Price
Meter
Low!
I'm being followed by a moon shadow
Moon shadow moon shadow
Leaping and hopping on a moon shadow
Moon shadow moon shadow
And if I ever lost my hands
Lose my plough, lose my land…..Cat Stevens
Come on folks, you know the old song here by Cat Stevens. He goes on to talk about losing a lot of other things of course. Yet you’ll notice he never mentions losing his beer. Hmmmm……
Anyway, Saranac Moonshadow Black IPA got me thinking of that old song. It’s a tasty enough India Dark Ale, available only in the 2013 12-pack Saranac 12 Beers of Winter collection. This is a new beer, and the sampler includes a few other new ones, Rudy’s Spiced Christmas Ale and Decoction Concoction.
From the label:
Full flavored, hop forward. Brewed with a touch of imported dark malt for a deep color and roasted flavor. It’s an IPA. With a dark side.
Saranac Moonshadow Black IPA has an alcohol content of 6% by volume, and the sampler is reasonably priced at $13.98. Or so I paid.
Saranac Moonshadow Black IPA pours to a dark black (but not jet opaque) color with a thick creamy tan head and a roasted coffee and pine nose. A thick layer of Brussels lace coasts the sides of my glass all the way to the bottom. Taking a sip, the body is just right here for a single India Dark Ale, and the roasted barley, coffee, and chocolate notes are just what I want for the style. In the finish, I get more of those resiny piney hops and a very respectable bitterness to end the beer on target. Chocolate and minty hops at the last too.
This is a solid effort for the style, and like most Saranac beers is a great introduction to the style for those not familiar with it. While not the homerun that Saranac White IPA is, it’s a solid triple I think, especially given the bargain price.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft
(G)=Growler