Blue Moon Winter Sample Pack 2014: Blue Moon Belgian White

Brewed By: Miller Brewing Company (MillerCoors) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin   

Purchased: 12oz bottle from the Blue Moon Winter Sampler 2014 bought at Jewel-Osco in Chicago, IL; 2014 

Style/ABV: Belgian White, 5.4%

Reported IBUs: 9

DAE Macro sampler packs?

Over the past few years of penning horrible blog reviews, I have never actually reviewed one of America's classic beers: Blue Moon Belgian White. I did review their god-awful Grand Cru once upon a time, but how about some of their more seminal releases? I couldn't pass up on the Winter Sampler Pack for 2014. This thing cost about $15, and comes with five unique beers. Well, five really, because who hasn't had the Belgian White? About MillerCoors aka Blue Moon:

Blue Moon was first brewed in 1995 at one of MillerCoors' R&D arms; in a sandlot, in Denver, Colorado, by Keith Villa. Keith Villa is an OG player these days. He's off judging beer, and talking about his PhD in brewing from the University of Brussels. There's a PhD for everything these days. Seriously though, it's Blue Moon. Read the Wiki. 

Blue Moon's Belgian White is the classic beer that you can find at terrible chain restaurants like Applebee's and Chili's. You might also find it at TGIFridays. This beer is literally a classic American craft staple, regardless of what people on forums like "BeersAdventures" and "RapesBeers" might say. Blue Moon is brewed with orange peel, oats/wheat malts, and the usual shit you'd find in a Belgian White. This beer is Keith Villa's pride, and Keith Villa is MillerCoors' Stepford Wife. 

Blue Moon Belgian White

For a MillerCoors' product, this beer is vibrant and orange, and hazy and unfiltered. It actually looks like a legit wheat beer, or at least until the head dies off and you are left with orange juice. Then again, this is a Witbier, not a Hefe.

The aroma is all sorts of conflicting. You get wheat, orange, and honey -- but the aroma is very thick. It smells pretty sweet, and takes a turn towards cereal, with some Fruity Pebbles, and fake spice. It's kind of how I imagine an extract batch of a Witbier would smell.

Witbiers aren't really my bag in general, and Blue Moon tends to highlight a lot of the things about the style that I don't love. For 5.4%, Blue Moon is fairly dense and heavy. It's also fairly sweet. This beer dials up the saccharine juices, and reminds me of apple juice. It tastes like something made from extract, or something that could be further fermented out. In the taste is juicy orange, Fruity Pebbles, some bubble gum, artificial clove that is cloying, and lots of wheat. The saccharine edge isn't overly enjoyable, and the fake spice goes over-the-top in ways that rival Hoegaarden. 

Despite some of the flaws that Blue Moon has, it has a full body that is pretty substantial at 5.4%. The complexity is bottom-of-the-barrel, but the saccharine orange and Fruity Pebbles sweetness is obnoxious enough to stand up to the heartburn inducing foods you might find at such chain restaurants like Chili's, Applebee's, etc. This is a fully utilitarian beer, something beyond the monotonous Pale Lagers likely to be on tap wherever you go, but not nearly as interesting as many other beers. I mean, I'd take a Sapporo over a Blue Moon Belgian White 9/10 times. This is truly a MillerCoors product...the saccharine sweetness reminds me of Miller Genuine Draft, and the relatively uneventful transition from orange/wheat, to a spicy/salty middle, to the bubblegum/wheat back end isn't impressive. And yes, Blue Moon is definitely slightly salty in its attempt to do spice. Salty like semen. Yum.

Rating: Average (2.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Average on this. Blue Moon isn't offensive enough to hit that below-average stride, and this beer actually does sort of pull off the style. It's a bit cloying on the sweetness, but the slight brine/semen/salt note that is probably supposed to be coriander spice actually adds an interesting dimension...oh shit, I'm fishing here. Or phishing. Ha, the jokes on you! Seriously though, I would never go out of my way to buy a 6-pack of Blue Moon, but this is a serviceable beer on tap. I've had this beer while out to many a shitty chain restaurant with family and friends. This is a great beer to shove an orange in, and call it a fucking day. This is my Chili's beer. 

Random Thought: The Blue Moon Grand Cru was hilariously bad. Maybe that's why I don't see it on shelves anymore. 

Pipeworks Harbinger of Doom

Brewed By: Pipeworks Brewing in Chicago, IL  

Purchased: 22oz bottle (Batch #483/484) bought at Binny's in IL; 2014 (bottled 08.15.2014)

Style/ABV: Belgian-Style Witbier, 8.5%
Reported IBUs: ?

It's Sunday night, and it is hot and humid out...so how about a "Belgian Style Wit Beer with Elderberries added." About Pipeworks:

Pipeworks has humble roots. The brewery was founded in Chicago in 2011 by Beejay Oslon and Gerrit Lewis. The duo were both homebrewers that met while while working at West Lakeview Liquors. In 2011, they began to raise money for their brewery using the online Internet site, Kickstarter. Olson and Lewis were both educated at De Struise Brewery in Oostvleteren, Belgium. With that knowledge, and the money from their kickstarter, Olson and Lewis created a unique brewery that is smaller in size, and intended to brew smaller batches of beer. The company's motto is "small batches, big beers." And indeed, since the brewery has been around, they've been releasing a lot of one-offs and small batch releases. The goal is to release a new beer every week. You can read more about the brewery at their website HERE.

The bottle of this fruity Witbier reads:

"We believe this beer is a "window" - a beer marked by long periods of strange sightings, monster reports, and alien abductions of unusual persons. In each curious sip you will find sings of tart elderberry, lemon, and Hallertauer Tradition hops. The unclassifiable result is perplexingly refreshing as well as herbaceous and jammy. Allow this beer to guide you through the mist and into another dimension. While this is the Harbinger of Doom, the only thing that is "doomed" is normality. But don't believe us, the truth is out there...in your glass."

Pipeworks Harbinger of Doom

This pours into a super hazy, orange-amber body, kicking up a finger of thick, wispy, wheat-fueled head. There is a lot of carbonation here in the form of small carbonation bubbles, and head retention is fantastic as you'd expect.

