Saranac India Pale Ale - Matt Brewing Company

mpyle

Maryland

3.34/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Deep golden color, very clear. Coarsely bubbled but with a nice medium sized white head with some creaminess on top and some retention.

Pine hop aroma initially hidden beneath big head, a metallic/copper penny smell. Overall the aromas aren't very rich or impressive.

Slight caramel malt flavor initially, then a rush of more earthy pine-like hop flavor and hop bitterness takes over. Surprisingly nice hop flavor given the lack of a good aroma. Assertively bitter into the finish, but not overpowering. Earthiness of the hop flavor becomes tedious at times. A better blend of hops would help the flavor.

Medium body and carbonation, no astringency, hints of warming which seems hard to believe in a 5.8% beer. Dinner not sitting right?

Overall very drinkable, but the hop flavor is a little crude. If earthy hops are your thing, this is your beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2013 01:15:14 | More by mpyle

fx20736

New York

2.58/5  rDev -22.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 2

bought as part of Saranac's Spring Variety pack from Beers of the World on 4/6/13 for $ 8.77.

poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass, served at fridge temp.

appearance: medium amber with an offwhite head. Nice lacing.

aroma: grapefruit, peaches in syrup

mouthfeel: full, solid.

taste: bready malt with some citrus hops, there is a vaguely 'dirty' finish that I have detected in Saranac beers that is a little offputting.

notes: I seem to remember a similar reaction to their Big Moose Ale. No need to buy this again

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 16:37:41 | More by fx20736

TriggerFingers

New Jersey

2.31/5  rDev -30.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Ok, before I watched the Saranac video on their website I totally thought this was an English IPA. Don't get me wrong, I mean it has a nice malt character, no citrus, no dank--tastes like an American rendition of an English IPA. If thats what you are going for, then its not bad at all. Kind of like Bass on steroids.

But American IPA? Really? The old guys in the video are talking about Cascade hops like they are some new discovery? Really? Born and raised in Nor-Cal, I was weaned on Sierra Nevada and this tastes nothing like what you would expect from an American IPA. That being said for an English IPA, its in the top 2/3 and a fair attempt. For an American IPA, or even a West Coast rendition, this is severely lacking. Beers like this make me glad I am a homebrewer.

Last Words: Now you know

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2013 16:15:08 | More by TriggerFingers

Utica_Brew_Review

New York

2.79/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 3

Golden straw appearance without too much head--little bit dark for an IPA. Nice steady stream of carbonation. Characteristic aroma of hops. Taste is sweet and of course very hoppy. Straight floral and hoppy taste with a hint of caramel in the aftertaste. A bit tart.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2013 05:16:37 | More by Utica_Brew_Review

AmitC

Indiana

3.58/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A very average beer.

Golden pale color. Some bubbles. Less than a finger thick head that recedes rather swiftly. Decent lacing. Clear.

Aroma is not at all like an IPA. Very typical of its pale ale version. A mix of herbal hops and some weak weird hops. Strength is low to moderate. A good amount of malt.

Taste is again very bland. Nothing good about it. It is more a run of the mill pale ale than an IPA. Some amount of bitterness and a rather faint oily resin character.

Mouth feel is medium to slightly light. Moderate to high carbonation. No astringency. Disappointed.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 01:32:14 | More by AmitC

Haydn-Juby

Quebec (Canada)

3.88/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served from a standard 12oz bottle

A: Looks really nice. Pretty pale looking with a good one and a half finger head that retained itself pretty good. Nice lacing too.

S: Even though the alcohol content was about average it was somewhat noticeable in the smell I found. Has dim but nice notes of citrus and pine.

T: Nicely hopped. Good hop content for an IPA. Might lean a tad on the lighter side but overall nicely bitter. Small delicate notes of citrus, pine, and maybe a little bit to much yeasty flavor for an IPA. Not to flavorful or overpowering but good.

M: Goes down smooth with nice carbonation. Nice clean finish.

Overall: I liked this beer. Nothing insanely pleasing about it but it was pretty good, better than average that is. I could see it being easy to drink a lot of them as its not to overpowering. I would consider buying it again but can't cause it's not sold in any of my local stores. ( Gift from the states)

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 21:14:51 | More by Haydn-Juby

khooke

2.35/5  rDev -29.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A: massive foamy white head, 1 inch when slowly poured to a pint glass, leaves plenty of thick foamy lacing on glass. Head lasts at least a finger even after drinking half the glass. Lacing persists on glass through to the end. Amber colored. Visible rising carbonation.

