Saranac Caramel Porter - Matt Brewing Company

redzone3120

Delaware

3.56/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A - Very dark color, almost black at first appearance. When held up to the light, the color is a heavy dull brown color. The head is a light creamy color that is very light. The head disappeared quickly after the pour.

S - Not very strong, at least not for what I was expecting. It has a slightly sweet malted aroma with a possibly hint of citrus.

T - I really don't taste much of the caramel over the strong porter flavor. It is also quite bitter to me. Also has notes of coffee and a slight taste a creme.

M - Very smooth and fine. Nice carbonation. All around a nice balance that works well with the heaviness of the flavor.

D - Its a unique porter beer though the novelty wore off for me about half way through. Good twist on the porter style.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 01:50:21 | More by redzone3120

Mollys2ltl

4.8/5  rDev +54.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

Beautiful head. Delicious beer, the label describes it as having a caramel taste but it's more buttery than sweet. It has a molasses flavor but not too strong. The flavor is maintained throughout the glass as it warmed, we served it at about 45 degrees initially. We drank it with a spicy chili and thought it was delicious, and then had sweets afterward and it was still great.

We were lucky to get a case, apparently a regular shopper at one of our local PA beer distributors buys every case they get in their shipments. Two couples shared the case and everyone thoroughly enjoyed Caramel Porter.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 20:05:59 | More by Mollys2ltl

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

3.1/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

I had this on tap at Peachtree Lounge in Harrisburg -served chilled in a pint.

The color is deep cola brown with mild ruddy highlight with translucent clarity and quick to fall cream cap. The smell is sweet as in caramel aroma sweetness with subtle hint of malt and light yeast fruitiness. The feel is very highly carbonated with moderate sweetness and light sugary tinge with semi-dry finish.

The taste is more caramel than porter with a slight diacetyl type of buttery element with light brown sugar and mild vanilla extract creamy/sweet blend The malt has a mild toasted grain feel, but also seems kind of adjunct flavored like candy corn, not a great flavor but does have the caramel the label promises, just not caramel malt. Overall a pretty average beer, but not a very good porter -it seems like the gimmick of putting caramel in front of the style is more important than it tasting like a porter -seems like caramel extract dominates the flavor of this.

Serving type: on-tap

01-09-2013 19:47:04 | More by Slatetank

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.55/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Looks nearly black with some bone white suds. The aroma coming off of this is ridiculous. 3.5

Milk caramel and roasted grains. Creme Brulee, raisin, and toffee. Smells a bit artificial, but nice. 4.0

Tangy caramel, torched pastry cream, malty roast, and earthy flavors. Some coffee. Like artificially flavored creamed coffee, like dulce de leche. Attenuated after all, but it's not bad. 3.5

Medium carbonation and a near-medium body. Some booze pushes through. Okay in mouthfeel. 3.0

Not totally encompassing the porter aspects, but it's an average flavored beer with a nice aroma. 3.5

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 17:57:31 | More by thecheapies

fischerking

3.63/5  rDev +16.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Saranac Caramel Porter from Utica, NY.

This beer had a very strong, enjoyable caramel (artificial) smell. Good caramel, rich flavor. Very different from anything I've had.

I drank it on-tap in a 6-beer sampler at The Casual Pint in Knoxville, TN on 12/14/2012.

Yes.

Serving type: on-tap

12-19-2012 01:06:32 | More by fischerking

KTCamm

New Jersey

3.15/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a twelve ounce bottle into a pint glass.

Pours very dark brown with a touch of white foam. Clear top after it settles. Sweet caramel nose. Taste is a light caramel sweetness without much of a hop backup. There is an extra sweetness in there that is muted by the porter. An odd blend, not quite right. Too sweet.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2012 17:50:52 | More by KTCamm

Jimmys

Pennsylvania

3.35/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle. there is some kind of coding printed on the bottle but it is impossible to read.

A: dark brown, silky looking body. head is a brownish white and is not too big nor lasts too long.

S: nose is entirely what you would want from a beer with the word "caramel" in the title. caramel and vanilla has a strong presence.

T: sweet, almost oily, sugars start off the body. the sweetness doesnt go anywhere as both vanilla and caramel flavors linger. the flavor has a slightly medicinal/manufactured flavor at the finish. perhaps they used extract for the caramel flavor.

M: carb is lively. body is a bit too thin imo.

