MoonJuice IPA
SanTan Brewing Co.

Direct from a 19.2 ounces can so no color or foam detected. Very fruity and quite bitter IPA. Good vivid carbonation. Hops, little malt and berries in the aftertaste.

 

Type: 12-oz. can
Reviewed as: American IPA
Glass: Pure Project 14-oz. Teku glass
Price: $15.99 for a 12 pack (w/ Ralph’s card)
From: Fry’s Food Store in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Purchased: May 30, 2021
Consumed: May 31, 2021
Misc.: Canned on March 31, 2021

Grabbed a 12-pack of this on my last night in Arizona. Had this before, giving it a 4.00 on Untappd on Sept. 19, 2017 and writing “Wow. Outstanding at least.” However, I had a bunch the night before I reviewed this and dropped it to a 3.75, writing “Not quite as good as the last time I had it and one of the 12 cans was about a quarter full.” Almost forgot about the last part. One of the 12 cans was about three ounces and still had the pop top on it. Their website called this “An out-of-this-world IPA crafted with tons of Galaxy and Nelson-Sauvin hops that transcends all Earthly pleasures, emitting an aroma of peach, apricot and tropical fruit.” Might have been past it’s prime at two months old.

Poured a medium amber clear color with four fingers of rocky-to-frothy off-white head. Lots of fast-moving bubbles coming up from the bottom of the glass. Almost perfect foamy lacing. Outstanding retention. (Sight - 4.50)

Smelled Galaxy, peach, mango, guava, apricot, grapefruit, pineapple, orange rind, hints of Nelson, white grape and papaya. Just as good from the can. (Smell - 4.00)

Tasted almost as good as the nose, but not quite. Got Galaxy, peach, mango, guava, apricot, grapefruit, pineapple, bitter orange rind, citrus peel, light Nelson, viney berry, papaya, pine, herbal and grass. (Taste - 3.75)

Medium body. Oily texture. Average carbonation. Bitter finish. (Feel - 4.00)

A really nice IPA. Outstanding. (Overall - 4.00)

3.93 | 88 | B+

It’s bitter. And thick for mouth feel. Probably the wheat aspect, which I think is a poor choice for an IPA. Still, worth the try. It’s unique in this genre. I would buy it again. It’s a good beer drink vs SanTan’s HopShock. They are complimentary. But the freaking wheat base. No.

 

22oz can poured into a lowball

A- pours clear golden color with a one finger glossy white head that has good retention and leaves some lacing behind

S- equal parts piney and citrus hops, light grass, some breast malt

T- citrus forward up front with notes of orange and grapefruit zest. Mid palate gives some resinous pine, as well as some grassy notes. Fruity finish with more citrus hops on the linger

M- medium body with moderate carbonation, foamy mouthfeel and finish

pours clear amber with a rather amazing fluffy head, great head retention.
Dank weediness also fruity notes.
Nice fruitiness with great malt hop balance and notes of peaches are there.
Medium light feel, not super carbonated.

 

 

 

 

 

True golden in color. Lots of head, I dropped the 12pk on the way in the house... Very clear.

Smell is pineapple, apple, sour sweet fruit. Very little malt sweetness.

Very interesting. Pineapple and tropical fruit. Grain takes a backseat. Finishes with aggressive bitterness. It rounds it out very well. Without the bitterness I would not be loving it.

Solid carbonation bite. Alcohol is hiding 7.3% in there but you would never know it. Kind of a slick, oily mouthfeel.

I really like this. The hops are very tropical and the bitterness is right on point to make me want to keep going. Very nice beer and interesting hop flavor/aroma.

 

From a can at the Phoenix airport finishing leg one of three legs home... uugghh. Average IPA here. Drinkable, enjoyable. First beer from Arizona for us!

Poured from a can into a pint glass. Pours orange yellow with a small white head. Smells of citrus hops with a little bit of sweet grain. Tastes of citrus and piney hops with decent barley sweetness. Beer is light bodied and easy drinking, good carbonation. Overall, a very good beer.

 

Great beer. I have been kind of bummed by AZ IPA's, so this was very refreshing. Poured deep gold-very slightly amber, slight head that simmers into a thin white lacing. Smell is citrusy, tiny bit of white grape aroma. Taste is by far the best part of the beer, the Galaxy and NS do a great job of complementing each other, which is super impressive considering the strong characteristics of each beer. I find that when I use either in my beers one tends to slightly dominate the other, so well done. Passionfruit, slight pineapple, hint of bitterness, basically an all-around rich and satisfying beer that can't be explained by listing exact fruit comparisons, but is it's own thing from the blend of tropical hops. Mouthfeel is on point for an IPA using wheat in the grist. One thing I am kind of confused about is that the company decided to filter the beer with 40% wheat malt? This would have been a more fulfilling beer had it remained hazy, but I think AZ has yet to hop on the hazy train. Overall, this is the best IPA i've had in AZ.

 

 

 

Pours a golden color with a one finger head, smells fruity and citrusy, tastes citrusy and smooth, with a nice mouthfeel. Overall, this is a solid wheat IPA. I would definitely order it again.

 

 

 

 

Poured into a pint glass: color is gold, transparent, light carbonation, head presents with off white color and is 1 finger thick on first pour.

Smell is slightly tropical fruit hop oriented at first, then melds with citrus and some earthy notes.

Taste is similar with light hop flavors of tropical fruit, tangerine like citrus, and then some earthy hops; wheat is noticeable after some warmth and in the presence of the flavors.

Mouthfeel is not too bitter for its strength, hops are present in the flavor and aroma but the wheat performs as intended to soften this ipa.

Overall a good wheat forward ipa, i think it could withstand more bittering hops. Reminds me of a stronger flying fish extra pale ale with a variant on the hop profile.

Second tasting from 4.17.22: similar notes, maybe not so extra pale ale ish but definite malty presence.

 

 

 

 

Look - Poured from a 12 oz can. Solid three finger head, straw yellow in color.
Smell - citrus and tropical fruit scents, detectable but not overly strong.
Taste - mellow in flavor. tropical fruit flavors come through, though the beer has a malty finish. does not drink like 65 IBUs, probably due to the high malt presence.
Feel - medium bodied, medium high carbonation, and a moderately strong brew at 7.1%
Overall - my first time in Arizona, and this is the only 6-pack that I picked up. Not half bad. A remarkably easy drinking and pretty flavorful beer.

Can from Whole Foods in Sedona.

A clear light copper with a dense white head with good retention and lacing this looks solid. The nose is moderately hoppy with citrus, papaya and some mango. Navel orange and clementine notes are present. Minimal malt character. The palate opens mildly bitter with citrus oil bitterness and a moderate tropical fruit flavor. Bitterness is clean and mildly oily, tempering the fruity notes from the hops. Light in body with a mild wheat like grist character, this has a mild water cracker flavor. Light in body and arguably slightly watery,this beer is softly carbonated and mildly bitter on the finish with fruity flavors present. Solid.

The notes of peach, apricot and tropical fruit promoted on the can never materialized in taste or aroma. This is a one trick pony Wheat IPA, which it is not even advertised as being. That one trick is the high ABV %. Sure, they use a lot of hops, but if the only flavor profile is bitter hops, is it worth it? No notes of citrus, no notes of pine, severely undercarbonated. Perhaps I just got a bad batch, but if not, it is more proof that Arizona brewers need to step up their game.

Best Phoenix area beer hands down.

 

 

Good amount of white Grapefruit juice up front. Pine, orange, tangerine round out the rest of the flavors. Slightly undercarbed. Prickly bitterness with restrained sweetness. It's good.