Saranac Helles

Brewed by Matt Brewing Company
Style: Dortmunder/Helles
Utica, New York USA

Serve in Lager glass

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355 ML bottle in the USA. Very pleasant, but simple. Above average for the brewer I’d say. Nice color, average head; good caramel note in the aroma; clean, sweet, crisp initial taste which fades and becomes rather boring at the end. Still average.

Originally reviewed: 10/17/09. Poured into my pilsner glass. Pours a clear bubbly light gold with a big white capper on top. Great retention; leaves some spotty lacing. Smells of grassy hops, sour lemon zest, and some grains. The mouth is crisp and bubbly, but still smooth. Flavors of mild bitter hops, fresh greens, and tart fruits on the finish. This is decent. A great refresher that went very well with my pizza. "Saranac" has done it again. I have yet to find one of their brews that I wouldn’t have again.

Does not taste like a true Helles but as far as Premium Lagers go, its not bad, smooth and easy to drink.

25-Sep-10 (12-oz bottle, Bottled on 28-Feb-10: Purchased 17-Sep-10 at BevMo in Solana Beach, CA) Beer #5 of the "12 Beers of Summer" 12 pack, Helles Lager, pours straw-gold into the glass, showing excellent clarity and a quarter-inch white head that settles to a partial sheet of bubbles. Aromas of sweet, bready, grainy malt and gently grassy hops lead into nicely balanced flavors that mirror the nose. The bready, grainy malts are lightly sweet, and the hops are grassy with mild-mannered bitterness. But like all the beers in this variety pack, a vague cardboard flavor seems to come out in the finish, and especially when the beer is no longer at fridge temperature. Weight is light-plus, carbonation is medium, and the palate is reasonably dry with a gentle crispness, but the beer is only truly refreshing when cold. Overall, this beer is easy to drink, but very mundane. Going back to the mid-1990’s, Saranac has always been my yardstick to measure mediocrity, the definition of the average beer on my grading scale, the beers that have helped me keep my grading scale the same all these years. I don’t believe Saranac brews have gotten worse, rather, it’s pretty clear that craft beer has improved remarkably over the past 15 years because most craft beer is far superior to what Saranac has to offer.

Part of the Saranac Beers of Summer Box - $13.48 at Sherlock’s in Marietta, Georgia. Appearance: Pours a pale golden-hued body with a fine, white head that settles soon. Smell: Lightly sweet-scented note of grainy, very faintly bready pils malt, with modest notes of lemon, dried grasses, and, yes, a bit of sulphur. Taste: A grainy, slightly tangy taste of Pilsner malts, a fluttering of powdered sugar, and then some light sulphery hints follow. A drop of lemon provides a hint of citrus. Grassy, herbaceous Continental hop character with a slight, supporting bitterness. Drying, tangy, relatively crisp finish. Mouthfeel: Light-bodied. Medium-light carbonation. Drinkability: Actually, it’s one of the better brews oughta the 2010 Summer Box. Light, easy-drinking refreshment. When Saranac tends to take on somewhat bolder styles, the effort usually ends up a too-light, kinda-bland version of the style, but, when they aim for something light, they tend to hit the mark.

12 oz bottle. Pours light gold with white head. The aroma is soap, grain, and a little bit of earthiness. The flavor is very bland grain with a little bit of a lemon hint and a tad of an herbal finish. Not very exciting.

Bouteille de 12 oz provenant d’un mix pack acheté dans une station service Sunoco de Lake Placid (NY). Arôme: Légère odeur de céréales. Apparence: La couleur est blonde avec une faible densité de bulle. Présence d’un mince col mousseux et d’une fine dentelle sur le verre. Saveur: Léger goût de céréales et de fruité. Durée moyenne de l’arrière goût. Palette: Le corps est mince avec une texture légèrement huileuse. Moyenne effervescence en bouche. Arrière goût légèrement fruité. (Rating #3229)

Bottle. Pours light, slightly hazy golden with a medium white head. Aroma and flavor of bready, grassy, slightly sweet malt. Touch of hoppiness in the finish. Mild, crisp, and drinkable.

Very pale yellow with a fizzy white head. Faint grain aroma and a bready taste with a citrus finish.

Unassumingly clear and gold, it has a very malty nose. The maltiness is balanced nicely by a crisp dryness and by the end, some bitterness. Nothing flashy, but a good, solid beer.