Saranac Imperial Stout - Matt Brewing Company

jjboesen

Maryland

4.18/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had this during a recent trip to Max's Taphouse. It pours a dark and impervious body beneath a razor thin head with little lace. The nose detects a heavy molasses whiff while the palate experiences a biscuity combination of brown sugar and molasses. I was surprised to find that the body was rather light - surprising for the style, that is.

Saranac's Imperial Stout was nice and smooth albeit a tad sweet for me. Not the best of this style, but exceptable if nothing else is available. They can't all be Old Rasputin, can they?

Serving type: on-tap

01-01-2009 23:06:54 | More by jjboesen

LumpyGuitar

New York

3.5/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Had this on tap at the brewery.

Poured a solid black with a solid dark brown head. Retention was good, but only minor lacing.

Smells of dark roasted malts, maybe a bit of smoke.

Taste is bittersweet, roasted malt, dark chocolate, and some smoke. Finish is bitter but a bit milder compared to the start.

Mouthfeel is smooth and dry, nothing special here. Heavy bodied.

Drinkability is good, very good considering the ABV and price in comparison to similar products. Really though, it's a good solid stout, well worth it. Easy to drink, ABV aside.

Serving type: on-tap

10-03-2008 03:00:35 | More by LumpyGuitar

MmmIPA

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Had this on tap at COCO's pizza in Brookhaven Pa.

Inky black body with a nice brown head that seemed to sit there for a bit then faded.Moderate lacing was left.

Hops,roasted malts and some fruitiness.

Really nice,fruitiness,sweet chocolate and some roastiness.

Nice mouthful,heavy and not much in the way of a alcohol taste.Carbonation is very nice.

Nice beer,the best Ive tried from Saranac yet.I had two pints and took my time and enjoyed every sip that hit my lips.Ide for sure have it again.

Serving type: on-tap

09-20-2008 02:26:15 | More by MmmIPA

bobsy

Ontario (Canada)

3.7/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A big stout, and that's for sure. Pitch black body with a finger of bubbly mocha head. Big bittersweet chocolate aroma. Lots of chocolate in the flavour along with cofee and some dark fruit. There's also a very faint milky flavour I can't quit pinpoint, but is a big distraction for me. Smooth, creamy mouthfeel. Drinks well for a strong stout, and the alcohol is well hidden.

Serving type: on-tap

08-24-2008 18:27:12 | More by bobsy

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Enjoyed on tap at the Tap and Mallet. Black with good lacing. Coffee, and dark chocolate. A good blend. Buttery mouthfeel. Not too bitter, rated 50 IBU. Roasting is nicely balanced with the malt. A good one, and aroma would really give it a better than averge major league rating.

Serving type: on-tap

08-20-2008 02:57:59 | More by northyorksammy

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.6/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

On-tap 5/9/08, at Track 84 in Warwick, RI, served in a tulip glass.

A: The beer is a deep black color, with a short dense light brown head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is kind of faint but contains chocolate, roasted malts and a touch of hops.

T: The taste is very malty as you would expect from this type of beer, with flavors of chocolate and dark fruit. There's a very mild hops presence, which is normal as well, but it keeps a decent balance. The after-taste is bitter sweet.

M: Smooth and crisp, heavy body, light carbonation, finish is sticky and dry.

D: A little tasty, goes down ok, kind of filling, good kick, decent representation of style, it's decent beer but it's definitely not the first big stout that I would pick.

Serving type: on-tap

05-11-2008 01:28:29 | More by TheManiacalOne

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The very dark tan color of the head suggests the richness of the brown-black beer below. A quick whiff reveals an assertive, dark-coffee roastiness and some vibrant hops in the background - and that's carried through in the flavor. I was pleasantly surprised to lively notes of floral, leafy, and spicy hops in the finish once the bulk of the dark roasted malt had passed. (The spiciness may actually have been from the alcohol, but it was minor, and quite pleasant). Quite enjoyable.

Serving type: on-tap

04-25-2008 15:58:00 | More by NeroFiddled

plaid75

New York

4.22/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a deep black hue with a one finger foamy tan head. There was good retention and lacing.

The smell featured a burnt grain with a touch of sweetness.

The taste featured a robust burnt grain with undertones of coffee and dark chocolate.

The mouthfeel was of average fullness for the style.

Overall a very approachable and tasty RIS. Kudos to Saranac.

