Blue Moon Full Moon Winter Ale

Brewed by Coors Brewing Company (MillerCoors)
Style: Abbey Dubbel
Golden, Colorado USA

Bottle. This was my first "Abbey" style so maybe I had high expectations. Honestly it tasted just like a Mr. Beer Pale Ale, I made. I guess it was from the amount of sugar in the beer.

Bottle. Pours a strange translucent ocher color I can describe only by this scenario. Sometimes, after drinking an imperial stout, I will return to my glass a day later to find a mililiter of beer has dried in the bottom of the glass. To make it easier on my dishwasher, I often soak the residue with an ounce or two of hot water before washing it. The strange solution that results is the exact color of this beer. But the nose! The nose is not of belgian yeast, but indistinct sweetness. Flavor is quite sweet, with some corn and maple aftertaste. Finish is funky and maby a tad metallic. Not disgusting, so I wondered, how is this one of the worst abbey dubbles in the world? Then I realized that any brewer who goes out of their way to brew an abbey dubble is going to know what they are doing, and this one does not. This is not a belgian (style) beer and it is the color of Bass pale ale.

I got this thinking it would be an absolute trainwreck and it didn’t seem nearly as bad as I’d envisioned. It is far from being mistaken for an actually Belgium abbey ale though. Pours amber with a sudsy beige head. The aroma has soda spritziness, light caramel malt, brown sugar, hints of earthiness and brown sugar. The aroma overall is quite muted though. Medium semi-smooth body with some fizzy carbonation on the finish. The flavor starts with sugary sweetness, wateriness, minor toffee and caramel along with some biscuit-like malt. The finish has some spice and astringency. Not bad for who does it, but not something I’ll run out to get.

Single bottle I thought would be entertaining, but I was greatly disappointed. Aroma of much to do about nothing, mostly cardboard with a tinge of sugar. Looks good in the glass, brownish copper pour with a thick head and nice lacing. Light-medium body with a faint creaminess and a thin finish. Flavor is rather dull, mild sweetness and a touch of doughy malt. Thumbs down on this seasonal, whatever "Belgian" ingredients they claim are used are not used properly.

Pours a beautiful clear amber color with offwhite fizzy head. Aroma is pretty typical sweet malt corn scent with slight yeasty spice. Flavor is sweet caramel bit of fruitiness and light and watery. Overall not bad from coors.

Found this in bottles in St. Charles, Illinois. Beautiful clear dark amber pour with a thick, white head dissipating to a nice lace. Slightly malty, fruity nose. Slightly sweet, with candy apple, some spice, molassas and bourbon. Strong and precise finish. This was interesting.

This didn’t get the best rating but I liked it. Once poured I thought it have a good aroma, not strong but a slight spicy smell. I enjoyed the flavor of this beer, not the best winter ale in the world but it had a good spicy and “hoppey” flavor. I think it is a little over priced but it is a nice beer to drink on a cold day. This is a very drinkable beer that tastes good from the first beer to the sixth.

Nothing special here. Full moon attempts an abbey ale without the strength or flavor of a Belgian. It was dissaponting, but expected from Full Moon who caters to Bud Light drinkers. What you get is a beer with hints of flavor, nothing particular.