Lunatic Lager
Moonlight Brewing Company

 

 

nice

Moonlight is simply amazing. They are like the Greta Garbo of breweries - the top of the top, but also enigmatic as all good out. And what do you know? Lunatic Lager slays like Sam Fuller directing “Shock Corridor.” Just… So just… I’m gone.

Beautiful brassy gold color with a 2 finger foamy head. The aroma is unique; strong citrus notes, fruity esters, floral, The taste is quite fruity with a slightly bitter finish. Fruity and floral. Light bodied and easy drinking. Fantastic lager.

 

Thanks, Chris. Canned 08 July.

A clear golden yellow with a dense off-white head with excellent retention and lacing, this looks great. The nose is soft, doughy, biscuity and creamy with a firm hop bite. There's lemon, earth, dust all present. The palate is spot on for the style. Delicately sweet, mildly doughy with a definite biscuit like Character, with a creamy, mildly butterscotch like sweetness present. The mid palate has a firm hop character, bitter and earthy with a little lemon. Drying, bitter finish, clean and with a little caramel sweetness, this is a pretty excellent Dortmunder. Medium light in body and with creamy carbonation, this beer is excellent.

Can from Lupulo, Santa Cruz. Slightly

 

 

Park Chow - San Francisco, CA - draft

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On-tap at City Beer Store (SF). The appearance was a normal lager, light orange/brown and see through. The nose is what first got me. While you get the typical bready lager, there was a noticeable hint of citrus and lemon. It wasn't until I tasted it that I realized what I was in for. This is a supremely drinkable lager. The hop flavor is stronger than any other lager I've had, but it is not bitter at all, which makes it so drinkable. This is my favorite Moonlight offering, and I've loved a few of them. Very happy to have access to all of these

Perfect representation of the style per BJCP guidelines. Does not merit perfect score due to slight chill haze. Interesting vanilla aroma is very welcome. As far as taste, this beer is a masterpiece of balance, with the slightest hop presence to subdue a pleasant cereal sweetness. Mouth feel is medium to medium light. Overall, wonderful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Appearance: Orange yellow slighty hazy grain beer. No visible head. Looks tasty.

Smell: Pencil, grass, citric lemon. This is a great expression of noble style german hops. Toasted biscuit. Cracker. Grass and floral in secondary.

Taste: Good strong pilsner like bitterness. Somewhere between a prima pils and a bavarian lager. Some tropical fruits. Grainy malts. Slight nut in the finish.

Mouthfeel: Malty mouthfeel balanced by nice biting hops.

Overall: A great lager. Lager usually isn't my go to style but it is beer like this which proves what is best in the style.

On tap at the Jupiter alehouse...

The beer pours a solid gold color with good head retention and lacing. Don't get a whole lot on the nose... just some light honey and light citrus. On the palate this beer delivers considerble cookie dough and honey flavor, along with some noticeable bitterness on the finish. The beer is definitely on the sweet and malty side, but the hoppy bitterness in the finish helps to balance that sweetness quite well. As is typical with Moonlight beers, the lunatic really delivers a lot of flavor for such a low alcohol beer. Mouthfeel is medium bodied to full in this smooth drinking lager, and the finish is long and slightly bitter.

Really one of the better lagers I can recall having in some time. Not bad at all...

 

 

 

A - Served a clear golden-orange color with a finger of frothy white head atop. The head fades very slowly leaving behind some nice lacing in the process.

S - Aroma is a very nice balance of light biscuity malts, citrus hops, and some light fruity esters from the yeast.

T - Starts off with some sweet biscuit malt wit ha nice balance of citrus hops and some lager esters in the background. Through the middle, some richer malt with a touch more hops and some light bitterness comes though. The finish is a mix of sweet biscuit malts with a touch of hops, some feint bitterness, and a bit of lager yeast that lingers.

M - Medium-plus bodied with moderate carbonation. Feels smooth with a very crisp and lightly dry finish.

D - Super drinkable. Very well balanced and very refreshing while still being fully flavored and retaining body.

 

On-tap at Burger in Santa Cruz, CA. Served in a Moonlight branded pint glass, on to the beer:

A little haze is found in this yellow-orange colored beer. The had is on the smaller side, drops to a lace, but does leave more than a good amount of stringy lacing. The aroma is very strong and very in the raw. It's loaded with grassy and pleasant grain aromas.

Out the gate, this lager is not shy about introducing itself to your palate. As much spirit as it gives in the nose, that's how much you get in flavor. In other words, prepare for a beatdown of grassy and hay flavors. There are also small breaks of clean, fresh hops. You'll feel this all in full force, yet it still holds an easy drinking character.

The spiced beer from Moonlight are in the love it or hate it realm, but the traditional styles that Moonlight makes should have appeal for plenty. Lunatic Lager is certainly feeling the love from this BA.

Had on-tap at The Lanesplitter in Berkeley.

Poured a clear, slightly hazy pale yellow with the look of light apple juice. Head was one-finger and left decent lacing. Good looking beer with lots of rising bubbles and activity all around, but could use more head.

Smells very crisp and clean, with lots of lemon citrus and some tropical notes as well. Slightly sweet nose is balanced by the hops well.

Taste is a burst of grapefruit and lemon citrus to go with a large dose of apricot. Bitterness is channeled into a rindy sourness that is excellent. Apricot lingers after the grainy malts take over, leaving a pleasant tinge of fruitiness that doesn't reset until the next sip. This is a fantastic tasting beer, and a really good hop showcase.

Feel is very clean and crisp the way it should be. Malts are present in the beer, but it has a dry finish and fruity body that makes you feel like there isn't. Drinkability is great as the beer never gets too bitter, has plenty of juicy fruit, and remains lively and excited from the decent carbonation for the entire beer. Can't wait to get more Moonlight beers after this.