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Saranac Irish Stout
Matt Brewing Company / Saranac Brewery
- From:
- Matt Brewing Company / Saranac Brewery
- New York, United States
- Style:
- Irish Dry Stout
- ABV:
- 5.5%
- Score:
- 82
- Avg:
- 3.62 | pDev: 11.05%
- Reviews:
- 116
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Mar 24, 2018
- Added:
- Jan 03, 2010
- Wants:
- 4
- Gots:
- 8
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by HoppingMadMonk from New Jersey
3.64/5 rDev +0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.64/5 rDev +0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
An almost solid black color with a medium body but just above average carbonation. Aroma is roasted malt, bakers chocolate and coffee. Taste is pretty straightforward,exactly like the aroma. Not a bad attempt at the style, doesn't finish super dry and the carbonation takes away from the overall effect but it's still a very decent beer
Mar 24, 2018Reviewed by hman43 from North Carolina
3.57/5 rDev -1.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.57/5 rDev -1.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Look: It pours dark brown with a brown head that has moderately low head retention.
Smell: It has aromas of low chocolate and a low level of coffee. There is some dark fruit notes in the background.
Taste: There are coffee and roast flavors with low levels of dark fruit in the background. There is a hint of chocolate as well.
Feel: It has a moderate body with moderate carbonation.
Overall, this is a decent stout with plenty of dark grain flavors without being smooth.
Feb 23, 2018Smell: It has aromas of low chocolate and a low level of coffee. There is some dark fruit notes in the background.
Taste: There are coffee and roast flavors with low levels of dark fruit in the background. There is a hint of chocolate as well.
Feel: It has a moderate body with moderate carbonation.
Overall, this is a decent stout with plenty of dark grain flavors without being smooth.
Reviewed by Foyle from North Carolina
4/5 rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from 12 oz bottle into schooner glass. A 2" foamy tan head drops slowly with abundant lacing. Color is opaque brown. Aroma of rich roasted malt and earthy hops. Mouthfeel is medium to heavy with a creamy texture and slightly astringent finish. Flavors dark roasted malt, coffee, cocoa, with a nice hop balance. Very good.
Feb 11, 2018Reviewed by cyclonece09 from Wisconsin
3.58/5 rDev -1.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.58/5 rDev -1.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Poured from a bottle into a pint glass. Pours pitch black with a small light brown head. Smells of darker grain, with nice chocolate tones. Tastes of slight chocolate and coffee, but watery. Beer is light/medium bodied and easy drinking, heavily carbonated. Overall, an above average beer.
Dec 02, 2017Reviewed by woodychandler from Pennsylvania
4.21/5 rDev +16.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4.21/5 rDev +16.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
When I began going through the latest drop-off from my local, in-person trader @tone77 I saw that he had brought over several Saranac bottles & I became intrigued. So much so that when I was browsing one of the many singles shops in the area, I bought up all of the Saranac beers with an eye towards today - New Beer Saraunacday (Week 661). I am going to knock out the Lagers first & then move onto Ales as I am able over the course of the day. This marks my first Ale today & another of @tone77 's drop-off.
From the bottle: "Fourth Generation Family Brewery"; "A dry stout with a smooth, slightly roasted taste that makes for an easy-drinking ale. Try mixing with our Irish-style Lager!"
Ah, no. There'll be no mixing on this day. I am segueing into this one following their Black & Tan, so to mix would be to gild the lily. I gave it the same slow, gentle pour that I have been employing today, followed by an in-glass swirl. The result was a finger of dense, foamy, beige head with moderate retention. Color was Black/Opaque (SRM = 44) with NE-quality clarity & ruby highlights. Nose smelled of dark chocolate, but it did not have the extreme roastiness of many Irish Dry Stouts. This seems pretty palatable to me. Mouthfeel was medium-to-full, not quite creamy, but on the approach. The taste had a spicy chocolatiness to it, kind of like Stone's Chocoveza, which was both unexpected and pleasant. It had a roasty dryness, sure, but at the same time, it did not have that sharp charcoal quality that often leaves me cold. I liked the way that the spiciness seemed to wend its way through this beer, never becoming assertive & overpowering, but more of a serpentine presence throughout. Finish lived up to its billing as "Dry", but not gaspingly so. I could definitely see cooking & baking with this beer & then serving it as an accompaniment. This was quite a nice surprise and a good way to wrap up the day.
Oct 23, 2017From the bottle: "Fourth Generation Family Brewery"; "A dry stout with a smooth, slightly roasted taste that makes for an easy-drinking ale. Try mixing with our Irish-style Lager!"
