Saranac Kölsch - Matt Brewing Company

NiceTaps

New Jersey

3.25/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

12oz bottle from a sampler pack poured into a pint glass.

A-Crystal clear golden color with a big, fluffy white head. Spotty lacing.

S- Grassy, grainy, mild malts.

T- Blonde German ale wannabe.

M- Light with some bite. Semi-dry finish.

O- Not a bad light summer brew, not good either.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2013 19:43:19 | More by NiceTaps

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.58/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

as light and easy as the kolsch style goes, I think this Saranac version is especially light and easy, almost to a fault, or certainly to a point of being unexciting. it pours a nice pale golden color, clean and clear, with a short white head. the nose is german malts and yeast, very bready, but light like a pancake. hops are only in there for bittering and balance, which are both dialed in the nose and the flavor. there is a slight caramel sweetness that rounds it out, and a dry refreshing finish that begs for another gulp. very active carbonation and a thin body makes it even lighter, and this is a very sessionable summer beer from the mix pack. not the most exciting thing they are doing these days, but a worthy offering for hot weather. my dad thinks this is exceptional, I would like to see more hops.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2013 14:51:27 | More by StonedTrippin

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

3.04/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a bottle into a shaker pint, the beer is a bright, vibrant, straw-gold coloring with a thin, sparse, filmy white surface coating of head. Aromas of floral highlights, buttery tones, and a toasty backbone. Strong and a bit unbalanced nose for the style. Flavors are bitter initially, with a sharpness from the light body and carbonation levels. Buttery tones once again, with a watery palate and feel at the end of each drink. Watery and muddled aftertaste, with a limp finish that has a kiss of hops that just can't right the ship.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2013 03:02:55 | More by GarthDanielson

BurgeoningBrewhead

Pennsylvania

3.51/5  rDev +9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into stange. Light clear golden yellow with a lively fizzy head that dissipates very raipdly, leaving no lacing. Smells very "beer-like," with pretty evenly distributed malt, yeast, and hops. The smell is clean, a little spicy with some wine-like notes. Taste is light and clean, german yeast flavors are present with some tart wine-like flavors. Mouthfeel is clean, somewhat dry and medium-bodied.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2013 00:32:31 | More by BurgeoningBrewhead

cavedave

New York

3.31/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Nice look to it, billowy white head over a clear, golden beer. The head collapses to a skim, then a thin ring pretty quickly.

Light aroma, some of that tart Kolsch yeast, bready grain, light floral, and the lightest hint of lemon.

Light flavors, all those of the nose, but a bit less of the lemon, and a deeper sweet to the grain. Juicy and clean, but really not enough flavor. It's a Kolsch, supposed to be subtle, this is even lighter than that.

Decent mouth, a bit thick for how little taste it has, still a refreshing drink.

Enjoyable and forgettable the two words I hope you take away from this review. Lots of better easily available, get one of those.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2013 21:32:03 | More by cavedave

TeamMathis

West Virginia

2.89/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance: Clear, pale yellowish gold.
Smell: Some wheat, light banana, and some floral.
Taste: Light floral. Maybe just a hint of grape.
Mouthfeel: Spritzy carbonation.

Unimpressive is probably the best way to describe this. The smell is mainly wheat and banana, then shifts to floral as it warms...however, it's very, very light. The taste is mainly floral. By mainly I mean that it tastes like Perrier with some floral and wheat thrown in it. Although drinkable, I would not get this again unless it came in their sampler pack.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 02:32:36 | More by TeamMathis

fx20736

New York

3.73/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

bought as part of Saranac's Summer Variety pack from Southtown Beverages on 4/26/13 for $ 7.99.

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

appearance: Honey yellow with a thick 2 finger white head. Nice lacing.

aroma: delicate floral bouquet, true to style.

mouthfeel: light.

taste: nice pale malt, light noble hops.

notes: Nice example of the Kolsch style, a light, delicate beer perfect for warm weather.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 15:32:45 | More by fx20736

Utica_Brew_Review

New York

2.31/5  rDev -28.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 1.75 | overall: 2.75

Light golden yellow color with heavy carbonation and not too much head. Very hoppy, yeasty, hay-like aroma. A bitter, hoppy, hay-like taste with earthy notes. Can't taste too much alcohol. It tastes similar to the aroma. Finishes sweeter than it starts. Overall, kind of bland.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 03:21:02 | More by Utica_Brew_Review

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

3.69/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Another of my local, in-person trader, tone77's latest drop-off.

From the bottle: "This golden sparkling Blonde ale was brewed to pay homage to a 1000-year brewing tradition rooted in Cologne, Germany. Clear, crisp, and easy to drink, the Kolsch of today is more pale than the "house" beer that was served in Cologne 200 years ago - the city that made Kolsch famous. We hope that you'll enjoy it!"

