Saranac Marzenbier - Matt Brewing Company

Jason

Massachusetts

3.03/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Presentation: 12 oz brown bottle with no freshness date.

Appearance: Just as clear as just about any beer with the Saranac name on the bottle, clear amber color with a good sized head.

Smell: A tad grainy with some German hop in the nose.

Taste & Mouth Feel: A smidge away from being astringent … it’s almost hidden but the graininess pops its head out with a quick smack of husk. Herbal bitterness is rushed by a mild cookie dough malt sweetness … odd flavor to it. Light amount of spicy hop in the end. Finishes dry with more herbal hop.

Drinkability & Notes: Even the macros like Beck’s do a better job … if you are looking for and authentic German style Märzen / Oktoberfest go else where.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2005 00:09:07 | More by Jason

mitch3114

New York

2/5  rDev -37.7%

06-21-2012 03:52:15 | More by mitch3114

jfcaa193

Connecticut

3/5  rDev -6.5%

02-05-2012 19:28:53 | More by jfcaa193

rab53

Massachusetts

3/5  rDev -6.5%

12-02-2011 04:17:13 | More by rab53

tclapper

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +24.6%

11-17-2011 21:36:20 | More by tclapper

changeup45

Florida

3.48/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

There's an interesting blend of hops and malt in this beer. Pours a copper color, topped with a small head and not much lacing. The aroma was malty with some spicy character. The flavor starts malty, followed by a crisp hoppy bitter bite. Pretty good and smooth.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2008 17:19:06 | More by changeup45

Marty

Maine

3.43/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

This beer pours an orange/red color, with a small head and not a very big nose. Not very carbonated at all. Had to pour straight down the middle of the glass.

Taste is very smooth. Not much in the way of hops at all. Pretty nutty and malty.

Overall, not much going on here. This beer's not very complex. Certainly rounds out the 12 Beer of Christmas, but nothing I would buy in a six pack.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2005 01:58:46 | More by Marty

MuddyFeet

North Carolina

2.65/5  rDev -17.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

At first I thought this was a very good beer but it turned out as an overall flat experience.Poured bright as a penny copper with a quickly receding head. Nose is malts and just slightly hinting at yeast. Flavor is at first some really nice toasted malts and biscuits, but it winds up being a burst of flavor that quickly vanishes to be replaced by water. Slight hops in the initial burst too, but they quickly vanish. Mouthfeel is light but with a slightly dry finish. Drinkable but boring.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2005 02:04:31 | More by MuddyFeet

tgbljb

Pennsylvania

3.1/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Purchased as part of sampler pack. Poured crystal clear amber color with modest white head. Smell Is slightly of malt but a not attractive sweetness is present. Taste is a bit malty but not what is expected. Ending is more sweetness. An easy drinker, but not special.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2005 01:17:44 | More by tgbljb

RocketWidget

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +24.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A good show for the Marzen style, and one of Saranac's better beers.

Pours a nice copper color, with moderate to good head. Carbonation is light but visible. A very smooth, easy-drinking beer with a dominant malt profile. Slight buttery taste. Not as light bodied as one might expect. Very easy to drink. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2005 22:00:05 | More by RocketWidget

blitz134

Connecticut

3.1/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Very thin white head which disappeared almost immediately. Body is a yellow-copper color which is perfectly clear. Aroma is mostly sweet malts with a background of resin hops. Taste is a bit one sided in that it is mostly sweet and malty in flavor. Initially it hits with an almost macro-lager taste to me. The hops that were picked up in the aroma are also present in the flavor in the finish. Like the other Saranac beers I’ve had up to this point, there is a slight metallic aftertaste which I can’t seem to get past. Mouthfeel is medium in body. It coats the mouth decently well. Drinkability is again decent, the lack of flavor complexity doesn’t make this one stand high at the top of my list for beers to go back for another.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2005 02:48:14 | More by blitz134

Southernbrew

Georgia

3/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a bronze color with a pretty big head.

