Murrays ‘Moon boy’ Golden ale

Rating:

image“Moon Boy has a very light Australian Pilsner malt backbone with a crisp, dry, very moreish finish. Extensive dry hopping with the New Zealand Motueka and Australia Ella hops gives a late tropical fruit aroma to spice things up – but without too much residual hop bitterness. Light, dry, lightly filtered, Moon Boy is great warm weather drinking”.

One of Murray’s main stayers on the taps at his brewhouse in Bob’s farm, Port Stephens. We have tried this numerous times before but never have we reviewed it so here goes. Served in a shaker glass the hazy golden/amber pour constructs a fluffy 2 finger head that reduces down to a 5 mm cap. Good head retention with some healthy lacing visible. The nose is very light with a mild malty sweetness. NZ’s Motueka hops provide a reasonable fruity hop aroma but also give off subtle resinous/herbal wafts too. Undertones of lemon, stone fruits and a touch of caramel sweetness round off a really summery aroma. Really smooth and effortless in the mouth, some might say it borders on being a bit slippery but the light body and moderate carbonation make for a pleasant texture. The flavour profile gets underway with a delicate taste of straw, grains and toast. A very mild hop bitterness bridges the mid-palate and delivers a clean and fruity, but ultimately unconvincing finish. Slightly short and a little too weak. The 4.5% ABV is about on par for a golden ale. Overall it’s not a very exciting beer but when it’s paired with the fish and chips we have a new respect for it. Slightly timid but highly sessional. A perfect hot weather pairing.