Saranac Octoberfest

Brewed by Matt Brewing Company
Style: Oktoberfest/Märzen
Utica, New York USA

Serve in Dimpled mug, Lager glass, Stein

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Slightly hoppy aroma with hints of toffee. Brown amber color with caramel notes in the flavor and especially in the aftertaste. A great seasonal offering!

Originally reviewed: 10/18/10. 12oz bottle, part of a autumn-themed mixed sixer. Poured into a conical pint glass. This pours a crystal clear dark amber-orange with a thin white head on top. Dissipated to a thin collar on the edges. Lightest of lace left behind. The smell is basic, with some faint caramel and light fruit. The malts profile is fairly basic. Not the most complex beer out there. Light sweetness noted, but the aftertaste is bitter and reminds me of veggies. I’ve had better balanced festbiers for sure. Mouthfeel is a little on the spritzy side. Smooth this one out a bit more. It’s not bad for the price, but probably the least enjoyable of the style I’ve had this year.

Bottle. Typical of this style, it is a bit heavy. I found the carbonation to be lacking. Not refreshing. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a pint glass This beer pours a clear light copper/amber-orange color with a nice off white head (about two fingers worth). Very little in the way of head retention, and not much in the way of lacing either. Caramel and bready malts are the main attraction, very clean and aromatic. Just a slight hint of floral and spicy hops provides a bit of balance to keep the aroma from being too sweet. Bready malts (slightly toasted) provide the backbone of the beer; with bits of caramel sweetness, spicy & floral hops, and earthy undertones to round it out. Medium/light bodied and moderately carbonated. This beer is very clean and crisp, and finishes slightly dry. Not overly sweet, this beer is easy to drink, and light enough to be able to drink several of during a sitting. A little lighter than I am used to with this style, but very nice over all. Not terribly complex, but nicely done.

(Bottle, Oliver Twist, Stockholm) Amber colour with frothy, off-white head. Malty nose with toast, crisp-bread, orange peel and treacle toffee. Malty taste with notes of dark bread, toast, orange peel, treacle, crisp-bread and a mild spicy bitterness. Medium body, with some malt sweetness. Quite decent.

Ive not been a big fan of saranac,and yet here is another reason why,Aroma of stale odd hop/fartspray,distinct grain some mineral/ bread. Taste is thin but crisp light diet tasting citrus with a medicine like bittering not blending too well with the beer.Almost a bit of puke like taste in that diet taste.It finishes kind of harsh with a bad diet tasting harsh bittering.I generally like those noble hops but not for this beer.Thinkin about dumpin this so i can drink a good one.

UPDATED: OCT 2, 2011 bottle. Light copper color, malty aroma, some spice. Palate is light and sweet, no real aftertaste. Overall lacking in hop character. Kind of watered down, nothing to set it apart from other marzen/octoberfest beers. Not a bad beer, but could use a little more kick to it

Nice copper color, white fluffy head, slight metallic aftertaste. Overall and enjoyable showing this year though it’s not my favorite style.

From a bottle poured a brown color with a small amount of head. Light malty flavor with a quick finish.

Clear yellow-orange color, minimal off-white head. Not really any lace. The malt-pretzel aroma is light, kind of watered down but not bad at all. Savory taste, mild bitterness. Nothing interesting about it, but it’s a satisfactory oktoberfest.

Watery for style, lacks malty complexity and sweetness in the taste and the nose. Very basic, coloration is almost similar to an amber, taste isn’t far off with just a little bit of dryness, toastiness, nuttiness. The Octoberfest style is one of my favorites, which makes this beer enjoyable enough as a beer, but it isn’t a very good example of the style and only hits 3 because a poor Octoberfest is about as good as an average anything else. :).