There are times when you have to wonder whether the brewing team at Moon Dog gets much of a chance to pitch beer ideas or whether it's the marketing department – more specifically, whoever loves puns and pop references within the marketing department – calling the shots. Case in point: The Fresh Quince Of Bel-Air. That said, it's a pun that works on more than one level; there's the obvious – the addition of quince – but also the subtle, as it's fermented with Lallemand's WildBrew Philly Sour yeast.
Not that there's much subtle about said yeast. It possesses the ability to give such quick-to-produce sours characteristics more familiar in barrel-aged mixed ferment sours in the shape of a sweeter, more potent acidity. That’s the case here too, with the quince accentuating the beer's sweet 'n' sour baseline as a little funk rides on top (well, DJ Jazzy Jeff was part of the Funky 4 + 1, after all).
Fellow limited release Lemon Haze features a trio of fruity New World hops (Nectaron from NZ, Sultana and Strata from the US) yet in their face-off with the lemon zest in its midst there's a clear winner, and it's not the hops. It's an XPA that's pale, hazy and zesty like Solo, soft in nature and with negligible bitterness. Or, in short: lemony AF.
James Smith
Published December 6, 2021 2021-12-06 00:00:00
