Moonraker Ale
J.W. Lees & Co (Brewers) Ltd
Beer Geek Stats:
| Print Shelf Talker
- Style:
- English Strong Ale
Ranked #43 - ABV:
- 7.5%
- Score:
- 84
Ranked #32,765 - Avg:
- 3.73 | pDev: 15.55%
- Reviews:
- 124
- Ratings:
- From:
- J.W. Lees & Co (Brewers) Ltd
- England, United Kingdom
- Avail:
- Winter
- Wants
- 8
- Gots
- 6
SCORE
84
Good
84
Good
Notes:
Reviews: 124
| Ratings: 169
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Reviews by LJWalker:
More User Reviews:
3.41/5 rDev -8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
In the bottle the nose is deep with some appetising fruit. In the glass it is more cola like. There is a contant head on top of this reddish brown beer and body is slightly carbonic and quite thin for a 7.5% ABV beer. Slight banana quality to the tasty but not much else of interest. Decent complex lacing. Eventually coats mouth with a slight sappiness. There is development over time in the glass as it opens up. At least I didn't serve it chilled.
Certianly is Moonraker. Too bad I was expecting From Russia With Love.
522 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
In the bottle the nose is deep with some appetising fruit. In the glass it is more cola like. There is a contant head on top of this reddish brown beer and body is slightly carbonic and quite thin for a 7.5% ABV beer. Slight banana quality to the tasty but not much else of interest. Decent complex lacing. Eventually coats mouth with a slight sappiness. There is development over time in the glass as it opens up. At least I didn't serve it chilled.
Certianly is Moonraker. Too bad I was expecting From Russia With Love.
522 characters
3.75/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
4.03/5 rDev +8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A 500ml bottle with a BB of Jan 2012, although given the strength of this brew I prefer to think of it as vintage rather than old. The label mentions a tale of farm hands attempting to rake the moon from a stream, thinking it was cheese.
Poured into a tulip pint glass. A deep ruby-brown hue with medium carbonation. Forms a huge head of creamy light-tan foam that remains for a few minutes before reducing to a surface layer. A sweet, slightly cloying aroma of dark malt with notes of molasses, dried fruit, brown sugar, liquorice and yeast. A background whiff of booze. Posseses a vinous, wine-like quality.
Tastes of rich dark malt with a dry finish. Notes of dried fruit, molasses, prunes, liquorice, dry yeast and stewed hops. A dry, slightly harsh bitterness upon swallowing, with a warming hint of alcohol in the background. Fruity and vinous. Mouthfeel is thick and smooth, with a pleasing creamy sensation and tingly carbonation. Pretty astringent; dries the palate. Aftertaste of sweet, fruity malt.
A rich, fruity experience - quite intense, definitely one to sip and savour. A pleasing blend of flavours that rounds out nicely. A quality strong ale; goes down nicely on a cold winter night. Well worth trying.
1,224 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A 500ml bottle with a BB of Jan 2012, although given the strength of this brew I prefer to think of it as vintage rather than old. The label mentions a tale of farm hands attempting to rake the moon from a stream, thinking it was cheese.
Poured into a tulip pint glass. A deep ruby-brown hue with medium carbonation. Forms a huge head of creamy light-tan foam that remains for a few minutes before reducing to a surface layer. A sweet, slightly cloying aroma of dark malt with notes of molasses, dried fruit, brown sugar, liquorice and yeast. A background whiff of booze. Posseses a vinous, wine-like quality.
Tastes of rich dark malt with a dry finish. Notes of dried fruit, molasses, prunes, liquorice, dry yeast and stewed hops. A dry, slightly harsh bitterness upon swallowing, with a warming hint of alcohol in the background. Fruity and vinous. Mouthfeel is thick and smooth, with a pleasing creamy sensation and tingly carbonation. Pretty astringent; dries the palate. Aftertaste of sweet, fruity malt.
A rich, fruity experience - quite intense, definitely one to sip and savour. A pleasing blend of flavours that rounds out nicely. A quality strong ale; goes down nicely on a cold winter night. Well worth trying.