On the aroma: lots of clove, vanilla, and some banana funk...this veers into straight up Hefeweizen territory, in some regards. The wheat malts in here are strong and assertive, with vibrant wheat and wheat malts, banana, banana bread, banana caramel/toffee, and light lemon and orange floral fruitiness. I would never guess there are berries in here, but this smells clean and inviting otherwise. I also might peg this as a Hefe.

I am getting some refreshing berry notes in the taste...which is a nice contrast from the nose. The taste is still dominated by that creamy wheat body, with assertive clove, vanilla, banana, Belgian funk, and heavy wheat. But through the clouds of this typical [of Pipeworks] heavy-handed Witbier is some jammy notes of berries, blueberry/blackberry compote, and jammy breakfast syrup. It all rounds out with some hints of lemon and citrus, and then bitter and floral hops. You do taste the hops, and they provide a nice counterpoint to the otherwise heavy wheat malts.

This is still typical of Pipeworks' Belgian offerings...a tad too heavy-handed, and lacking some of my preferred finesse with the style. Still, this buries the 8.5% ABV, and is delicious. The mouthfeel is expansive with great palate depth, and this has solid complexity. This is medium-full-bodied. Up front: berries, clove, bubblegum, vanilla, bananas; the mids roll into wheat and perfume funk, with some berry compote and light lemon/citrus; the back end drops into those hops with lingering wheat. It finishes nicely. All-in-all pretty damn tasty.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

This is a Strong Above-Average. I'd actually say this is an improvement in some regards to previous wheat beer offerings from Pipeworks. I do like this a lot, and I would not hesitate to pick this up at around 8 or 9 bucks a bottle. IMO, this is worth it. Food pairings here: white fish, fruit salads, and warm weather. Tonight is the perfect night for this beer.

Random Thought: Is this a Belgian Wit though? It's not as characteristically spicy as I'd expect...

5 Rabbit Gran Missionario

Brewed By: 5 Rabbit Cerveceria in Bedford Park, IL  

Purchased: 750ml bottle bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2014

Style/ABV: Spice/Herb/Vegetable Beer, 8.3%

Reported IBUs: 25

I know I keep saying I need to drink more of 5 Rabbit's stuff, so here we are. About 5 Rabbit Cerveceria: 

5 Rabbit Cerveceria is an Illinois-based craft brewery launched in 2011. The brewery has a unique perspective, focusing on Latin-themed craft beer. The company is lead by CEO Andrés Araya, Creative Director Randy Mosher, and brewmaster (and former Goose Island employee) John J. Hall. For more info about the brewery, check out their Facebook or their website. 

The Gran Missionario is a "Double Wheat Beer fermented with muscat grape must & pear juice." The bottle reads: 

"Missionario celebrates the intersection of cultures that occurred in the missions set up all along the Pacific Coast of the Americas. 

Wheat and muscat wine grapes were among the plants brought over from Spain, being tasty as well as essential for church services. In honor of the many other crops grown in Mission gardens, we’ve chosen pears for this version of Gran Missionario. It is creamy, dry and fruity in a most comlex way, with aromas of flowers and spice.

It is a sophisticated beer capable of complementing a wide range of foods from crab tamales to sheep cheese to apple pie."

5 Rabbit Gran Missionario

The bottle says this clocks in at 8.3%. This one is brewed with US Pilsner, flaked wheat, and oats malts. This uses Muscat of Alexandria grape must, and pear juice. This also features Northern Brewer, and Hallertau Blanc hops (Floral and fruity with passion fruit, grapefruit, pineapple, grape and lemongrass overtones...yum).

The beer pours out a hazy, straw-like, golden-yellow color, kicking up two fingers of lightly gold-tinted head. The head is fluffy and thick, and looks to be the product of rich wheat and oat malts. The beer looks much the same in bright light, with some orange tones present, and nice streams of tiny carbonation bubbling away. There's lacing and nice head retention.

On the aroma: wheat, straw, barnyard and farmhouse funk, apple slaw salad and pears, pear juice, grapefruit, and big, juicy, musty grape/pear. I'm getting some pear skin...it almost smells like pear tannin...with subtle white wine, grapes, and green pepper notes. It's a complex aroma, for sure.

This is impressively dense and juicy, with huge waves of creamy pear juice and grape juice mounted on those giant wheat and oat malts. I feel like I'm a kid again, with the juice box apples and pears popping here. I'm getting big apple juice, pear juice, creamy white wine foam, white sugar/clove, perfume and seductive alcohol a la a Belgian Strong Ale, apple and slaw salad, and citrus fruits (grapefruit, passion fruit, pineapple). This sort of reminds me of the amped up and huge Pineapple Bling. 

I'm a big fan of this beer, really nice stuff. This is a fantastic fusion of juice and wheat/oat malts. I'm not getting any alcohol here, except for some perfume booze. You don't taste the 8.3% at all. Palate depth is fantastic, and this is fairly complex. The wheat and oats give this a medium-full mouthfeel. Up front: creamy wheat malts, big pear, grape, and apple juice, passion fruit, citrus; that rolls into big oats and wheat malts, clove, white sugar, perfume alcohol and Belgian funk, white wine, grapes, yeast; the back end trails with some bitterness, wheat astringency, lingering passion fruit and citrus, perfume spice, and nice dryness. This is really fantastic stuff....slept on, really.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average here. This is fantastic; just an incredibly, big, juicy wheat beer. This is a nice fusion of wheat, apples, grapes, and pears. I could see myself pairing this with goat cheese, poutine, or something more delicate. Maybe a pasta or dumpling dish. I'd pick this up again...I hope they brew it again.

Random Thought: I need to type up a thoughtful rant about this year's Beer Camp, but I'm really lazy. 

