Saranac White IPA - Matt Brewing Company

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Looks like peach nectar and is as hazy as such. Head is a 1/2 inch and lacing is very nice.

S - Smells of citrus and pine hops mixed with levels of wheat, coriander, and in fact orange peel.

T - Earthy citrus hops start and finish this brew. In the middle it's a mix of wheat and coriander. Very good.

M - Light to medium and balanced.

Overall I had no idea this was limited it's really so good it should be brewed year round. Solid IPA with hefeweizen flavors.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2012 01:30:08 | More by DrDemento456

Jwale73

Rhode Island

3.53/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz. bottle served in my Weyerbacher tulip. Pours a golden orange with a hazy clarity. Head is 2.5 inches, bright white and tight. Thin, textured rings of lacing are revealed as the head recedes. Nose expresses citrus rind, grapefruit, phenols and belgian yeast. Taste follows nose; however, flavor profile is a bit duller than suggested by the nose. Mouthfeel is light-medium with a lively carbonation and a light acidity. Overall, a decent, albeit lackluster Belgian IPA. Definitely one of the better brews I've had from Saranac.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2012 00:00:43 | More by Jwale73

Gmann

New York

3.35/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a cloudy dirt straw color with a small pure white head that left a short wall of lacing on the glass.

The aroma has a strong celery presence from the coriander. There is some orange peel, clove and white pepper to give the beer that witbier smell. The hops don't really standout perhaps they are masked by the orange peel. The aroma is way too vegetal for my liking, too much coriander.

The taste has a nice bright wheat flavor, which allows the hops to pop through. The hops are a bit grassy and provide some citrus notes. Good floral hop burps. The coriander isn't as strong as it was in the aroma. Along with the orange peel, it adds a nice amount of spice to this IPA. Tastes more like an IPA than wit.

The feel is light with fizzy carbonation. Drinks crisp and fairly clean, some lingering hop bitterness in the finish. An easy drinker.

A decent example of an increasingly popular style. I am glad they made this one more IPA than witbier.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2012 16:15:34 | More by Gmann

tone77

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a brown 12 oz. bottle. Has a cloudy whiteish/golden color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is alive with hops and citrus. Taste is good, hops, spice, citrus, a touch of wheat, well done. Feels full bodied in the mouth and overall sometimes these merging of styles fail, but Saranac got it right with this one.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2012 23:58:47 | More by tone77

Durge

Connecticut

3.63/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This interesting IPA is a cloudy yellowish iced tea color with a modest white fringe of head and similarly weak lacing. The aroma captures swampy citrus and herbal hop qualities, with a mellow wheat grain blended in. As a hop lover this seems pretty promising. The flavor comes on with sharp citrus hop and a woodsy wheat. It’s got oak and orange, grassy bite. This is a bit too stark to me but I do enjoy the rye bread qualities that result here. Not that it’s too bitter but just a bit caustic. This is a fizzy brew with an aggressively effervescent feel with a touch of dryness in the finish and a medium-light body. It grows on me so I can certainly recommend it to hop lovers as worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2012 07:16:54 | More by Durge

lordofthewiens

Maine

2.93/5  rDev -22.3%
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

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

3.53/5  rDev -6.4%
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

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

3.49/5  rDev -7.4%
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

puboflyons

New Hampshire

3.63/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

sampled on February 25, 2012 from the "What Ales You" mixed 12-pack. The pour is a hazy, milky lemon-pale yellow with a quick burst of fizzy head that diminishes almost as quick as it erupts. There are aromas galore in this including coriander, pineapple, other spices, and floral-rich hops.The body is thin to medium but that is appropriate to the style. The taste is as vibrant as the aroma with hops and citrus. If you are looking for malts they are de-emphasized. Still, a pleasant beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2012 21:55:55 | More by puboflyons

WoodBrew

Illinois

3.83/5  rDev +1.6%
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

chinchill

South Carolina

3.65/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Cloudy orange-gold with about a finger of short-lived, off-white head. A slim ring and plenty of visible carbonation remain and leave some sparse lacing. A coat of sediment remained on the bottom of the bottle despite emptying the bottle.

