Saranac Stout - Matt Brewing Company

Jason

Massachusetts

2.68/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

12oz brown with no freshness date.

Appearance: Very dark brown, nearly pitch black with a densely frothy head with an above par retention.

Smell: Faint roasted aroma, more caramel and sweetness. Light earthy toasted grain in the back with some herbal hop also. Smells like some iced concoction from a trendy coffee shop.

Taste: Watery twang of roasted malt, has a dirty charcoal flavour with a weird lingering sweetness underneath. More hop flavour than bitterness with a woody earthy finish. Light alcohol and vague fruitiness lead the taste buds down a one way street.

Mouthfeel: Touch of smoothness, full-bodied yet the carbonation drops out quick after pouring to leave the palate waiting.

Drinkability & Notes: Huh? This is one weak stout, not much else I can say other than this is probably the most boring stout I have ever run into. Not so bad that it is undrinkable, just bland.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2002 18:38:14 | More by Jason

sackboy

New York

4.25/5  rDev +30.8%

05-13-2013 20:16:03 | More by sackboy

DmanGTR

New York

3.5/5  rDev +7.7%

02-06-2013 20:56:26 | More by DmanGTR

Freshlikeugh

Hawaii

3/5  rDev -7.7%

09-08-2012 01:39:18 | More by Freshlikeugh

iBeer16

New York

3.08/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A- pours a very dark almost opaque brown. very light 1 finger tan head but dissipates quickly, leaves little lacing.
S- roasted and caramel malts
T- slight coffee, roasted malty flavor but nothing strong.
M- nice carbonation, smooth, easy to drink, coats mouth nice
O- not the best stout, not the worst. Pairs decent with a chocolate cake.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2012 18:36:28 | More by iBeer16

generallee

New York

3.5/5  rDev +7.7%

08-29-2012 11:27:28 | More by generallee

thain709

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours with a dark brown body that showcases some ruby highlights...the one finger head is light brown in color and thick in appearance...recedes to a small, rocky cap and leaves decent lacing

S - Roasted malts stand out creating sweet caramel and chocolate flavors...there is a hint of vanilla adding to the sweetness of the nose

T - The sweet aspect carries over to the flavor...the vanilla jumps out more than it did in the nose...it's mainly upfront...the malts take over from the middle to the finish...they are roasted nicely at first...sweet caramel, milk chocolate, and light roasted coffee come out in the middle...towards the finish the malts give off a smokey charcoal flavor

M - Medium bodied...starts to get thin, roasty and slightly smokey

O - Not a bad stout, but definitely on the sweeter side...started off nicely, but changed big time as it warmed...probably still the second favorite of the mixed pack

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2012 16:21:31 | More by thain709

ABokononist

New York

3.25/5  rDev 0%

07-16-2012 17:07:27 | More by ABokononist

fatbatcat

Georgia

2.5/5  rDev -23.1%

07-15-2012 15:29:06 | More by fatbatcat

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

3.05/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

My second for New Beer Sunday (Week 385)!

From the bottle: "Saranac Stout is the secret behind the success of our delicious Black & Tan: it is lavishly brewed with seven unique malts and grains as well as a selection of memorable hops. Look for a full-bodied taste and crescendo of complex flavor notes. This is a stout to remember ... and respect. Enjoy!"

I went with a aggro pour so as to create as much head as I could muster in the wilting humidity of the day. I ended up with just better than a finger of fluffy, foamy deep-tan head with decent retention. Color was a deep, dark brown with only caramel highlights visible at the edges. Nose was sweet and chocolaty, more towards milk chocolate than dark chocolate although I prefer the latter. Mouthfeel was medium and I got a really smoky, almost burnt, flavor initially in the mouth. Finish was slightly tangy but the burnt taste really lingered. Color me not a fan.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2012 17:17:38 | More by woodychandler

chinchill

South Carolina

3.48/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into snifter.

Pours a dark but clear mahogany with a smallish tan head. The head has some staying power, but soon dwindles to a ring and island.

Has an attractive if subtle aroma of dark roasted malts and more hops than expected, with a hint of chocolate.

Taste: dark roasted malt with a nice touch of spicy hops and a hint of coffee. 3.75

M: well carbonated; medium body; semi-dry finish. A slight astringency keeps the rating from hitting 4.

Overall: better in almost every respect than the nitro-canned Guinness I had last night. Compared to that, the Saranac is markedly hoppy, aromatic and flavorful, with a much better finish. It does, of course, lack the creamy head and smoother feel of the nitro-enhanced Guinness. 3.75

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2012 01:12:15 | More by chinchill

acurtis

New Jersey

3/5  rDev -7.7%

06-10-2012 00:19:16 | More by acurtis

pagardner

Virginia

4/5  rDev +23.1%

06-02-2012 00:30:11 | More by pagardner

cyclonece09

Virginia

3.58/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a 14 oz "pint" glass. Pours a nice pitch black with a good size brown head with some staying power. Smells of dark roasted malt and a tad of coffee and chocolate. Tastes of coffee and dark roasted malt, very nice. Beer is carbonated well and for its medium body, goes down pretty smooth. Overall, an above average beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2012 02:22:09 | More by cyclonece09

jaganes

3/5  rDev -7.7%

05-14-2012 18:33:01 | More by jaganes

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.15/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - Looks good for a stout, really digging the mocha colored had with nice lacing. Color is a deep brown almost black.

S - Smells of slight lactic powdered milk, mild roasts, and burn sugar.

T - Mostly dry burnt sugars and mild sweetness with vanilla but overall mostly lackluster. Not digging the whole metallic taste either.

M - Light to medium could be a touch creamier.

Overall not really expecting much I am not too disappointed. Might just avoid other Saranac products.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2012 02:18:57 | More by DrDemento456

Mart1

3.75/5  rDev +15.4%

04-24-2012 19:50:17 | More by Mart1

Amalak

New York

3.25/5  rDev 0%

04-21-2012 21:41:49 | More by Amalak

rippedflesh89

New York

2.75/5  rDev -15.4%

04-20-2012 01:37:44 | More by rippedflesh89

elBecko

Kentucky

2.5/5  rDev -23.1%

04-16-2012 21:50:03 | More by elBecko

Greggory

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev 0%

04-13-2012 02:34:36 | More by Greggory

rlee1390

Indiana

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

A-Clear black, brown in the light, one finger of beige/light tan head

S-Roasted malt, some coffee and a tad bit of vanilla

T-Roasted malt almost burnt notes at times, a little bit of coffee and vanilla again.

M-Medium bodied, smooth, a tad on the thin side, not much carbonation

O-An ok stout from Saranac. Kind of a boring beer, no reason to really try it twice.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2012 03:03:48 | More by rlee1390

PicoPapa

Connecticut

3.33/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12oz bottle from the What Ale's You Mix 12pack. Pours a dark brown with some light brown hues and a light brown head. Some lacing. Aromas of roasted malts, chocolate, earth and maybe vanilla. Taste is sweet with roasted malts, dark chocolate, black coffee and earth. Pretty light and thin for the style but it could work well in tthe summer. Overall, its okay, but as I said before its alot thinner than Id expect for a Stout. Works fine in the warm weather mix pack but i wouldnt seek it out.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2012 05:18:01 | More by PicoPapa

teyuders

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev +15.4%

04-02-2012 01:25:45 | More by teyuders

bootsandbeer

Maryland

3/5  rDev -7.7%

04-01-2012 23:22:41 | More by bootsandbeer