Moon Phase, from Fort Point Beer Co (San Francisco, CA) pours with a bronze to moderately brown coloration with a fair amount of slightly off-white head. The nose of the brew is fairly mysterious; light hints of brown sugar and malt can be discerned. Individuals will not receive their first full experience with the brew until their first sip, which comes forth with hints of dark fruit, toasted malt, brown sugar, and vanilla. Playing alongside the more dominant flavors of the quadrupel style, the bourbon barrel aging does much to provide greater depth. A smaller amount of hop bitterness (30 IBU) do much to decrease the sweet side of Moon Phase; a yin/yang relationship between the candied and the hoppy makes for a better balanced offering. As one continues along a 22 ounce bottle, the specific array of tastes that are available at any one time shifts and changes. It is this scintillating, protean style of Moon Phase that makes it into such a special beer.
While there are moments toward the end of one’s experience with Moon Phase where an alcoholic bite makes itself known, the 13.0% ABV mark of Moon Phase is hidden extremely well. It is this smoothness and fullness of flavors that make this effort such a big hit at NeuFutur offices. Moon Phase can be paired with strong-flavored (e.g. Indian, Thai) cuisines, sharp cheeses, salty snacks, and dried meats; the large number of twists and turns that one will experience in Moon Phase makes it something that one will appreciate from the opening quaff to the finishing sip.
Fort Point’s social media profiles are excellent repositories for information concerning their latest releases, events, and other brewery news.
Rating: 9.0/10
Moon Phase (Fort Point Beer Co.) / Belgian-Style Quadrupel, aged in bourbon barrels / 13.0% ABV / 30 IBU /http://www.fortpointbeer.com/ / https://www.facebook.com/fortpointbeer / https://twitter.com/fortpointbeer
John Sargeant, writing on NeuFutur as Sargeant, is the founder and editor-in-chief of NeuFutur Magazine, where he has covered independent music, PC hardware, consumer tech, and gaming culture since 1998. With over 25 years of continuous digital publishing experience, he has written thousands of hands-on game and record reviews, conducted in-depth hardware field testing, and analyzed digital media monetization trends. His work prioritizes first-hand evaluation and long-term product testing.
Beats: Independent Music, PC Gaming & Peripherals, Consumer Tech, Webmaster Tools
Testing & Ethics: All hardware, software, and media reviews are conducted through hands-on evaluation in accordance with NeuFutur’s editorial independence standards; sponsored consideration is strictly excluded from editorial ratings.
Contact: editor@neufutur.com