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.  

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