20 To Life
Moonlight Brewing Company

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From:
Moonlight Brewing Company
 
California, United States
Style:
Wild Ale
ABV:
5%
Score:
86
Avg:
3.79 | pDev: 15.57%
Reviews:
7
Ratings:
12
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Sep 14, 2013
Added:
Aug 13, 2007
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of DoubleJ
Reviewed by DoubleJ from Wisconsin

4.13/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
On-tap at Beachwood BBQ. On to the beer:

This Moonlight ale is muddy orange with a slight brown color to it. Good lace hangs around the glass walls. The aroma brings some soured berries and a pleasant vinegar note. Moderately acidic as the beer is tasted, it also brings the taste of acidic red grapes, some citrus, and some citric acid. It's a medium bodied beer which ended up as a great way to start the bar's sourfest.
Sep 14, 2013
Photo of UCLABrewN84
Reviewed by UCLABrewN84 from California

3.11/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
On tap for Beachwood Sour Fest at Beachwood BBQ in Seal Beach, CA.

Pours a hazy orange-brown with a foamy off-white head that settles to a film on top of the beer. A foamy curtain of lace coats the glass on the drink down. Smell is sour and tart with malt, vinegar, acidic, wood, and nail polish remover aromas. Taste is much the same with sour vinegar and wood flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of acidity on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is an average beer that is very vinegar and nail polish remover forward.
Sep 08, 2013
 
Rated: 3.25 by kmoen from California

Sep 07, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by BAsbill from California

Sep 07, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by ZombieJester from California

Sep 06, 2013
 
Rated: 3 by GraduatedCashew from California

Sep 05, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by t0rin0 from California

Nov 04, 2012
Photo of francisweizen
Reviewed by francisweizen from Washington

4.5/5  rDev +18.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Red/brown scarlet garnet. Small oaken head of foam dies quickly but leaves some nice Belgian lace. Aromas of funky vinegar, cherries/raspberries, milk, oak, tobacco stems, and cheese. Taste is acetic as get out, heavy vinegar overtones, it reminds me of the original Rodenbach honestly, which is pretty mind blowing. Mouthfeel is creamy smooth, but prickly on the tongue and warm in the back of the throat. Drinkability si very very good for a flemish red such as this. Brilliant again, as always, one of my all time favorite breweries
Sep 25, 2008
Photo of Georgiabeer
Reviewed by Georgiabeer from Georgia

4.82/5  rDev +27.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Had on tap at Toronado in San Francisco in August. I'm a fan of this brewery, I just wish it weren't so hard to find their stuff. This was my favorite of all their offerings I've had over the years. I'dsay this was a sour Flemish red more than it was an American Wild Ale, and as such I think it was an excellent rendition of the style. Poured a reddish brown with little head and some lacing. The smell has a deep acetic sourness, touch of wood, cherries, and some touch of sweetness at the end. The taste is what La Folie wants to be when it grows up- beautifully balanced oak tannins and sour fruit. Very aggressive sourness but a respectable oak and funky bitterness balances it well. Quite acetic, but like the old Rodenbach rather than the new. Deep flavors rather than brightness. Absolutely magnificent. Mouthfeel is perfect balance of sharp and refreshing and tannic grip. Unbelievably good and complex flavors. I could drink this all the time.
Sep 24, 2007
Photo of Halcyondays
Reviewed by Halcyondays from California

4/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
On-tap at the Beachwood BBQ, in Seal Beach, CA,

A: Pours a dark red, pinkish hue, with an average white head, when poured into a wine glass, looks a lot like a fruit lambic.

S: Sourness and slight funk, definitely, but also an appealing fruitiness, I smelled cherry and watermelon.

T: Tasted very good, mildly sour, with a hint of tartness, cherry and strawberry are there, with a bit of lemon, an interesting taste to this sour ale.

M: Smooth, crisp, and tart, with a bit of acidity, but not bone dry like a traditional lambic, very nice.

D: A good beer overall, doesn't have the overwhelming complexity of some other spontaneously fermented beers, but I liked it, it would be a good introduction to wild ales and sour beers for the novice, but still containing plenty to think about and enjoy for the connoisseur.
Aug 26, 2007
Photo of GClarkage
Reviewed by GClarkage from California

3.5/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
08/11/07- Had on tap at the Toronado 20th Anniversary party.

Presentation- via the tap into a standard pint glass.

Appearance- A bit murky, kind of brownish in color. Smaller 1/4 inch head with light lace markings.

Smell- Distinct sourness with a handfull of hops as well.

Taste- Had a buddy tell me this was an ESB. I could sense some hoppiness..maybe some pine rather than grapefruit. But overall I noticed a sour backbone. Maybe some cherries and some blackberries? Odd tasting beer whatever it is.

Mouthfeel- Mid level carbonation level. Light bitter aftertaste. Sour and tart pucker as well.

Drinkability- Whatever the hell it is, it was a decent beer if not better than average. Moonlight strikes again.
Aug 14, 2007
Photo of SacoDeToro
Reviewed by SacoDeToro from California

4.67/5  rDev +23.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
On tap at the Toronado 20th anniversary party.

The beer poured a deep garnet with a minimal white head.

The aroma was full of sour cherries, mild barnyard scents, and some laquerish solvent.

The flavor of the beer went through several modes. It started out slightly sweet then moved to a moderate sourness. Then came some slight solvent notes, which were awesome and reminiscent of those in La Folie. The beer then finished with some faint roasty malt accents. The hops were there in the background to help round things out and had a slightly floral and citrusy edge.

The mouthfeel of the beer was medium/light and the carbonation was perfect and full of fine, tight bubbles.

This beer was an amazing array of flavors that I've never tasted in a single beer. It was simply amazing. Certainly one of the most challenging beers to decipher and I mean that in a very good way.
Aug 13, 2007
20 To Life from Moonlight Brewing Company
Beer rating: 86 out of 100 with 12 ratings