Moonraker
J.W. Lees in Middleton, Greater Manchester, England 🏴
Strong Ale - English Regular|
Score
6.80
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First brewed in 1950, our malty award-winning Moonraker is dedicated to a local legend. The story goes that farmers close to the JW Lees brewery once fell into a pond, attempting to rake out a reflection of the moon they mistook for a truckle of fine Lancashire cheese. This strong ale should be handled with care, but its fruity aroma and rich, sweet flavour are now the stuff of legends too.
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7.1/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 6.5
6th April 2010
Clear red - brown beer. Semi soft and semi dry palate. Rich malt, unsweet toffee and Port Wine fruit notes. A little creamy with subtle banana and bubblegum esters. Hop coming through at the end. Well joined up and tasty.
Clear red - brown beer. Semi soft and semi dry palate. Rich malt, unsweet toffee and Port Wine fruit notes. A little creamy with subtle banana and bubblegum esters. Hop coming through at the end. Well joined up and tasty.
Tried
on 16 Jun 2012
at 02:36
6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 5
Dark brown 500ml bottle, best before Oct 2008, drank May 2008. Poured into a Westmalle Trappist Chalice glass. Looked fine, tan head on top of a deep ruby red body, clear and seethrough when held up to the light. The head soon turned to a rim and wisp covering, pity. Aroma was fairly sweet, toffee and caramel, with chocolate malts. The taste seemed very alcoholic and little else got through. There was some hops and a malt flavour as it warmed in the glass, but a dryness came with it. Strange but not unpleasant. Too much alcohol for me, in a watery body. The sweetness of the smell doesn’t appear in the taste, which detracted me at first. Not something I’d rush out and buy a crate of, but for a change and a headache it is just the ticket.
Tried
from Bottle
on 11 May 2012
at 03:19
7/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
Bottle
Dark ruby brown, tan frothy head that dissipates to thin layer
Aroma - dark caramel malts...dark fruits...some soft spicy hops...yeast...touch of flinty minerals
Tatste of rich dark caramel malts, molasses, some dark rich toffee, dark rich fruits, light fruit cake spice, soft spicy hops, juicy dark malts, good smooth dark winter warmer flavour
Palate - medium body, quite viscous, very smooth, light spicy bitterness. Finish has some warming alcohol, smooth fruity malts, background of bitter spicy hops and a slight mineral tang.
Overall Tasty winter warmer / old ale....better than expected
Dark ruby brown, tan frothy head that dissipates to thin layer
Aroma - dark caramel malts...dark fruits...some soft spicy hops...yeast...touch of flinty minerals
Tatste of rich dark caramel malts, molasses, some dark rich toffee, dark rich fruits, light fruit cake spice, soft spicy hops, juicy dark malts, good smooth dark winter warmer flavour
Palate - medium body, quite viscous, very smooth, light spicy bitterness. Finish has some warming alcohol, smooth fruity malts, background of bitter spicy hops and a slight mineral tang.
Overall Tasty winter warmer / old ale....better than expected
Tried
from Bottle
on 11 Apr 2012
at 15:10
5.1/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 5
Texture 6
Overall 4.5
Sampled on draft at Zeno’s in State College PA this beer poured a nut brown color with a medium sized tan head that faded quickly and left no lacing. The aroma was tart grapefruit, sour plum and some sugar. The flavor was bitter, tart and sour apples with notes of sour cherries, grapefruit and a touch of vinegar. The finish was long, sour and tart. Medium body. Disappointing.
Tried
from Draft
on 25 Nov 2011
at 19:11
6.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Denmark, September 2009. Dark red with a huge, foamy tan head. Both aroma and taste of sweet caramel malt, lots of ripe fruit. Nice but a bit one dimensional.
Tried
on 22 Nov 2011
at 02:09
6.9/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Dark brown pour with a beige head. Rich nose of raisins, chocolate, dark fruits and caramel. Chocolate, raisin and a little coffee flavour. Dry, smoky-bitter finish.
Tried
on 01 Nov 2011
at 10:02
6.6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Bottle shared by beerandblues2 at the 5/7/11 DC Ratebeer gathering. Pours a hazy red color with a medium creamy tan head. Fades very quickly. Aroma of big toffee and cheesy notes. Quite a bit of oxidation. That taste is toasted malts, toffee and oxidation notes. Medium bodied.
Tried
from Bottle
on 06 Aug 2011
at 23:17
6.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 8
Overall 7
Bottle: Hazy, deep amber coloured, mid-sized off-white head with a good lace; sweet raisins and sweet dark malt in the nose, some liquorice in the background; sweet flavour, medium to full bodied; well hidden traces of hops in the nutty, caramelly, fruity and vinous finish. A very nourishing Ale........
Tried
from Bottle
on 08 May 2011
at 22:41
7/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
(bottle) Hazy, dark brown colour with a beige and short foamy head. Sweet dark and toasty malty aroma with notes of caramel, leather, mocha and a slightly vinous dark fruity touch. Sweet flavour with a tinge of fruity sourness, medium to full bodied with a smooth carbonation. Dark malt-character with vinous fruity notes, including figs, raisins and dates, accompanied by notes of caramel and chocolate; sweet and slightly sour-fruity finish with balanced dark malty notes lingering into the aftertaste. 06.IV.11
Tried
from Bottle
on 06 Apr 2011
at 14:46
7.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
500mL bottle, pours dark mahogany with a tiny / almost non-existent head. Aroma of caramel / toffee malts, butterscotch, light dried fruits (plum, raisin), and light toasted malt. Flavour brings out the toffee and butterscotch initially, with a nutty and roasted malt flavour kicking in in the middle, with a finish of dark dried fruits (plum, raisin, etc.) - moderate sweetness, with a thick palate and a lingering of toffee.
Tried
from Bottle
on 29 Mar 2011
at 13:30