Saranac Red IPA - Matt Brewing Company

Kendo

New York

3.54/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

A: Poured from the bottle into a pint glass. Body is reddish amber with a small ivory head. A little bit of lacing after each sip.

S: Toffee and caramel malt; not really strong in the nose at all, and I get no hopes that would justify the "IPA" moniker.

T: It has that "Saranac taste" that I believe comes from the yeast they use. Not sure how to describe that other than to say it's a basic fruitiness that seems to inhabit nearly all their beers, no matter the style. . . . Anyway, it's got a solid toffee and caramel malt foundation, but then no real hop presence, other than a modestly minerally bitterness at the finish. Finishes with sweet malt again.

M: Good creaminess to the feel; carbonation is fine. Call it medium in heft.

O: OK. More of an Amber/Red Ale as it's labeled here than an "IPA" as it's labeled on the bottle. Like most Saranac beers, it's inoffensive, but not at all special.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2013 01:05:14 | More by Kendo

BlurryVisi0n

New York

3.34/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served in a pint glass.

Appearance: A deep red with brown properties to it. The body is pretty heavy with bubbles. Head is slightly off-white rising to maybe 1/4".

Smell: The scent comes off like wet hops, that's really about it. You sniff and keep sniffing you aren;t really going to find much else.

Taste: A stronmg bitterness to it to hose who are not used to drinking IPAs, an easy beer to introduce to people. Strong pineyness to it, I don't feel the caramel though usually linked to "red" ipas. You do feel heavy bitter citrus, grapefruit please.

Mouth: Definitelty has a medium to full body, with a roast hop feel at the end not too bad at all.

Overall: It's good beer but wouldn't drive myself crazy looking for it but feels more like your warm weather IPA. Just hoppy enough....not bad after a long day of work. Salud!

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2013 05:36:29 | More by BlurryVisi0n

deltatauhobbit

Maine

3.69/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Pours a clean looking red/copper color, decent sized light tan head fades at a moderate clip, leaves some patchy lacing on the glass though.

Smell is more caramel malt than hoppy, even if they're advertising it as such, only the slightest bit of pine hop.

Taste definitely leans more towards the caramel backbone than the hops, a faint bitter aftertaste peaks its head before being subdued by the sticky malt sweetness, carbonation level is excellent with a nice creamy mouthfeel, does finish slightly stickier than it should.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2013 21:10:26 | More by deltatauhobbit

CHickman

New York

3.29/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Pours a hazy reddish copper color with a 2 finer foamy beige head that faded slowly, leaving excellent wide foamy rings clinging to the sides. A fine looking beer.

Smells of caramel, grains, piney hops, wheat, herbs, light citrus and some spices; nothing really stands out in the nose and it’s mostly the caramel, grains and piney hops which are present throughout. Lame for an American IPA, but nice and malty for a Red/Amber Ale – subject to opinion since BA lists this as an Amber/Red Ale and Saranac states Red IPA on the label.

Tastes like it smells, with caramel, toasted grains, roasted malts, piney hops, wheat, herbs, light citrus like lemon zest or dry citrus hop leaf, some spices like cinnamon or allspice, dry grass, biscuit and burnt bread crust; the malts really dominate the flavor with the hops acting like herbal accents. It was OK, but much better cold versus the flavor after it warmed up; as it warmed it was more like toffee and burnt pizza crust that trailed off bitter. There was a quick sweetness, but that fades and gets replaces by roasted malts.

Mouthfeel is slick, with light fizzy carbonation, a medium almost chewy body and a bitter aftertaste that comes with a wave of roasted grains, not a sweet hop blast. It almost seems balanced, but the malts always seem to win out and drive this away from IPA territory.

Overall it was alright; good as part of a mixed 12 pack, and best drank very cold, but I’m not sold on this one. Saranac makes a whole bunch of better beers, but I’m glad they keep cranking out new creations and stick with experimenting and promoting the craft movement.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2013 03:44:48 | More by CHickman

WesWes

New York

3.6/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

The beer pours a deep amber/red color with a thick frothy off-white head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is decent. It has a nice mix of caramel malts and piney hops. It's bone dry with a mild bitterness. The taste is decent as well. It has a smooth, malty flavor that boasts of pale, roasted, and crystal malts as well as piney hops. It's well balanced with a good amount of hop bitterness. The mouthfeel is fine. It is a full bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is a solid offering, but there are more IPA's I'd rather have.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 22:51:49 | More by WesWes

beergoot

Colorado

3.34/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Thick, foamy head sits atop a dark amber body; nice rings down the glass. Excellent floral and citrus hop notes in the aroma with bits of sweet malt hints. Subtle malt flavors and a medium-strength hop bitterness make up the bulk of the flavors. Smooth bodied, clean and dry.

