Saranac Imperial Stout

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

On tap at Delaneys Taproom. Pours a darker brown to black with a reasonable light tan head. The nose is subtle, with light chocolate, some small roast, and a hint of malt sweetness. Maybe even a touch of hazelnut, oddly enough. A bit fuller than most draught beers, as would be expected for the style. The flavor is about in line with the nose. Perhaps a bit more astringency, though not seemingly connected to the roast. Roast is more obvious too. Perhaps a slight hint of alcohol, but mostly sweet malt, light chocolate, and again, hazelnut perhaps. The finish has lasting chocolate, coupled with that slight astringency.

Bottle. Very fruity chocolate aroma, with alcohol clearly evident. Black body, good sized brown head. Flavor is sweet, with roasty chocolate, and alcohol again evident in the finish.

Poured into a Duvel glass, this brew pours pitch black with about a half an inch of dark tan head. Smell is mostly roasted malt and sweetened coffee blended with alcohol as it warms. The dark roasted coffee flavor is dominant with a pleasant alcohol heat on the finish which is masked very well. There is also a hint of chocolate that comes through as it warms A admirable offering by Saranac. I never really found their brews to be anything spectacular, but this is really a fine brew with is definitely worth the try. You can’t beet it for the value as well.

Poors black like motor oil. Beige head that lasts a bit. Carbonation disappeared rather quickly, consequently it was a very smooth drink. Chocolate, coffee flavors with a decent bitterness.

Bottle. I really cant believe I bought this, but I was at the store and I saw a single so I figured why not. Pours out a pitch black color with a nice balnaced tan head on it. Looks pretty good. Smell is full of coffee, chocolate, dark fruits, a little bit of alcohol and hops, but mostly just chocolate. Taste is sweet and smooth, lightly carbonated with some interesting balance between the sweet chocolate and the bold coffee. Actually this is a pretty good stout, and the warmer it got the better it got. Good enough for me. I would drink this again.

12 oz bottle pours a deep brown/black, with a nice tan ring of head. Deep espresso and burnt sugar aroma. Dark chocolate fades into coffee which fades into dark fruit. Nicely done Saranac. They got one right here.

(Bottle, Stockholm Beer Festival, 27 Sep 2008) Black colour with creamy, pale brown head. Roasted, malty nose with black coffee, dark chocolate and fresh hints of hops. Malty, roasted taste with notes of dark chocolate, coffee, liquorice and a decent cocoa bitternes in the finish. Nicely balanced and tasty. Good beer!

Courtesy of orcasteve. Pours black, brownish head. Aroma roasted, light hops, malty and grainy. Taste, dry, roasted cofee matls, some dark fruits. This is is loaded with alcohol. Very sweet beer with a nice molasse aftertaste. A really good Imp. Stout.