Lunar Illusion
ForeLand Beer

Can from John's Marketplace.

Crystal clear straw yellow with a dense, white head with good retention and lacing. The nose is clean, smelt, delicately bready and with a delicious smoke character, alternating between subtle and robust. More of a dry, smoky grape leaf aroma. Earthy hops complement the smoke and there's a delicate sweetness. The palate opens with a lighter smoke character than id like but still very well done. Softly smoky, smoldering, with earth, lemon and bread flavors that come in waves. A hair thin on the palate. A really rich, complex fermentation profile is present, subtle enough that its easy to miss. Soft sweetness lingers on in the finish that's light, creamy, and mildly herbal.

Nice looking beer, one of thr reasons we like Foreland is their visual quality is excellent. A full bodied lager, with some more going on. Light smoky notes, still has a solid malt base and a pleasing hoppiness. Good mouthfeel, clean finish. Highly enjoyable.

16-ounce can purchased at New Seasons in Progress Ridge. Date stamp reads "CANNED ON 0408201." Poured into a nonic half-pint glass.

Look:
The body is a deep gold color and slightly hazy. The head is snowy white foam, dense and somewhat creamy, which slowly dissipates and leaves some lacing.

Smell:
Bready malt, slightly sweet and a little doughy with an abundance of clean smoke character. Some floral and herbal hops come through at the back, and suggest a hint of wintergreen when mixed with the smoke. Tiny bit of sulfur, not unpleasant.

Taste:
Closely follows the nose. Leads with bready and lightly sweet malt with a touch of honey. Plenty of smoke follows, and mixes well with the malt without overpowering it. The moderately intense smoke character is clean and woody, rather than savory or meaty. Some herbal and floral hops make a brief appearance leading into a drying, malty finish balanced with lingering smoke.

Feel:
Medium-bodied, smooth and nicely rounded. Moderate level of finely-textured carbonation.

Overall:
Lunar Illusion is a well-made helles lager with a substantial amount of smokiness that still shows a good balance with the malt from start to finish. It is a touch sweeter and smokier than the Rauchbier Hell collaboration from Heater Allen and Wayfinder, and lacks the gorgeous finesse of that beer. Still, it is a tasty example of the style, and I am glad that ForeLand plans to make this one of their "Periodic" beers. I look forward to trying it again.