Saranac White IPA - Matt Brewing Company

digitalflood

New York

3.54/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Saranac White IPA - Creamy head. Good lacing. Deep misty yellow color. Heffenweizen like in appearance. Pine and citrus odors. Lemon and coriander. Clean nose. Crisp notes of spice and citrus. Mid-taste breaks into hard notes of pine and bitters. Fades into final roll of creamy malt undertones highlighted by lemons and oranges. Sour and spice lingers. Creamsicle after taste. Wafting more piney hops and minor alcohol tinge. Smooth mouth feel. Fairly drinkable. Flower notes may be an issue with aggressive session. Sipped slowly and respectfully, this is not an issue. Meant for a "slow drive through the country on a hot day" not for a drag race. Very good. If you're a hops head you'll like this fusion of Heffenweizen, Blonde Ale, and IPA. Each quality is there and well balanced. Good experiment. 3.56 out of 5.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2013 02:53:52 | More by digitalflood

KTCamm

New Jersey

3.94/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Twelve ounce bottle from the twelve beers of summer pack. Poured into a pint glass.

Thick hazy dirty gold, looks solid. White foam sits on top. Stiff pine opening nose. Murky. Citrus in nose as well. Taste is a blend of malt, citrus. yeast, and a light hop. Some bitter sticks out at the finish. Really smooth with enough kick to leave a mark. Quite good actually.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2013 14:41:56 | More by KTCamm

Wamesit

Massachusetts

4.28/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A - Pours a very hazy orange. White head that gives way to clumpy rings.

S - Citrus hops, hay, grass, pepper.

T - Citrus hops, spices, coriander, orange peel, peppery hops. Really crisp and dry finish. Very well controlled hops presence.

M - Medium-light.

O - What a great example of what this now popular style can be. Amazingly drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2013 23:18:00 | More by Wamesit

BlurryVisi0n

New York

3.3/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Served in a pint glass.

Appearance: Cloudy orange-yellow, pale in color with a thick head din the beginning rising to just over two thirds of an inch(white). Don't know if it's my batch but sediments are pretty apparent over the body.

Smell: Light sour lemon scent with compliments of yeast...smells good but super light like I said before.

Taste: A sour bitterness to it. You feel hops with a burst of lemon and light grapefruit giving a sweet feel. Has some yeast properties to it not bad but nothing really good either somewhere in the middle.

Mouth: Medium, citrus finish at the end feels like lemon peel.

Overall: Picked up in a sampler, but don't think I would actually buy a pack of it itself. Good to have but wouldn't say it I would keep having it. Still satisfies....Salud!

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 05:05:05 | More by BlurryVisi0n

TeamMathis

West Virginia

3.66/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Appearance: Thickly cloudy. Yellowish orange. Leaves a small lace of head.
Smell: Grapefruit, orange, and tangerine.
Taste: Light grapefruit and citrus.
Mouthfeel: Fairly carbonated.

It looks like a Creamsicle in color. The cloudiness is thick, but it's pretty. The smell predominately reminds me of grapefruit-flavored cough drops, but not in a bad way. The orange and tangerine is quite nice. The taste is only slightly less enjoyable than the smell, but it's a good taste. The carbonation fills the mouth entirely. This is an interesting IPA, especially its appearance. I like it. I would definitely drink this again, but it'd be because it came in a sampler.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 04:21:13 | More by TeamMathis

Utica_Brew_Review

New York

3.79/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Looking at this, you ask yourself: "This is an IPA?!" Unfiltered, opaque golden (almost orange) color with bit more head than usual. The stream of carbonation adds a nice touch. Fruity, floral, citrus notes. You can definitely discern the orange peel and coriander used. In tasting, you're hit with an intense orange citrus note and the bitterness from the hops. Consistent over the palate. Good beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 03:36:21 | More by Utica_Brew_Review

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

3.49/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a shaker pint, the beer is a cloudy, unfiltered, goldenrod coloring with a steady flow of carbonation, some sediment throughout, and a sparse, filmy, white surface coating. Aromas of subtle banana and clove, with a solid resiny and green overtone. Cut grass is in the nose, too. Flavors of resiny hops and lemon on a sharp, crisp body first, with more of the clove and cardammon spicing at the end. A bit sharp from the carbonation and light body, but tasty. Lemon zest and resiny hops in the aftertaste, with a sharp, crisp, slightly drying finish.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2013 22:53:19 | More by GarthDanielson

AmitC

Indiana

4.29/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

An excellent stuff from an unexpected source. This white IPA.