Weak aromas, some grain and a bit of husk that I've smelled in other Saranacs.

Thin mouthfeel, weak flavors. Flavor matches up with the aroma, mostly grain and more huskiness. A bit of bitterness in the finish.

Not exciting. Having finished this beer, I have now had every beer in the Holiday Sampler Pack and will probably never go back. Hoorah!

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2005 21:58:40 | More by Southernbrew

sprackops

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Perfectly clear copper bordering on amber in color. Creamy head quickly subsides to a thin film.

Smell: Toasty caramel malt dominates the aroma. Faint herbal hops notes lurking in the background.

Taste: Nutty, slightly sweet toasted malts. Tannin and biscuit notes. Spicy noble hops provide a pleasantly dry finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium body and carbonation.

Drinkability: Quite high for a lager drinker due to the well-balanced character of this brew.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2005 20:41:15 | More by sprackops

ElGordo

Oregon

3.38/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a translucent light copper hue with a half-inch creamy white head. Prevalent aroma of toasted malt, with a hint of caramel and some light astringency. Taste is well-balanced, with a very light hoppiness providing a touch of bitterness that complements the light roasted malt. A bit of a metallic tinge is present throughout. Very light body. While not a bad beer, it certainly doesn't live up to the billing of "Bigger, Richer, Smoother" that it receives on the label. Could be decent for sessions if it weren't for the metal.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2005 04:34:08 | More by ElGordo

Billolick

New York

3.48/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 ouncer, plucked out of the Saranac holiday 12 pack. Pours a light, clear amber, unimpressive, head, and lace , maybe a hint of orange in the nose. Light to medium bodied, thin taste of malt, watery. This is a wimpy marzen/octoberfest. Nothing to really distinguish it. Middle of the road lager, c'mon Saranac/Matts I know you can get some more flavor/interest into the brew. It doesnt seem to be the goal, probably the result of some evil/smart marketing scheme to sell more of this micro wanabe swill.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2004 01:34:50 | More by Billolick

yemenmocha

Arizona

3.35/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Great looking beer. Not too amber, not too golden. Just right. Generous head on this beer.

Somewhat citrusy nose - very orange, or orange peel.

Mediocre on the palate. Nothing special, just very light flavored, easy drinking marzen. Rather light bodied for a marzen I might add.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2004 06:18:34 | More by yemenmocha

ViveLaChouffe

Georgia

2.78/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Pours a clear copper with a 1/4 inch ivory head. No lace to speak of. Smells malty and lightly hoppy. A tart fruitiness in the nose.

Taste is a fruity maltiness and the tart apple again, Some nice floral hops offset the maltiness. There's no caramel or nuttiness in this brew, not what you would expect from a marzen. Medium bodied and lightly chewy and sticky. It's OK but not very Marzen-like and not remarkable enough to overlook that. Take a pass.

The Eleventh Beer of Christmas.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2004 19:41:08 | More by ViveLaChouffe

shirfan

New York

2.83/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Honey-amber in color with an especially sticky head.

Aroma is of oktoberfest-style malts, orange rind, slightly metallic. A bit soft.

Taste: Again, the expected malts for the style.. but overly dry and watery. The nose promises something decent, the sip doesn't deliver. Some toasty malt does make a brief apperance, but a metallic, watery, "can of cheap swill" finish sounds the death knell. Nothing like the thick-n-chewy, oddly-hopped oktoberfest I remember from Saranac.

My first new beer from this year's xmas sampler.. this one's a swing and a miss. Next year, scratch it for the unfortunately now absent Single Malt ale.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2004 01:45:28 | More by shirfan

Citadel82

New Jersey

2.68/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

This is not a real Marzenbier the balance is way too much tilted to the dry side. A decent beer but not one I will seek out as there are too many better beers in the style out there.

