Sunday, January 27, 2013

Sunday Night Suds - Blue Moon Valencia Grove Amber


After a week's hiatus due in large part to yeshiva week travel, Sunday Night Suds returns, this week with a look at Blue Moon's newest seasonal addition - the Valencia Grove Amber Ale.
 
Blue Moon is one of those quasi craft brewers who are constantly seeking to innovate and try new flavors. The experimental versions (many of which are not certified kosher) will pop up in cities or bars for a few days at a time. If they meet with the public approval they may surface again as a seasonal or limited edition a year or two later. Other failed experiments can be found on discussion boards of various website but never again see the light of day.
 
Before reaching the actual review of the beer, I must add that while all of the 12 oz bottle varieties of Blue Moon that I have seen all carry an OU, there are a few versions of Blue Moon which are currently available that contain grape juice and are not currently certified kosher by the Orthodox Union.
 
The Valencia Grove Amber Ale is certified kosher by the OU (and to my knowledge is not made with grape juice). It originally debuted last year as one of the super limited editions of Blue Moon, but this year it is available for purchase in six or twelve packs.
 
The Valencia Grove Amber Ale poured a true copper and was practically translucent. The beer has some flavor from the wheat and a hint of the orange peel, but neither flavor is prominent. When sharing this with Mrs KB, her palate was unable to detect the orange, but I did taste a little of the bitterness of the peel in the aftertaste. Because the flavoring is subtle, I would recommend having this with lighter fare such as grilled fish or pasta dishes.
 
As mentioned above, the Valencia Grove Amber Ale is certified kosher by the Orthodox Union. For the experts take on this brew, please click here http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/306/77796.

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).

If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click http://www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com/ to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!

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