Saranac Black Forest - Matt Brewing Company

Justin23060

Virginia

4.74/5  rDev +27.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

A - Black w/ chestnut highlights. 1/2 finger beige head that coated 'till the end.

S - Sweet chocolate and caramel, with maybe a hint of licorice.

T - Perfect example of the style. Starts sweet ends semi dry with a slight vignious linger. Taste is pretty much in line with the smell.

M - Lighter side of medium, w/ some nice carb.

O - Definitely worth trying. Captures roasty chocolate and caramel qualities while at the same time remaining thirst quenching. Because of that it is a great dark offering for the summer months.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 04:44:21 | More by Justin23060

HabiMendes

Rhode Island

4.26/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

This very dark beer has actually a very dark red tone against the light, and looks really elegant. The smell is an obvious caramelized malt, with well-harmonized hops. I can say the same for the taste, where you also see, in the background, some characteristic notes from darker malts: chocolate/coffee. The body is medium, and the aftertaste, relatively short, leaves us with a delicious and subtle hop taste. Great dark Lager.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 16:34:16 | More by HabiMendes

Haydn-Juby

Quebec (Canada)

3.9/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz bottle

A: Dark reddish brown with some transparency. Small head with minimal lacing. Died down pretty quick

S: Once again I find the alcohol apparent in the smell but not in the taste, its strange. Some small tinges of caramel and very faint chocolate maybe.

T: Good caramel aftertaste but nothing to overpowering. Decent hop bitterness but really not that much. Not too bold tasting but not too weak either. Some flavor searching is required , as I found with their other beers, but it is there and it isn't bad either.

M:Goes down light and smooth drinking. Pretty easy going in this departement

Overall: It was a good beer but nothing I was shocked by , like their other brews. Pretty solid but not astounding. Probably wouldn't seek it out but it was good.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 00:23:54 | More by Haydn-Juby

BurgeoningBrewhead

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz bottle (from a Saranac Adirondack Trail Mix 6pack) into a pilsener glass. Poured a beautiful deep garnet red with a half-finger head that dissipated quickly with little to no lacing. Tastes very clean and refreshing, with a watery but smooth mouthfeel. Fairly weak-bodied, but it's a schwarzbier, not a porter. Overall this is one of my favorite beers; absolutely delicious and easy to drink. Too bad the mixed 6 pack only came with one of them...

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 05:49:03 | More by BurgeoningBrewhead

stxp

New York

3.58/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

appearance: solid dark brown, barely see through, some reddish hints in light, thick chunky head fades quick with a sticky lace

smell: slightly earthy, woody and bit of dried fruit, candy-like sweetness

taste: a bit woody, caramel, some toast but not overly malty despite the color,

mouthfeel: carbonation hits first then gets a bit creamy, finishses with a slight dryness and a touch of roast linger, a bit thin on then end

overall: great aroma, a bit thin and lacking on taste, gets creamy in the middle but fades, could use a bit more toast/roast

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2012 21:02:42 | More by stxp

PatriotsRule

Massachusetts

4.98/5  rDev +33.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Black Forest never ceases to wow me. I am on a bit of a schwarzbier kick and this brew trumps just about anything I can imagine...
A: Not much head, but it looks like a beautiful dark unfiltered beer with some nice lacing
S: Smokey fruit with light spicing
T: Yes indeed this is a well-balanced craft brew. it's crisp and a perfect choice for winter
M: Leaves me hoping I will have the opportunity to delve into the black forest later on in life
O: This is one of those beers that is so smooth it leaves me scratching my head in amazement

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2012 14:38:15 | More by PatriotsRule

gcamparone

Rhode Island

3.63/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served From a. 12 oz bottle into a snifter,

A - big white head that leaves little lacing , copper clear body.

S - unripe bananas, cloves, and wheat sitting on a heavy toasted malt backbone.

T- Starts off with a spicy clove taste, ends with a chocolate-covered banana flavor.

M- Medium mouthfeel, medium-low carbonation.

Overall quite enjoyable. Subtle flavors but an overall easy drinker.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2012 04:44:11 | More by gcamparone

magine

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass.

Pours a dark brown with ruby red edges; light tan head. Head settles to a lace layer. Some patching along the edges. Average looks.

Brew smells of caramel malts; roasted malts. Decent nose.

Brew is creamy up front, some good hops spice it up towards the end. Slightly bitter end with good lingering malts. Perfect mouthfeel for the style. Real good flavors here. Good solid brew here for sure.

A very nice sessionable black lager here. A party pleasing dark brew that can be approached and enjoyed by all fans of beer. Good stuff here.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2012 00:42:07 | More by magine

Rukasu

District of Columbia

3.43/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- Black as night, only a deep, deep ruby red when held to a bright light. Solid one finger tan head.

S- Slightly sweet, nuttiness, with a faint hoppy bite on the nose

T- Lemony hops up front, with earthy and grassy roasted malts. Faint coffee on the finish

M- Surprisingly light with a consistant carbonation.