Serving type: on-tap

03-29-2008 23:30:52 | More by plaid75

Deus1138

Georgia

5/5  rDev +27.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I had the pleasure of sampling this brew at the end of the tour at the Matt's Brewery.

This stuff poured very dark and thick. It was like motor oil. Very strong small of roasted malts, mostly coffee. Hops also very present.

Taste is incredible. Lost of toasted, roasted maltiness. Lots of coffee and a little bit of chocolate. Hops make their presence known after the brew has been on your tongue for a while. I was really surprised by the strong presence of the hops.

This is a highly drinkable, excellent brew. It was really cold outside when I drank it. This makes and excellent warmer!!

Serving type: on-tap

12-17-2007 19:26:11 | More by Deus1138

Stimack

New York

4.13/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Was able to try this brew on tap the other day while at Mahar’s. Very impressive looking brew, dark black color with a good sized, heavy head that was dark brown in color and had very good retention. It left heavy amount of lacing down the side of the glass. The aroma is a nice and has a number of things that are noticeable. Mix of roasted and slightly burnt malts with a slight chocolate scent. Also present and noticeable is a slight hop scent that IMO is in a nice balance with everything. Also an alcohol scent that come out more as the brew warms. The flavors are nice as well. Coffee comes out first, then a noticeable burnt charcoal flavor comes out which gives it a nice feel as it seems to give the brew a dryness. Chocolate flavors are there as well but to me they are in the background. At the tail end I do notice a nice hop flavor that brings things together nicely, I liked it because it was not over the top like some IS's. Also as this brew warms there is a nice alcohol feel to it that is nice and warming. Over all, and especially with the price, I feel that this is a excellent brew, a very good offering from Saranac, one that has character and is not just a basic brew in a specific beer style, like may of their beers.

Serving type: on-tap

12-03-2007 02:42:17 | More by Stimack

AlHam

New Jersey

4.8/5  rDev +22.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

This new release from Saranac may have just redefined the American stout.

Pours dark, black, and rich with an average sized but creamy head.

Smells of toasted chocolate and caramel malts.

Tastes rich and full. The chocolate and caramel malts are apparent, backed by a gentler yet still strong in its own right hops flavor.

The mouthfeel makes this beer. It's incredible, and really sets it apart from other outstanding stouts like Mackeson XXX. The mouthfeel incredibly rich, creamy, and full bodied. MUCH thicker than a Guinness.

A very drinkable beer, but only in limited quantities. It's thick and heavy, and at 9% ABV it packs a punch.

An exceptional beer. Makes an incredible black & tan when layered over the Imperial IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

10-22-2007 05:40:48 | More by AlHam

sajaffe1

Alabama

3.69/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

This beer was poured from the bottle into a pint glass.
This stout is black with no light penetration. There is a short lived head that dissapates quickly.
On the nose there are bits of dark fruits, chocolate, coffee as well as some hops. Good smelling ale.
The taste was more bitter than expected with fairly assertive hops and alcohol. Still notice the dark fruit.
This stout was pretty smooth with light carbonation.

Not the best imperial stout I ever had, but not bad. I am glad I gave it a go, but do not plan on buying again anytime soon.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2013 02:11:20 | More by sajaffe1

CaptDavyJones

New York

4.25/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured as dark as night from a 12 oz bottle, with a freshness code on the bottle. Absolutely no light penetrates through this stout.
One finger tan colored head that dissipated very slowly.
Aroma is all chocolate, with hints of some sweet malt, licorice and dark fruits coming through.
Taste surprisingly is more on the bitter side. Right upfront there is a distinct bitterness on the tongue which slowly subsides towards the finish ending with a gentle lingering bitterness.
This is quite a robust and full-bodied stout.
Easy to drink with very nice mouthfeel.
Perhaps the second best beer from Saranac after their Black Forest. I was pleasantly surprised by this one and will even go on to say that it can hold it's own against any good imperial stout.
Overall, this is a very good imperial stout and is definitely worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 05:38:44 | More by CaptDavyJones

tiltedglass

New York

4.72/5  rDev +20.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

For me this is the best stout made. I've tasted only 20 or so, not including flavored stouts, and this, like the Guinness Export, is powerful but with a balanced punch. Terrific full taste that is somehow both sharp and round. Great stuff. Getting harder to find for some reason, so get yours if you see it. Try a blind taste against another stout or two and you'll see what I mean.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2012 16:27:10 | More by tiltedglass

comfortablynumb1

California

3.58/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a Bruery snifter...

