Saranac Irish Stout - Matt Brewing Company

BlurryVisi0n

New York

3.51/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served in a pint glass.

Appearance: Pours a very dark brown-black, with heavy bubbles rising to the surface of the body; creates a light tan head just about 1/4" in size.

Smell: Smells bitter, usually what expect from Irish stouts.

Taste: Feels bitter but still smooth, light bitter chocolate and hop feel.

Mouth: Unlike most "Irish stouts" this carbonation on the brew is a tad strong, borderline heavy...I have no complaints

Overall: Good beer to have, wouldn't replace my usual Irish stouts but definitely not a disappointment. Salud!

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 03:12:45 | More by BlurryVisi0n

CraftBeerTastic

Pennsylvania

3.2/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Ba Review #271
Served On: 4/22/2013
Glassware: SA Perfect pint
Labeled ABV: -
Date/ Code: 06/30/2013

Another one from the 2013 spring mixed 12 pack from Saranac found at Evergreen Liquors in Frederick ($13.99).

Look: Fairly dark with some ruby red tinges coming through. Head was a thin light-tan coating with some random lacing. Not a bad looking brew.

Smell: Semi-sweet dark chocolate with some caramelized brown sugar and roasted coffee.

Taste: First off were notes of bitter roasted coffee beans. The some faint dark chocolate notes. The finish was very dry with a hint of coffee bitterness that lingered. Very thin body and mouth feel.

This was a basic Dry Stout. I was a little taken back by just how thin the body was. It seemed on the edge of almost being a Schwarzbier with some extra dryness.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2013 15:58:47 | More by CraftBeerTastic

fx20736

New York

4.04/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

bought as part of Saranac's Spring Variety pack from Beers of the World on 4/6/13 for $ 8.77.

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

appearance: looks black as coal,only emits a tiny sliver of ruby when under bright sunlight. thick, 3 finger mocha head. Nice lacing.

aroma: richly roasted malt, some chocolate with a whiff of earthy hops.

mouthfeel: decent, seems appropriate for the style.

taste: slightly charred, faintly smoky with a touch of caramel and a kiss of hops.

notes: fun, easy to drink, a winner for Matt Brewing, IMO.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 22:37:01 | More by fx20736

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

3.43/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a shaker pint, the beer is a dark brown-to-black coloring with light brown highlights around the edges and a thin, sparse, light tan coating on the surface. Aromas of mocha coffee, with a slight sugary ribbon to the chocolate character, and a touch of earthy characteristics. Flavors of roast and char initially, with a slick, bitter coffee backbone quickly following. Some bitter chocolate highlights, but not as much as the nose would lead you to believe. Aftertaste is rich chocolate and coffee, with a strong bitter undertone. Light, dry body with a slick, quick finish. True to the style, but a little more chocolatey and rich than you may be used to. Tasty.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2013 22:04:16 | More by GarthDanielson

AmitC

Indiana

4.28/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a snifter.

A dark brown colored pour. Normal thickness. About one finger thick tan colored head that fades very quickly. Black inside the glass. Opaque. Decent lacing on the sides.

Aroma is of typical dry Irish stout type. A good amount of roasted malts. Dry feel. Dark roasted malts are prominent over all.

Taste is of very dark roasted malts. Dry hops that are very faint. No bitterness. Finish is dry.

Mouth feel is medium-light bodied with a lot of carbonation. No astringency. Drinks like an easy porter.

Style Rate: 4.25
Personal Rate: 3.5

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 03:55:26 | More by AmitC

Utica_Brew_Review

New York

3.53/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

Awesome completely opaque black appearance with good head. Chocolate toasted caramel malts in the aroma. Great smell. Dark toasted caramel, coffee, chocolate flavor. Finishes a little bit better than it starts. Missing that milky caramel overtone and complexity to take it beyond what it is.

Bottom line: Good decent stout, but it doesn't take it to the next level.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2013 05:54:24 | More by Utica_Brew_Review

GiantMidget

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Got in Saranac spring variety pack.
I'm a fan of most of Saranac's beers that I've had, none too disappointing, but not spectacular.

Poured this into a mug.
Immediate sweetish coffee scent balanced with malt.
About 1 finger head that stayed throughout drinking.

It's a very good stout. Irish characteristics. Like a very dark coffee, sweetened slightly and mildly fruity.
It's a solid beer that I could see drinking more of on an Irish drinking night.
The mouthfeel is a little weak. While there is some mild carbonation and the flavor is good, it's not quite as balanced as it could be.

A solid effort.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 01:55:43 | More by GiantMidget

ryan1788a5

Massachusetts

4.15/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass.

A: Pours a deep black with subtle brown hues at its edges. A half-inch cream colored and creamy-looking head settles quickly and barely holds in the form of a thin slip.

S: Acidity with a light scent of tart darkfruit. Plenty of roasted and burnt malts. Hints of espresso and burnt black coffee. Woody and leathery scent. Creamy milk chocolate in the background. Quite nice actually, and on point for the style.

