Moonlight Death and Taxes

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 7

Wow! Something other than an IPA on tap here in Portlandia. It's a rare occasion when that happens in Stumptown. Poured a muddy brown, decent sized froth. A little nutty with some toffee and light milk chocolate character. Taste is mellow, creamy, some soft bitterness but smooth sweet finish.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

I guess both death and taxes could be associated with a black colour. This is a flavourful beer with a great balance between the dark malt, nuts, spices, and hops in the flavour. The aroma is very nutty, although there is quite a bit of roast and chcolate as well. I'd almost call it a Scwarzbier.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 5

not super impressed with this one. got it by mistake (next to the mirror mirror tap) so the potential for a nice surprise was there, but it was a bit of a bastard. too hoppy and bitter for the style. nothing offensive, and nothing that stood out.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 5 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 5 | Overall: 5

Pours with a dark brown body topped by a thin head and little lacing. It’s bitter and roasty with a slight malt character and a little sourness. Light to medium bodied and a touch dry.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 6

On draught at Toronado. 05.22.04 Pours black and thick looking. Smells like a smoked out campfire in the morning over burnt coffee. All charred malts and minimal head. Chewy but thin texture. I didn’t realize this was a schwarz until just now and my impression makes much more sense. Probably my favorite of the style so far.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 10 | Flavor: 10 | Overall: 10

The very best Schwarzbier I've ever had. (Wow, who would have predicted that someday I'd say that, eh?)

A very rare keg of this made it's way all the way down the coast from the Bay Area to O'Brien's, no doubt due to Tom Nickel calling in a few favors, etc. Man, it's good to be the king, eh?

This was showing up on-tap the same time as a special Green Flash/Reaper Ale evening, so naturally it was those beers that Tom Nickel concentrated his mad tapping skills on through the early evening. But while Green Flash has taken a turn for the better the last six months or so, me and the guys really only came for the Moonlight, and even went so far as to slow down our consumption of our more typical OB's quaffables in order to keep our palettes in respectable shape for this rarity from the North. *Finally*, Tom pulled a pint of this for the Big Dog, and the rest of us soon followed suite. Worth the wait, and the hype? You betcha...!

My bud Richard said it best, when he likened this to a Schwarzbier when it first hit the taste buds, but then firmed up and dried out to almost Stout-like levels in the backend. Very "hybrid-ish", even though I know this is very much an 100% through-and-through Lager.

My biggest complaint (well, "complaint" is perhaps too strong a word here; "issue", perhaps?) with most Schwarzbiers is that they tend to come in on the thin side of things for my liking. Well, with something this pleasing in the mouthfeel, I really need to re-investigate the style a bit more. Love the almost minty-chocolate & coffee notes in the mix too...

An American "over-the-top" take on a traditional German beer style? Not when it clocks in at an modest 4.2%ABV ("...can you say 'sessionable'? I knew you could..."), but I do tend to think that Brian Hunt (the soul owner/brewer/employee of Moonlight Brewing) has created quite a fascinating slant on a style most other breweries won't touch with a ten foot mash paddle....

With the monthly Foam On The Brain (homebrew) club meeting tonight at O'Brien's, wanna guess what I'll be hitting first? ;^)

Highly Recommended.
//TB

Aroma: 10 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 10 | Overall: 8

Dark black color, with a dark purple tint that rather pretty. Medium head. Aroma is roasted malts and coffee. A medium bodied Schwarthbeir. Malts are roasted, coffee and chocolate. Hops are slightly bitter. Very smooth. Lots of flavor. Nice beer. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly bitter.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 7

I saw the name of this beer and had to have it. Ordered a pint of it on draught and was pleasantly surprised. Was a lot like a porter. Coffee and chocolate flavors but pretty bitter in the middle and finish. Almost black in color with good, brown lacing. Light-medium mouthfeel.