A - Pours black with a one finger brown head that dissipates at a decent pace. Lacing is minimal...

S - Roasted malts, dark fruits, chocolate, some sweet malt, and a touch of alcohol...

T - Molasses and roasted malts up front followed by chocolate. Finishes with roast and some lingering bitter chocolate. Alcohol is present, but comes across pretty clean...

M - A little thin for my liking. Medium bodied with a good amount of carbonation...

O - Glad I got a chance to try this one, but not something I would go out of my way to obtain in the future. Think this one would taste better with a little age on it...

Cheers...

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2011 05:47:12 | More by comfortablynumb1

iceburger97

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

a- black
smell- mild licorice type smell, faint smokey liquor
taste- tasted good, could not detect much of that familiar saranac flavor that seems to make their other beers taste all the same , it was mostly covered up
mouthfeel nothing extraordinary but better than average
overall a sweet and robust imperial stout with a good character and body, drinkable with good rich flavor

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2011 00:54:28 | More by iceburger97

DirtyPenny

Massachusetts

2.13/5  rDev -45.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Poured into a pint glass.

A: Black with a half-inch of cocoa brown head. Wide rings of lacing are left behind on the glass with every gulp.

S: Mostly getting chocolate and molasses on the nose.

T: Bitter chocolate malts and smoky cigarette ash give way to toffee and coffee, with a strongly bitter finish. Sadly, the ashy taste in the middle completely ruins this one. Tastes like someone tipped an ash tray into the mix. No booziness despite the 9% abv, which is just a comment, not a criticism.

M: Medium with light, foamy carbonation. Surprisingly light for an imperial stout, which you'd think would be kind of syrupy. And yet it's gritty and unpleasantly chalky on the tongue.

O: Saranac's Imperial Stout is the Kyle Boller of its class. You'd only put it into the game if you don't have any better options. They make a few decent brews. This one is a perpetual bench warmer.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2011 00:10:31 | More by DirtyPenny

rlee1390

Indiana

3.85/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A-Black with a one finger creamy brown head but it doesn't leave behind any lacing.

S-Chocolate, coffee, roasted malt and possibly some alcohol.

T-Sweet, with chocolate and coffee as the main flavors. Balanced but not the full flavor experience your looking for from an Imperial Stout.

M-Thick, but for the style thin, and creamy

O-Although a great tasting beer it doesn't live up to what one would expect from an Imperial Stout. Still it ranks as one of Saranac's best. I'd say if you are having a basic stout tasting with nothing too epic, include this beer as a nice lower bound to compare to.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2011 02:42:58 | More by rlee1390

cavedave

New York

3.53/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Live Review

An easy pour puts plenty of light brown foam atop a darkest brown, shiningly opaque stout. The head takes its time getting down to a thick cap and some serious legs lap elastically the glass.

Chocolate, coffee, molasses, just a hint of yeasty tart, dark roast malt, a hint of licorice, in a very alluring mix. Best nose on any Saranac beer I have ever tried, by far.

Taste wise this is not bad, but you wouldn't mistake it for Abyss despite having a similar take on basic flavor mix. Some of the darker malts in this have a bit of that ripe cherry almost coughsyrupy thing. Even despite this, the taste isn't bad, it's typical for big stouts nowadays, which says a great many good things about "nowadays" for beer lovers. It has all the great flavors in the nose, but not as deliciously presented nor balanced.

Mouthfeel is a bit thin compared to many other IS. Carbonation is good. Cling is not clean. Finish could be cleaner for optimum.

Not a great beer, but pretty darn good for what it is, which is to say a Saranac beer, the reliable ground ball singles hitter of American breweries.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2011 00:35:16 | More by cavedave

argock

Virginia

3.23/5  rDev -17.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a 12oz brown bottle into a clear glass snifter. No freshness date. Single purchased at Ancona's Wine and Spirits (Ridgefield, CT) for $1.89.

A: very dark brown with chestnut highlights and solid 2-finger German chocolate cake batter beige head with good retention with spotty trails of lace.

S: It has an interesting sweet caramel note which is usually drowned out by the roasted character. There still is a nice roasted aroma with tobacco, earthy hops.