[Cellar Review] Samuel Adams Imperial White (Imperial Series) (Vintage 2012)

Brewed By: Boston Beer Company in Boston, Massachusetts 
Purchased: Single bottle (12oz) from a 4-pack bought at Jewel in Chicago, IL; 2012 
Style/ABV: (Imperial) Witbier, 10.3%

Reported IBUs: 15

Tonight's beer should be a lot of fun. Back in 2012, I cracked into a bottle of the Sam Adams Imperial White. I found the beer to be equal parts cloyingly sweet, boozy, and over-the-top. It's a divisive brew, even by my own standards. But I'm curious to see how this one has held up down the stretch. About Sam Adams:

The Boston Brewing Company/Sam Adams is, of course, the brain child of Jim Koch (and Harry M. Rubin and Lorenzo Lamadrid). Founded in 1984, Jim Koch got the ball rolling after college when he decided to resurrect and brew his favorite family recipe. That recipe belonged to his great-great grandfather, Louis Koch, and dates back to the 1870s (where it was brewed in a St. Louis brewery). That infamous family brew is the Sam Adams Boston Lager, of course. You can read more about the history of the Boston Brewing Company HERE, or check out their website HERE.  

The Imperial White has since changed from its 4-pack, 12oz format. Now part of the Sam Adams Small Batch series, this beer is described as having "an exotic blend of spices reminiscent of medieval brewing." Suggested tasting notes include coriander, dried plum, anise, orange, and citrus. This one is brewed with wheat and pale malts; Hallertau Mittelfrueh hops; and orange & lemon peel, dried plum, grains of paradise, coriander, anise, hibiscus, rose hips, tamarind, and vanilla. At 10.3% and 15 IBUs, this is one big, malty, sweet beer. But the real question is....how does it age?

[Cellar Review]  Samuel Adams Imperial White 2012

This one pours into a murky golden-orange body that is super swampy and absolutely filthy. The beer kicks up three-plus fingers of thick, creamy, porridge-like head. The head is golden/orange-tinted, and is sustaining like a wheat beer. It's impressive for a 2-year old beer. Along with the impressively swampy body and thick creamy head, there are some yeast floaters in the glass. Bright light confirms the same stuff.

On the aroma: huge Twizzlers, Doppelbock-like sweetness, oranges, weird medicinal funk and band-aids, eggnog, and lots of intense spice. I'm pulling out big anise, clove, coriander, and some spicy funk. There's an underlying bready heaviness to the aroma as well. 

Age has done a lot for this beer in terms of mellowing out the taste. I'm getting a lot of that classic apple/raisin/apple juice flavor you get from aged wheat beers. Gone is the cloying sweetness, orange spice, and booze. I'm picking up mild orange, bready notes, grains of paradise, anise, Twizzlers, and tons of bread. It's stuck somewhere between a Wheatwine and an Imperial White...and it really reminds me of the Pipeworks' Elijah's Revival. 

Aging this beer was a good idea, and I'm happy I took the gamble. At 10.3%, this beer was not only originally cloying and sickly sweet, it was also boozy. Now that the cloying and sweet part has dropped off, you are just left with the boozy aspects. As it stands now...the booze is not nearly as noticeable. Palate depth is good and the beer has good duration, but this isn't very complex for the grocery list of ingredients involved. This one kind of flat-lines after the mid-palate. You get big wheat, apples, raisins, Twizzlers, and bready orange and spice up front; that rolls into a huge, sweet, bready middle, with tons of orange and spice; the back end is trailing apple juice, raisins, wheat, and bread. The finish is actually kind of dry and bitter relative to the immense sweetness. This one is full-bodied but nowhere near as full-bodied as it is when fresh.

Rating: Average (2.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Average here. This is just okay...I'm happy I cellared it, but this isn't doing much for me. Honestly, I need to revisit this beer fresh, but this is one of those beers that is having a serious identity crisis. It's an Imperial White...so it's not a proper Wheatwine, it's not a proper Wheat Ale, and it's not a proper Belgian Strong. You can get a lot of the notes and characteristic from this beer in other, better beers. But anyway, food pairings here include grilled meats, lamb, and anything with a rustic, raw vibe. Would I recommend cellaring this one? Maybe? I dunno. This beer is divisive and problematic when it is fresh, but it also has some good qualities that are lost in this aged version. Then again, the aged version cuts out a lot of the problematic and cloying sweetness, and that's always a plus. 

Random Thought: The 12oz format here is nice. I can't imagine trying to drink 22oz of of this beer, aged or fresh.

Samuel Adams White Lantern

Brewed By: Boston Beer Company in Boston, Massachusetts 
Purchased: 12oz bottle from the 2013 Sam Adams Winter Classics variety pack bought at Binny's in IL; 2013
Style/ABV: Witbier/Belgian White, 5.5%

Reported IBUs: 10

Tonight I'm knocking out the rest of the new beers from the 2013 Winter Classics variety pack. About Sam Adams:

The Boston Brewing Company/Sam Adams is, of course, the brain child of Jim Koch (and Harry M. Rubin and Lorenzo Lamadrid). Founded in 1984, Jim Koch got the ball rolling after college when he decided to resurrect and brew his favorite family recipe. That recipe belonged to his great-great grandfather, Louis Koch, and dates back to the 1870s (where it was brewed in a St. Louis brewery). That infamous family brew is the Sam Adams Boston Lager, of course. You can read more about the history of the Boston Brewing Company HERE, or check out their website HERE.  

The White Lantern is a Belgian-style Witbier/White brewed with Spalt Spalter Noble Hops, and two row pale malt, wheat malt, and Ida Pils malts. Clocking in at 5.5% ABV and 10 IBUs, this beer features the addition of tangerine and orange peel, coriander, and Grains of Paradise.  

Samuel Adams White Lantern

The beer pours into a hazy orange body, and kicks up one or two fingers of sea foam white head. In bright light, the beer is a gorgeous orange color, with jets of carbonation rocketing upwards. There's some lacing on my glass, and the bright white head is sustaining nicely. 

The aroma on this beer is very subtle, with lots of wheat, coriander and lemon, orange peel and orange, a hint of clove, a hint of the Grains of Paradise, and lots of wheat-grain wheat punch.

Ehhhh...this is shaping up to be my least favorite of the 2013 Winter Classics. You get a wash of malty wheat with some Grains of Paradise/Coriander driven spice, hints of lemon and orange, and lots of bready wheat. There's a good amount of lemon asserting itself in this beer, and some hints of grass along with the wheat. It just tastes like it is missing something...but it's not offensive and it is on point for the style.

