Saranac Imperial Stout

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

RateBeer Rating, Style and Glass: 86, Imperial Stout, Snifter ABV, Volume & Calories: 9% in 12 fl oz. estimated at 190 C Purchased at: Trenton Road Take Out, Langhorne, PA for $.41 Aroma: deep, roasted, coffee, syrup, chocolate, sour. 10 out of 10. Visuals: deep, opaque, black, oily, tan, fluffy, persistent head, steady lace. 5 out of 5. Taste: rich, coffee, espresso, dark malts, burnt, roasted, bitter finish,thick, delicious, well crafted. 10 out of 10. Palate: oily, thick, long, dark finish. 5 out of 5. Overall: Like a Wawa cappuccino but much darker and deeper. I will seek it out and have it again and again, as long as this price stands. It’s very well crafted, and it is a personal favorite. 20 out of 20.

everything i would expect in an Imperial Stout. Thick, heavy, smoky and tastes like ’the old country’

Presentation: Poured from a 12oz bottle into a pint glass. It pours very thick and slowly into the glass. Its color is dark black with dark brown high lights near the edges of the glass. You could say that it has the appearance of used motor oil. The head is tan in color, thick and foamy. It has good retention and leaves behind light tan rings of lace. The aroma is full of dark roasted malts with a light herbal hops note off in the distance. The flavor has a deep roasted malt character with notes of dark toast, espresso, burnt caramel and baker’s chocolate. Hop flavors blend in well under the deep malty character of this stout and add a solid dose of bitterness. It is very thick, creamy and slick in texture with a full body and soft carbonation. This is defiantly a heavy hitter with good depth from the FX Matt Breweries Saranac line. The 8% abv. is well hidden and the silky smooth texture makes it an easy sipping full bodied beer. This is a must try for stout lovers.

You heard right...11 different malts go into this work of art! Deep, dark and welcoming in the winter evenings here in New England. The brown-colored head says it all. Very smooth with a silky mouthfeel. Worth every penny!

Draft at the Dutch Tavern in Saugerties NY. Folks...ifn yah can get a hold of this one then by all means do so. This may be the quentisential impy for me so far. Beautifuly put together with such intensee creamy maltiness that your are barely aware of the chocolate intensity that hits you in the second wave. A small center of bourbony heat is brought out in a larger quaff. It took me until the third mouthful to even notice the intense hoppiness that rings the entire brew. Alcohol is present upfront but you know this aint no light beer. One rockin brew. Saranac has redeemed itself with this most fantastic pint. I hope I get back for more before the keg kicks.

12 oz. Opaque and black with a four-finger lasting head. Creamy frosting of lace. Aroma is espresso flavored with cocoa and caramel. Flavor is similar, but more roasted coffee bitterness than the aroma indicated. Also tasted some graham crackers, figs, and marshmallow. Nice balancing flavors coming from some piquant dried hickory, rough charred oak and whiskey. Nice smoky wood, cocoa and cured tobacco aftertaste. Heavy body is smooth, a little sticky (as a nice dessert should be) and pretty well balanced between sweet and dry. Has a good touch of chest-warming from the alcohol.

Bottle. Poured with a mildly impressive appearance of muddy oil and a thick (albeit quickly receding) dark tan head. The aroma is of thick chocolate milk. Presenting itself right up front with a moderately thick milky consistency, this is a pleasant surprise from FX Matt right away ... full of characterful flavors, including milk chocolate and even a surprise smoky kick at the finish, this is a delicious stout. FX Matt is rolling out some impressive offerings lately, and this is among the best. Well done! (#3253, 12/17/2007)

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.