Pours a clear orange-amber color with a lacy white head. the head retreats to a slender ring rather quickly. with some good lacing. medium carbonation. A mild toasted malt character and some overpowered by strong hop notes. Like all Saranc products mouthfeelis thin perhaps somewhat watery.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2004 17:53:34 | More by Citadel82

sideshowrob

Maryland

2.83/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

One of 12 X-mas Saranac brews in the holiday gift set.

This brew poured a light-brown/amber color with very little head. Slightly more nose than the amber, but still not very much happening. Slight hint of both malt and hop.

The Marzenbier had a bit more kick than the Saranac Amber, a bit more acidic. Despite the labels, I'm hard pressed to find even a hint of the alleged toasted malt. Hops are up a bit from other offerings. Mouthfeel is very flat, this brew does not taste like it is in balance with itself. It's not hard to quaff it quickly, but the beer provides no real motive to do so.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2004 01:27:57 | More by sideshowrob

NEhophead

Massachusetts

3.08/5  rDev -4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12 oz brown bottle.

1" foamy white head with above average retention. This fades to a delicate and whispy sheet. Some spotty lacing but nothing that really sticks. A chill haze; clean copper in color.

Mild caramel-malt sweetness. Clean wheat and grain hop aromas. Very mild and subdued aromatics.

Smooth, yet not so sweet, lightly toasted maltiness. A very grain flavored hop component. A mild, nutty bitterness that gives way to a grainy yet somewhat caramelly sweet aftertaste. Bland tasting IMO.

Medium bodied; smooth on the palate but still a bit grainy.

An average Marzen that lacks the full malt flavor typical of the style. I can't see myself having more than one. Just a bland tasting Marzen that I won't be going back to.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2004 01:16:18 | More by NEhophead

wailingwench

New Mexico

3.58/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Eye Candy: Dark amber, goldenrod color with a fluffy white 2 finger head. Decent retention and lacing. Better than most other Saranacs.

The Nose Knows: Toasted lmalt lager character mixed with sweet honey and brown sugar like notes.

Tongueland: Early toasted malts that gradually gave way to a honey-like rich finish that was def more deep than their O-fest.

Bender Factor: This was from my 2nd Holiday Pack. They keep getting better. I need to cellar some of these beauties. Is Saranac finally raising the bar? 500 times better than their O-fest. They seriously should replace it w/ this offering. Make sure you ask for the 2004 Holiday pack for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Boxing Day, etc. The perfect gift.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2004 04:00:43 | More by wailingwench

connecticutpoet

Connecticut

3.6/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This is a light amber beer with a low head, but with a lot of lacing.

The aroma is of hops, rich aromatic hops with pine notes.

The taste is of medium bodied malt, and is very smooth, with a light hop overtone.

Mouthfeel is average, some body to support the flavor.

Overall it's a very good, well balanced beer. The taste is not one that comes out and hits you across the tongue, it is almost subtle, but it is nice.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2004 03:48:21 | More by connecticutpoet

WesWes

New York

3.75/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours a dark golden color with a thin white lace head. The aroma is good. It has a pleasant lager scent, which boasts of pale malts and dry lager yeast, but it also has slightly sweet light caramel malt aroma. The taste is decent. It has a weak malty flavor that goes down easy and finishes dry and breadlike. It is less malty than most Marzens I've had. Like most Saranac beers, it doesn't explore too far from the basic recipe. The mouthfeel is good. It's a low/medium bodied beer with good carbonation. This is a decent Marzen, but it still drinks well. Their beers don't impress, but they go down quick.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2004 00:28:44 | More by WesWes

Backer2004

North Carolina

3.78/5  rDev +17.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Purchased as part of Saranac's 12 Beers of Christmas . . . one of the last ones to try. Did not pour this one very well, though the lacing sat nicely around the glass. Smells of fruity hoppiness with hints of lemon or orange. Sweet tasting at first, almost like a wheat beer with an orange slice. Easy to drink the first half a pint, a little more difficult to finish. A bit of a bitter after taste.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2004 01:21:48 | More by Backer2004