A very nice looking red IPA and very good aroma. The taste didn't quite live up to the looks or smell, but it's still quite enjoyable overall.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 20:51:20 | More by beergoot

fx20736

New York

3.76/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

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: sunset red medium amber with a chunky sandstone head. Nice lacing.

aroma: ruby red grapefruit, bready malt.

mouthfeel: just short of full.

taste: bready malt with some grapefruit, some lightly scorched caramel.

notes: as much as their standard IPA is a fail this is one is good. While not a world beater this is pretty good beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 17:10:20 | More by fx20736

UCLABrewN84

California

3.36/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25

Best by 3/31/13.

Pours a hazy reddish-orange with a foamy khaki head that settles to a partial film on top of the beer. Thin rings of lace line the glass on the drink down. Smell is of toasted malt, caramel, and some fruity aromas. Taste is much the same with nail polish remover and citrus zest flavors on the finish. There is a medium amount of hop bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is an above average beer that has a promising smell but the flavor comes across as somewhat harsh.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 01:50:09 | More by UCLABrewN84

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

3.11/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Poured from a bottle into a shaker pint, the beer is a vibrant, mahogany coloring with a frothy, off-white head that slowly settles into a filmy coating all over the glass and the surface of the brew. Aromas of sweet and rich caramel in the background, with a wet, resiny, pine-scented hops presence. Well balanced nose, and far from overpowering. Flavors are very balanced, and more on the sweet, amber side. Light, crisp body with a caramel and chocolate backbone. The hops presence in the nose almost disappears on the palate. Subtle bitterness at the end, leading into the aftertaste. More pepper spiced and resiny in the aftertaste, with a slick, bitter, slightly drying finish. Decent beer, but a bit of a misnomer as far as the IPA goes.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 00:44:25 | More by GarthDanielson

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

3.65/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

LOOK: Pours a reddish copper with a white foam that leaves some webbed lacing on the pint glass.

SMELL: Perfumy, fruity hop bouquet kind of like fruit roll ups, and just a touch of sweet malted grain.

TASTE: Bitter, earthy hops lead the way, pretty heavy presence. The malt body has a faint caramel note, but this is all about hops. Hops flavor of earthy pine, grapfruit and a bit of lemongrass like flavor.

FEEL: Medium bodied, a bit thin, ample carbonation.

OVERALL: Pretty decent little beer here with aggressive hops. A bit harsh, but still drinkable and worth the try.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 18:10:41 | More by Stinkypuss

CaptMaelstrom

Tennessee

4.23/5  rDev +23%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A: Dark red color, poured a good head.

S: Big whiff of hoppy bitterness, but some slight caramel, bready notes, as well a tiny fruit aroma.

T: Malty complexity up front balanced by big hop aftertaste. Bready, grassy, bitter, fruity, floral.

M: Chewier than most IPA's, probably from the darker malts used. Still quite refreshing, slightly sticky.

O: This beer delivers what it advertises. It's not phenomenal, but it's well balanced, easy to drink, and a little different than your everyday IPA.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2013 19:43:44 | More by CaptMaelstrom

beerthulhu

New Jersey

3.25/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

A: Burgundy coloring with artifical light backing. Neat clarity with an impressive head of 2 finger statue that was whipped and frothy with a strong holding delight. Light spacious and leisure rise of visible carbonation.

S: On the nose was some piney and grassy hops with a touch of semi-dry grapefruit. The aroma strength is moderate, with some dry barley closing things out.

T: Flavor was grassy toasted grains. Dry grapefruit, pine, grassy hops come with an moderate detection and dry bitterness. A touch of sour dry grapefruit on the leave and a bit of sweet dry toasted speciality grains balance things out a bit.

M: Mouthful was frothy, a bit washy, alkaline and dry. A dry sour citrus twang fade.

