Saranac Imperial Stout

Brewed by Matt Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
Utica, New York USA

Saranac Imperial Stout is a solid black that is chocolaty brown during the pour. The head looks like hot cocoa. It leaves some dense brown lacing and develops oily bubbles as the head thins out. The aroma is ample. Chocolate malt prevails in the nose. The hops register as spruce or wintergreen. It’s a pretty lively aroma. It is not very complex. It’s soft and fluffy on the tongue. It is medium-full bodied and the carbonation is prickly. It dries up a bit at the finish. The flavor is dominated by cocoa. It’s well balanced and pretty well blended. There is something like nutmeg before the alcohol takes over. It turns into vodka and black pepper at the end! It’s never very sweet and very straight-forward. I like that Saranac never goes over the top. This one doesn’t have as much personality as their Imperial IPA, but it nails it nonetheless. Don’t get too many in arms’ reach at once-- great drinkability for an impy.

Bottle; poured pretty dark and thick. Small to medium sized brown head that formed toward the end of the pour. Aroma of cocoa, roasted malt, and almost citrusy hops. Palate was nice and soft. Flavor was initially very roasty. Chocolate emerged; bittersweet. Strong alcooal and fruit notes also were present. Surprised by the alcohol taste, given the percentage. I think that it holds up well against most of the style.

Bottle at the AC Beerfest. Pours a dark brown/black with a small pillowy light beige head. Aroma is weak for an Impy Stout with notes of chocolate, coffee and roasted malts. Flavor follows suit and has a touch to much carbonation on it’s thin/mediu body. Now if this was just a stout and not an Impy stout it wouldn’t be half bad. After having multiple samples of Breakfast Stout this one just doesn’t measure up.

Bottle. Black, brownish head, very foamy. Nice aroma - alcohol and chocolate, lots of malt sweetness. Taste - not bad. Lots of roast, almost too much initially. Lots of alcohol, lots of chocolaty sweetness. Body seems a tad thin. Lots of coffee roast bitterness as it warms and as you sip - the first impression is better than the linger. Not bad, good effort from these guys.

Nice effort for these guys. Very complex, with hints of dark chocolate and coffe. Pours jet black with a very brown head. Thick and rich. Alcohol is present.

Pitch black, brown head. Malty chocolate and cocoa aroma, licorice and some sourish notes. Malty chocolate flavor, cocoa and some milky notes.

I was hesitant to try this. The Matt Brewing company and their endless ’Variety Packs’ used to be a way for me to tick off ratings. They were never really all that wonderful. I pour it, and it pours like an imp stout: creamy tan head and a thick black body. Aroma is also rather text book imperial stout: minor bits of chocolate. So far, so good. The taste, however, kills it. Starts out with chocolate bitterness. Fades to alcohol and burnt malts. Leaves a lasting alcohol burn which is doubled if you inhale after drinking. Not a drain pour, but not something I will be trying again.

This was a dark black malty beer with a small tan head and not to sweet at all,it was rather complex and tastey with hints of chocolate and a little spice to it,i am cleaning out cellar and found this 12oz bottle i forgot about and enjoyed it CHEERS!