Beer Review: Lakefront Beerline Barleywine

I hope everyone had a great Purim.
Here is a review of a beer that I had sitting for over a year. The style of this beer is a Barleywine. Click the link for more info on the style.
Some of you might be wondering, what you have stored that beer for over a year? The answer is, that some beers can be aged. For more on thIat click here.

On to the review.
The beer pours a murky dark brown with an almost immediately disappearing head. There is sweet brown sugar on the nose, along with strong oak-y vanilla notes, and a trace of alcohol as well. It tastes similar to the nose, I am also picking up a lot of caramel,  black licorice and the dominance of the oakiness on the finish. The alcohol barely shows at all which is surprising at 14%. The feel is thick and syrupy ,this beer is a heavy duty sipper. Overall a wonderful beer that has aged really well, and is great for sipping on a winter day.

This beer is no longer in production. However, I do know of a place where you can purchase it, if you are interested please contact me @ KosherCraftBeer@gmail.com

*Beerline is under the supervision of the Star-K*

CRC POLICY CHANGE

In what is considered breaking news in the Kosher Craft Beer world the CRC has changed their policy regarding beer.
Here is a copy:
All standard unflavored beers with no additives are acceptable, even without Kosher certification; see exceptions below. This applies to both American and imported beers, light, dark and non-alcoholic beers. However, since some breweries produce non-kosher beer which can affect even unflavored beer produced on the same equipment, it is recommended to only consume unflavored beer from a non-certified brewery after verifying that they do not produce any non-kosher beer such as oyster, bacon, clam, and lobster. Exceptions include: Beers from home and pub breweries, beer from Israel, milk stouts (and other beers which contain lactose), and flavored beer, including those flavored with spices, botanicals, or fruits, require hashgachah.
To summarize this allows beers from all craft breweries assuming they don't produce beer with non-kosher ingredients.

New Beer: Samuel Adams Rebel Juiced IPA

As we get closer to Purim more people are heading to their local Beer Shops to try out some new beers. Luckily, Samuel Adams has put out some new ones. The one that I am focusing on today, is an IPA. 

Below is a basic description of the style culled from BeerAdvocate.com:

Description:
The American IPA is a different soul from the reincarnated IPA style. More flavorful than the withering English IPA, color can range from very pale golden to reddish amber. Hops are typically American with a big herbal and / or citric character, bitterness is high as well. Moderate to medium bodied with a balancing malt backbone.
Rebel Juiced IPA

Swirling with ripe aromas of mango and tropical fruits, this IPA is jam-packed with juicy, citrusy hops and mango juice.  It’s as if we took fresh hops and mangos and put them in a juicer (website)
This beer is obviously flavored as there is Mango Juice, however the good news is, that is certified by the Star-K, as there is a logo on the Bottle (still no update to LOC).
Rebel Juiced IPA appears in 6 packs and retails between $8-$10.
Here is wishing everyone a beautiful Purim.
I hope this helps you choose good Kosher Craft Beer.