also some biscuit/bready aromas in the background.

T - Starts off with a mix of rich sweet caramel malts and some piney hop bitterness in the background. Through the middle, a bit of biscuit flavors comes through with a touch more grassy hops flavor. The finish is a nice balance of sweetness from the caramel and bitterness from the hops that lingers nicely.

M - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. The beer felt very smooth and had very nice balance from start to finish.

D - Very drinkable. The malt hop balance here was very good. Really exactly what I was looking for in an ESB.

Serving type: cask

07-27-2011 06:46:45 | More by ngeunit1

Floydster

California

4.05/5  rDev 0%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pint for three dollars during happy hour at Toronado in San Francisco, consumed 8/13/08 after I got my sour ale fix, reviewed from notes

A-Color was a mix between copper and a medium brown, this beers was cloudy as it could possibly be coming out of that handpump, looked amazing, had 1 1/4 inch white foamy head, awesome retention, crazy lacing
S-Earthiness, lemons, toffee, orange peel, dirt, lots of hoppiness, some bready malt aromas, and straw
T-Taste begins with a whole lot of citrus, particularly juicy lemons, the middle is quite chewy with malts, both bready and biscuit-like, English malt in fact, lots of yeast that make it even dryer than it would be with its large amount of hops already, nicely balanced, gets easier to drink as it warms even more, less dry as time goes by and has an appealing citrusy flavor, malt is still there but mellows out, enjoyable
M-Bitter, somewhat chewy, and citrusy mouthfeel, medium bodied, creamy and smooth, nice level of carbonation, taste seem to linger for a very long time
D-Could have drank a few pints of this, light on the stomach, went down with very little effort being that it was served at room temperature, smooth and sessionable

First of all, I can never turn down a cask conditioned beer, and secondly I cannot turn down a beer from Moonlight, which is why this was a no brainer for me, one of the best beers I have tasted in this style, would love to drink again, recommended

Serving type: cask

08-29-2008 06:37:26 | More by Floydster

Hojaminbag

Colorado

3.65/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Twist of Fate bitter ale has a good look for a beer coming out of a hand-pump. A brown to dark red body has a creamy tan head that has solid retention and lacing.

The aroma is pretty hoppy with resin, pine, grass and a bit of grapefruit. The malt is pretty bready.

This is a super hoppy ESB. Loads more bitter resin and pine with bits of grass thrown in. Some grapefruit also. The malt is hiding in the background, proving just a little of bread flavor.

Great smooth, creamy cask feel.

Good beer that is almost all hops and nothing else.

Serving type: cask

10-01-2011 01:10:08 | More by Hojaminbag

nickd717

California

4.22/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

On cask at Toronado in San Francisco.

Pours a slightly hazy reddish-amber color with a nice creamy whitish head sitting on top. Great lacing.

Aroma is caramel, earth, and a nice citrusy and herbal hop profile.

Flavor is caramel malt, only mildly sweet, lots of earth, and hops. Citrus, resin, and herbs.

Body is medium and carbonation is fairly soft. Great dry, bitter finish.

Drinkability is excellent. You can session the hell out of this one (yes I know it's 5.6% ABV - deal with it, session beer fanatics). I am not a huge fan of the style, but this is definitely a good example.

Serving type: on-tap

01-25-2010 18:06:49 | More by nickd717

flexabull

California

4/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

On cask at the SF Toronado.

Pulls a bright and clear amber color with a pretty sizable off white head. Looks inviting.

Aromas are muted, but pleasant. Notes of earthy hops and slightly sweet brewed tea.

Taste is like the nose. A bit hoppier than expected though. Starts of with light creamy caramel sweetness, then settles into some slightly spicy brewed tea flavors. Finish has a nice hop bite, mostly an earthy and somewhat resiny quality.

Mouthfeel is full, without being heavy at all.

A bit strong for a traditional bitter, but this is really flavorful, and very satisfying to drink. Yet another winner from Moonlight.

Serving type: cask

05-08-2013 15:42:38 | More by flexabull

illidurit

California

3.75/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

On tap at 515 in Santa Cruz. Coppery amber color with a long lasting, creamy, tan head. Nice lacing. Aroma is nutty with caramel and maybe a little bit of orangey hop influence. Flavor is deep dark caramel and maple syrup up front which melts into a piney resinous hoppy finish. Moderate bitterness. A little heavy on the palate for the style. Pretty good beer overall.

Serving type: on-tap

06-14-2009 03:31:44 | More by illidurit

scottfrie

California

3.9/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at Beer Revolution.
A: Served a very cloudy iced-tea color with a thin white head that faded to sticky lace.
S: Light notes of honey, pale roasted grains, lager yeast and a touch peppery spices.
T: Honey sweetness is there but not strong. Pale grains, citrus rind hops, and a touch of grass/hay come through. Light in flavor with nothing really standing out. Bitter aftertaste lingers long after I swallow. I get a touch of biscuit as well.
M: Medium-thick body, bubbly carbonation. Clean mouthfeel.
O: Definitely on the bitter side. Very easy to drink and refreshing. I know this is a different style than the others but this is not my favorite Moonlight beer.

Serving type: on-tap

01-31-2012 16:58:59 | More by scottfrie

Offa

California

1.98/5  rDev -51.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1

This definitely is bitter, but it is not "a" bitter - terribly unbalanced, it lacks not only subtlety but the full flavour, complexity, and body to support the bitterness.

Like most, if not all, Moonlight beers, this is beautiful, being dark amber with a big, creamy light tan head that lasts forever and leaves thick lacing.

The aroma is the first sign of trouble for me: powerful citrusy hops, mostly the ubiquitous grapefruit (for me, this quality gets tiresome and is all too often overdone), with just a hint of toasted grain.

The taste is powerfully grapefruity and piney, very bitter and rough, drying my tounge. There is a little toasted grain, but it's too weak to do more than remind you it's there. This is, so far, far and away my least favourite Moonlight beer.

Serving type: on-tap

04-22-2008 23:16:16 | More by Offa