Saranac Pale Pale Ale

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

Serve in Lager glass, Shaker, Tulip

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Pale amber color, small white head. Piney & citrusy nose. Has a hefty malt character but it’s easily outmuscled by the bitterness from the hops. Overall though, it’s one step lower in intensity than a lot of pale ales. Slightly musty finish.

14th December 2009
Clear amber beer. Frothy white head. Watery soft palate. Watery malt and nary a sign of any hops. Remarkable in as much as it manages to be nothing like a pale ale and worse than the Saranac Amber!

Originally reviewed: 10/15/09. Poured into my pint glass a clear pale gold with a small ivory-colored head on top. Retention was weak, but there was some nice sticky lace on the glass. Smells of earthy malts and veggies. Some slight sweet scent on the finish. Moderate amount of carbonation gives this a decent body. Flavor is slightly bittering with the light hops used, but malt is the big guy here. Not the sweet malt profile, rather a dull earthy flavor. I like the low ABV as well. This would be a great one to session during a cookout or day in the yard.

Bottle poured into a cheater pint A: pale color, 1/2" head with good retention. Gobs of carbonation. Lacing rings the glass S: mostly neutral nose, slight hint of pine and citrus T: pine and citrus bitterness well balanced by what seems to be a simple malt bill. Nothing overly agressive. M: light to medium bodied

Bottle courtesy of adneilsen (thanks AAron) poured a clear gold with a small lasting white head. Aromas of biscuit, light citrus and a hint of earthiness. Palate was light bodied and crisp with a dry finish. Flavors of biscuit, light earthiness and light citrus with a crisp dry lightly bitter finish.

Good for an everyday drinker. Nice and crisp with a decent amount of hop flavor.

Perfect for a drinking a lot of in a old rustic cabin on lake in the Adirondacks...though I can’t say I’ll seek it out elsewhere. Looks normal with decent head. Perfumey hay and citrus. creamy soft slightly woody, drying, medicinal.

Bottle @ home. Clear, dark gold appearance with a big, fluffy, white head. Light golden, grassy, slightly grainy, pale malty, earthy, slightly fruity hoppy nose. Fairly bitter, slightly fruity, earthy hoppy, pale malty flavor. Bleh.

Clear dark golden pour with a decent head. Aroma holds some funky malt, cardboard, caramel, and some decent grassy and orange blossom hop presence. Flavor holds a bit too much sweet malt presence, almost like straight extract, but the hops at least last for a bit. Unimpressive but drinkable on the whole.

Crisp golden coloured body with the lightest hint of an orange or copper trying to peek out. Light off-white head and a few bubbles rising from the bottom - doesn’t look horrible. Aroma of funky malt, a touch of light hops, skunk, cardboard and corn. Light-bodied; A touch of hops up front with a little pine and grapefruit and a touch of malt, cardboard and some dry herbal tastes. Aftertaste shows some light hops even longer with a prolonged hoppy taste that I can’t believe is coming from a Saranac beer - actual intended taste. Overall, a suprisingly decent beer from a way subpar brewer. The beer isn’t good, let me get that straight, but at least it’s not bad, and even pleasurable when in a hot day! I sampled this twelve ounce bottle purchased from Liquor Outlet in Boonton, New Jersey on 24-July-2011 for US$1.35 sampled at home in Washington on 06-August-2011.