D: if you like caramel you will probably enjoy this brew. if not, avoid this brew. myself, being a fan of beers that are able to mimic other flavors, really could only drink one of these. good, but not great.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2012 03:25:20 | More by Jimmys

CloudStrife

New York

3.6/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle poured into a snifter. Bottled October 15th 2012.

A: Pours a caramel ruby brown with a full 1 finger off white head. A fair amount of light gets through this brew, some visible carbonation. Leaves some lacing on the sides of the glass.

S: Holy caramel is right, explodes with carmel malts right off the bat. Sweetness permeates the aroma. Some hops do make it through though. Sort of a dark fruity malt in there, almost a buttery aroma too.

T: As with the aroma, the flavor is dominated with carmel. Fairly sweet taste, not a beer you could chug down, but with the flavor it has not sure why you'd wanna. A hint of bittering at the end, but finishes with a lingering caramel.

M: Average body for most porters, a little watery, on the low end of carbonation.

Overall one of the Saranac beers I always look forward to. Even better on tap as even more of the caramel comes out.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 18:54:30 | More by CloudStrife

PatriotsRule

Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev +32.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Wow, the caramel is so real! Really though!
A: Caramely not all that dark brown with little head and light lacing
S: The best caramel beverage ever, really. Just caramel with a bit of hops
T: The caramel, if I haven't already said so. So sweet.
M: Sticky syrupy sweet, but well crafted and an overall nice balance
O: This is not the porter I would regularly choose, but has a nose that is beyond intriguing!

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2012 02:53:19 | More by PatriotsRule

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

2.65/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a bottle into a tumbler pint, the beer is a dark, vibrant, ruby coloring with a thin, even, foamy coating of off-white head that is a fraction of an inch high. Aromas of sugary sweet caramel, just like a Werther's Original. Overpowering and very candy-like. Flavors are extremely rich and sweet. There is a slight roasting that gets lost in the backbone, extremely overpowered by the buttery and sugary caramel components. The body is smooth to start, which helps to support the body, but it becomes thin and filmy. Rich, sweet, and cloying finish. This is a tough one...good for someone wiith a wicked sweettooth.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2012 01:52:25 | More by GarthDanielson

magine

Pennsylvania

3.35/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a pint glass.

Pours a dark brown root beer color. Slightly hazed with a nice dense light tan head. Lots of clingy lace sticks and a nice patchy lace layer makes up the head. Good looks.

Brew smells of light toffee and caramel. Some hops are noticed as well. Light nose. Decent nose.

Brew is creamy smooth upfront; some light caramel and minimal roasted flavors. Some hop bitters in the finish. Almost a sour darker fruit is noticed as you drink. Nice mouthfeel and good flavors here. Could really stand more roasted notes though, as the flavors tend to lean lighter and a bit sweet as opposed to roasted. Good.

This is a nice porter. Good mouthfeel, good flavors and it looks good. Highly sessionable brew that isnt a big beer by any means but is approachable and does the job. Just isnt a roasted malt porter. Good.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2012 00:10:09 | More by magine

StaveHooks

Oklahoma

2.35/5  rDev -24.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

12oz served in a Great Divide Pint glass.

A - Pours a clear chestnut red with a bumpy tan head that sinks quickly.

S - Caramel candies jump right out, syrupy malt, not much else.

T - Candy caramel mixed with an undesirable malt, slightly roasted some soured fruit rides underneath, a roasty bitterness on the finish.

M - Medium body, slick feel, semi dry finish.

This taste like an underwhelming homebrew with added candy caramel. Super sweet, slick, and kinda makes you shiver as it goes down.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2012 22:06:58 | More by StaveHooks

JOaikido

Quebec (Canada)

3.65/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- Good beige head. Dark brown colour (no cloudiness). Leaves some lacing.

S- Caramel, notes of cinnamon.

T- Caramel sweetness up front but balanced by a nice little bitter finish. A little too sweet overall.

MF- Medium-thick body. Sticky sugariness.

O- Good as a sweet, end of day "dessert" beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2012 01:44:31 | More by JOaikido

kangarooAdam59

Wyoming

3.05/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Into a nonic:

A: deep red colored body that gives a foamy off-white one finger head that lasts for a good half minute. The body is too dark for any carbonation to be seen rising. It leaves some nice spider-web foamy lacing.

S: all about the caramel, almost slightly overbearing but as the beer warmed I noticed some of the roasted malts and nuts.

T: definitely the caramel coming in ever so strong and pretty much not letting anything come out even as the beer warmed.

M: light to medium with some light harshness on the tongue.