S: wheaty, citrus notes, with some odd chemical sharpness/bitterness (hard to place)?

T: for an American IPA, no noticeable resin hoppiness, has a faint sweet banana aftertaste? not fresh banana, almost like candy banana flavor

M: light carbonation

overall: easy going, light. not a typical American IPA (wasn't what I was expecting in the American IPA category), almost more British bitter style

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2012 06:10:07 | More by khooke

Rukasu

District of Columbia

3.35/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Dark honey/orange color. Single finger head.

S: Pleasant scents of pineapple, green apple, orange and pine, followed by a burning alcohol.

T: A bit on the sour side, puckering citrus juices then an alcohol wall. Not much complexity.

M: medium body feel, a bit too highly carbonated.

O: Not that great an IPA. Way too sour, not really a pleasant IPA bitterness, instead an outright lemony sourness.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2012 20:49:01 | More by Rukasu

magine

Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a pint glass.

Pours a clear copper with a big dense off white head. Tons of bubbles cascading up. Very nce lacing clings the whole drink. Good looks.

Brew smells of floral, grapefruit, grassy hops. Biscuit malts in the background. Good nose.

Brew tastes clean; smooth upfront with some spiced bitters in the end. Good balance in flavors with a slightly light mouthfeel here. A very drinkable, approachable, mild IPA here. Good soild brew here. Good.

A solid IPA here. Good flavors, good looks. This is a good IPA to introduce to someone that never tried them or was scared to try them. Not a hop bomb IPA by any stretch, just a really soild tasting and drinking brew here. Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2012 19:58:56 | More by magine

Kremlock

Ontario (Canada)

2.2/5  rDev -33.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

For the record, the bottle only read IPA and not India Pale Ale as the picture above shows. Same beer though.

A: Orangy straw colour. Pours a nice 1/4 inch head that then falls to a film and laces the glace. Head retention is very short.

S: I detected a rubbing alcohol smell when taking a deep smell. Some cascade in the background (citrus)

T: Again, alcohol is strongly detected, some malt flavours present and strong bitterness.

M: medium body feel, carbonation is a bit on the higher side for me and it does distract from the flavours.

O: Not a beer I would want again. The alcohol is present in the smell and taste. The bitterness is not pleasant and the carbonation distracts from the experience.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2012 18:23:14 | More by Kremlock

merc7186

New York

3.08/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12oz bottle into a pint glass.

A: Golden Straw Hue, Passes Most Light, Thick White Head, Some Lacing

S: Malty, Mild Floral

T: Malty, Cascade Hops

M: Decent Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Mildly Bitter

Overall, a pretty boring IPA with a definite cascade hops nose and taste but nothing else.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2012 01:43:09 | More by merc7186

MoreThanWine

Massachusetts

3.25/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured a 2" custard head which slowly receded like melting merengue. The body is a clear straw yellow color verging on golden and not much effervescence is left in it after the head. Smells mildly of malt but honestly I don't get any hops from that smell. Taste though comes through with the Cascade hops. It's still relatively mild for IPA standards. And not much of a finish to it.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2012 10:45:06 | More by MoreThanWine

TheMultiYeast

Pennsylvania

3.48/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Clear bright orange with a small head and some lacing near the rim of the glass.

Smell is grainy, grassy, some menthol hop aromas, biscuits and citrus mist

Taste is also breadier than i like my IPAs..Light orange citrus flavors with metallic hop flavors, honey sweetness, and quick wash of bitterness

Nice feel..would drink a few

Decent IPA even though it's just skatin by..

