Sunday Night Suds - Saranac Moonshadow Black IPA

This week's Sunday Night Suds looks at Saranac Brewery's Moonshadow Black IPA.

For this year's Beers of Winter Box, Saranac has produced a mixed box which includes its flagship Pale Ale (reviewed here kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2009/03/sunday-night-suds-saranac-pale-ale.html) along with three new beers (Moonshadow Black IPA; Christmas Ale; Decoction Concoction) and two relatively new beers, the 4059 Porter (reviewed here kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2012/11/sunday-night-suds-saranac-4059-porter.html) and the Belgian Pale Ale (kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2012/12/belated-sunday-night-suds-saranac.html). 

Although Saranac has been brewing quality beer for 125 years, they are somewhat late to the "black party."  While other breweries have been rolling out Black IPAs and other dark versions of traditional ales, Saranac has held back until now. While some might say "better late than never", I would subscribe to the Jewish rule of thought - the last is best, because this beer is very, very good.

Mrs KB and I tried this with out simple meat and pasta dinner Thursday night and it was spectactular. The beer has the hop bite of an IPA, but an additional richness and even some malt. The flavor melded well with the garlicy meat and I would suggest that it would do equally well with rich and hearty stews, making this a prime cholent beer (by this I mean drinking with, although it might go well in the cholent too).

The only negative to this brew is that it only comes in the 12 pack beers of winter box and there are only two in the box. 

Saranac Moonshadow Black IPA is under the Kosher Supervision of the Va'ad of Detroit as is every other beer produced at the Matt Brewery plant in Utica, NY. Keep in mind, Saranac has begun to brew some of its High Peaks series off site and these bottles do not have kosher certification from the Va'ad of Detroit.

To see what the experts on Beer Advocate think about the Moonshadow Black IPA, please follow this link www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/99/101802.

As always, please remember to drink responsibly and to never waste good beer unless there is no designated driver.

If you've tried this beer or any others which have been reviewed on the kosher beers site, please feel free to post your comments (anonymous comments are acceptable).

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