McMenamins - Copper Moon Pale Ale

A good moon risin'?

The good folks at McMenamins provided me with a gratis growler of their seasonal Copper Moon Pale Ale yesterday. I picked in up at the Kennedy School, the beautiful McMenamins location in my NE Portland neighborhood. It you've never paid a visit to the Kennedy School, you really should. It's the gem of the Concordia neighborhood.

The old elementary school has been converted into a hotel, brewery, restaurant, bar(s), theater and all-around awesome place to stay and hang-out. It truly is a cornerstone of community activity, much like it was when it was still a school--except perhaps just a tad more fun with all the beer. They have movies, lectures, concerts and all kinds of special events year round. You have to give a hand to the McMenamins for restoring the social, neighborly vibe of the place, along with the actual brick and mortar.

The Copper Moon Pale Ale was poured from tap into my 32 oz. growlette and consumed the minute I brought it home. It poured into a pint glass a slightly hazy, golden copper color with a bright, white, foamy head. The head made it up to a half inch high and dissipated at a moderate rate. A thin cap and some spotty lacing remained behind on the glass as I drank it.

Aroma was citrus hops up front, with mild, earthy malt in the background. (Copper Moon was brewed with 100% organic malted barley, according to the postcard I received in the mail.) Grapefruit and orange. Floral and spicy herbal notes.

Taste followed the nose with citrusy hops up front. I'm betting more than a few pale ale purists are going to complain that this brew is too hop forward for their liking. Ah, to heck with them! Copper Moon appears to be a purely NW version of a pale ale, and that's alright with me. Decent malt and hops balance. I really enjoyed it.

Medium to lighter mouthfeel with good carbonation and a smooth, clean finish, Very drinkable. No alcohol taste to this 5.3% ABV beer. 

Overall, this is a very pleasant pale ale and some very welcome refreshment on these summer days that are currently pushing up to almost 100 degrees. Good stuff and I'm giving Copper Moon a respectable BeerGuyPDX rating of 3 crushed cans out of 4 and a Droolie. The Wonder Beagle approved of the smell very much.

Go get yourself some of this seasonal pale ale. It will be on tap at McMenamins locations through August.