S: surprised by the hop presence in this East Coast/Belgian IPA. There's plenty of citrusy hops with a solid light malt base. Slightly spicy and sour.

T: a clear hop presence (Citra) with orange overtones ... enough orange that I'm thinking there's some orange peel in here too. Does seem to be some coriander. Little sign of any Belgian yeast except, perhaps, in the earthy sourness.

M - Very good carbonation level; medium+ body; quite soft for an IPA.

O: light spicing but strong orange component in this very drinkable IPA.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2012 22:16:26 | More by chinchill

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

4.08/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A-Pours 'white' (super hazed off white). Nice head that retains masterfully and leaves pronounced lacing. Cannot see past the cloudy hue of the beer.

S-An enticing mixture of grassy hops and wheat. Some nice spices spliced in there as well. They hit the mark aroma-wise with this hybrid brew.

T-Quite like the nose. Grassy hops are introduced by a nice little burst of initial citrus hops. Wheat comes after and ticks around the rest of the way through. The grass-hops finish the flavor off well. In between, spices come through. Coriander is a tasty addition as well.

M-Light side of medium body. Ample amounts of carbonation. Finishes lightly bitter. Alcohol is a non factor.

O/D-A nice brew at a great price. I would definitely buy this again. Won't blow your socks off, but a six-pack will go down incredibly quick. Easily my favorite Saranac beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2012 23:14:53 | More by VelvetExtract

Ryan011235

Ohio

2.23/5  rDev -40.8%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Poured into an Allagash flute on 4/24/12

BB June 30, 2012

This is a seriously cloudy beer; it's a murky golden yellow with floating sediment drifting about. Foam seemed reserved at first, but quickly got the best of me, cresting the top of the glass - well over the three finger mark. The head deflates, leaving a big, goopy dollop of suds and soapy lace scattered on the side.

The aroma is an odd one. Dank, tropical Citra notes are had while the head is high, but as it drops the orange peel takes a more prominent stance. The coriander is a faint addition, with a timid spice note on the periphery. The wheat and oats mentioned on the bottle come across as more of a mash-up of grains. It smells doughy, too. As it warms the wheat emerges with a toasty bent.

A thin, watery feel carries muddled Citra hop density across the palate with a lingering, dry bitterness. Along the way, moderate carbonation tries to muster the energy to make the meager spice pop more than it wants to. Notes of orange juice dip into the middle. The malts may be the most disappointing part; I was hoping for a sharp, toasty graininess, but it's more an infused culmination of the lot. Ah well. The finish has an unpleasant coating mustiness; like cotton, if cotton could be stale.

I'm not too impressed with this one, but it isn't an entire failure. Hey, at least they tried to do something interesting and thoughtful; it just didn't turn out so great. For the most part it doesn't taste bad, it just doesn't taste good. I'll probably finish the bottle.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2012 01:41:51 | More by Ryan011235

ColForbinBC

New Jersey

3.85/5  rDev +2.1%
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

Kendo

New York

4.2/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Poured from the bottle into a Duvel tulip. First impression is just how cloudy this is - body is straw yellow that looks more tangerine-orange when backlit. Small white head leaves behind good lacing.

S: Strong nose befitting this hybrid style - wheat twang, citrus - from both the orange peel, I think, as well as the lemony Citra hops, and spice (coriander). Touch of bread dough too. Smells more like a Pale Wheat or Wit than an IPA.

T: Taste is also more like a Wheat/Wit than an IPA, so I think whoever first entered this beer on the site got the style right. All the American Pale Wheat Ale flavors are here - wheat twanginess, coriander spice, yeasty cloves and a real good lemony citrus taste.

M: Light in heft, perhaps a tad bit too much carbonation, but it's fairly mild so I won't quibble with it too much.