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2012 00:19:53 | More by TheMultiYeast

cyclonece09

Virginia

3.48/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 12 oz bottle into a snifter. Pours a reddish amber with a froffy white head that dissipates quickly, but leaves lacing in the glass. Doesn't give off a great aroma, but has hints of floral hops. Taste is of lots of earthy and floral hops with a little sweet grain, very nice. Beer is light/medium bodied and has a good level of carbonation, and goes down very easy, one of the beers I can have many of in a night and not think about it. Overall, an above average beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2012 04:35:55 | More by cyclonece09

thain709

Pennsylvania

3.08/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A - Pours a clear copper body with two fingers of white head...the head fell to a full cap and left nice lacing

S - The nose had a mineral aroma to it that turned me off from the start...other than that there was a slight hop aroma, caramel, and stale bread

T - This one is mainly malt dominated...there is a lot of caramel coming out along with some biscuit flavors...an herbal tea presence creeps in before the hops come through...the hops have a weird taste to them, but they do have a little bite

M - Medium bodied...too sweet for an IPA but it has some lingering bitterness

O - Definitely not the best IPA I've had...the mixed pack wasn't off to a good start with my first two offerings

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2012 19:39:58 | More by thain709

macrosmatic

Florida

3.5/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed from notes. Poured from 12 oz. bottle into pint glass.

A: Light clear gold with only a bit of visible carbonation. One finger white head with decent lacing.

S: Flowery, citrus hops; some light caramel malt.

T: Taste follows nose with the addition of some slight spicy hop flavors. Malt is a little bready.

M: Medium mouthfeel, not highly carbonated. Hang is hop bitterness but short-lived and not particularly strong. Mild alcohol presence.

O: This one is OK. Nothing off-putting but not great. Wouldn't go out of my way for another.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2012 01:15:36 | More by macrosmatic

SouljaSaia17

Massachusetts

3.4/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I have tried most of the IPA's in my local liquor stores Singles cooler, except for this and a few others.

A: Pours a beautiful golden, amber color with an orange tint. Has a solid 1 1/2 inch off white head which stays in a wide glass so hard to see the lacing.

S: First instinct is not a strong smell at all. I get a little bit of pine and some apricots at the front. Citrus aroma is minor but present on the back end and is complimented by some earthy notes as well.

T: Nice flavor that begins with a tangy citrus and pine at the top of the mouth, but not as much hop bitterness as I was hoping. The taste is followed by some sweet malts and a dry bready finish, but not strong there as well.

M: Mouth feel is tangy and crisp for this medium bodied beer. Moderate carbonation helps the taste a lot.

O: Overall, not a bad IPA if your expectations arent too high. Good for a beginner. I know Saranac is an over looked beer for the most part, but does a good job for some of their creations. As for their IPA, not as much Hop bitterness and overall flavor as I was hoping for.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2012 01:33:27 | More by SouljaSaia17

Maxwell

Massachusetts

3.23/5  rDev -3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

The beer pours an apple juice yellow with the healthy look of dehydrated piss. The head is thinner and dissipates rather swiftly, but is nicely white with an ever so slight yellowing to it. The lacing is quite thin and droopy, however. The smell is sharply malty, which is odd for an IPA. There are some nice sharp citrusy hops smells in the initial waft, but the strong underlying backbone of the smell seems to be sweet and caramel sweet malts. The taste follows up the smell nicely, with a distinct malty flavoring. The hops are not all together lost though, as the nice crisp burst of orangy citrus seems to swim on the sides of the tongue. There is also a slight biscuitiness in this beer, which seems to come from the malts. It feels properly coarse on the mouth with bitterness, while leaving the tongue with a nice thin sheen of saliva and a thirst for more. It lacks the proper hops-taste that comes with the bitterness though. Carbonation bubbles nicely against the tongue, and the beers consistency seems nicely balanced. Overall this is a nice low hopped IPA, it is definitely more reminiscent of the old British IPA’s than of the American variants, but Sarnac’s more old-timey approach to beer makes this choice not too surprising. It’s not a hop lover’s IPA but it is a nice introduction to the style for those who have trouble with bitters. Decent beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2012 18:48:04 | More by Maxwell

bigfnjoe

Pennsylvania

3.38/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a Dogfish snifter

A- pours a nice, transparent shade of orange with a one finger white head that fades very quickly. The beer itself is gorgeous, but the head is a disappointment

S- weak aroma that smells almost like artificial peaches...a little strange for an IPA, but OK

T- mild sweetness, mild bitterness. Mostly citrus..not a ton of flavor, but unoffensive

M- very thin body

O- decent "starter" IPA for someone who isn't too well-acquainted with hops. Unfortunately, I am, so it falls short

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2012 23:56:33 | More by bigfnjoe

kangarooAdam59

Connecticut

3.68/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Into a pint glass:

A: light orange colored body with a one finger white head. No lacing showed and the head died within ten seconds. There was some slight carbonation seen rising.

