Blue Moon Mountain Abbey Ale (formerly Winter Abbey Ale)

[Wings_Fan_In_KC]

Seems like I'm reviewing a lot of commercial beers lately but....I'm waiting on my St Pats Vanilla porter to condition so, it's buy beer or go without!

I had this beer a couple years ago when it was called "Winter Abbey Ale" and thought it was "OK" for a BMC effort. This time around, I wonder if they have bent to the pressures of the "I love thin crappy beer" crowd, after all, BM is owned by Miller-Coors.

I used a pretty aggressive pour in a chilled nonic glass. The head was very thin and faded away quickly, there was little or no lacing to speak of. Color was medium brown, a little darker than Newcastle Brown Ale, and it was crystal clear when held up to the light.

The aroma was weak but present, sweet caramel, hints of toffee and roasted malts. Did not really pick up any hops aroma at all, more malty to be sure. I think after a couple, I was even picking up a slightly wheaty layer in the aroma.

Mouthfeel is light to medium bodied with adequate but not too much carbonation.....truth be told, more to the "light" side of body. When I think of a dark winter ale, I think heavier and "chewy" and I have to thank FedoraDave for that descriptor.....I love it.

Taste-wise, he only place I got any inkling of the candi sugar that they supposedly used in this brew was the lingering aftertaste. The aftertaste was, at first, sweet and then after a few moments morphed into grainy/wheaty. Not to say unpleasant because I like wheaty influences but I had to read the bottle again to make sure they did not say something specifically about adding wheat (they did not).

Overall, I beleive that they have weakened this beer from what they produced a couple of years ago. the flavors are not as bold and the body is much thinner. Again, from a BMC, it's not a bad effort....it's just from a BMC. Any true craft beer maker would be ashamed to produce this but for Miller-Coors.....they did "OK".

Next up.....Sam Adams Boston ALE.

[swenocha]

I did a clone of Boston Ale a year or so ago that I quite liked. WLP008 is the "east coast ale" yeast that they use. Quite tasty. The Boston Ale is one of those beers that I occasionally see on mixer-sixer racks mostly around here.

I've only had the Winter Abbey once when a friend left a bottle or two in the beer fridge after an event. I'd concur with the OK assessment... It certainly was drinkable, but I've had several better for the style. Sorry to hear it's taken a turn for the worse though...