O: Wow. I've been drinking Saranac for close to 20 years now, I'd suspect, and this one might be my highest-rated beer from a brewery that generally comes across as average, nothing more (though I have a soft spot in my heart for their Pale Ale). Not sure why they chose winter to release this, though, as I think this would make an excellent summer beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2012 01:56:32 | More by Kendo

yesyouam

New York

4.05/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Saranac White IPA is a very cloudy, dull golden ale with a frothy, bubbly white head that has excellent retention and lacing. It has a very citrusy aroma, like grapefruit and orange peel. It has a very smooth medium light body; fluffy in the mouth with a dry finish. It tastes citrusy throughout. There's lots of wheat in the middle of the taste and then resiny hop flavor takes over. Orange peel seems to be ever present and brings everything together. It finishes like an IPA but the aftertaste has a little wheat and something doughy in it. This is a very clever beer. An IPA and a Wit work together very well.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2012 15:19:53 | More by yesyouam

Gambrinus1184

Connecticut

3.23/5  rDev -14.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Served on-tap in a plain pint glass at The Iron Frog in Simsbury, Conn.

A: Hazy, bright, golden yellow color with a cloudy center and a thin head of white carbonation that weakly clung to the walls of the glass.

S: Spicy, citrusy and sweet with a hint of lemongrass and a bunch of stinging hop bitterness to boot.

T: Light and grainy up front with a touch of lemon zest, orange peel and grapefruit. There's a bit of tart apple and cereal grains that meld together before rushing into a slightly funky, spicy and floral hop finish that descends into a slightly sharp, boozy, over-complicated mess of an imperial pale wheat.

M: Sharp, medium bodied ale with plenty of acidity and some stinging hop resins to boot.

O: Not a terrible representation of this relatively new style, its still a Saranac product. When Saranac tries a "trending style," I shy away. This is likely the best they could do with a product that hasn't proved its full worth yet.

Serving type: on-tap

02-18-2012 03:03:04 | More by Gambrinus1184

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.43/5  rDev -9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from bottle into pint glass

Appearance – Pours a very thick and hazy light orange color. The particulates keep light from penetrating. Has the look of a pulp laden orange juice, but only with a lighter orange-yellow color. When poured it had a billowy white head, which faded over time, to give a fair amount of lacing; leaves a fine film on the top of the brew.

Smell – The nose is heavy of lemon and orange up front. A nice citrus hop aroma blended in with a very light wheaty and yeasty like aroma. The smallest amount of pine hoppiness is persistent throughout, but very low in comparison to the others.

Taste – The taste is much of a Belgian wit although there is more bitter and sour citrus mixed in with some wheaty maltiness as the backbone. The hoppiness of the aroma is stronger than it is in the taste, leaving some disappointment in “IPA” portion o f the brew. Some pine hoppiness does come in toward the end along with some coriander.

Mouthfeel – Creamier then comparable IPA of similar strength, with slightly lower carbonation level. Overall it does have a gives comfortable and soothing feel on the tongue.

Overall – An interesting beer, although I think too much Belgian wit and not enough IPA. A bit more spicy and piney hoppiness and a little less lemon would be more for me.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2012 01:17:14 | More by Darkmagus82

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Looks a murky cream yellow-amber in the Guinness Porter nonic. Medium bleachy head that's sticking around. Nice lace effect. An IPA that looks like half hefeweizen, half dishwater. I like it. 4.0

Almost has a dishwater smell. Some lemon detergent-y hop aromas, biscuity malts, and some yeast esters. More lemon than orange or grapefruit. And more leafy than grassy. Kind of better than I was expecting. 3.5

Bitter lemon hop bite with some white grape juice pucker. Interestingly tart. Not a heavy yeast component, but it's there. Very sessionable alcohol levels. Somewhat astringent in the finish. I severely underestimated this beer. 4.0

Creamy smooth. Feels like a nitro pour. No wretched citrus sweetness, no out-of-place clove, banana, or phenolics, no lackluster performance in effervescence or body. Spot on. 4.5

Great variation of the style. Easily, the first Saranac beer I've been impressed by. 4.0

Serving type: on-tap

03-17-2012 01:39:14 | More by thecheapies

inlimbo77

Delaware

3.83/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle with no bottle date. I believe this is fairly fresh though seeing as it came from a distributor. Poured it into a DFH signature glass.

