Saranac Stout

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

Serve in English pint, Shaker, Snifter

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Has a black color and smells of malts, a touch of chocolate. Taste is roasted malts up front, some chocolate, a touch of bitterness. Overall an enjoyable beer.

This has been brought out of retirement for the "What Ales You" Winter 12-pack. The pour is a dark brown but some light can get through so it is not entirely black like many stouts. Lots of fluffy, foamy head. The aromas are of dark malts and grain with a slight raisin characteristic. The body is thinner than the way I prefer my stouts. The taste has a solid bitter bite that is slightly acidic but not objectionable.

The beer has solid malty notes with a hint of molasses, though the sweetness does not transfer over to the flavor. It is smooth going down but there is a slight bitterness that lingers.

Pour is black as you’d expect. Small head. Nose is chocolate malts and coffee. Taste is coffee grounds and chocolate malts. Rated 12/20/2000

I am not sure when this one retired, as I drank and reviewed it but a few months ago--maybe it’s the Brett Favre of beers? Pours a jet black body in a Guinness pint glass...brown, hedgelike lacing (a few holes in there)...a suitable vision early...slighty rounded with some sharper hop notes; floral with hints of chocolate and pleasant sugars... a bit oily--no, quite oily--with a creamy head that creates an interesting contrast with its rather hard body...rich and milky, slightly sweet and smoky... easy on the tastebuds and medium-bodied at that... pleasantly balanced lactic, active stout, not memorable, not offensive... a syrupy sweet finish that kind of makes the drinker shrug his shoulders and reach for something else...

Bottle, vintage rating. Black body tan head. Roast y coffee and roasted malt with a mild thin body and some chocolate malt. Session able and decent.

Black stout with large light brown proteinaceous head; not much on the nose but nice full body with suprisingly high hop rate. Hops pleasant but slightly dominate underlying chocolate/coffee/burn.

Aroma features chocolate and black patent malts. I also note a strange metalic smell, like iron. Also, there is a strong yeast bite. Deep, dark brown with a two finger white chocolate colored head. Nice lace, but not quite what would be expected from an Irish stout (with nitrogen carbonation). The yeast flavor is upfront, but is quickly overwhelmed with strong coffee flavors. Bittering hop balances the beer nicely, more than the Irish counterparts. The mouthfeel is almost chalky even though it is thinner than I’d expect. The aftertaste is almost entire coffee (without cream). The slight off flavors detract from an otherwise good dry stout. This reminds me of a good homebrew.

From 12 oz. bottle pours dark brown with a thick, oily, dirty white foamy head. Nice aroma of malt, caramel and coffee. Palate is kind of thing for a stout, oily with some acidity. Finish is very short and dry. Flavor is of burned malt and coffee, some earthy hopes in the end. Drinkable but not remarcable stout.

Pours a dark brown with an average tan head. Aromas of chocolate, caramel, and a little toffee and hops. Somewhat complex flavors going on here but not to much depth. There is an upfront flavor of burnt malt and chocolate but not much after that for balence. There is a slight hop note. Bitter aftertaste and slightly sour. Leaves a burnt aftertaste that I know and love from my stouts. Needs more character but decent all around.