I love my Grains of Paradise and Belgian Whites. This beer is okay. It's drinkable at 5.5%, has a nice balance of wheat malt and lemony spices, and a dash of orange peel too boot. It is the perfect vehicle for the holiday season, despite having average complexity and average palate depth. The mouthfeel is light-bodied with high levels of carbonation and creamy density. Up front: wheat and Grains of Paradise; that rolls into coriander and lemon with more wheat; back end is trailing lemon/orange peel, and the finish is malty. 

Rating: Average (3.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Average on this. It's not offensive, it's not amazing, it's par the course. But, definitely an appropriate Winter/holiday beer. I would pair this beer with some glazed ham or Thanksgiving/Christmas dinner. I could see this going well with sweet potatoes and pineapple. 

Random Thought: And now...the Cherry Chocolate Bock

Pipeworks Paradisiac

Brewed By: Pipeworks Brewing in Chicago, IL  

Purchased: Big ass 750ml bottle (Batch #173) bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2013

Style/ABV: Witbier/Fruit Beer, 7.5%
Reported IBUs: ?

It's thirsty Thursday, and also Unofficial Pipeworks Thursday™. They keep brewing them...I feel like tonight's beer is going to be all sex, unlike last night's tepid Date Sugar Yeast Magik. Oh yeah, and I guess today was IPA day. Because that's cool. To celebrate IPA day, I'm going to not be drinking an IPA. So anarchy. So anti-conforming. So fucking brave. About Pipeworks:

Pipeworks has humble roots. The brewery was founded in Chicago in 2011 by Beejay Oslon and Gerrit Lewis. The duo were both homebrewers that met while while working at West Lakeview Liquors. In 2011, they began to raise money for their brewery using the online Internet site, Kickstarter. Olson and Lewis were both educated at De Struise Brewery in Oostvleteren, Belgium. With that knowledge, and the money from their kickstarter, Olson and Lewis created a unique brewery that is smaller in size, and intended to brew smaller batches of beer. The company's motto is "small batches, big beers." And indeed, since the brewery has been around, they've been releasing a lot of one-offs and small batch releases. At one point - and maybe still - the goal was the release a new beer every week. You can read more about the brewery at their website HERE.

Tonight's beer is a Witbier brewed with strawberries and kiwis. These are like three of my favorite things, so I have some high expectations here. The back of the bottle reads:

"A last rite for spring, born under a black sun. Part collaboration, part tribute, and all Balance. An alchemical brew, we've taken our Amchur and Sumac spiced Foolish Wit past its threshold by adding fresh Kiwis and Strawberries to create Paradisiac, a beer to stake your thirst during the hottest months, or when you're out collecting desert roses. The sun is coming, soon to drown us in astral fire...are you prepared?"

Pipeworks Paradisiac

I'm curious how the kind-of-high ABV is gonna work out here. Anyway, the beer pours into a hazy straw/yellow/cloudy urine color, and kicks up a nice finger of white head. Huzzah! No carbonation problems here. The head is also sustaining quite nicely, with a centimeter of Witbier-esque haze on top. There's some nice lacing on this, and the beer looks much the same in bright light. As an aside...the artwork on the Duvel glass almost obstructs the appearance, but this isn't some classy DraftMag blog. 

The aroma on here is subtle but really nice. I'm getting dense orange, orange peel, lemon, and some unknown fruit denseness (I'm assuming the strawberry/kiwi). Honestly, I wouldn't place the strawberry or kiwi on the aroma in a blind tasting, so yeah. There's some mild wheat, straw, and malt density on the nose...maybe a touch of honey. Overall, it actually smells like a legit Belgian Wit.

Woah...this is creamy, with buttery wheat, and has some serious density. It almost reminds me of a cross between a Witbier and a Belgian Pale Ale. You get dense wheat and bubble gum, big mango...lots of mango and tropical fruit...bready malt thickness, orange peel, some lemon, straw...also, I swear I'm tasting some strawberry in this. Like fresh, cut up, in yo' mouth strawberries. Would I be able to pull out strawberries in a blind tasting? Probably not. But still. 

This is dense, with a medium body supported by lots of welcomed carbonation and creamy wheat. The alcohol is well-hidden, and this is very drinkable (maybe too much so) for 7.5%. Palate depth is good while complexity is so-so. The addition of the strawberries and kiwis is perhaps evident in the aroma and body, but that could just be the dense malt bill. You do pick up some hints of strawberry in the taste, but you also get a lot of other typical Witbier trappings. I'm getting big wheat up front, with orange peel, hints of lemon, light Belgian funk, and some clove; the middle rolls into more clove, tropical fruits and lingering peel; the back end is wheat, malt thickness, and some nice lingering biscuit/orange. 

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

This is a Decent Above-Average, and I would buy this again. I would also recommend this, especially in place of the current batch of Date Sugar Yeast Magik. I'm about to pair this beer with pizza, but this would go well with your usual Witbier trimmings. I actually really enjoy Belgian Witbiers in the Fall/Autumn. I find the big orange peel character to pair well with fall weather, whereas I associate the more banana/bubble gum flavors of a Hefeweizen with summer. The fact that this beer has a such a dense body and is somewhat warming leads me to believe I would really enjoy drinking it in late September or early October, preferably with some football. That said, you can't go wrong at around 10 dollars a bottle (I think), and the 750ml bottle is awesome. 

Random Thought: I'm so ready for Friday. Oh, too cliche? Okay, fuck. This weekend I will be in the boonies for a bachelor/bachelorette party, which means I'm going to be downgrading and most likely drinking something like Blue Moon. It's all fun in games up in here but the bar is about to get lowered. Don't take good beer for granted. 

Unibroue Blanche de Chambly

Brewed By: Unibroue (Sapporo) in Chambly, Canada  

Purchased: 750ml bottle bought at Binny's in IL; 2012 (maybe 2013?)