Pours with an excellent fluffy over one finger thick white colored head with good retention. Pale color with a lot of haze. Opaque. Excellent lacing on the sides. Pretty stable with no bubbles.

Aroma is a plus as well. A good amount of spicy flavor. A lot of coriander and some orange peel. Hos are present but are a lot suppressed as far as the nose is concerned. Hints of wheat malt and the accompanying sweetness. Some Belgian yeast - yes.

Taste is a just very well matched with the nose. Just a bit more bitter than was suggested by the wheat malts. Tongue touching with good presence of wheat malts and Belgian yeasts. Hops provide a nice bitterness towards the end that is well mixed with the spicy vigor of the brew. Coriander and orange peel shine.

Mouth feel is medium bodied with a nice balance. Low to moderate carbonation. Smooth drinking and good spice mix.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 03:22:14 | More by AmitC

GiantMidget

Pennsylvania

4.16/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

In the Spring sampler pack, bought at Total Wine in Claymont DE.

Poured into a nonic.
I'll be honest, I wasn't sure what to expect, thinking that there would be a good chance it would be too fruity as a belgian IPA.
Reality was that the hops balanced it so well that this was a highly enjoyable beer.
About 1 finger head upon pouring. Smell of citrus and coriander as described.

It almost had characteristics of a Blue Moon ale with the hops of a session IPA.
Good beer, would drink it again.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 02:29:12 | More by GiantMidget

vicg12

New York

5/5  rDev +32.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Love this beer. One of my top five.

Very hoppy but has unique flavor to it. Best on tap or at least pour into a glass if you get the bottles. Hints or orange and coriander, with a refreshing zing. Leaves a decent lace, and basically smells like no other beer, almost piney. Saranac continues to impress me with their brewing ability.

Tired of people saying it's bitter, it's an IPA you're supposed to taste the hops. If you can't handle this one, then I probably don't trust your opinion about beer anyway.

Serving type: on-tap

02-13-2013 22:37:30 | More by vicg12

DanPalmer

4.15/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.5

It is a tasty, citrusy IPA that one could drink and drink and drink. BUT...there's A LOT of old stuff out there.
Learn your beer dates (https://sites.google.com/site/freshbeeronly/) and stay vigilant.
Much of the White IPA - especially the sixers - have a date of 1512, or the 151st day of 2012. Well, today is the 42nd day of 2013!
OLD BEER TASTES OLD!

Newer ones are found in the 12 packs (flap of handle has date) and will be found in their upcoming spring variety 12.
I saw it at the brewery in Utica a couple of weeks ago and have been kicking myself ever since for not buying one or two. All six varieties are versions of IPA's including a dry hopped new one!

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2013 22:50:48 | More by DanPalmer

scootny

New York

4/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

This has a huge sticky head that stays and leaves a clumpy covering and chunks on the sides. Super cloudy withs a dusky golden straw color. Wow is there a lot going in the nose of this one. Citrus is big but there is a ton of other aromatic excitement. Belgian spice melange of coriander, funky yeast, and bread notes. Pine hop bed show a light caramel. Taste is hoppy with grapefruit and sweet pine. Spicy notes of pepper and a lemony tartness. Feel is crisp with good active carbonation. Great overall. A hybrid of a wit and an IPA with a unique flavor.

