The Triangle

Issue date: 2/22/08 Section: Arts & Entertainment

Media Credit: Evan Rosen End the weekend on a calm note with a tall glass of Moonglow and bbq.

Wheat beers are known for being crisp, refreshing and easy to drink. They are also generally light in color and body and also low in alcohol. The weizenbock breaks these stereotypes. It's dark. It's strong. Usually this combination means an overpowering taste, however, Victory's Moonglow Weizenbock remains as refreshing as all its wheat beer brethren.

Moonglow sports a deep, translucent brown body that is protected by a half inch of a caramel colored collar. If that was all the beer looked like, it would be marvelous enough, but as you gaze into the glass you can see the bits of yeast floating around next to the bubbles. Don't be fooled by the particulate. This is not an impurity; this is proof that the beer is simply unfooled around with.

The smell lingers around with scents of banana and vanilla backed up by a floral bouquet. With just a hint of spiciness. This light refreshing scent is not exactly expected from a beer this dark, but it is definitely a welcome surprise.

The taste of the beer is complex but straightforward. You first get the banana flavor common among German wheat beer, but then displays a deep malt flavor profile. It starts out sweet to match the banana flavor, turns to a wheat flavor to match up with the yeast and finishes dry to accentuate the bit of bitterness. The yeast contributes to this with a grain flavor. It's finish is medium in length and structured with a slight bitterness. In fact, the aftertaste is probably my least favorite part of the beer. It's bitter bite seems out of place among the clean flavors and aromas of the rest of the beer. It's not bad, but it's just not perfect.

The beer is perfectly carbonated. It is medium bodied despite the whopping 8.7% ABV, but this is really a credit to Victory Brewing to keep everything in balance. There is also no alcohol burn going down. This is a seasonal beer for the fall, and it is really best enjoyed sitting on your porch on cool nights. The label highlights such a night, with the glow of a rising moon illuminating a house among rolling hills and wheat fields, wheat being the principle ingredient of the beer.

The beer is easy going down, but it is best enjoyed by taking it slow and really thinking about all the flavors coming together in each gulp. It also doesn't hurt to swirl the beer around to get the yeast back up from the bottom of the glass. As for food pairings, this beer is quite versatile, and would go with just about anything, but mostly meats and chocolate. What can I say? This is an easy drinking beer for an easy going evening.

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