Style/ABV: White Ale/Belgian White, 5.0%

Reported IBUs: 10

It's been a while since I've had anything from Unirboue: 

Unibroue is a brewery out of Chambly that specializes in Belgian beers. The brewery was founded in 1990 by André Dion and Serge Racine. The duo invested in the failing brewery, La Brasserie Massawippi, and became majority shareholders. In 1991, they finalized the takeover of La Brasserie Massawippi, and completely merged with their company, Unibroue, in 1992. Dion became the President and CEO, and Racine becamse the board of directors. In 1992, the brewery released their first beer, Blanche de Chambly, and decided to specialize in Belgian brews. In 1993, the brewery moved to their cutting-edge microbrewery in Chambly, Quebec, and by 1994 the brewery was exporting beer to the U.S. and Europe. In 1991, Brewmaster Paul Arnott joined the company; trained in traditional, monastic Belgian brewing, he helped release new beers including the Éphémère series of beers. 

In 2004, the Sleeman Brewery purchased Unibroue, and in 2006, Japan's oldest commercial brewer, Sapporo International, purchased Sleeman. Since then, Unibroue has been regarded as a global treasure, as they export their beer everywhere. They produce some of the best, high-quality beer in the world. These guys are one of my favorite breweries, and it's always a treat to drink their beer.

Tonight's beer, the Blanche de Chambly, is a Belgian Witbier. This one has been brewed since 1992, and clocks in at 5.0% ABV, and packs 10 IBUs. Brewed in the style of a classic Belgian White/Witbier, this one is described as spicy, with citrus, yeasty bread, coriander, clove, and wheat. Let's glass this up and see how it stacks up.

It's probably worth noting that last time I had this beer I wasn't hugely impressed...but I'm pretty sure I had bottle that wasted away on the shelf for a while. Although this is bottle conditioned, Witbiers aren't really meant to be aged far as I know.

Unibroue Blanche de Chambly

This one pours a super hazy, bright and vibrant, yellow/straw color. This beer is poppin', and looks hella good. That's douche bag frat boy for "would bang." This one kicks up a couple of fingers of white head. The head is cloudy and thick, ala a WHEAT beer. In bright light, this beer is a lemony-yellow juice color, and still has a nice haze. This beer has haze. You can see mid-sized carbonation bubbles moderately making their way upwards, and the head dissolved into a nice hazy cauldron effect. Really nice looking stuff.

The aroma on this is really nice....lots of clove up front, wheat, deep black pepper notes subtly sitting in the back, and lots of light/watery citrus. I'm also getting some pears, apples, plums, and other fruitiness. There's maybe a touch of biscuit as well. 

Wow...this one is juicy, tingly, and so light on the palate. I can understand why I regarded this beer as average when I last had it, but already I'm feeling the vibe here. There's a lot of juicy and refreshing orange in here, light citrus, suggestive apples and pears, tons of mild peppery spice and clove, and a bunch of big grainy and wheat notes. 

This is very complex and balanced for a 5.0% Witbier...and it's not cloying or weird like Hoegaarden can be on occasion  I'd say this has a light mouthfeel, with medium-high and dry carbonation. Palate depth is good and complexity ain't bad either. You get refreshing carbonation up front, followed by big juicy fruits, citrus, apples, and some clove/wheat; this rolls into clove, light peppery spice, more fruits, more wheat; the back end is clove, grain, tons of wheat, and has a dry, attenuating finish. Nice!

Rating: Above-Average (4/5 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Above-Average on this beer. I still feel like the palate on this is occasionally on the lighter side of things, but that's also what makes this beer so great. This is super quaffable, and you can easily put down 750ml of this without feeling bad. This is the type of beer to pair with mild cheeses, a salad, a fruit dish, or something light. Maybe fish or chicken? As with most of Unibroue's stuff, this is all around nice!

Random Thought: I'm feeling like I could go for some unlimited soup, salad, or breadsticks in my near future....hmmm...

Unibroue Éphémère Apple

Brewed By: Unibroue (Sapporo) in Chambly, Canada 

Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 4-pack bought at Binny's in IL; 2012

Style/ABV: White Ale/Belgian White (or a Fruit Beer according to RB and BA), 5.5%

I can't believe I haven't reviewed any of Unibroue's stuff yet! I've had their beers MANY times. I actually have some old tasting notes on a number of their beers, but I have not had the Éphémère Apple yet.

Unibroue is a brewery out of Chambly that specializes in Belgian beers. The brewery was founded in 1990 by André Dion and Serge Racine. The duo invested in the failing brewery, La Brasserie Massawippi, and became majority shareholders. In 1991, they finalized the takeover of La Brasserie Massawippi, and completely merged with their company, Unibroue, in 1992. Dion became the President and CEO, and Racine becamse the board of directors. In 1992, the brewery released their first beer, Blanche de Chambly, and decided to specialize in Belgian brews. In 1993, the brewery moved to their cutting-edge microbrewery in Chambly, Quebec, and by 1994 the brewery was exporting beer to the U.S. and Europe. In 1991, Brewmaster Paul Arnott joined the company; trained in traditional, monastic Belgian brewing, he helped release new beers including the Éphémère series of beers. 

In 2004, the Sleeman Brewery purchased Unibroue, and in 2006, Japan's oldest commercial brewer, Sapporo International, purchased Sleeman. Since then, Unibroue has been regarded as a global treasure, as they export their beer everywhere. They produce some of the best, high-quality beer in the world. These guys are one of my favorite breweries, and it's always a treat to drink their beer.

Tonight's beer, the Éphémère Apple, is basically a Belgian Witbier. Technically, this beer is brewed with apples, or apple juice (according to the bottle). Thus...it seems to categorically fit into the Fruit Beer category. But why? Witbiers are brewed with sweet orange peel, chamomile, and other spices. Why not throw a little apple into that mix..and does the apple really disrupt the "stuff" that is a Witbier? The bottle says: "Ale brewed with apple juice, coriander, and orange peel." Hmmm.

Didn't Satan warn us about this?

