New Brew: New Glarus Moon Man No Coast Pale Ale

Leave it to Dan Carey to build a better pale ale.  The Midwest’s Michelangelo of Mashing scoured the Pacific Northwest for the perfect blend of hops to create a bold-yet-balanced pale ale to mind the gap between tongue-numbing West Coast-style IPAs and mind-numbing session lagers.  Another beer named after a Carey pet, Moon Man No Coast Pale Ale aims to hit that sweet spot between full flavor and drinkability.  Unfortunately, it comes at the cost of losing Hop Hearty IPA from the New Glarus year-round line-up.  A solid pale in its own right, lets hope it isn’t gone for good (thankfully, Dan is a gracious brewmaster known to resurrect old favorites).  Blast off.  Next stop – the pale side of the moon.

New Glarus Moon Man No Coast Pale Ale

Style: (“No Coast”) American Pale Ale

Vitals: 5.0% abv; 5 varieties of (mystery) hops, dry-hopped with 2.25 lbs of hops per barrel

Company Line:

“Daniel Carey (Diploma Master Brewer, New Glarus Brewing Company) is adept at expanding what we know (or think we know) about beer. He continues to challenge flavor possibilities unveiling “Moon Man” No-Coast Pale Ale. Dan is a huge fan of ‘big’ IPA’s and their powerful intense aromatics. It is thought that the popularity of the poignant aromas in big IPA’s are a reaction to the all too prevalent bland beers. However, these same large flavors and aromas make this particular style too intense for many. Some months ago, in well known Daniel Carey fashion, he set out to brew an idea in his head, hoping to pack all the wonderful and powerful aromatics and flavors that he loves in big IPA’s into a sessionable brew that all can enjoy. New Glarus Brewing Company takes one small step, and helps all their friends take one giant leap toward bridging the gap between these two extremes. As Daniel Carey says, “If big IPA’s were a reaction to bland beer, Moon Man is a reaction to extremism.”

True to style, Daniel took his time ensuring this ground breaking brew is exactly what it should be. He personally oversaw the hop harvest in the fields of Washington. He spent over 6 months painstakingly perfecting the hop blend alone. Finally utilizing 5 varieties of hops, of which three are not commonly used in American style ales. “Moon Man” is dry hopped 2 and a 1/2 times as much as is commonly practiced in dry hopped beer (2.25 pounds per barrel). It is powerfully aromatic, and pale golden in color. Like most of New Glarus Brewing Company’s brews, it is bottle fermented the old fashioned way, meaning there is no artificial carbonation. Don’t let this one lay around, it is brewed to be enjoyed today. Bold and engaging without pretense, because in Wisconsin you do not have to be extreme to be real. Just be. -newglarusbrewing.com “

My take: pale amber in the glass under a foamy white, lace-leaving head.  Nose is rife with citrus and herbal hop notes and husky pale malts.  Late hop additions leave a dry, herbal hops impression on the palate with a crackery lingering maltiness.  Drinkability is off-the-charts in a way that even style-standards such as Sierra Nevada Pale Ale can’t replicate.   A highly-engineered session pale ale for nearly any occasion.