United Nations of Beer

Blue Moon Grand Cru

by Bret
(Las Vegas, NV)

Blue Moon Grand Cru (ABV 9.2%)
Blue Moon Brewing Co., Golden, CO
Visit the UNOB's Colorado beers guide

This Belgian Style Wheat Ale was brewed to honor and celebrate the rare occurance of having a blue moon on new year's eve. This beer is a credit to both styles equally, it has all the carbonation spiciness of a Belgian Ale and all the mouthfeel and fruitiness of a Wheat Ale. We all know that Blue Moon beer is a Coors product, and this is by far the best effort I have ever sampled.

Grand Cru starts off with a sweet, spicy and mildly fruity aroma with light hops undertones. There are sublte hints of coriander and orange or citrus while beer warms followed by a strong yeast overtone which becomes more evident as the yeast rises in the glass.

The appearance is a cloudy straw or pale golden color with an extreme haze from the yeast deposits floating in the glass. The opaque foamy head pours out and dissipates quickly but does not linger in the glass. There is extreme carbonation in this Belgian style ale, like a trippel or champagne (wine), where the Cru classification comes from.

Blue Moon Grand Cru's flavor is a combination of sweet yeasty, spicy and fruity flavors which linger in the mouth and give way to a mild bitter aftertaste. If you add a lemon or orange to your wheats, it accentuates the citrus and spice overtones. The mouthfeel is smooth in texture which coats the palate with a sharp, refreshing carbonation which tickles the tongue and the back of the throat as it goes down. Moderate bodied with a lot of character from the yeast deposits.

Overall this is an excellent beer for both of the styles, meets all of the requirements of each and is very representative of both. Very disappointed in the price but it was worth the purchase to try. One of the best holiday beers of the season.