Serving type: growler

02-04-2013 02:54:05 | More by scootny

lordofthewiens

Maine

2.93/5  rDev -22.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

In a pint glass this beer was a hazy orange color with a thick white head. There was a fair amount of lace.

Pleasant aroma: citrus/orange and spice.

Taste not so pleasant. Orange taste, but very bitter. It's like they used both the orange peel and the pith. Coriander taste, which exacerbated the bitterness.

Way too bitter and unpleasant for me.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 14:54:31 | More by lordofthewiens

AAG

Texas

3.83/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Drank this beer cold, poured into a room temperature pint glass.

Appearance - Opaque, cloudy, and amber in color. Looks inviting. Nice, fluffy white head. Appearance reminds me of a Blue Moon.

Smell - Fruity, orange-peel, spicy, hop-like smell.

Taste - Tastes like a Belgian IPA but similar to a Blue Moon. Fruity, orange-peel taste. A refreshing hop flavor balanced with a wheat beer taste. Not too hoppy....mild hops.

Mouthfeel - Smooth on the palate, thicker than an ale, slightly bitter hops after-taste.

Overall - I enjoyed this American IPA. Similar in taste/appearance to a Blue Moon but a refreshing IPA with a nice fruity/spicy taste. I would happily drink this IPA again. Good job by Matt Brewing Company.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2012 05:39:48 | More by AAG

smakawhat

Maryland

3.48/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured from the bottle into a shaker pint. It looks like dating has rubbed off.

An opaque but orb glowing peach yellow. Slow decant makes nice, but lots of yeast chunks on a heavy dump. Head makes a good soapy large bubbles at three fingers, but manages to clump very large also.

Nose hits with orange peel, and zest. Is this witbier? It's nice and refreshing, but sort of in Blue Moon territory, it does not particularly smell hoppy though either.

Palate gets into a good malt and chewy depth, hints at oat creamy character. Large orange juice finish, but a decent amount of citrus hop going also. Mellow, with some thick character, but the palate coats nicely. A light lingering mix of pine and tea, with orange zest feel.

Overall I think this is past its prime but it's still drinkable. It's very much though reminding me of blue moon just with more bitterness and an obvious hop presence. It's alright, I would like to try one I know is fresh.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 23:32:26 | More by smakawhat

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This beer poured with a fluffy white head and a hazy amber body. It's not the richest hoppy Belgian ale, but it's an admirable stab at the style. I'd call it a Belgian-American pale ale. The aroma has a mix of bready, creamy malts, mixed with sharp fruity and citrus rind hops. The flavor picks up more on the hops, but they roll subtly through to the finish. The aftertaste leaves a good mix of berry fruit and grapefruit, with light spice. Nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 02:42:55 | More by tempest

fx20736

New York

4.2/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bottle into a glass, served cold.

Turbid honeycomb yellow with a thinnish white head that leaves tatters of lacing.

A lovely aroma of oranges, nutmeg, coriander.

Mouthfeel is full

medium malt body with grapefruit and lovely spiciness. Grapefruit reasserts itself on the finish.

Wow! Hands down the best Saranac beer I have ever had. Will buy again.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 17:07:30 | More by fx20736

ColForbinBC

New Jersey

3.85/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into a pint

A hazy, golden body with a huge, billowy paper white cap. Good retention and moderate spider web lacing. Some stray bubbles find their way to the top. The nose is full of bright orange rind. Coriander, pine, perfume, doughy yeast, and banana seem to round things out. Solid aroma. My first venture into White IPA's and the nose on this is pretty enticing. The flavor profile follows the nose. Bright orange rind throughout with coriander, banana, doughy yeast, and some pine in the finish. There is a lingering citric bitterness that intermingles with the spice and yeast flavors. Medium body with on point carbonation. This has some real solid qualities and is a great introduction to the style. There is a nice hop imbalance with a sturdy wit underneath. This was a nice surprise.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2012 01:41:19 | More by ColForbinBC

Treyliff

West Virginia

3.93/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- pours a cloudy straw color with a thick pillowy head and awesome lacing around the rim.

