Witbier Face-Off - Blue Moon Vs. Shock Top

A Witbier is a Belgian style ale that is unfiltered, made with high levels of wheat and always spiced, usually with coriander, orange peel and other spices. Also known as a White beer due to the cloudiness of the suspended yeast, it is a light and refreshing style many American brewers have taken a liking to.

With that said, I bring you a face off between two of the most popular (and commercial) American made, Belgian Style brews around today - Shock Top and Blue Moon.

Shock Top is a relatively new product, it's brewed by Michelob, which of course, is owned by Anheuser Busch. Blue Moon, although the packaging says some crap about the Blue Moon Brewing Company in Colorado, is actually brewed by the Molson Coors Company in a plant in Canada. So, yes, these two Belgian Style ales are really brewed by two of the biggest, baddest, over-commercialized, macro-breweries in the U.S.

Now, I had had a Shock Top on tap before and knew what it was all about, but with all the publicity Blue Moon got thanks to the Presidential 'Beer Summit' some time ago, I decided to pick some up and see for myself why it was so popular. That of course just led to me picking up some Shock Top for a true head-to-head comparison.

Before we get to the beers, let me make this disclaimer: I do not like this style of beer. It doesn't taste much like beer at all to me at all. Many taste like carbonated orange soda. I prefer beers that taste like beer but that is just my taste and since I know there are people who like this style, I am trying my best to be fair and impartial. And, to be honest, they can be very refreshing on a hot day.

We start with the Blue Moon. It pours a hazy, dark amber color with a chubby finger of head that dissipates and disappears completely. Completely! Not a good sign.

It has the typical light, clean, zesty, orange and coriander smell. Slightly sweet and under carbonated, it's thin and its bland.

Now on to the Shock Top. It pours lighter than the Blue Moon, but still hazy, with a head that recedes quickly but sticks around as a thin film.

This one has better carbonation, which you feel immediately upon tasting. Shock Top also seems lighter and crisper, and has a stronger orange taste.

So, having to pick a winner, I must chose the Shock Top. I pick this one only because it's lighter and better carbonated, making it more refreshing. I would rather have a real beer but if I had to have one of these twist-off, mass produced, American copies of an old Belgian style, a Shock Top will do just fine on a hot summer day.

Your mileage may vary, of course, and if you find that you like the style I suggest you seek out a real Belgian whitbier. I might pick one up myself one of these days. Cheers!