O- Lighter and less flavorful than I expected it would be and would have preferred, but the benefit is that it is highly drinkable and one could have a few of these and not be weighed down.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2012 18:45:36 | More by Rukasu

MoreThanWine

Massachusetts

2.85/5  rDev -23.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured a 1.5" mocha head with medium lifespan. The body is a deep but clear burnt umber brown. Alas my sample really doesn't smell of anything at all, even after full room temperature. The taste is a watery lager with just the slightest hint of dark roasted malt. And there's not much of a finish. To me this is what you get when you go for a look to a beer instead of just brewing to see what you get.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2012 10:48:28 | More by MoreThanWine

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

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

Ive had this beer countless times, on tap and bottle. This review is from a 12oz bottle. Poured into HF Wine Glass. Pours a deep black color with slight off white head. Very malty slightly roasted aromas. Taste is very nice fruity malt, but very mild. Great brew from saranac, an all time classic go to brew for me

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2012 21:49:51 | More by DrinkSlurm

JOaikido

Quebec (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- Pitch black with a nice light beige head. Touch of amber at the edges when held up to a light. Head sticks to the glass.

S- Grassy & floral with a hint of citrus hops.

T- Hops bitternes with a little roasted note. Touch of sugary sweetness. Decent malty middle with roasted coffee notes.

MF- Medium bodied. A little sugar stickiness. Smooth.

O- Nice dark beer. A little light for my taste, but good.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2012 01:53:54 | More by JOaikido

StaveHooks

Oklahoma

3.63/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz served in a Sam Adams Perfect Pint.

A - Pours a clear dark russet brown with a 1 finger mocha head that forms a tight bubbled cap. One long streak of horizontal lacing that looked like a skinny dinosaur.

S - Dark caramel malt, dried grain, cherry and berry fruit, lager yeast, fruit bread.

T - Roasted caramel malts, tangy sweetness, dried grass, chalky lager yeast, matches the nose, the cherry fruit is mixed in with the malt creating a fruit bread flavor, some hops wick away some of the sweetness. Finishes semi dry with compliments of fruit and slightly bitter and roasted malts.

M - Moderate carbonation, fuller body for the style, somewhat velvety but sticky at times, wet upfront but finishes semi dry.

Very fruity for the style. Had a nice roundness of roast and bitter to battle the sweetness. Decent mouthfeel too. Not bad. Not something I would seek out but I'm glad I had a chance to try this out.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2012 22:40:17 | More by StaveHooks

TheMultiYeast

Pennsylvania

3.28/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours dark brown with a light tan head.

Some chocolate and smoke in the nose, ripe dark fruit, black berry juice, raisins

More roasted chocolate, malty, unique juicy bitterness.

Despite some decent flavor complexities, this one's pretty light in body.

Pretty good for one of those light dark beers.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2012 00:14:35 | More by TheMultiYeast

CloudStrife

New York

3.9/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into a snifter. BB Jan 31 2012

A: Pours a deep mahogany brownish red with a 1 finger off white head. Too opaque to see any carbonation. Head sticks around for a while and leaves a small amount of lace.

S: Chocolate roasty malts up front with a degree of lightness compared to any stout. A little faint and lagery. Must be the yeast.

T: Fairly tame with a mix of roasty and chocolate malts. Some hop kick at the end

M: A lot lighter in the body than you would expect, feels a little thin and watery. Pretty carbonated. Pretty balanced.

Overall a solid beer for Saranac that I've been enjoying for years. Consistent, light and drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2012 00:28:16 | More by CloudStrife

circus_cat

Virginia

4.08/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served in a tulip glass.

A: Poured almost pitch black with a dark red hue. Khaki head that started at about one inch and dissipated quickly leaving almost no lacing.

S: Roasty malts, sweet caramel, and lots of dark fruits.

T: Big time dark fruits here. I get plum and blackberry. It's almost sour. A little bit of coffee dark chocolate on the finish.

M: Light to medium bodied and pretty effervescent. Dry finish.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2012 01:51:53 | More by circus_cat

Stampman

4.48/5  rDev +20.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The serving was in a pint glass and the beer was room tempature. The color was black with a thick brown head. The head remained with small bubbles for period of one minute and then started to break up. There was consistent distict lacing throughout drinking. The smell was clean and stong with the scent of hopps and malt. The taste was very pleasant without any bitter taste. The mouthfeel was medium and very pleasant.
I feel all dark beers should be drunk in the european manner, room temprature and in a pint glass. I think it brings the maximum amout of flavor to the drinker. This beer proved my belief is correct. This beer has made my buy list and will continue to be a choice for serving guests.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2012 23:36:37 | More by Stampman

paulginva

Virginia

3.4/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

APPEARANCE: This beer, poured from a bottle into a flute, produced a medium tan creamy 1/4" head that dissipated slowly leaving good head lacing. Carbonation was moderate in a murky pitch black body with just a little light around the edges.

