Moon Man No Coast Pale Ale

Thanks to Joey Waldorf for keeping my blog in consideration when he was vacationing in Wisconsin. He ended up getting four 6-packs of New Glarus, three of which I had never had. Reviewed Sunday afternoon following a run and preceding the MUGZ homebrew club meeting down at GRB.

Appearance: Brilliant golden color with an initial, but minor carbonation accumulation on the side of the glass. Head isn't much, but still is exhibited as a white foam ring around the inside perimeter of the glass. Occasional bubbles arise the the surface and soon popping. Lacing is wet and cascaded.
Aroma: Very lemony and sweet, reminiscent of a lemon head. Very unlikely citrus from a peppery lemon hop make up much of the flavor. Definitely floral with a bit of a lemongrass complexity. Spicing for sure, yet I cannot pinpoint its exact flavor. Generally abnormally perfumy and citrusy.
Taste: Foretaste is light and perhaps pilsner malt. Perhaps some extra cane sugar additions. A unique combination between a synthetic lemon flavor, but also the inner pith of lemons make up the majority of the hop profile. A bit buttery, with an underlying biscuity taste, yet hardly acknowledgeable under the lemon flavor. Some pine is present, along with a very minute chemical and tropical zest/bitterness. The finish is dry, but the beer finishes relatively crisp.
Mouthfeel: High carbonation makes for both an aggressively textured beer, yet very crisp and refreshing. Body is light and almost soda like.
Overall Impression: Definitely a very interesting pale ale. I haven't come across one quite like this, especially with the extreme emphasis on lemon for its overall flavor characteristics. Nevertheless it is extremely light, and could perhaps even boarder on being a pilsner, though that may be up for debate...so please do.


85/100