Avery White Rascal...two perfect 10s

Beer panel at Brewzzi

Blue Moon vs. the world

-by Dan Oliver

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Original article

Pssst ... Hey you. Yes, you. Did you know Blue Moon beer is brewed by Molson Coors? Yep, the same mega-brewer who churns out water-in-a-can Coors Light also produces a "hand-crafted" Belgian-style white ale, which just happens to be selling like gangbusters these days.

But you won't hear Coors doing much crowing about it. More on that later.

While sales of most of their beers have been flat or declining in recent years, Blue Moon is bucking the trend for Molson Coors, earning double-digit increases and spawning several offshoot Blue Moon seasonal offerings, including a Winter Ale, Spring Ale and Honeymoon Summer Ale, which took home a gold medal from the 2006 Great American Beer Festival.

What piqued The Beer Guy's interest? A report from a friend in the local beer business, who said Blue Moon was the top-selling beer (aside from Bud Light and Miller Lite ... sigh) at the 100-plus tap Yardhouse in Palm Beach Gardens.

"Wow!" I said. "Get out!" said I. But a phone call confirmed it. Blue Moon is in an orbit all its own.

Dennis Thies of Thies distributing can't disclose sales figures but is clearly thrilled with Blue Moon's performance in South Florida.

"Every so often a brand comes around that redefines its category. Blue Moon has not only done that here, but around the country. Besides main-streaming and introducing this style, it's moving the (sometimes blind) beer drinking masses into better beers. More importantly, it's a damn good beer with or without the orange."

But I wondered how Blue Moon would fare in a head-to-head battle with other Wit (white) beers? Real Wit beers.

In general, Belgian Wits are made with malted barley, wheat and oats, are cloudy in appearance and are flavored with coriander and orange peel, giving the ale a light, refreshing quality, perfect for a summertime quaff.

With the mission now clear, I assembled a tasting panel (three men, two women) at Brewzzi in CityPlace and brought in five other Belgian whites to face off against Blue Moon, anticipating its inevitable destruction. Only problem? Didn't happen.

Blue Moon was first in line in the blind-tasting session, and got strong marks across the board for its smoothness and drinkability. The only criticism, from one panelist, was that it was a bit nondescript. However, it received enough points to secure second place in the standings. Again, wow!

Next up, Hoegaarden, the world standard for Belgian Wit, responsible for the survival of the style and its immigration to the United States. It laid a bit of an egg. While the comments were generally favorable, one taster found it to be too light and fruity, leaving Hoegaarden in (gasp) fourth! (Hoegaarden is owned by InBev, the largest brewing company in the world.)

Brewzzi brewmaster Fran Andrewlevitch's first effort at Wit fared no better. The beer, while unfiltered, had cleared in the holding tank, and while one taster complimented the beer's freshness, others found it too bitter and in need of more citrus flavor. Personally, I enjoyed it and so do Brewzzi customers, who are drinking it at near record pace. So there!

Avery White Rascal, brewed in Colorado came next and the panel was impressed, giving it two perfect 10s and the overall lead. Tasters noted an excellent balance of coriander and citrus flavors with good body and mouth-feel. Score another win for the boys from Boulder. White Rascal will be available on tap at The Yardhouse by mid-August.

There was something different right off the bat with Sam Adams White Beer, more than just coriander and orange peel, and the Web site confirms that. There's also anise, hibiscus, rose hips, tamarind, and vanilla in the spice blend and a darker color from Munich malt. It scored points for originality and came in third, just a point behind Blue Moon.

Allegash White Ale has a Great American Beer Festival gold medal in its trophy case, but our panel was not impressed, giving it the lowest score of the bunch. Criticisms ranged from too light and "Pilsner-like" to sourness in the flavor. (I believe it may have scored higher had it not followed Sam Adams, which is a bigger, bolder beer.)

So, what did we learn? Blue Moon held its own and then some in a head-to-head match against its peers. I also suspect Blue Moon may not have done as well had our judges known which brands they were drinking. Why? Bias. Craft beer enthusiasts will not easily admit a mass-produced product can compare to a truly hand-crafted brew.

Molson Coors has been savvy to that from the get-go, going out of its way to let consumers continue to believe Blue Moon is the product of an independent rather than a mega-brewery. And while you may question the honesty of such a policy, their marketing experts know more about brand imaging and public perception than you and I ever will, or care to for that matter.

In the end, I'd rather let a beer speak for itself, which Blue Moon is doing very loudly. And beer drinkers are listening.