Initial Impressions:
This review is off-season, as Moonglow is available from August through October. However, I've had it written for some time, so I've decided to post it anyway.As I pour the beer into my Ayinger 40cl weizen glass, I immediately notice the relatively high carbonation and slightly hazy reddish color of this beer. Carbonation regardless, the beer does not produce the anticipated dominating rocky head.
Nose:
Banana, bubblegum, malt. Some spicy notes, perhaps produced by the large portion of wheat malt used. Clove notes are limited if at all detectable.Flavor:
Moonglow opens malty with obvious wheat notes, which merges into a banana and bubblegummy middle, though less of the latter than the nose suggests. This beer finishes dry considering the malt depth and complexity, my guess is the moderately high carbonation aids in the dryness. At very end, a slight acidic note rounds out the beer and adds to the complexity and dryness.Final Analysis:
Victory is, of course, my favorite brewery in the United States. I say that because I find this beer not up to the exceptionally high standards that Victory has created for itself by brewing uniformly excellent offerings. While I will admit that I'm not an enthusiastic consumer of the style, I don't believe that swayed my judgment. Indeed, I sampled Aventinus immediately following the Victory tasting, and I found the former to be a fantastic beer.Nevertheless, Moonglow remains an interesting, complex beer, possibly among the best weizenbocks brewed in the US, and I would not hesitate having another.
Rating:
***
(Good on my 5-star scale)