S: centered around the pine and hops with the grapefruit trying to take center stage, some light malts and a earthiness came through as well.

T: centered around the malts with the grapefruit and pine taking a second place, and then in third place came the hops

M: light, very sessionable, dry aftertaste and finish

O: not a bad IPA, but nothing spectacular, but this is still not something to scream about.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2012 16:55:13 | More by kangarooAdam59

Dodo2step

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

P- Thanks to my buddy Matt for this brew

A- light orange in color with a one finger head. poor lacing on the pint as well.

S-pungent grapefruit hops with light malt tones. A sort of earthy aroma as well.

T- the malt comes out stronger in the taste than nose. The hops are on the back end but not as dominant as i would prefer.

M- Light bodied and hoppy enough. A nic coating in the mouth.

O-Not a bad IPA but the malt tends to override the hops.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2012 23:11:54 | More by Dodo2step

BigPlay1824

New York

3.38/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Enjoyed in a pint glass

A: pours a crystal clear hay color with just the slightest amber hue and ample carbonation bubbles, pours with a finger of pure white head that is quite frothy and lingers nicely, leaves a nice amount of lacing
S: nice scent, not terribly strong or what i would equate to fresh but still nice, has a nice citrus hop note but that's about all that is discernible
T: now the taste is nice dont get me wrong, it begins with kind of what i would equate to a pilsner taste then the citrus hops kick in, just slight hop notes, nothing overwhelming just nice citrus hops and not much else, citrus hops linger on the palate for a long time
M: strong carbonation tingle up front, smooth and kind of creamy in the finish, leaves the mouth just slightly dry
O: i enjoy saranac on the whole, they make some very nice sessionable beers, your not gonna get a bad beer from them, always love to support my NY brews

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2012 00:28:21 | More by BigPlay1824

Beejay

Virginia

2.78/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

A: A medium orange amber color, very clear. The head is white and fluffy.

S: Hoppy with a lot of sweetness. There is a little bit of tropical fruit thing going on. There is something else in the finish that I can't quite place... Perhaps a little syrupy.

T: Less hop flavor, and low on bitterness. For some reason the hops in this just aren't doing it for me, they almost come across as a touch astringent. This has a weird balance of malty sweet followed by astringent bitterness.

M: Medium light mouthfeel, plenty of carbonation.

O: Overall not a fan. Just seems like a very odd combination of flavors.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2012 01:01:00 | More by Beejay

TechTriumph

Virginia

3.53/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

No freshness date; Poured in a pint glass.

A - One inch white creamy head with pretty good retention; Semi-hazy orange hued copper color with lots of floating sediment and visible carbonation; Nice lacing left behind

S - Caramel and toasted toffee dominate the smell here with a blend of citrus and earthy hops more in the background

T - Pretty good balance here with no flavor outshining the other; Moderate presence of citrus, grassy, and earthy hops as well as caramel and toasted toffee malts; Pretty mild bitterness throughout the taste

M - Moderate carbonation; Medium bodied; Slightly dry finish

O - Overall, this brew wasn't too bad and proved to be pretty drinkable. The good balance of hops and malts was a nice change of pace for an IPA. That said, there aren't many qualities of this beer to distinguish it from the many other fine IPA's out there. I would have this again, but it's not one I would actively seek out.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 20:30:02 | More by TechTriumph

Luigi

North Carolina

3.5/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear orange color with a two to three finger head. The retention is good and clings to the glass.

Smells like cascade hops and a slightly malty back ground. Citrus and pine notes are balanced by the malt. Soft bread notes from the malt.

The taste matches up with the aroma. Fairly strong oily hops with a some faint bread malts and some sweetness from the alcohol. Has a dry hoppy finish. The bitterness from hops linger for a bit on the tongue.

Medium bodied and mildly carbonated.

Saranac is always good at capturing the basic characteristics of each different styles they brew. Nothing in you face kind of brews. Just good beer and a few dollars less. A solid brew that is always available and consistent in taste.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2012 20:53:02 | More by Luigi