If you roll over to the Éphémère Apple page, you can read all about this beer. I really like Unibroue's website, and they give a ton of info on the beer. This beer is described (stylistically) as a "white ale brewed with apple must." The nose is described as having a mouth-watering bouquet of Granny Smith apples, nutmeg, ginger, and cinnamon. The flavor sounds a lot like a Witbier, with a balance of fruit and spice, sweetness, and some apples. This clocks in at 10 IBUs and packs a pleasant 5.5% ABV.

According to Unibroue, the label depicts a fairy, an ephemeral spirit, that is associated with the fruits picked at the peak of ripeness during harvest. She has been on a number of fruit beers from Unibroue, including their: apple must, cranberry, blackcurrant, peach, and raspberry. The apple version debuted in 2002, and is the most popular of these beers. Recommended food pairings for this beer include apple desserts, cheese, pork, duck, or fruit crepes. Lastly, this beer has the potential to age for up to 2 years (yay! bottle conditioning), but is best served as young as possible. This beer may develop some desired flavors as it ages (honey, candied fruit), but the apple flavor will likely drop out a bit the older it gets.

With that said...let's glass this, and see how this fruity take on a Belgian White holds up.

My bottle says best before 11/14/13...so it's safe to assume it's spent some time on the shelf at the store. That's my one gripe with Unibroue's beers, and it's not even a gripe against Unibroue...stores need to rotate fresh bottles. I digress. This one pours all foam...and the foam was creeping out of the bottle as I opened it. That may be my fault, as I kicked up some of the yeast in the bottle a few hours before opening it. The beer pours with 4-5 fingers of foamy, cloudy, whipped head. The head is white, and is made up of large bubbles. The beer is a pale straw/hazy yellow/cloudy urine color. When held to bright light, the head is clearly white, the body of the beer is a hazy straw/yellow, and there is a ton of visible carbonation rising upwards. This beer is effervescent and lively for sure. I'm going to opt to not pour in the yeast sediment...at least not yet.

The farther away your nose is, the more apples you get. I'm getting apples mixed with Belgian yeast, coriander, Witbier funk, and spice. I get really sharp green apples, candied apples, sugary apples, Granny Smith apples, and apple lollipop/candy. When I shove my nose into the glass, I get some nice grain, Pils malt, clove/vanilla, wheat, some floral aromas and honey, and tart apple.

Unibroue Éphémère Apple

The taste on this is really nice. Really subtle apple notes cut through the entire palate, and around them is a really nice Belgian Witbier. Up front is big wheat malt, then big apples kick in, followed by more wheat, hints of citrus, grain, coriander, light lemon cake, sparkling apple juice, Pils malt, and a clean grainy finish with some apple. This doesn't overdo the apple, and really works at a subtle level.

At 5.5% this is incredibly drinkable. This has a light to medium-light mouthfeel, is creamy, smooth, effervescent, and refreshing. The head duration is great, with a finger's worth of head still hanging around. And carbonation is still rising upwards. Palate depth is good, and complexity is okay for the style. Up front you get wheat, apples, Pils malt; this rolls into wheat, grain, coriander; the back end is apples, Pils malt, dry grain, and a crisp finish. Really clean, balanced, refreshing; this uses the apples to enhance the style, rather than beating you over the head with fruit.

Rating: Above-Average

This is a Strong Above-Average beer, and one of my all-time favorite Witbiers. The apples play off the coriander, Pils malts, hints of lemony citrus, and grainy notes in such a wonderful way; it's really subtle and well-done. This is a refined brew. It's also incredibly drinkable...and apples and Fall go together so well. It's not peeling my panties off in the complexity department....so I'll have to come back someday and reevaluate this beer with time and wisdom under my belt. Until then, pair this fantastic beer with apple desserts, apple pancakes, blintzes, or even with cheesy soup. This is good stuff, and definitely worth checking out.

Samuel Adams Imperial White (Imperial Series)

Brewed By: Boston Beer Company in Boston, Massachusetts
Purchased: Single bottle (12oz) from a 4-pack bought at Jewel in Chicago, IL; 2012
Style/ABV: Witbier, 10.3%

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EDIT: 

So I had another one of these last night, and I'm really surprised that Sam Adams is calling this an Imperial White. This beer is straight up malty as fuck, and it is incredibly fruity and sugary.

While drinking a bottle last night, I was getting huge Doppelbock-esque malts. I was pulling out giant Twizzler notes, and licorice, and maybe even a pull towards that sweet soy sauce note. I was also pulling out huge cherry notes, and I was reminded quite a bit of Ommegang's Three Philosophers, minus any tartness.

This is quite a strange beer, and it's really heavy and dense. It's a sipper, and maybe a sipper you don't want very often. But it is intriguing, and very hard to categorize. But Imperial White? WTF. 
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An Imperial Witbier? Whatever you say, Sam Adams. A Witbier, or "white beer," is the Belgium version of a wheat beer. This style of beer was traditionally not brewed with hops, but instead used spices to preserve the beer. The style is known for having coriander profiles, as well as zesty orange notes. It's a style that is supposed to be fairly refreshing and easy-going. But at 10.3% ABV, tonight's beer is anything but. Before we dive in:

Samuel Adams was founded in 1984 by Jim Koch, and currently the Boston Beer Company is the largest American-owned beer company in the United States. Sam Adams is also the largest craft brewer in America, with over a million barrels of beer being produced annually. You can check out the Sam Adam's website for more info.

Tonight's beer is weird. If you check out the Imperial White page, you can get a sense of what to expect with this beer. Sam Adams states that: "Witbiers are normally light and refreshing with a fruity finish." This version is not that. This beer is supposed to be a "wine substitute," and is meant to be sipped. This beer is brewed with malted wheat, and two-row Harrington, Metcalfe, and Copeland pale malts; it also uses Hallertau Mittelfrueh Noble Hops. Clocking in at a stupid-big 10.3% ABV, and packing 15 IBUs, this beer will cost you ~320 calories per 12oz bottle. I'm kind of excited, so let's get this into a glass and see how it tastes.