Ah, no. There'll be no mixing on this day. I am segueing into this one following their Black & Tan, so to mix would be to gild the lily. I gave it the same slow, gentle pour that I have been employing today, followed by an in-glass swirl. The result was a finger of dense, foamy, beige head with moderate retention. Color was Black/Opaque (SRM = 44) with NE-quality clarity & ruby highlights. Nose smelled of dark chocolate, but it did not have the extreme roastiness of many Irish Dry Stouts. This seems pretty palatable to me. Mouthfeel was medium-to-full, not quite creamy, but on the approach. The taste had a spicy chocolatiness to it, kind of like Stone's Chocoveza, which was both unexpected and pleasant. It had a roasty dryness, sure, but at the same time, it did not have that sharp charcoal quality that often leaves me cold. I liked the way that the spiciness seemed to wend its way through this beer, never becoming assertive & overpowering, but more of a serpentine presence throughout. Finish lived up to its billing as "Dry", but not gaspingly so. I could definitely see cooking & baking with this beer & then serving it as an accompaniment. This was quite a nice surprise and a good way to wrap up the day.
Reviewed by OzmanBey from Massachusetts
5/5 rDev +38.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
5/5 rDev +38.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Wow, an American beer company that actually gets the Irish Stout tradition of Malty flavor, heavy in the mouth, a stint of bitter chocolate on the tongue while yet making it refreshing and not a mere copy of Guinness and Murphy's. A must have for all Irish Stout lovers.
Sep 16, 2017Reviewed by Brian_L-2056 from West Virginia
3.44/5 rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75
3.44/5 rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75
Definitely pours a dark brown color with a small off white color head. Can't really see into it to check for carbonation. Head dissipates rather quickly. The smell doesn't really have much to offer. The initial taste is slightly sweet with a carbonated feel with hints of black coffee. Finishes kind of dry. Definitely a smooth drinking stout but appears to be kind of "in the middle of the road" when compared to others, but again very drinkable.
May 09, 2017Reviewed by thebeers from Pennsylvania
3.42/5 rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
3.42/5 rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Garner-tinted black with a finger of thick tan head.
Dry, mildly chocolatey, roasty malts poke through in a carbon dioxide heavy aroma.
The taste is moderately sweet, and pretty light, otherwise following the nose with roasted malts and a kiss of chocolate, with the carbonation coming on fairly strong -- although not to the point of being flawed. Pretty clean finish.
Thin bodied, again, with strong carbonation.
It's a pretty middle of the road Irish Stout. Maybe a tad subpar.
Mar 19, 2017Dry, mildly chocolatey, roasty malts poke through in a carbon dioxide heavy aroma.
The taste is moderately sweet, and pretty light, otherwise following the nose with roasted malts and a kiss of chocolate, with the carbonation coming on fairly strong -- although not to the point of being flawed. Pretty clean finish.
Thin bodied, again, with strong carbonation.
It's a pretty middle of the road Irish Stout. Maybe a tad subpar.
Reviewed by Amateurbrewmaster from New York
4.07/5 rDev +12.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.07/5 rDev +12.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Got it out of Saranac Irish Pack. Poured into a Sauvin Beer Glass
Look: Dark, but not black with a chocolaty head
Aroma: Coffee, dark roasted malts and a touch of chocolate
Taste: Much more coffee and chocolate. Not too dry.
Feel: A little bit thin. More like a porter. More carbonation than others in the style
Overall: Delicious stout. Not as dry as a Guinness, not too bitter. One I'd recommend to someone trying to get in to the style. Will buy again
Feb 27, 2017Look: Dark, but not black with a chocolaty head
Aroma: Coffee, dark roasted malts and a touch of chocolate
Taste: Much more coffee and chocolate. Not too dry.
Feel: A little bit thin. More like a porter. More carbonation than others in the style
Overall: Delicious stout. Not as dry as a Guinness, not too bitter. One I'd recommend to someone trying to get in to the style. Will buy again
Reviewed by utopiajane from New York
4/5 rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
The color is black with a luscious tan head of foam that lasts and clings in sheets as you drink and then leaves spots. As it catches the light it catches your eye and you notice ruby glints from deep within. Nose is roasty malt. It seems to backed by a kind of sweet softness from hops but you cannot make too much mention of them on the nose. I think they can make a beer smell fresh even when you can't really smell too much of them. Coffee, hearty earth and light cocoa powder. Drinks smoothly. Round creamy and fullish. It's not really as full as a heavier beer as it is only 5.5 percent but it gives that satisfaction in the drink. The malts are blackened and you can just taste their bitter edge but no real astringency or harshness. As this finishes the hops show you a sweet moment from their herbal and plenty of malt. The secondary malt flavors add a bit of complexity as this finishes with moderate carbonation and just enough hop bitterness to show you all that creamy malt one last time. Coffee, bitter chocolate and earth. This is right out of the old bjcp and it fits this beer to a tee! - "For the high hop bitterness and significant proportion of dark grains present, this beer is remarkably smooth. "
Feb 26, 2017
Saranac Irish Stout from Matt Brewing Company / Saranac Brewery
Beer rating:
82 out of
100 with
214 ratings
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