Belgian-style white ale, 8.4% ABV.
I credit the original Blue Moon with being my "gateway" beer -- it was the first beer I had that wasn't some watery nastiness in the vein of Natural Light or Coors Light. At the time, I had no palate for beer, but still, I was shocked to find that it had a taste! That was pleasant! From that point forward, I was no longer the person who said "I don't like beer." I understood that beer came in many different styles and flavor profiles, and I wanted to try more.
So when I saw the 2010 Grand Cru on the shelves of a local liquor store, I was intrigued. The $10.99 price tag was a bit shocking for a Blue Moon-affiliate, but in the end nostalgia and curiosity won out over my cheapness and I bought a bottle.
Appearance: Color is hazy golden. It's very cloudy, typical of a wheat beer, with 1 finger of head, which recedes to a ring around the side of the glass.
Smell: I get mainly floral and coriander notes, with alcohol.
Taste: It tastes strongly of citrus, coriander, and grain -- namely wheat and hay. The alcohol also comes through pretty strongly on the finish.
Mouthfeel: It has a dry finish and is very carbonated.
Overall: This beer is best described as Blue Moon on steroids. It's like they took all of the typical Blue Moon flavors and just turned up the volume on each of them. Not the most sophisticated approach, especially considering the price, seeing as how one can get many world-class beers in a 22 oz or 750 ml bottle for less than $10. Unfortunately, this 2010 Grand Cru is not a world class beer. I have a soft spot for Blue Moon and would still willingly pick one out of a lineup at a party with basic beers, but there was no delicacy or balance to this brew, particularly with the strong alcohol taste not being masked whatsoever at the end.
2/5
I credit the original Blue Moon with being my "gateway" beer -- it was the first beer I had that wasn't some watery nastiness in the vein of Natural Light or Coors Light. At the time, I had no palate for beer, but still, I was shocked to find that it had a taste! That was pleasant! From that point forward, I was no longer the person who said "I don't like beer." I understood that beer came in many different styles and flavor profiles, and I wanted to try more.
So when I saw the 2010 Grand Cru on the shelves of a local liquor store, I was intrigued. The $10.99 price tag was a bit shocking for a Blue Moon-affiliate, but in the end nostalgia and curiosity won out over my cheapness and I bought a bottle.
Appearance: Color is hazy golden. It's very cloudy, typical of a wheat beer, with 1 finger of head, which recedes to a ring around the side of the glass.
Smell: I get mainly floral and coriander notes, with alcohol.
Taste: It tastes strongly of citrus, coriander, and grain -- namely wheat and hay. The alcohol also comes through pretty strongly on the finish.
Mouthfeel: It has a dry finish and is very carbonated.
Overall: This beer is best described as Blue Moon on steroids. It's like they took all of the typical Blue Moon flavors and just turned up the volume on each of them. Not the most sophisticated approach, especially considering the price, seeing as how one can get many world-class beers in a 22 oz or 750 ml bottle for less than $10. Unfortunately, this 2010 Grand Cru is not a world class beer. I have a soft spot for Blue Moon and would still willingly pick one out of a lineup at a party with basic beers, but there was no delicacy or balance to this brew, particularly with the strong alcohol taste not being masked whatsoever at the end.
2/5
