One for the Roses

Blue Moon Rounder

O kay, what beer goes with slugs. I’m not sure the folks at Blue Moon will appreciate me pairing their brews that way. I was on the horns of a dilemma. Mrs. Dan is losing sleep over the slugs decimating her flowers and peppers in the garden. It is well known that beer is a great slug bait. The slimy little bastards jump in then drown. She requested me buy some cheap beer to use in her aluminum pie pans.

The dilemma is I don’t want to waste good beer but I don’t want a case of crap in the little fridge that I might drink out of desperation. Last year I used Michelob Amberbock. Nice beer that’s still pretty cheap. Kills lots of slugs. But while staring at the beer selection I noticed the Blue Moon Season Collection was on sale for $12.99. Only 50 cents more than the Amberbock.

Then I noticed that 3 of the bottles were a Blackberry Tart beer. Hmmmmm. I’ve never had a Blue Moon beer I’ve not liked. This one might be a game changer. (The others are Agave Nectar Ale, Short Straw Farmhouse Red Ale, Belgian White and Rounder Belgian-Style Pale.)

Now that I’ve set this little tale up I can say that I’m waiting for the Kentucky Derby to start and I don’t care to drink a mint julep or a Blackberry Tart beer. I figured it will take me a few days to sample the four brews featured in their summer collection and using the ones I don’t like as slug bait. If I like them then I’ll share some of the beer with the traps. Also, I like their flagship Belgian White but I’ve had it enough where I can sacrifice some to keep Mrs. Dan happy and slug-free.

I pulled out the Rounder because it sounds like a nice darker brew that might befitting of the Derby. Whoa. I was wrong. The brown label deceived me. Of course it being a Pale should have given me a clue. Nice golden color….almost approaching brown.

This is a nice little beer. The start is very malty. Got some spiciness that makes me think of a rye brew. A little sweetness that very caramel like. It says its crafted with hibiscus and orange peel “for a hint of spiciness and a touch of wheat for a smoother, rounder taste.” On first taste a hoppiness bitterness was apparent. But on the second taste the bitterness wasn’t so apparent. A beer of many tastes.

I think I’m confusing the wheat for the rye taste. Blue Moon uses a lot of orange peel in their brews. I think they’ve got that part down pretty good.

Their website says “Aroma: Notes of caramel malt and citrus with an assertive hop aroma. Taste: Caramel maltiness balanced with a hint of bitterness. Mouthfeel: Medium body with a smooth malt character. Finish: A hint of hops with a slight citrus/floral taste.”

This beer has enough flavor to fill up your taste buds but doesn’t leave you feeling like you just ate a full course meal.

I picked Normandy Invasion to win the Derby….. AND THEY’RE OFF………..Hmmmm. No Normandy Invasion so far…. oooooohh…. here he comes…. Dang. Came in fourth. Orb ran a great race. Now back to the beer.

The orange peel flavors stick around for a long time. A long, long time. Leaves a bit of a sweet taste too. That’s despite a dry mouthfeel after the initial taste. Not sure if it’s from the wheat, orange peel or the hibiscus. This brew takes your mouth on an interesting taste journey. As it warms up the dryness lingers a bit longer.

There’s only 2 bottles of this brew in the collection. I don’t think I’ll be sharing this one with the slugs.

From: Denver, Colorado
Brewery: Blue Moon Brewing Company