A: Cloudy yellow orange unfiltered color. Tons of bright white tight bubbled head. The head sticks around for a while and leaves some nice lacing trails.

S: Almost smells like a Hefe. I get the spice and the coriander and the orange, even thought the head. But there is also some of that hop character as well. Citrus hops primarily.

T: The taste is inherately IPA. I get a nice spicy hop bite on the tip of the tongue. In the middle of the mouth I get some citrus hop character. Some orange and lemon are there along with hop notes. Nice crisp close.

M: Medium.

O: B

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2012 14:04:05 | More by inlimbo77

thain709

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours with a burnt yellow body that had a lot of cloudiness to it...it actually looked like orange juice...the head was one finger tall, creamy, and white in color...it feel to a thin covering and left patchy lacing

S - This one is juicy...lots of citrus coming out with orange and lemon leading the way...the spice is very light and in the back end

T - A quick turn around from the nose...the hops are kept in check by the big wheat and yeast presence...the citrus (oranges and lemons) still manages to sneak through, but they are not as prevalent as the nose suggests...the wheat brings along a slight spicy presence...towards the end there is a quick bitterness before everything is gone

M - Medium bodied...it actually starts thick but then becomes bone dry...juicy citrus with a hint of bitterness

O - I really enjoyed this one...this was my first take on the style and it has been my favorite so far...I hope to see more brewers take this approach...nice job!

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2012 16:11:23 | More by thain709

jsprain1

Minnesota

3.85/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- Pours a hazy golden-orange with a two finger white head. Good retention, some lacing.
S- The aroma interestingly balances the wheat and hops with a bit of a bit of wheatlike spicyness balanced by some citrus hops.
T- First it tastes like a wheat beer with some light citrus and spice flavors. The finish brings through some good, but not overwhelming hop bitterness.
M- Good body, but the carbonation is a bit low for my preferences.
O- On the whole it's one of the best beers I've had from Saranac. Could use a little more carbonation and a little more wheat on the nose.

Serving type: on-tap

06-05-2012 22:44:42 | More by jsprain1

CHickman

New York

3.83/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours cloudy yellow gold color with a massive 2 finger cloudy white head that lasted a long time, fading very slowly and leaving excellent foamy lacing clinging to the glass and leaving a foamy layer on top.

Smells of hops, herbs and grains up front, with herbs, floral hops, flowers, piney hops, pine cones, coriander, pepper, spices, grains, wheat, hay, grass and a lot of earthy notes; an earthy IPA that is just as grainy as it is hoppy.

Tastes like it smells, with herbs, floral hops, flowers, piney hops, pine cones, citrus hops, orange peel, lemon, coriander, malt, pepper, spices, grains, wheat, hay, grass, bark, and other earthy tones; not as hoppy as it smells with the grains, spices and herbs making it complex and oddly balanced.

Mouthfeel is light, crisp and creamy, with a light watery body, mild carbonation and an easy feel and drinkability.

Overall this was a nice spin on an IPA, but a little off base to be a true IPA and more like a Belgian style pale ale. Nice new beer by Saranac that's worth a try. Glad BA listed this under American Pale Wheat Ale, since to me that style or a Witbier is more in line with the flavor and less like the “IPA” title, so I'll rate this on the BA style and not the label title. I look forward to trying this again.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2012 03:51:17 | More by CHickman

rlee1390

Indiana

4.25/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-Cloudy deep yellow, two finger fluffyw hite head with some lacing.

S-Wheat, oranges and citrus hops

T-Wheat, spices, oranges ends with decent bitterness. My first encounter with Citra hops and these babies are good.

M-Medium bodied, well carbonated.

O-A solid beer. One of the better white IPAs I've had.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2012 00:37:09 | More by rlee1390

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

3.95/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from 12oz bottle into tulip. Wheaty hop aroma with a grapefruit or passionfruit aroma.
No head, little lacing.
Nice refreshing take on an IPA. Wheaty, but bitter and hoppy with a bit of citrusy fruity hops. Its a very refreshing IPA and a really good brew from Saranac. Worth a try for sure.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2012 01:23:47 | More by DrinkSlurm