Spring has sprung a new brew from the tanks of our friends at Blue Moon Brewing Co. Rising Moon Spring Ale, an amber wheat ale that "blends three varieties of specialty malts with kaffir lime leaves and lime peel for a smooth, balanced taste" or so says the bottle.
We at Brew Review love limes (because we hate scurvy) so we were eager to try out this seasonal.
Yet as we prepared to pop open a bottle, we couldn't help but wonder if Blue Moon Brewing Co. had really juiced the lime flavor or produced another seasonal we'd find less than appealing.
Tastes: conservative. There are some hints of the kieffer lime leaves and lime peel mentioned on the label, but they're both hiding somewhere behind buckets full of average wheat beer.
Blue Moon Brewing Co. bills Rising Moon as a Spring Ale. We decided to put this to the test. Loading up a cooler full of the stuff, we escaped from our offices into the beauty of a Spring day in Phoenix at the park. We busted out hot dogs, Frisbees, kites and wore sweat shirts over shorts. Then, sitting sprawled out on the grass and becoming one with nature, we took a sip.
We let the cold beer rush over our tongues as we inhaled the fresh Spring air and beheld the beauty of blossoming flowers as we waited for our taste buds to send good vibes to our brains.
"Meh," was all the reaction we could generate.
Goes with: Thai food.
What little kieffer lime taste there is would probably go great with Thai cuisine (which uses kieffer limes and their leaves in dishes like Tom Yum) or any type of sea food.
Verdict: A flavor profile held back from its full potential for the sake of mass consumption cripples Rising Moon from being the beer of choice for Spring or any other season. That's not to say it's bad. It's just terribly average. If you're going to drink one, we recommend adding a wedge of lime...or, you know, stir in some kieffer lime leaves.