O: well, I know its the name of the beer, but in my opinion, I think Saranac/Matt had a cool idea but I'm not sure if this is what they were really going for. If so, I probably won't come back to this as, at least for me, the caramel was a bit too much. However, this is an excellent dessert beer that can stand by itself.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2012 14:51:43 | More by kangarooAdam59

AwYeh

California

2.7/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle from this year's 12 beers a falling pack.

A: Pours a deep brownish-red color, with a finger of light, foamy, off-white head which subsides quickly.

S: Quite sweet; a bit of roasted malts and the caramel flavors from the beer' name.

T: Once again, rather sweet. Getting less of the roasted flavors that I expected. Fairly light all around, with a bit of caramel in the flavor.

M: Very light for a porter; light-bodied with light-moderate carbonation. Fairly smooth.

O: A bit better than the sum of its parts, but this is still just an average or below-average porter. Still, happy to have this as part of Saranac's very affordable $14 12-pack this fall.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2012 05:36:53 | More by AwYeh

Treyliff

West Virginia

3.43/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A- pours a deep brown with a dark copper hue, small cream colored head that quickly dissipates, no lacing.

S- caramel, and lots of it! It literally smells like butterscotch syrup. I can get a faint smell of hops but not much. Just a bit of coffee as well. It smelled exactly what you would expect it to judging by the label.

T- the caramel smell is represented in the taste as well. Very sweet caramel malts, tastes much like some kind of dessert. Finishes slightly bitter, that's about the only way you can detect any hops. A little lighter in flavor than I would expect from a porter. The sweetness stays on your palate long after sipping.

M- medium body, creamy, moderate carbonation. Sweetness dominates the palate.

O- this would make a good dessert beer because it's so sweet, it does however take away from its drinkability. Not as bold as most porters but it is as advertised, so you can't knock them for that.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2012 02:34:14 | More by Treyliff

chinchill

South Carolina

3.45/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle left out to warm for about 15 minutes, then served in a snifter.

A: pours a deep mahogany with a slight haze. The head is tan and short-lived, excepting a nice ring and some 'islands'.

Nothing subtle about the caramel in either the aroma or the flavor: it dominates both. The caramel seems a bit artificial in the aroma (3.25) but more natural in the flavor. There is a solid medium-roast malt background, but this is not as dark or robust as it should be in a porter, especially one with this much additional flavor. A bit sweet, but in keeping with the strong caramel presence.

M: Medium body with a semi-dry finish. Ideally, this should be smoother.

O: uniquely flavored beer with a pronounced caramel aspect. I really enjoy this one from time to time, although it is one of those "one is enough" beers.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2012 23:01:31 | More by chinchill

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.4/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 3

Poured from bottle into pint glass

Appearance – Pours a deep brown color with a large tan head. The head had a moderate amount of persistent but eventually faded giving a medium level of lacing.

Smell – Carmel is quite potent in the nose. There is a butteriness as well giving a mix of toffee in with the caramel. Some vanilla notes are also present with an ever so light roasted malt aroma as well. Overall the nose is quite sweet and nice.

Taste – While the nose was very heavy in caramel, the initial taste was not. It was largely of more roasted malt. As the taste advance however, a caramel taste became more and more prevalent; intensifying throughout the taste experience. Toward the end, the caramel is quite strong and mixes with some vanilla.

Mouthfeel – The beer is quite weak in body for the style with a bit of a higher then average level of carbonation. These two characteristics really hurt this brew. The weak body does not meld well with experiencing some of the more roasty flavors that complement the caramel sweet well. Also the carbonation level is a bit too high for this style and pulls away from some of the flavors even more.

Overall – The smell of the beer is fantastic, the taste good, but the mouthfeel was a hit to the overall quality of the beer. While the mouthfeel is not the greatest, for the price you pay it is not a bad beer and one that is well worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2012 00:20:32 | More by Darkmagus82

C20Percent

Virginia

3.45/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

*Review taken from notes*

A: Dark black-brown with nice tan head.

S: Strong caramel aroma with chocolate notes. Very pleasing smell, IMO.

T: For me, the flavor started out pleasing. A smooth caramel flavor. Unfortunately, as I continued to drink the sweet flavor became a bit too much, artificial and made it difficult to enjoy.