Samuel Adams Imperial White

The beer hardly pours like a Witbier, which you kind of expect at this crazy ABV. The beer pours with 3-fingers of yellow/bronze-tinted head. The head quickly faded down into a nice cauldron effect. There are huge alcohol legs on this beer, and some lacing is being left as the head pulls on the glass. The body of the beer is a copper/caramel color in low light. In bright light this is a hazy, orange beer, with golden/copper tones. There is some sediment floating around in my beer, and there appears to be a decent amount of carbonation. This is atypical for a Witbier in that it is fairly dark. Cool stuff.

The aroma reminds me of the Sam Adams Wee Heavy, so I'm guessing the two beers share the same yeast or use similar malts. The aroma is heavy and dense. I'm smelling eggnog, cream soda (that artificial vanilla flavor), peppery alcohol, coriander, booze, some hints of clove, some hints of wheat malt, and some elusive fruitiness. There's actually quite a lot going on with the aroma, and I'm reminded of a complex Belgian style ale (like a Tripel or a Belgian Ale). 

Wow, the taste....you get a huge, sticky, boozy blast of beer up front. This rolls into some peppery spice and coriander. Then you get more sticky booze, and the finish is warm and spicy. I don't know how old this bottle is, but there's a lot of booze in this, and it's all fairly mellow; the alcohol is subtle and subdued, and not hot. I'm picking up a range of boozy fruits: raisins, overripe bananas, banana bread, some hints of caramel/sugar, a smack of clove and wheat, and pepper and coriander. Somewhere deep in here are some oranges, but they are coming across as candied oranges. There's also some vanilla in here. This is really fucking interesting.

Holy warming, batman. And holy full mouthfeel. This is a giant beer, with a sticky, dense and creamy mouthfeel. At 10.3% ABV, and with a mouthfeel like this...you want to sip this beer. Palate depth is astronomical, as this beer grabs hold of your tongue and doesn't let go. Complexity is pretty damn high as well. This is moderately carbonated, and it is welcomed. Up front I'm getting orange, fruit, sugars, sticky booze; the middle is rolling into some spices like coriander and peppery alcohol; the back end is wheat, malts, fruits; the finish is lingering spice and giant warming. There's a lot of sugars in this, but somehow it doesn't overwhelm you.

Rating: Above-Average

I'm feeling a Light Above-Average rating on this "thing." I mean, what the fuck is this shit? Seriously...is this really a Witbier? This drinks like a complex, boozy, Belgian Ale or Tripel brewed with wheat. I'm pretty sure they added sugar to this, and the typical spices and orange you get in a Witbier are absolutely subdued. But it's fairly tasty. Somehow, Sam Adams has managed to keep this drinkable despite the density and sugars. This is a lot more intriguing than their Wee Heavy, I'll just say that. This beer is subject to a lot of controversy...it seems like most people hate this beer. I would treat this beer like a wine, or a liquor. And I would hardly compare this to a Witbier. All that aside, whatever we have here, I enjoyed it. I may have to pick up a 4-pack of this stuff come winter.

Two Brothers Monarch White Beer

Brewed By: Two Brothers Brewing Company in Warrenville, Illinois

Purchased: Single 12oz bottle from a 6-Pack from Jewel-Osco in Chicago, Illinois; 2012

Style/ABV: Belgian White/Witbier, 4.5%

 

Today I'm checking out Two Brother's anniversary ale, their Monarch White Beer.

Two Brothers are based out of Warrenville, Illinois, a town not far from Chicago. Two brothers was founded in 1996 by brother Jason and Jim Ebel. Their brewery and Tap House Restaurant are both located in Warrenville. Their distribution and production seems to be increasing with each year, and along with their beer you can buy home brewing equipment and supplies at the Tap House Restaurant.  

According to the Two Brothers' Monarch White Beer page, the Monarch White is an anniversary ale brewed once a year, and in a small batch. The beer is brewed with unmalted wheat and oats for a "light body and crisp, refreshing finish." The beer is also spiced with coriander and orange peel, which gives the beer a traditional citrus aroma and flavor as per the style.

What is a Belgian White or a Witbier? Well, some popular commercial examples include Blue Moon Belgian White and Hoegaarden. If you roll over to BJCP style guidelines, you can get a better sense for what the style is supposed to entail. The aroma is described as being sweet, grainy, tart, and spicy with aromas of coriander or pepper. There can also be some zesty, citrusy orange. The appearance is supposed to be a pale straw color, with a cloudy haze. The flavor is a supposed to follow through with the aroma, with a refreshing, crisp, dry, and often tart finish. Overall, this is a medium-light to medium bodied beer that is refreshingly crisp but dry, effervescent, possibly tart, and full of wheat flavors, coriander, and orange.

With those guidelines taken into consideration, you can have some idea what to expect. Again, this beer is brewed with unmalted wheat and oats. This beer has 13 IBUs and clocks in at 4.5% ABV. Onto the review:  

Two Brothers Monarch White Beer

The appearance on the Monarch is good. The beer pours with 3-fingers of thick, pillowy, white head. The head quickly dissolves from 3-fingers worth to 1-finger worth, but the 1-finger of head is hanging around. The head is leaving some nice lacing, and really is sustaining some good thickness. In low light, this beer is a dark straw/gold color. In bright light, this beer is a pale straw/gold color. The beer is slightly hazy, with some sediment floating around, but you can still see through it. I would say this is transparent, but slightly hazy. There is quite a bit of carbonation in the form of large and small bubbles; this beer is quite effervescent.

The aroma on this beer is quite nice, with some very mild aromas. I'm pulling out aromas of wheat and oats, lots of clove and sugar, hints of banana, hints of a crisp and tart note, and some coriander and lemon. 

The taste is light and refreshing. There is no spice overkill, and in fact you mostly get wheat and oat type flavors. Maybe a touch watery or thin? I taste crisp hints of lemon, light coriander (leaning less on the spicy side), wheat, oats, clove, banana, and some big grainy notes up front and in the back palate. 

The mouthfeel on this is more like light-heavy to medium-light. This is super drinkable, light, crisp, refreshing, and slightly dry on the finish. At 4.5% ABV, you would have no problem knocking 6 of these back in an evening. Complexity is moderate for the style, and palate depth moderate. Up front you get oats, grain, coriander, and some good supporting carbonation; this rolls into some wheat, clove, and hints of banana in the middle; the back end is grain, wheat, and some lingering fruit(orange).