S- citrus hops and coriander, grapefruit juice, oats, sweet wheat, grass

T- citrus hops kick, grapefruit juice, notes of coriander. The wheat offers a great balance with an almost cracker like maltiness on the back end. Finishes tangy-yet-dry with a nice linger.

M- medium body, low carbonation, goes down slightly foamy.

O- I have enjoyed every beer that I've tried of this style and this one is no exception. Bold citrus flavors and balanced evenly by the wheat and the spiciness leaves a pleasant finish. One if the next I've had from Saranac.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2012 03:04:08 | More by Treyliff

JEdmund

Kansas

4.55/5  rDev +20.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Fantastic looking—bright orange and hazy, thick craggy white foam.

Smell is very inviting—orange, apricot, wheat, and yeast.

Really good mouthfeel on this—full, frothy, smooth, though not heavy by any means.

Taste is gooood! Superb balance between styles here. All the great attributes of each, working so harmoniously together. Starts off like a Belgian wheat, then the hops kick in and the IPA finishes it. Yet there’s a lingering spice on the tongue that’s coming from the witte end.

So happy I picked up a single of this because now I know to go back and buy a full six-pack. This is a fantastic wheat IPA. So full and rich on flavor. The only other beer that is similar to this and either rivals or bests it is Sam Adams’ Whitewater IPA. And I say that because they take the apricot flavor further which I like.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2012 20:55:13 | More by JEdmund

PatriotsRule

Massachusetts

4.48/5  rDev +18.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Just a great beer and a classic IPA style.
A: Nice off-white head, a bit cloudy
S: Hoppy, citrusy, spicy with a touch of malt
T: Really full-bodied, but not to a fault. The spice and hops are strong. Classic ipa bitterness
M: Beautiful smoothness. Well-rounded and crisp
O: Extremely satisfied with this beer. Looking forward to many more, as these are available in a limited release 12pak for only ten bucks down the street from me! Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2012 12:19:10 | More by PatriotsRule

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

3.53/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz Bottle from CJ's Potsdam NY for 2$

Appearance - Hazy amber colour with an above average size fizzy/frothy off-white coloured head. There a low amount of carbonation and there is some decent lacing. The head lasted for 4-5 minutes.

Smell - Malts, hops, lemons, grapefruit

Taste & Mouth - There is an average amount of carbonation and I can taste hops and malts mixed with grapefruit and lemons. There is also some caramel notes and a bit of a dry yeast/spiciness. It ends with a dry bitter aftertaste.

Overall - I can't track down a freshness date on my bottle, but this one tastes a little stale. There is a fair amount of bitterness, but there isn't any vibrant flavours.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2012 00:07:37 | More by spinrsx

searsclone

Arizona

3.78/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

bottle into a pint glass

opaque straw colored with a bright white head and good lacing. Looks like a hefe

smells like spice, bread and lemon

taste is hops and black pepper with some malt sweetness to help balance it. slightly bitter aftertaste

feels sharp and creamy, sort of chewy with little carbonation

overal, easy to drink and a good beer

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2012 01:20:25 | More by searsclone

Flatlands

Missouri

3.75/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Glad to see this style start to take off as it is a great combination.
A a nice pour, good head
S clean, citrus, floral, nice!
T strong hops here, could use a bit more Belgian sweetness here but hop heads will like this
M I like the backbone here, stays with you
O I love the White IPA, there are not many examples of this style that are less then $10 for a 4 pack. Being a Midwesterner, this is a new brewer for me. New York seems to be a Belgian style hot spot.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2012 20:54:11 | More by Flatlands

WoodBrew

Illinois

3.83/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Golden look, sudsy bright white head, oversized wine glass. Lots of hops on the nose, citrusy and floral, pungent, orange peel. Taste is well balanced with sweet and sour, yeastiness too. Grapefruit, orange, clementine, lemon/lime. Feel is bubbly, airy, light and wet

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2012 17:24:11 | More by WoodBrew