Moab, Utah is centered near numerous state and national parks such as Arches National Park, Cayonlands National Park, and Dead Horse Point State Park. Moab is a center for tourists visiting from all over the world, who are seeking extreme adventures like rock climbing, mountain biking, and ATV excursions. The town is bustling this time of year as visitors seek to get thrills before winter arrives. My family and I are in Moab as I am writing this blog entry.

After checking in to our hotel, we proceeded to Moab Brewery and Restaurant. Founded in 1996 by John Borkoski and Dave Sabey, Moab Brewery is Moab’s only microbrewery. Moab Brewery also provides a full restaurant with a broad range of menu items. The restaurant and bar is always busy so arrive early or be prepared to wait in line.

Moab Brewery offers a wide selection of beers on tap. By state law, beers on tap are limited to no more than 4% ABV. However, you can also order canned beers that offer a higher alcohol content. In addition, Moab Brewery offers their Desert Select Ales. These ales are 100% hand-crafted, bottle-conditioned ales that run about 8.59% ABV.

Once seated, we ordered samples of Moab Brewery beers from the tap. Samples are $0.65 each and provide a great opportunity to determine a beer that is your favorite. I’m happy to report that Moab Brewery’s beers demonstrate the ability to brew flavorful lagers and ales with lower alcohol content. Moab Brewery’s beers pack tons of flavor. The tap beers that I sampled were: Porcupine Pilsner; Moab Especial; Dead Horse Amber Ale; Rocket Bike American Lager; Scorpion Pale Ale; Black Raven Stout; Over-the-Top Hefeweizen; DeRailleur Ale; and Johnny’s American IPA. My tasting notes follow:

Porcupine Pilsner German-style Lager (4% ABV): This beer pours a clear golden color with nice white foam. Porcupine Pilsner has a strong and delightful malt biscuit aroma. The beer is light-bodied with mild carbonation. Porcupine Pilsner has a nice malt biscuit flavor with mild hops bitterness and a dry finish. This is an excellent pilsner with well-defined and integrated flavors that will stick to your palate.

Moab Especial American Ale (4% ABV): Moab Especial pours a clear, light gold color with white foam that leaves a nice lace. The beer has a sweet malt aroma with hints of wheat and hay. Moab Especial is light to medium-bodied with mild carbonation. The beer has a nice malt flavor with hints of wheat and biscuit followed by a moderate hops bitterness and dryish finish. This is a nice session beer with flavors that are well integrated.

Dead Horse Amber Ale (4% ABV): This beer pours a clear copper-gold color with off-white foam. Dead Horse has a malt aroma and is light-bodied with mild carbonation. The beer has a strong malt flavor with mild hops bitterness and a moderate dry finish. This is a nice malty brew that fits the traditional English mild ale style.

Rocket Bike American Lager (4% ABV): This steam style lager pours a clear amber color with white foam. Rocket Bike has a sweet caramel aroma and is medium-bodied with mild carbonation. One sip provides a wonderful malt, sweet caramel, and apricot fruit flavor followed by a nice hop bitterness and a dry, crisp finish. Rocket Bike takes you for a nice malty ride with an assertive hops finish for the course.

Scorpion Pale Ale (4% ABV): Scorpion Pale Ale has six hop additions to create a hop-lovers brew of choice. The beer pours a clear amber color with white foam that leaves a nice lace. Scorpion has a malt aroma with strong hop flower bouquet. The beer is light-bodied with mild carbonation. Scorpion has a subdued malt flavor that is rapidly overtaken with assertive hop bitterness. This beer is mostly hoppy sting with little malt meat.

Black Raven Oatmeal Stout (4% ABV): Black Raven pours a clear dark brown (almost black) color with creamy beige foam. The beer has nice aromas of dark roasted malt, espresso, and dark chocolate. Black Raven is light-bodied and tastes of roasted malt, espresso, and lingering dark chocolate with a mild hop bitterness at the finish. I have to admit that this was the one beer where the lower alcohol content was very noticeable. However, Black Raven had lots of good flavors complemented by a nice hop bitterness. Caw Caw!

Over-the-Top Hefeweizen (4% ABV): Over-the-Top pours a hazy straw color with white foam. The beer has a malt and wheat aroma. Over-the-Top is light to medium-bodied with mild, prickly carbonation. This beer has a crisp malt and wheat flavor that is complemented by the accompanying lemon. This beer has a nice clean flavor that will make the German in you stand up and shout for joy.

DeRailleur Ale (3.2% ABV): This beer pours a clear amber color with beige foam. DeRailleur has a wonderful malt biscuit aroma that is followed by sweet malt and then pine resin. The beer is creamy and medium-bodied with mild carbonation and leaves a nice ringed lace. DeRailleur has a delicious malt flavor that is followed by a strong hop bitterness. There is a great layering of flavors. My favorite tap beer so far!

Johnny’s American IPA (4% ABV): This beer pours a clear gold color with white foam that leaves a beautiful spider web lace. Johnny’s American IPA has a nice malt biscuit aroma with pine resin, citrus, grapefruit pith, and papaya bouquet. The beer is medium-bodied with moderate carbonation. The IPA has a nice malt biscuit flavor up front follwed by grapefruit pith, citrus, and pine resin. A dry finish and delightfully assertive hops bitterness add to the pleasant drinking experience. This is a very good IPA.

A couple of nights later, we had the canned version of Johnny’s American IPA that is 7% ABV. It was outstanding.

The service at Moab Brewery is outstanding. The staff works well as a team. The staff, beer, and food made our visit so enjoyable that we visited three nights in a row! I specifically want to commend both Tony and Anne for such great service.

I also managed to try two Desert Select Ales – the Tripel and the Export Stout. My tasting notes follow.

Desert Select Tripel (8.59% ABV): This beer pours a hazy light gold/straw color with beautiful white foam that leaves a spider web lace. Tripel has a wonderful light malt aroma with hay, citrus, clove, and coriander. The beer is rich and creamy with full body and moderate carbonation. Tripel tastes of malt, brewer’s candy sugar, earthy hay/straw, and some coriander and clove. The beer has a nice hops bitterness but is a little sweet. This beer is delicious and outstanding!

Desert Select Export Stout (8% ABV): This beer pours a dark black color with light brown foam. Export Stout has a dark roasted malt aroma with strong espresso and dark chocolate and a hint of sweet cocoa. The beer is creamy and full-bodied with moderate carbonation. Export Stout has delicious and very strong flavors of roasted malt, espresso coffee, and dark chocolate followed by a lingering hops bitterness. Delicious but not for the weak palate.

Moab Brewery beers have won numerous awards and it is easy to taste why. If you find yourself parched in Utah, you must seek out Moab Brewery beers.