T: Espresso and wood at the outset, biting acidity in the background with a tart grape and cherry taste. Old coffee, bitter dark chocolate. Perhaps a touch of grassy/herbal hops, but they are very hard to distinguish. Touch of leather. Dry, of course. Finishes with aggressive roasted and burnt tastes and a wave of dark chocolate.

M: On the lighter side of medium bodied, but very full, very creamy, and very silky. Light but sharp carbonation adds a bit of a crisp bite. Tight astringency from the roasted malts. Great mouthfeel.

O: This beer has two things working against it coming out of the gate: First, it's an Irish Dry stout, a style of beer that most Americans don't seem to understand or appreciate. Second, it's brewed by Saranac, a brewery that doesn't get a lot of love and has a reputation in the craft world for underachieving and making mediocre beer. For these reasons, I don't expect it to get a lot of love. That would be a damn shame though, because this is an excellent beer. In fact, this is one of the best examples of the style I've had to date. Attractive mouthfeel, highly drinkable, very tasty and textbook for the style; it's everything you could ever want. A case might be in order next St. Patrick's Day.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2012 18:41:43 | More by ryan1788a5

Treyliff

West Virginia

3.98/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- pours nearly pitch black with a streak or ruby coming through. Thick tan head that dissolves into a think layer that skims the surface. Good lacing withstands the sides of the glass.

S- rich and smoky roasted malts, chocolate with coffee underline, caramel, and a bit of alcohol on the back end.

T- Roasted malts up front with a bitter chocolate and coffee flavor. Finishes dry and quite bitter. Good balance of malts and hops.

M- low carbonation and velvety, but just a bit thinner than I would expect.

Overall- A solid Irish stout. Great balance of roasted malts and the bitterness of the hops.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2011 01:16:32 | More by Treyliff

DarthKostrizer

California

3.98/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Look: Black with red traces of light in it. 1/3 inch tan head and good retention when the head fades it leaves behind some circular lacing

Smell: Roasted malt and coffee are pretty much upfront and ll over the beer. Not much more going on

Taste: Upfront is the roasted ash flavor that I associate with Irish stouts and then the beer finishes off with a subtle but nice coffee note

Mouthfeel: Medium to low body with medium carbonation

Overall: A real good example of the style very smooth and easy drinkability

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2011 06:50:20 | More by DarthKostrizer

PrivateEquity

Kansas

3.48/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A - Black body with thin head

S - Coffee nose is a little underwhelming

T - coffee and chocolate malts provide good taste

M - mouthfeel is just okay, about right amount of dryness, a little watery. Needs more body to make it more robust.

O - Decent stout. Probably will have again in the future

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2011 00:39:42 | More by PrivateEquity

mikesgroove

South Carolina

3.85/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

very dark brown, basically black with no light shining through on this one at all. Rich looking head of tan on the top hung around for most of the session. The aroma was a bit light. Lots of roasted malts, with just a hint of cocoa underneath it. Really dry taste, but a little bland for me. Light cocoa and roasted malts, but it lacked alot of depth to put it over the top into another cateogory. Still though it was a decent little stout with a nice feel, and a 5.5 percent very drinkable. Not sure I would go here again though.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2011 03:34:08 | More by mikesgroove

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

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

This beer poured out as a nice looking dark brown color. It's almost black in color. The head was a nice creamy looking tan color and left a decent lacing. The smell of the beer had the musty earthy roasted aromas going on. The taste was nicely toasted and left a pretty nice bitterness behind. The mouthfeel was a little thin. Overall I feel that the beer was decent, the body could have been a bit darker, it was almost see through. Just about everything was mediocre but drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2011 20:24:22 | More by Knapp85

drizzam

Wisconsin

3.78/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a deep dark black topped by an ample foamy tan head. Good head retention and average spotty lacing.

S - Dark roasted malt with a decent amount of dark chocolate lingering around. Some coffee but not dominant.

T & M - Heavy roasted malt for the main body, with slight chocolate and coffee notes as an accent. Hops provide some bitterness toward the back end. Of course, the bitterness becomes more pronounced as the beer warms. Medium bodied with a certain slickness or creaminess on the tongue.

D - This is my first offering from the Matt Brewing Company. It's a solid Irish Dry Stout but perhaps not the perfect example of the style. Certainly worth a try and I'm glad I got my hands on it.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2011 02:14:25 | More by drizzam

CharlieMurphy

New York

3.98/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours porter black (translucent red/brown) with a spotty 1/4" light creme head that settles spotty

S: smells true to style. light roastiness, faint hop bitterness, smooth. you can tell there's that signature flatness akin to a nitro stout to it as well.

T: Very filling light roasty creaminess (like a dessert, but just a hint so) with a lot more carbonation than was apparent in the nose to accent the taste components. the dull hops complement the carbonation and roastiness well.

M: Not too heavy at all and I thoroughly enjoy the embodying carbonation, right on the spot. The roasted malts are a smidge drying.

O: Can't go wrong with this beer especially for the price. Done very well for the style as well.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2011 00:12:44 | More by CharlieMurphy

Bung

North Carolina

3.53/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. Fairly black pour, not necessarily the thickest, a nice white head about a finger thick.

Aroma, peaty malt, light roast. Smells a lot like Guiness.