O: Overall a decent show of hops, dry toasted backing and moderate complexity though could of been sharper in terms of hop identity, and malt backing especially on the mouthful. Still better then most of thier other offerings, though again comes off average by style, a bit coarse and unrefined and could use some polising around the edges. A C rating feels about right here. Not for the hardcore ipa enthusiaste.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2013 23:30:47 | More by beerthulhu

RoadLizard

New York

2.95/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.75

Pours a nice looking reddish orange color with moderate head. Looks great! OK smell - earthy, grassy, and a little oak too. The taste of this was a little unsure of itself. I can detect the hops but they feel held back & mucked up a bit by a something? Im not getting any maltiness either to balance it out. I realize its got IPA in the name but the description hints at a more neutral overall taste. Has good mouthfeel and the right amount of carbonation. I was hoping this was better since it looked so promising. Not terrible, but I wouldnt get it again.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 03:58:09 | More by RoadLizard

Utica_Brew_Review

New York

3.55/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Great dark red amber color with a bit of head. The carbonation looks great through the glass. Hoppy aroma characteristic of IPA, with floral and citrus notes. Taste follows the aroma with a bit more depth. Notes of caramel, flowers, and accentuated with bitter hops. Definitely more depth and character than a standard IPA. Drinkability is also great. Finishes with more depth and floral notes. Main criticism is that we feel it might be just slightly too bitter.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2013 03:03:50 | More by Utica_Brew_Review

u2carew

Massachusetts

3.94/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

12oz longneck
A) Pours with a finger thick head then settles to just a subtle lacing at the edge of the glass. Clear mahogany body. Thin semi-sticky lacing on the drink down.
S) Caramel. Toffee. Subtle floral and evergreen notes.
T) Hop bite up front followed by a drowning of malts. Finishes with a spicy spruce kick that lingers in the aftertaste. Biscuits. Caramel. Spruce.
M) Crisp. Dry. Medium body.
O) A solid red ale with a nice hoppy twist. I'd drink more of this.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 01:19:39 | More by u2carew

AmitC

Indiana

3.75/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A very average and run of the mill stuff. Doesn't even deserve to be called an IPA.

Poured from the 12 oz bottle into a snifter.

Almost copper red color. About one finger thick off white colored head with decent retention. Excellent lacing. Few bubbles seen rising up. Clear appearance.

Aroma doesn't have enough going on there. Some weird herb and slight flowery nose. Strength is mild to moderate. A good amount of caramel malt backbone but nothing that comes off great.

Taste has a lot of malt character and body. Very slight bitterness towards the end. Bitterness hops are earthy, piney and very mild. Finish is just about bitter.

Mouth feel is medium to slightly light. Somewhat water like. Moderate carbonation. Easy drinking.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2013 00:24:33 | More by AmitC

vicg12

New York

3.46/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 1.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Nice head, decent aroma of hops, but is mulled a little by the malts. Has a good flavor but could use a little more refinement. Pretty much everything about this beer is decent but nothing really outstanding about it. Kind of an ugly color, less red and more rusty dull brown. Way less biter/hoppy than most other IPAs, think a lot of this is because the stronger flavor malts cover up the hops a bit, or that they used less hops so you could taste the malts, idk but the balance between the two is not spot on. Can't hold a candle to the White IPA, but still good and worth a try. People who don't like IPAs might actually like this beer, gateway drug to more hops.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 18:58:14 | More by vicg12

smakawhat

Maryland

3.79/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Poured from the bottle into my Dogfish Head Ale glass.

A real simple off white head just over a finger is produced on the pour. Body is a real nice Amber red, a little bit opaque, with some faint carbonation to be seen. Head settles nicely with a little bit of creamy character, but pretty small. Still a solid looking brew.

Nose is floral a bit, soft hop bodied. Hints of caramel sense kick in just a little bit. That herbal sense with some sweetness kicks in nicely also. Pretty inviting but without a lot of classic IPA bitterness.

Palate leaves a little bit left behind. First sip is pretty uninteresting. Swallow brings a little bit of sweetness with the caramel malts slowly coming behind. The flavor though is more apparent in the aftertaste. The bitterness slowly creeps up with floral hints, and potpuri. It really lingers, and is a nice mix with the caramel like action. The mouthfeel though is just a bit watery though and doesn't hold the beers character for very long.

Overall on first sip this seems ordinary but after the first gulp it's actually quite enjoyable. Not a bad alternative, but it's also quite fleeting flavor wise.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2013 23:53:22 | More by smakawhat

CloudStrife

New York

3.5/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle poured into a tulip.