My pour netted better than two fingers of dense, foamy eggnog-colored head with good retention. Color was a deep golden yellow with NE-quality clarity. Nose had a grainy, grassy quality, like a field of hay. Mouthfeel was medium and the taste was dry, slightly biscuity and very grassy. Finish was semi-dry with the malt and hops working well in tandem to create a very quaffable beer. Lacing was quite evident as I drank through the glass. I could see this as a good beer on a hot summer's day.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2013 22:47:20 | More by woodychandler

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.08/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a brown 12 oz. bottle. Has a golden color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is mild, some light hops. Taste is crisp, light, very mild hops, a touch of malt. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall a refreshing beer, but kind of light flavored and just a bit bland.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2012 23:47:37 | More by tone77

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.18/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle - Charlie's Beer & Wine in Marietta, Georgia.

BB September 2012 (reviewed early July).

Appearance: Pours out a fairly clear, deep gold body with a fine, white head receding at a moderate pace, though it never quite fades away completely.

Smell: A sniff of simple, basic maltiness with barely a hint of breadiness to it. Very, very little lemon and spiciness from the hops. It's present without much presence.

Taste: A lightly sweet touch of pale malts, with a slim measure of breadiness. Low, light citrus accents hinting at basic lemon. Very light spiciness from the German hops. Lightly bitter. Less than crisp finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light body. Medium carbonation. It's got some slight bubbliness to it, but I would feel remiss to declare it crisp.

Overall: A humdrum Kölsch that misses the mark, but serves as a fine light beer to cool me off in the dog days of summer.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2012 19:23:58 | More by ChainGangGuy

BlurryVisi0n

New York

3.18/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Served in a pint glass.

Appearance: Clear gold with tiny to almost no bubbles on the body. Head is almost nothing at all white that is maybe a tenth of an inch.

Smell: Light hops, feels more like light pale lager.

Taste: Light hop taste, little bitter but also slightly dry.

Mouth: Medium, and lightly sticky. I appreciate the crisp texture and amost truly feels like a German beer.

Overall: Not bad at all, easy brew to like. Hope you enjoy, grab a movie and sit back. Salud!

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2012 05:31:33 | More by BlurryVisi0n

gcamparone

Rhode Island

3.48/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a Samuel Adams pint glass.

A-clear and golden with medium carbonation that leaves a two finger head that disappears fairly quickly. Leaves some lacing

S- wheat, lightly toasted malt, grapes, bananas

T- resembles the smell, slightly spicy. Smooth And crisp with no lingering aftertaste

M - medium carbonation and body. Once again, very crisp and refreshing

Overall, a good beer to refresh yourself on a Hot summer day (or any other time that you'd like some refreshment, such as after a hard day at work) .

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2012 01:50:29 | More by gcamparone

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

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

I picked this up at Wegmans enjoyed from a stange chilled.

The color is deep golden with good clarity and fast rising bubbles of carbonation that lead up to a thick soapsud cap of white with tight bead. The lace stickage is decent. The smell is slightly floral with a mild sweet malt odor and gentle toasted grain tinge. The feel is so-so, very light bodied with moderately high carbonation and has some sweetness with generally clean and dry finish very low in bitterness.

The flavor is pretty standard for the style. I get mostly a light toasted grain with very mild sweetness and slight herbal element from the hops, but in general the flavor is pretty tame, overall not a bad beer, best use for this is summertime when you are looking for something quenching to refresh your palate during the heat and humidity.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2012 17:22:00 | More by Slatetank

kangarooAdam59

Wyoming

3.48/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Best by September 2012:

Into my stange:

A: light golden colored body with a light paper thin white head, barely any carbonation is seen rising and minimal lacing is left.

S: centers around the malts with the hopss and a bit of light grassiness coming out mildly.

T: same noted smells but with a slight earthiness settling in it.

M: light to medium with the right amount of carbonation felt, definitely drinkable

O: this wasn't bad, it wasn't necessarily one I need to run out and buy again, but its do-able enough if I got this again in the twelve pack of summer, I would be happy about.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2012 00:42:58 | More by kangarooAdam59

PicoPapa

Connecticut

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

12oz bottle with SEP 2012. Pours a translucent golden color with a 1/4 inch of head. Almost no lacing. Aromas of grains, grass, with some floral notes. Taste is of grains with some orange peel and floral hops. Floral, grassy finish. Light mouthfeel. Nice summer beer. Nothing great but nothing bad either. Overall, works well in the Summer Mix Pack but wouldn't buy it on its own.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2012 06:08:12 | More by PicoPapa

corby112

Pennsylvania

2.1/5  rDev -34.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Pours a clear golden orange color with a half finger white foam head that quickly settles into a thin ring. Minimal spotty lacing left behind.

