Saranac Pale Ale

Brewed by Matt Brewing Company
Style: English Pale Ale
Utica, New York USA

Serve in English pint

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Bottle/tap.Its everywhere, its never going to disappoint because you know whats coming, but its never going to be great either. Crisp but lacking the hop punch of better pales. Ill take a Sierra Nevada over this any day, but I can guarantee I will have many more Saranac Pales.

From the bottle, light amber color. Light bitter hoppiness and light sweet maltiness. Not much here.

From memory again. First pale back in the day. Not much sweetness, mostly bitter. Slightly watered down. Below mediocre, above poor. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

It’s quite possible Saranac Pale Ale may be the most accessible craft beer in America, in more ways than one. This brewery is available in many states and this style of beer is often enjoyed by outsiders and newbies, but still appreciated by connoisseur-types. It’s meant to be just a solid beer and that’s what it is.

I poured a 12oz bottle into an official Saranac shaker pint.

Appearance: Pure copper color, perfectly clear with some carbonation visible. Initially forms a large, off-white, foaming head which never completely evaporates and leaves minor lacing on the glass.

Smell: Mild malty scent, especially biscuit-like with a hint of caramel. Subtle piney hops as well.

Taste: To be fair, Saranac Pale Ale is an English-style pale ale which means its meant to be balanced and lighter on the hops than the American-style pale ale. And in that aspect this beer works really well. It’s sweeter than most with a hint of caramel or honey flavors combined with a slightly rustic or spicy maltiness (rye?). There’s a burst of citrus and floral flavor at the apex of the palate, but it fades away as quickly as it appears, leaving a mostly clean, but slightly dry aftertaste.

While I wouldn’t nominate this beer for any awards, I do think it’s one of the most underrated and underappreciated beers on the mainstream craft market. It’s genuinely flavorful, well-balanced, and a great representation of a style often ignored stateside. I probably rate it a bit higher than most people because I appreciate its subtlety.

Drinkability: If there’s one thing drinkers of Saranac Pale Ale can agree on it should be the fact the beer is almost ridiculously drinkable. The body is only medium all-around with a mouthfeel that’s not thin, but still crisp. It’s refreshing while it’s in the mouth, but it’s not a summer cooler. At 5.5% ABV it’s actually where it should be in terms of weight: lighter than most craft beers but with enough flavor for the body.

Bottle. Pours a clear amber color with a moderate white head. Very slight hoppiness to the nose, but not much smell. Taste is average. Not much too it.

Golden darker yellow color with small white foam head. Lacing to glass. Aroma is nice bitter hops with malt. Nice bitter tate with some flowery tones. Short dry bitter aftertaste. (Conrad 201210)

Clear copper with a persistent white head and blobs of lace. The taste is pure pale ale - roasted malt with an infusion of floral hops that, while assertive, don’t completely take over. More dry than sweet, an aspect that makes a clean finish. Recommended.

Light copper color, small head. Smelled hoppy with just a bit of fruity/floral notes. Bitter, as expected, and the flavor from the hops became more evident. Bitter aftertaste. Good bit of carbonation, but works with the crispness of the brew.

Bottle to pint. Looks solid; a transparent burnt-orange with sticky off-white head that slowly dissipates into lacing. Smells of bitter hops and sweet malt. Tastes like it smells with an average mouthfeel. Better than I expected.

Bouteille 12 oz. 5.5%. Couleur ambrée. Arôme de malt caramel et un peu d’herbe. En bouche, malt, houblon, un peu de caramel...finale un peu amère. Surprenante. Très bonne