Moonlight Santas Tipple Ale

Brewed by Moonlight Brewing Company
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Fulton, California USA

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

A - Served a dark black color with a touch of red mixed in and a finger of frothy chocolate colored head atop. The head fades down very slowly leaving behind some nice lacing. S - Aroma is a mix of roasted chocolate and caramel malts with some earthy hops and some holiday spices mixed in. T - Starts off with some roasted chocolate malts with some earthy hops in the background. Through the middle some light bitterness comes through with some caramel malt sweetness and some holiday spices. The finish is a mix of earthy hops, caramel and chocolate malts, and some light holiday spices. M - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Feels smooth with a sweet and dry finish. D - Very drinkable. The spices are at a very nice level as they are noticeable, but do not take over like they do in many winter warmers. The earthy hops also compliment the spices and the malt flavors well.

Cask at Toad in the Hole. Deep red-brown with fine taupe sparkler head. Fairly strong piney, herbaceous, resiny nose. Almost a mentho-lyptus kind of cough drop thing is happening with the flavor, where a bunch of anesthetic bittering matches up to a complementary sweetness. Fresh but brusque, unsubtle finish and biggish body.

A: The pour is quite a dark brown color with a finger of off-white/khaki colored head. S: Smells like what I expect from a winter warmer. Very reminiscent of some of the (good) vintages of Anchor OSA. Lots of pine, spice, and chocolate with a bit of a roasted malt character. T: The flavor is good as well. Lots of malt flavor that is somewhat roasty and a fair amount of chocolate. There’s some caramel and molasses, too. There’s a good herbal/spice quality (perhaps juniper?) and a touch of pine. M: The body is medium and the carbonation is low to medium. Pretty smooth and somewhat creamy. D: A well done winter seasonal from Moonlight. Really easy to drink my pint of and wouldn’t mind having this again.

Draft, Beer Revolution. Enjoyed this one quite a bit. Lots of chocolate malt flavor and good spicing. Coriander, peppercorns, spruce-y hops. Full mouthfeel. Very good for a spiced holiday beer. Relatively sweet, which probably goes along with the chewy body. The malt is rich with chocolate and dark pit fruit flavor. Very dark brown beer with little head.

On tap at Toronado. It pours dark brown with a creamy tan colored head. The aroma is surprisingly bright with hops and some dark fruits with a hint of roast. The flavor is the same with an incredibly rich mouthfeel and a big bitter toasted finish. This one shines with the appearance and mouthfeel. A very nice winter beer!

Tap at Beer Revolution. Pours black with no head. Aroma is burnt malt and maybe juniper. Flavor is that plus a little resin. Very clean. Not at all sticky. Finishes nicely bitter.

Draft @ Toad in the Hole. Pours a dark, cola-brown color; very light cocoa-colored head with lacing that coats the glass like paint; nice pour. Nicely dry, roasted aroma: cocoa, bitter chocolate, and heavily roasted malts; very bitter, but not necessarily from a hop note; heavily bittered roast. Medium-to-full mouthfeel: lively bitterness, minerals, roasted malts and bitter dark chocolate; tastes almost bittersweet, like it could perpetually stand to breathe a little; tight carbonation, sharp bitterness; the juicy mineral and citrus hoppiness becomes more prominent as it warms, outshining the bitter chocolate core. Lasting, bitter mineral hops, bitter chocolate; perfectly dry, as always.

On tap at toronado. Black with a fizzy white head. Faint roasty aroma. Burnt roasty taste with a good bitter bite. Good.