 

Rating: Average

Score: 74%

Overall, I feel like this beer is a great execution of the style. It's not blowing my mind or changing my outlook on life, but it's not offending or upsetting me either. It's maybe a touch thin or watery, but this is a style of beer that is supposed to be light and refreshing. I actually would strongly recommend people drink this beer, especially if it is available to you. If you are in the mood for a Witbier and your choices are Blue Moon or this, I would take this every day of the week. This is just a much, much, better beer.

Blue Moon Grand Cru

Brewed By: Coors Brewing Company (MillerCoors) in Golden, Colorado

Purchased: Over-priced bomber (25.4oz/750ml/1 pint, 9.4oz) from Jewel in Chicago, IL; 2012

Style/ABV: Witbier/Belgian Strong Ale, 8.2%

I debated reviewing this beer for Shitty Beer Tuesday, but I am going to show some restraint and maturity. Recently, the major beer giants have seen declining sales as a result of an increasing craft beer industry. As a result, companies like Coors and Anheuser-Busch are increasing their "craft arm." Blue Moon is of course owned by MillerCoors, but you might think it is just another craft beer company without doing any research. The bottle states the beer is owned by the "Blue Moon Brewing Company." 

If you go to the Blue Moon website you can learn absolutely nothing. According to the website, Blue Moon was first brewed at a sandlot in Denver Colorado back in 1995. They made a movie about a sandlot, and it was a lot cooler than Coors.

Wikipedia airs out some of the dirty laundry. Blue Moon was originally called Bellyslide Belgian White, and was created by Keith Villa, a brewer at Coors. It's no wonder the name did not stick. In Canada, the beer is marketed as Rickard's White. I'm not sure what the significance of that is; blame Canada. Anyway, Coors does not advertise the fact that Blue Moon is owned by Coors, so as not to alienate people who dislike Coors. So the only "craft" in Blue Moon comes from Coors' crafty advertising.  

Today's beer cost me 9 dollars. I've heard reports that this beer goes up to 11 dollars a bottle. That is a lot of moola to part with for a Coors-owned beer. It is not uncommon to see a bomber of high-alcohol beer sell for these prices. A bomber of Duvel will run you 9 or 10 bucks. I wonder how much price is influenced by the alcohol laws, or by Coors themselves. Ratebeer has categorized this beer as a Belgian Strong Ale. BeerAdvocate is describing this beer as a Witbier. The BJCP recognizes Blue Moon's Belgian White as a Witbier. (The BJCP formerly recognized Blue Moon as a stylistic example of a Wit, but no longer does; this is sort of tangential for me to bring up anyway, as this beer is not Blue Moon). The bottle of the Grand Cru states that this beer is a "bolder, more robust expression of our classic Belgian White Belgian-Style Wheat Ale." So basically, this is a supped up version of the Blue Moon Belgian White. The bottle says this will have familiar flavors like orange peel, coriander, wheat, oats, and barley malts. This is a bottle conditioned beer and uses fancy "brewer yeast." I'm ready to try this fancy version of the Blue Moon. Let's see if the price or hype is worth it.

The pour on this beer is pretty disappointing. There is some smoke when you pop the bottle, and there is a lot of carbonation with the pour. But for a wheat beer or a beer loaded with Belgian yeast, there is very little head or head retention on this beer. I got about 2-fingers worth of white head that quickly dissolved into nothing. What you're left with is a murky, pale, orange-yellow liquid that looks quite a bit like the standard Blue Moon Belgian White. There is a lot of carbonation, but no lacing or head. 

Blue Moon Grand Cru

The aroma on this is quite reminiscent of Blue Moon's Belgian White. This review is timely, because while out to eat last night I ordered Blue Moon Belgian White. There is a lot of grainy orange on the nose: waves of candied orange, regular orange, and that Fresca soda orange. You get hints of coriander, grass and lemon. I'm also smelling a fuck-ton of the trademark "Fruity Pebbles" smell you get off of Blue Moon. I'm also picking up hints of metallic astringency, and some alcohol. 

This tastes a lot like Blue Moon Belgian White, with an additional alcohol-grain punch in the middle and back. This has a strange body, with the bulk of flavor coming from the middle. The front is flat carbonation, Fruity Pebbles, orange. I'm tasting Fruity Pebbles, white sugar, grain, orange Fresca, metallic astringency, lemon and grass, wheat, and jagged and vicious booziness.

The mouthfeel and palate depth are a disaster for this beer. The carbonation is flat and off, and the palate depth is concentrated around the middle palate with a strange drop off. The finish is very dry and vicious. And, in fact, the whole mouthfeel goes from flat carbonation, to a wonky and vicious middle, to that viscous boozy finish. This is unrefined and off. The front is wheat, white sugar, Fruity Pebbles, flirtations with vanilla; the middle is overpowering, vicious, orange, cereal, metallic astringency; the back is grain, vicious alcohol. Not complex, not enjoyable.

Rating: Sewage (WTF did I just drink?)

Score: 20%

Seriously, fuck this beer. There is something way off with this beer. From the carbonation which is completely wrong for a Witbier or Belgian Ale, to the absolutely vicious and uneven body of the beer. This beer tastes exactly like the Blue Moon Belgian White, only with vicious alcohol, unrefined carbonation, and metallic astringency. Bleh. 

I cannot believe this beer commands a price of 9 to 11 dollars a bottle. Grand Cru my ass. Considering how much this beer tastes like regular Blue Moon, you are better off using your 9 dollars to buy a six-pack of Blue Moon Belgian White. I actually like the Blue Moon Belgian White quite a bit, and I enjoy the Blue Moon seasonal offerings. The Blue Moon Harvest Pumpkin and Winter Abbey Ale are both nice beers. Maybe Blue Moon should stick to standard ales and stay away from fancy Belgian styles.

I'm really disappointed with this beer. I was actually expecting something worthy or elevated considering the huge price this commands. Do yourself a favor and stick with the regular Blue Moon Belgian White, or branch out and buy something like Duvel.