Do you like Blue Moon Belgian White Ale? If you do, you're not alone. It's one of the best selling craft beers on the market. But for 2009, there's a new "Blue Moon" kid on the block: Blue Moon Grand Cru, a limited edition version of the White Ale that's bigger and bolder, stronger and meaner, and sure to appeal to the legions of Blue Moon drinkers everywhere.

Here's what Miller-Coors says about their new Grand Cru:

In Belgium, a Grand Cru is traditionally brewed for special celebrations. This holiday season, there's definitely something to celebrate: a blue moon on New Year's Eve. To honor this rare event, we've brewed a limited-edition Blue Moon Grand Cru in the U.S.
 
And they're right, of course, as there will be a blue moon on December 31st, 2009. So, you ask, what exactly is a blue moon? You've drunk the beer, you've heard the expression ("once in a blue moon"), but what, you ask, exactly is a blue moon, anyway? These days, a blue moon  is simply the second full moon in a calendar month. This is obviously a rare (hence the expression) occurrence. 

But a blue moon on New Year's Eve seems an even more special happenstance, and so we get Blue Moon Grand Cru to celebrate with. Actually, you don't have to wait until New Year's Even to pop open a bottle of this beer, and I'm sure that the folks at Blue Moon wouldn't mind terribly if you picked up a few extras for that very purpose. But be forewarned: this is a far more potent brew than the everyday Blue Moon Belgian White Ale.

At 8.2% alcohol by volume, it's nearly twice as strong, though perhaps better suited to take the chill off a wintry New Year's Eve for that very reason. And like classic Blue Moon Ale, the Grand Cru is brewed with orange peel and coriander. The brewery suggests enjoying with a slice of orange, though I don't think I would go that far myself.

I pour a good portion of my 750ML bottle of Blue Moon Grand Cru into a bulbous, stemmed Duvel glass. The beer pours to a decided yellow-tinged orange hue with a moderate but fugacious white head formation and a spicy coriander and citrus nose. Taking a sip, I get a lot of tart, crackery wheat up front, and then the spice: pungent coriander, fruity banana from the yeast, tart juicy orange, and in the finish lively white pepper and herbal, drying hops. And of course, a decided alcohol kick, adding a generous amount of warmth well suited to take the chill off a cold winter's night.

In many ways, Blue Moon Grand Cru is a lot like Blue Moon White Ale; it just has a lot more of what the latter has to offer. The banana notes are an added bonus, as is the aforementioned warmth. Some yeast in the bottle would have been nice and allowed aging, but I suppose it's one step at a time. As it is, this one should be consumed within a reasonable period after purchasing. Not long into the New Year, at any rate.

Kudos to Miller-Coors for this one. It's not going to pass for a real Belgian ale, of course, but it's a definite step in the right direction, and a beer I think will open the door to the wider world of beer for many drinkers of the standard Blue Moon Belgian White Ale. Well worth trying, and actually quite reasonable for a specialty brew at $6 a bottle.

Price Update 11/23/2011: $7.99 750 ML

And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.

*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.

(B)=Bottled

(D)=Draft

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