AROMA: Moderate roasted grain and caramel with light hints of dark cherry, dried fruit and spices.

TASTE: Somewhat different from the aroma. Heavy dark malts with a light overlay roasted espresso and caramel. The fruits and spices that I noticed in the smell test seemed absent.

MOUTHFEEL: This beer had a medium body with a somewhat thick, syrupy texture, moderate carbonation and good body lacing that dissipated slowly. The initial flavor was a moderate roasted sweetness accompanied by a hint of bitterness with a lightly bitter finish that lasted for a moderate length of time, leaving a slightly astringent aftertaste.

DRINKABILITY: This beer is definitely repeatable and would make a decent, if unusual, session beer. The body should be a little heavier to support the taste. It's a good but not great example of its style but nothing really stands out. Nonetheless, it's easy to drink and presents good value for the money. I'll buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2012 16:31:12 | More by paulginva

Beejay

Virginia

2.93/5  rDev -21.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: Medium brown as it pours. Black in the glass with a very full tan head, although the fluffy full texture quickly turns into large bubbles dissipating into itself.

S: Bready and toasty. There is a little bit of an herbal note in there as well. I am also picking up a bit of a chalky smell for some reason.

T: Malty, with notes of caramel and flour. There is a slight tang in the finish, as well as maybe a touch of a metallic flavor. Some toffee in the aftertaste.

M: Medium light, the carbonation seems to be a little lack luster for me.

O: Meh.. Not bad, but not amazing either. Not something that I would likely seek out.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2012 02:12:19 | More by Beejay

Minkybut

Virginia

3.65/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I poured this beer into my tumbler at 45 degrees. The beer was black as the name implies. The beer poured a nice tan head but it did not hang around long. The smell of this beer was just okay, I thought it smelled a little sour at first. The taste was nice, a little sweet kinda caramelly but not too much. I liked and will buy again.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2012 15:37:40 | More by Minkybut

TechTriumph

Virginia

3.93/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

No freshness date; Poured in a pint glass.

A - One inch of light tan carbonated head that doesn't last too long; Very dark brown in color with a ruby hue; Not too much lacing left behind

S - Big surprise here - was not expecting the huge nose of mixed fruits and sweet caramel; The fruits consist of plums, grapes, and raspberries

T - The same fruits from the nose step forward first in the taste; This is followed by very sweet caramel and leafy/woody hops with just a small hint of tobacco in the distant background; Fruity and sugary sweetness lingers in the aftertaste

M - Good amount of carbonation; Lighter side of medium bodied; Somewhat syrupy mouthfeel that allows the sugary sweet taste to linger

O - The big presence of fruits in this beer was quite surprising to me. I really don't think it's a bad thing though as I found the aroma and taste to be pretty enjoyable. There's a lot of sweetness in this beer that, while it didn't turn me off, would prevent me from having too many of these in succession. Overall, I think this beer really stands out within the style and is one that I'd like to have again in the future.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 00:57:20 | More by TechTriumph

cyclonece09

Virginia

3.43/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a 14 oz "pint" glass. Pours a black with a very small brown head that dissipates very quickly and disappears entirely. Has a strong fruity smell, with not much of a hint of malt or hops. Has a slight malty taste, but the fruity taste does dominate. Carbonation is perfect and goes down smooth with no aftertaste or ill tastes. Overall, a little above average beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2012 04:30:54 | More by cyclonece09

rangerred

Tennessee

3.4/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass.

Appearance is a very dark brown with just a thin tan head. Very little in the way of lacing.

Smell is largely of caramel and fruit; specifically berries. Very little roast character is detectable.

Flavor is quite sweet with the same fruitiness along with caramel. Cherries are quite noticeable and it reminds me of drinking a cherry coke. This is unlike any other schwarzbier I have had in that there is no coffee/roasty flavors. Mouthfeel is pretty good.

Overall a decent beer but not what I was expecting. A little too sweet and out of balance.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2012 01:17:35 | More by rangerred

beerme626

Kentucky

3.7/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Poured beautiful dark, with dark foamy head that dissapated immediately. Very carbonated, to the point of looking like Coke.
S: Rich, woody smell. Definite malts.
T: Very malty, light, but flavorful.
M: Thin
Overall: decent, worth getting in the Trail Mix 6-pack.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2012 23:39:53 | More by beerme626

mpmckenn

New York

4.08/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A-Dark brown, a little reddish towards the edges. Completely opaque. Some lacing, thick, creamy head that doesn't last extremely long.

S-Roasted malts. slight caramel smell, too.

T-roasted malts and light caramel once again, hint of a coffee taste as well.

M-Little bit on the thin side, medium carbonation. Lingering aftertaste.

O-A very good beer from a great brewing company. Definitely one worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2012 01:09:06 | More by mpmckenn