1,224 characters
3.62/5 rDev -2.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Dark mahogany colour with deep red tinges with a thin, off-white head that is about a millimetre thick that remains consistent throughout.
Mainly dark fruits to start, a combination of plum and sugar with some raisin and a little spice too. There is some toffee malts and some grapes but it doesn't smell as strong as I had been expecting.
Dark fruits kick things off with the plums and raisin from the nose along with a sort of fig taste. There is some sweet, rich malts and a little sugar along with an alcohol laced finish.
Medium bodied and with moderate to high carbonation, there is a dry finish that is slightly bitter and boozy with some spice in the mix too.
Very fruity and not as dark as I had expected, although still quite sweet. You can definitely feel that 6.5% abv. after a few drinks and it is quite a boozy beer to drink but it is one that I would have again.
881 characters
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Dark mahogany colour with deep red tinges with a thin, off-white head that is about a millimetre thick that remains consistent throughout.
Mainly dark fruits to start, a combination of plum and sugar with some raisin and a little spice too. There is some toffee malts and some grapes but it doesn't smell as strong as I had been expecting.
Dark fruits kick things off with the plums and raisin from the nose along with a sort of fig taste. There is some sweet, rich malts and a little sugar along with an alcohol laced finish.
Medium bodied and with moderate to high carbonation, there is a dry finish that is slightly bitter and boozy with some spice in the mix too.
Very fruity and not as dark as I had expected, although still quite sweet. You can definitely feel that 6.5% abv. after a few drinks and it is quite a boozy beer to drink but it is one that I would have again.
881 characters
3.3/5 rDev -11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
4.04/5 rDev +8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This beer was served in a fluted glass at the Ginger Man in NYC (review is from notes).
This beer had no foam when served to me. The coloring is brown with some decent light at the edges.
This beer is pretty rich, while being decently thin. I get dark fruit upfront while retaining some good mouthfeel as it eases off.
This one makes for a very good sipper.
361 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This beer was served in a fluted glass at the Ginger Man in NYC (review is from notes).
This beer had no foam when served to me. The coloring is brown with some decent light at the edges.
This beer is pretty rich, while being decently thin. I get dark fruit upfront while retaining some good mouthfeel as it eases off.
This one makes for a very good sipper.
361 characters
3.75/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Bottled
Dark black, almost no head. Malty aroma with a bit of fruitcake. Lots of CO2; overcarbonated. Thin and watery, with not much complexity in the flavor: a bit of malt, a bit of roasted coffee beams, not much else
218 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Bottled
Dark black, almost no head. Malty aroma with a bit of fruitcake. Lots of CO2; overcarbonated. Thin and watery, with not much complexity in the flavor: a bit of malt, a bit of roasted coffee beams, not much else
218 characters
3.97/5 rDev +6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
2009 Vintage
Pours a very deep brown that still allows some light through. About a 2 inch head rises.
The smell includes some sweetness, some hay, and some cream.
Taste is similar to an aging barley wine. The sweetness is barely starting to poke through. Hops are calm, not heavy. Tastes like whole wheat toast that is lightly toasted and still has a moist center. Very dim caramel that may be more apparent after a few more years.
Mouthfeel is much like bread. Mouth is full and busy, the beer is not syrupy but is still thick.
532 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
2009 Vintage
Pours a very deep brown that still allows some light through. About a 2 inch head rises.
The smell includes some sweetness, some hay, and some cream.
Taste is similar to an aging barley wine. The sweetness is barely starting to poke through. Hops are calm, not heavy. Tastes like whole wheat toast that is lightly toasted and still has a moist center. Very dim caramel that may be more apparent after a few more years.
Mouthfeel is much like bread. Mouth is full and busy, the beer is not syrupy but is still thick.
532 characters
3.87/5 rDev +3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
On cask at Rustico - Arlington
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look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
On cask at Rustico - Arlington
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Moonraker Ale from J.W. Lees & Co (Brewers) Ltd
Beer rating:
84 out of
100 with
169 ratings
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