As with pretty much all of the Blue Moon beers in this sampler pack, this has the short name that I used in the title, and it has a long name that no one should ever use, as their beer would be flat by the time you were done: Coors Brewing Blue Moon Brewing Company's Expressionist Collection Rounder Belgian-Style Pale. They didn't even have enough room left over to state that it was an ale. Seriously people, get a grip on your marketing department before they go any further down that rabbit hole. You know what's a good name for a beer? "
Guinness Draught Stout." Somehow, they made that work for a number of years now.
On to this beer, now. The pour is simple, but I almost forgot that this was a Belgian style pale before I poured it. It departs pretty significantly from a more common pale in that its not really pale in color. As you may know, pale is a style of beer rather than a color. Some pales, like most Belgian pales, are a much deeper color. This one is a clear light copper color with a moderate head that dissipates to a thin cover of bubbles. The aroma is surprisingly and refreshingly hoppy; many of my recent experiences have been beers that excelled in other areas.
When I take a sip, I'm surprised to find more malt than hops going on. The malt is tart - or it seems that way during the finish. It is more likely that is coming from the hops. The sweet taste (which gets more pronounced as the beverage warms) is definitely coming from the malt. With a big draught, the same features that were apparent in the sips are simply amplified. There is an undercurrent of some kind of nut tastes right in the middle, and it's pretty good.
All told, this is a pretty darn good beverage. It's got more than enough character to separate itself from the other beers you may find on the shelf, and it's a rewarding drink. I tried a little with some Fettuccine Alfredo I was having, and it stands up to that taste pretty darn well, although the sweet character tends to come out more pronounced with that combination.
4.0/5