Bland, slightly earthy aroma with faint grassy hops and light fruit notes. Really not much going on and lacking in almost every characteristic that makes kolschs interesting. Subtle grass and straw notes with very faint fruit and pale malt.

On the lighter end of medium bodied with a stronger hop presence than the aroma hinted at. Crisp, slightly spicy hops that provides some subtle earthy and dry bitterness that lingers over the sweeter notes and pale malt. More floral than bitter with a slight earthy/soily character that is countered by an odd adjunct like sweetness. There hints of apple and pear but also a strange corn flavor that is pretty unpleasant. It starts off alright but the lingering aftertaste is pretty bad.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2012 07:31:29 | More by corby112

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.03/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - Not a bad looking beer has a hazy yellow look to it with a 1/2 inch of sticky head.

S - Very mild maybe I am getting some hops, malt and a touch of straw like grass. Not bad just... mild.

T - Kind of heavy for the style and the flavors seemed to be muddled by an earthy malt tone. As expected its average.

M - Medium so kind of heavy for a summer beer.

Overall I got to stop buying into these Saranac beers most seem to be just average.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2012 03:25:47 | More by DrDemento456

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

2.85/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured from bottle into tulip. Pours a slightly orange hued straw color, a bit of white bubbley foam and some lacing. Smells nice, bready yeasty malts and crisp straw. It has a nice crisp taste...at first. Followed by a heavy malt flavor; almost macro-like. Its bitter and dry mouthfeel. Overall, not a great and barely a good Kolsch. I would never buy this on its own...it came in the mixed 12 pack.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2012 23:47:39 | More by DrinkSlurm

abriggs1

Connecticut

4.1/5  rDev +27.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Talk about a dry beer. It's more like a cocktail than a malted beverage. I love this beer. It's not for the masses, but it's got a hop and yeast character that is uncompromising and refreshing. It's like an IPA with a different yeast profile. It actually tastes a bit like dry vermouth. Interesting and unapologetic.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2012 05:16:17 | More by abriggs1

BucannonXC5

California

3.43/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass. About a finger of head. Color was golden pale urine, just like the Rye IPA I just had of Saranac’s. Light white lacing on the top that dissipated within five minutes. White, wet sporadic film on the sides.

Smelled caramel malts up front. Sharp distinction of sharp corn malts with some honey in there. Pretty much what I’d expect from a kolsch.

Tasted almost exactly as the smell. Got honey, light caramel, corn, biscuit. A kolsch.

Medium body. Creamy texture. Average carbonation. Smooth, watery finish.

A pretty good kolsch when I look back at it. What you see is what you get. I’d definitely try it again.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2012 04:43:50 | More by BucannonXC5

puboflyons

New Hampshire

3.55/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

From the 12 fl. oz. bottle. Sampled on May 18, 2012. The pour is an excellent looking well-carbonated pale yellow with a light, fluffy white head up top that lingers on. The aroma is more malty than grainy but pleasant enough. The body is light to medium. The taste tends to bring out more of the character of grains with a crisp, clean finish. This is a refreshing warm weather beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2012 00:15:40 | More by puboflyons

riored4v

Colorado

3.05/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured in to a pint glass. Clear, straw colored body with a thin, white head. Faded quickly to a thin cap.

Aroma was a bit malty with a light fruitiness. Some estery aromas with a bit of a minerally aroma. Some light sweetness, but also smelled a bit off at the same time.

Taste really didn't have much going on. Very light in flavor with some fruity and floral flavors. Mild maltiness.

Mouthfeel had a medium/light body with a medium carb. Dry finish.

Light drinking beer overall with some light flavors. Some interesting/weird flavors mixed with some light fruitiness.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2011 02:36:48 | More by riored4v

emmasdad

Colorado

3.13/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured a pale straw color, with a nice light stream of bubbles. The nose was unimpressive, but the flavor was very light, with some nice hops and a bitter finish. Overall a nice, light, refreshing beer that was perfect with ribs and corn on a sunny, spring afternoon.--TM

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2011 04:00:29 | More by emmasdad

BeerAdvocate

Massachusetts

3.08/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Review from BeerAdvocate Magazine Issue #53 (June 2011):

Pale color; clarity and hefty amount of white head walks the walk. Hint of malt, more of a grainy husk and pale leather ... soft, but there with a twang of fermentation in the nose. Crispness is there, and a dry, pulling graininess seems to want to take over right from the get-go. Modest hopping—that’s all this brew really needed, though there is no real depth of flavor from the bitterness. Grain becomes almost a bit chalky in the bone-dry finish. A decent stab at the style, but a bit more malt and a pinch of sweetness with hopping to back it would bring it to where it should be.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2011 21:27:10 | More by BeerAdvocate