Dry roast, malty, a tinge of sour or light prune. Caramel, mild dark chocolate. Finish with some roast and cocoa, fairly dry.

Body is light, but not as light as I expected actually. Carb is a little too high to be creamy. Drinks fine though.

Not sure on the age of this, but it still seems ok to me. Maybe not for long though. Probably a little better fresher.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2011 03:25:21 | More by Bung

Justin23060

Virginia

3.45/5  rDev -6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Black with red to dark amber highlights and a one finger head. Smells chocolatey with no real hop presence as expected for style. Pretty dry from begining to end. Roasty but not smokey. Taste lingers just long enough. A little thin for the style but that didn't bother me so much because that made it more of a hot weather stout which is quite appropriate at the time of this review. I'd get it again.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2011 21:28:21 | More by Justin23060

Hopfenpeter

Maryland

4/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer poured an almost black color with brown head. Very nice lacing around the glass.
Smelling the beer, roasted malts and caramel are dominant.
The taste is starting with roasted malts up front, brings in caramel and toffee in the middle and ends with the expected slight bittersweet finish of an Irish Stout.
Good inexpensive beer, which I would buy definitely again.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2011 02:59:11 | More by Hopfenpeter

zeff80

Missouri

3.85/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Poured out an opaque, jet black color with a small, caramel colored head of bubbly foam. It left minimal lace.

S - It smelled very roasty with chocolate and toffee notes. Slightly floral, too.

T - Really surprised me. This was a really tasty Irish Stout. Good roasty chocolate flavor. Nice burnt toast flavor with caramel and toffee.

M - It was crisp, sharp and smooth. A light to medium bodied ale with a dry finish.

O - This was a surprisingly good Irish Stout. I'd get some more for a good, inexpensive, sessionable stout.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2011 01:26:26 | More by zeff80

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.58/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A sweeter version of a dry Irish stout. Black body with a creamy head. A whiff of smoke. Not so dry, and in fact a decent tastiness and drinkability. Half decent mouthfeel, a tad watery and a bit of caramel to give it some feel. If stuck, I would have it again. Thanks Radek.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2011 14:43:23 | More by northyorksammy

dtivp

West Virginia

3.98/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured a dark black with hints of red, a one finger dark tan head with little retention and light lacing.

Aroma of roasted malt and coffee.

Taste of roasty malt, dark chocolate a sweet dark fruit beginning with a slight bitterness of hops at the end.

Mouthfeel was medium body, creamy with light carbonation and a dry finish.

Overall this is a very nice enjoyable stout that I would definately buy again.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2011 02:51:53 | More by dtivp

andyg2smooth

New York

4.38/5  rDev +19.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A- Dark brown, almost black Coca-Cola like appearance with a 2 finger cream color head-4.0

S- Very nice roasted mocha smell 4.5

T- Tastes similar to the smell, very rich chocolaty with a coffee aftertaste 4.5

M- Creamy mouthfeel, very heavy and rich, but goes down smooth with a med-low carbonation 4.5

D- This is a very delicious beer, but very rich. I couldn't drink more than one. 4.0



Overall I loved this beer and give it an A minus. I compare it to a Guiness Stout, but a much better price and it is brewed locally here in NY.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2011 12:22:43 | More by andyg2smooth

aranheaney

New York

3.35/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed from notes:

poured into a Guinness Pint Glass:

A-Inky black with a half-finger of creamy head

S-some roast, nothing out of this world

T-different, the dryness does come through, a little bitter on the backend

M-ok, maybe the after-taste detracts from it, but I'm not floored

O-maybe I was ruined by the Guinness Foreign Extra Stout, but this is ok at best.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2011 23:49:29 | More by aranheaney

ngeunit1

California

3.98/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a dark black color with some brown mixed in with a finger of creamy brown-tan head. The head fades fairly quickly to a ring around the glass leaving behind a little lacing.

S - Aroma has some nice deep roasted malts. There is a nice blend of chocolate and coffee elements here. Just a hint of hop aroma breaks through.

T - Starts off with some roasted malt and some coffee flavors and bitterness. Little bit of chocolate mixed in. Through the middle some more roasted flavor comes through with some stronger chocolate notes. The finish has a mix of roasted flavor and the chocolate and coffee flavors with a touch of hop added in, which lingers nicely.

M - About medium bodied with moderate amount of carbonation. Nice balanced feel, slightly creamy and not too watery. Fairly dry finish is nice.

D - Very drinkable. Nice balance of smooth and creamy elements. The flavor is nicely balanced and not too weak. Overall a pretty enjoyable beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2011 03:04:06 | More by ngeunit1

Rayek

Colorado

3.13/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

It's St Patrick's day, so what better to review than an Irish Stout. Poured pitch black into a Perfect Pint glass. A foamy cream head has good retention and leaves bits of lace. The hyper fizzy body masks the flavors a bit. Letting the beer breathe helps calm things down. Flavors are not that great to me. Bitter coffee is the theme here. Roasted flavors dominate, but aren't helped by much else. Things get acidic in the finish. Overall, this didn't do it for me. There are better stouts out there.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2011 03:52:02 | More by Rayek