M: Medium to heavy body

O: There are better porters out there. I recommend people try this beer at least once. If you are crazy about caramel, then you might really enjoy this. A little bit too much caramel for me -- this is something I can imagine putting on ice cream or something.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2012 18:48:18 | More by C20Percent

OneDropSoup

Pennsylvania

2.85/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Had this on tap at Elwood's Pub in Rural Ridge, PA.

Poured into a shaker pint: Transparent purple-ish brown under a finger of tan head that drops stays intact.

Smell is clear caramel & lightly burnt sugar, buttery, like caramel corn. There's the tiniest bit of fruity hop, like sweet fig. Close to Southern Tier's Creme Brulee in its evocative power, pretty good stuff.

Oy, the taste is a different story. Immediately watery, dry, a little bready malt with a kind of caramel "flavoring" at the back that doesn't do enough to make this drinkable or enjoyable.

Thin, dry, not doing much texturally at all.

Man, this started off promising & I really dug the smell - what happened? Weak sauce, indeed.

Serving type: on-tap

03-04-2012 17:37:12 | More by OneDropSoup

jeranbrews

New York

3.18/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A - A light somewhat whispy beige head no persistent carbonation to speak of. I do like rose / burgundy color of the beer even though clarity is quite high and the overall color not that dark for a porter.

S - This is a hate it or love it smell. Caramel note exist obviously, but when they mix with the hops and yeast smells what you get is something that smells just like cheesecake. Gram cracker crust, whip cream on top, cheesecake.

T - Sweet initially then a bit plain and hollow then a sharp bite at the end that hangs around almost long enough to wear out it's welcome but not quite. The flavor is adequate and inspiring but under-performs in the end.

M - Carmel at the beginning, hollow in the middle, and fizzy at the end. Just not quite enough porter and not enough caramel.

D - This beer is like a cover band or the second album that comes out after a band has a really big hit. I don't mean that Saranac had lots of hits in the past what I mean is the idea is awesome, and the album cover is good, and much like the bacon beers and chocolate beers why not put two great things together. In the end though the flavor just can't live up to the hype.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 01:34:09 | More by jeranbrews

beagle75

Iowa

1.88/5  rDev -39.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a nonic glass.

A: Clear, dark brown color with one finger of diminishing mocha-tinted foam head. Heavy lacing remains on the glass.

S: Syrupy butterscotch is heavily emphasized, drowning out other, more style-appropriate, aromas. Cola is suggested at.

T: Begins barely off-dry, with mild earthy hop aromatics that are pre-empted by oppressive butterscotch extract. Carbonic acid briefly surges, followed by artificial sweetness that slowly swells on the palate. The finish is mellow by comparison to the earlier acts.

M: Thin to medium viscosity, astringent on the palate, with moderate carbonation.

D/O: While it sounded appealing on the label, this beer's practically undrinkable nature shows the caramel feature to be nothing more than a poorly-executed gimmick. The palate suffers a moment of dread at the prospect of being freshly awash in this beer's displeasing flavor and textural qualities.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 17:42:32 | More by beagle75

Fadefury

Maryland

2.98/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A- Dark brown, with slight amber colors. Decent head that disappears quickly

S- Great smell of caramel and sweetness

T- Artificial taste overwhelms the beer. What could have been a great idea, turns out wrong because they seem to have taken the cheap way out.

M- Not very thick, but with mild carbonation, it makes it on it's way to my preferred feeling for a porter

O- It's a cheap porter. I picked up a 6 pack for 6.99. For a micro brew, this is rather cheap. I was expecting a lot from Saranac, but was disappointed by the lack of quality.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2012 18:09:51 | More by Fadefury

stealth

Minnesota

2.15/5  rDev -30.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Poured nicely, smelled great. Caramel! Lots of caramel! and malts! How can this go wrong. Well it goes wrong because it tastes like someone took the most generic, god-awful artificially sweetened caramel and liquified it and poured it into an otherwise good porter. The first few tastes weren't bad, actually, but then the artificial caramel sweetener built and built like a rolling snowball and buried my palate under a ton of disgusting fake caramel. Saranac can do better.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2012 10:48:02 | More by stealth

bearsxco

Massachusetts

3.55/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A- poured a dark amber brown with small beige head that disappears quickly.

S- strong smell of caramel, sweet and sugary.

T- just a strong sweet caramel taste. Overpowering. Tastes almost like a soda would.

M- slightly thick and heavy syrup feel. Carbonation ok.

O- not a favorite. Good idea but taste like a caramel syrup poured in a soda. A beer that you want to commit a beer sin and not finish.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2012 22:46:25 | More by bearsxco