A: Rigorous pour for the hell of it yields a great 3 finger off white head. This sits overtop a clear ruby red body. A decent amount of carbonation. Leaves some good lacing.

S: A blend of piney hops and a spicy hops with a solid malt backbone. A bit of soapiness to it and a hint of metal. Malts provide some carmel tones.

T: I can see the whole cone hop approach to emulate some of the better west coast IPAs but it falls just a little short. The hops provide a good bitterness but lack a bit in flavor. The sweetness of the malt does come through as they had planned and it does compliment.

M: Medium body with a good amount of carbonation. Mostly clean finish, pretty easy drinking.

Overall not a bad brew but nothing noteworthy either. Saranac tends to have a somewhat carmely taste to me and they incorporate that into this style nicely.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 02:38:02 | More by CloudStrife

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.98/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

On-tap 2/7/2013 at British Beer Company in Walpole, MA, served in a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a coppery red color, with a short off-white head that fades quickly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains caramelized malts, floral hops and some citrus.

T: The taste starts with a strong hops bitterness and then some mildly sweet flavors of caramel and citrus come in. The malt character is hearty and brings a good balance. The after-taste is slightly hoppy and slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

O: Tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, decent kick, good representation of style, this is a solid beer to pound down for a while.

Serving type: on-tap

02-13-2013 13:54:55 | More by TheManiacalOne

Treyliff

West Virginia

3.01/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3

A-pours a dark amber color with ruby hues, creamy and frothy off-white head with great retention long after the pour

S- grassy hops with some citrus rind, some spicy notes, toasted bread with a bit of caramel malt

T- grassy and citrus hops are followed by an odd lemon-like tartness, reminiscent of a shandy. Mid-palate provides a bit if sweet caramel malt, but not much if a presence. The finish is dry, bitter and tart. The tartness just seems to throw off the balance.

M- medium body with moderate carbonation, mouthfeel is just a bit creamy with a smooth finish

O-I had high hopes after the pour and smell, but the taste was just all over the place. For the style, it was lacking a malty backbone. Not one I would seek out again.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 01:04:23 | More by Treyliff

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.69/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Don't know what the goal was here, as I didn't read the description here before taking notes. An amber and an IPA hybrid? Regardless, it's decent. Some spice to it from hops. Fairly smooth feel. Easily drinkable. Wouldn't mind things kicked up a notch, but it works. Consistent also.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2013 03:24:21 | More by RblWthACoz

hoppytaps

3.4/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

From the bottle of Adirondack Tour pack.

It has a reddish-amber hue to it with good clarity and nice white head lingering off.

It's a medium body.

The taste is much like the aroma with a lot of grains and a slightly lingering hop finish.

I think for the price $9.99 for a 6 pack this is a great beer choice! You can drink it all night.

It definitely has drinkability and for the low cost I give it high marks. I live in NYC so I know the water is the best in the country and this beer proves that to me.

The fruity character I got on the nose is not as noticeable in the flavor. Good bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

OVERALL SOLID CHOICE for a night out.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2013 19:57:34 | More by hoppytaps

kangarooAdam59

Wyoming

3.38/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Best by March 31st, 2013:

Into a pint glass:

A: slightly dark red body and left a finger's worth of white foamy head appearing and lasting for about a half minute. When the head died into the body, a really nice show of lacing speckled and left some nice rings around the pint glass.

S: decent combination of hops to malts and also had a light bland grainy/fruitiness in the background, not sure what was going on there (I also smelled it in the previous one as well).

T: balanced between the hops and malts and fortunately that bland grainy/fruitiness was not there.

M: light to medium with some acceptable sharpness hitting the tongue, sessionable. It leaves a dry aftertaste and finish.

O: this is just another American IPA to me, nothing special.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 19:26:02 | More by kangarooAdam59

puboflyons

New Hampshire

3.24/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

From the 12 fl. oz. bottle. Sampled on February 1, 2013.

It has a reddish-amber hue to it with good clarity and a lingering off-white head.

The aroma has a notable grainy start, a kind of vague fruit note, and a solid hop character to it.

Medium body.

The taste is much like the aroma with a lot of grains and a slightly lingering hop finish. The fruity character I got on the nose is not as noticeable in the flavor. Good bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 01:25:52 | More by puboflyons