T: The flavor is unfortunately very ashy and doesn't allow the caramel notes to come through. The tobacco notes are way too strong and the maltiness is lost.

M: Thin for the style with pretty dry finish.

O: Not terrible, but the ashy nature of the flavor is off-putting and dominates.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2011 05:10:28 | More by argock

CharlieMurphy

New York

2.55/5  rDev -34.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

A: Translucent black (just a red beam of light through the center up to a light). Thin tan flat head that stays as it poured. Looks thin

B: Brown malts, a little chocolate, smells more like a porter. a touch of sweetness, a touch of roastiness

T: Not a whole lot going on. The carbonation masks most flavors for most of the taste then it emerges into a bitter chocolate finish that kind of reminds me of burnt hot dog char. I remember this being better in previous tastes. Prolly not one to age in that case. This is almost a year old.

M: Thin feel but higher than average carbonation. Burnt taste ruins this

O: Drink Fresh!

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2011 02:08:35 | More by CharlieMurphy

nhindian

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -23.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

12oz bottle poured into a snifter. Bottle generously provided as an extra by CharlieMurphy, thanks man!

A - Pours a midnight black with dark red highlights interspersed throughout. About 1.5-fingers of dark tan head with decent retention. A silky cap floats gingerly above the liquid when it finally dissipates. Lacing is pretty good as well!

S - The rather unassuming appearance gives way to a dangerously bold aroma. Char, ash, and soy dance precariously below coffee roast and chocolate. Definitely smells bigger than 9%, for better or for worse. The char and soy really weighs heavily as it warms.

T - This feels like a toned-down version of Avery's Mephistopheles with a bit of a balance issue. Rather than having a predominant anise flavor, the ash and soy take center stage, making it tough for the roast and chocolate to burst through. At times they do, but most of the time it's tough for them to get through the burnt sweetness. Finish is sweet and alcoholic with a lot of char.

M - Mouthfeel is medium-bodied with ample carbonation. Actually feels a little thin for what the flavors are bringing and the style, which I guess hurts it a bit. Finishes pretty sweet.

D/O - Drinkability is moderately low. The website says that this is meant to be sipped and given the flavors, it's kind of hard not to sip it. Much to roasty for me, considering it plays on the wrong side of charred. The anise comes through slightly but in a way that actually seems to accentuate the soy. A miss for me personally.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2011 05:52:04 | More by nhindian

CaptJackHarkness

New York

2.48/5  rDev -36.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

No head to speak of ,no lacing of the glass- flat appearance. a burnt bitter coffee anise taste that lingers cloyingly on the palate and throat! The only thing in it's favor is ,like all Imperials, it has a healthy (or unhealthy from that point of view!) amount of alchohol in it!

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2011 17:55:54 | More by CaptJackHarkness

harrymel

Washington

2.83/5  rDev -27.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Bottle date: unk

A: pour a dark soily black ale with no head formation and a mirror surface. No lace.

S: prunes and malts. Faint, but pleasant.

T: Bitter and oxidized malts are not very pleasant. Have a burnt coffee flavor and small hints of licorice and honey.

M: Medium bodied (a bit low for the style) and moderate carb. Dry finish.

O: A little too burnt in profile for me. May have potential to develop over time, but not enough to justify the investment.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2011 16:13:53 | More by harrymel

DmanGTR

New York

3.73/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A lazy, hot, humid Florida day... which calls for an imperial stout.

Poured deep, roasted chestnut brown, maybe even slightly hazy. Mahogany hues around the edges in the light, topped by a light tan head that left rings of lace in my pint glass.

The aroma is delicate but pleasant. Sweet caramel and grains are adorned by a touch of cocoa and coffee. A hint of deep ripe fruits is found too. The flavor is better than the aroma suggests. A more assertive version of the aroma, but with an added burnt toast/ashy finish. The finish is coffee and cocoa powder bitter with sweet undertones.

A little more carbonation than I'd like, which makes the beer seem somewhat thinner bodied than it really is. A few swirls of the glass takes care of that. Dryish finish. Medium bodied for imperial stouts these days. Similar, but a touch thicker in body to Sam Adams Imperial Stout.

Overall, a pretty enjoyable stout. I'm glad I brought a few of these down with me to school. I look forward to enjoying these throughout the year as an occasional post-exam treat.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2011 00:20:37 | More by DmanGTR