Saranac Blueberry Blonde Ale
Matt Brewing Company / Saranac Brewery

Saranac Blueberry Blonde AleSaranac Blueberry Blonde Ale
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From:
Matt Brewing Company / Saranac Brewery
 
New York, United States
Style:
Fruit and Field Beer
Ranked #334
ABV:
5%
Score:
77
Ranked #27,102
Avg:
3.37 | pDev: 15.73%
Reviews:
74
Ratings:
258
Status:
Active
Rated:
Aug 28, 2023
Added:
Apr 15, 2012
Wants:
  7
Gots:
  34
Saranac Blueberry Blonde Ale is a traditional blonde ale with a kick of juicy blueberry. You'll notice a light golden haze from wheat malt and oats and a low hop bitterness, which really shows off the fruit. With a medium-light body and fresh blueberry flavor, we're sure we've captured refreshment in a bottle!
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Griffith:
Photo of Griffith
Rated by Griffith from Connecticut

3.5/5  rDev +3.9%

Feb 26, 2014
More User Ratings:
Photo of chinchill
Reviewed by chinchill from South Carolina

3.49/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
12 oz can from a Saranac mix-12 pack.
This is a fizzy, yellow beer but has much better sensory properties than that implies. The aroma is mild but carries a nice natural blueberry note along with spicy hops. The flavor is neither as sweet nor as influenced by blueberries as the aroma suggests.
Overall: Clean and refreshing but timid.
Aug 28, 2023
 
Rated: 3.5 by Timmmmaaayyy from Pennsylvania

Jun 03, 2023
 
Rated: 3.79 by StrangerTides from New York

May 28, 2023
Photo of DMFF
Reviewed by DMFF from New York

4.14/5  rDev +22.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This stuff became available at my beverage center yesterday, so I ended up picking this up alongside Genesee Ruby Red Kolsch.

L: Pours a clear, golden color with a nice, 2 finger, white head with great retention. Leaves moderate lacing.

S: Blueberries up front with some floral hops. There is an underlying whole wheat & malt sweetness as well.

T: The flavors follow the nose. It almost reminds me of a blueberry whole wheat muffin, but in beer form. Blueberry forward with floral hops, lightly sweet malt and a little bit of wheat. It really works quite well.

F: Light-bodied, crisp, clean and finishes dry. This is perfect for a spring and summer beer.

O: This is a pretty good beer. I think it's definitely better suited to be a summer beer, but works well as a nice spring beer as the temperatures rise. Pretty happy about this overall.
Mar 23, 2023
Photo of Peach63
Reviewed by Peach63 from New York

3.8/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Pale yellow with a 2" white head, which lasts. Moderate lacing.

Aroma of blueberries right off, floral, slight grass.

Taste is blueberry, light hop bitterness.

Thin body, light carbonation. Semidry finish.

A good summer thirst quencher.
Sep 11, 2022
Photo of NeroFiddled
Reviewed by NeroFiddled from Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Matt Brewing Co. "Saranac Blueberry Blonde Ale"
12 fl. oz. can coded; inkjet production coding on the bottom of the can is illegible
$2.33 @ Wegmans, King of Prussia, PA

Notes via stream of consciousness: The label reads "ALE WITH BLUBERRY JUICE AND NATURAL FLAVOR ADDED". It's poured a lightly hazy lighter-than-straw-gold body beneath a half inch of bright white foam that's dropping before my eyes. The aroma expresses blueberry extract which is weird because they've also used real blueberries. I guess the question is, how many real blueberries did they use? It's a decent aroma that was quite common back in '98. There's some wheaty malt mixed into the flavor but it doesn't really matter because this beer isn't about the flavor of grain, it's about the flavor of "natural blueberry flavor". There's not a lot of bitterness to it, which is to be expected, and yet it finishes fairly dry. The problem here is that it's a one-trick pony. I've said that about a lot of one-sided beers but I usually follow that up by saying that at least it's a good trick, but this isn't really that good of a trick at all. It's old school, and kind of boring. It still scores a 3.75 out of 5 for taste but it's nothing special. In the mouth it's medium bodied and gently crisp. As a spring or summer beer, and especially as a summer beer, I can totally see buying a whole case of this but that doesn't really change its score at all.
Review #8,192
Aug 01, 2022
Photo of Bouleboubier
Reviewed by Bouleboubier from New Jersey

3.34/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25
(12 oz bottle, 0632; purchased single off shelf... poured into a 14 oz mug)

L: clear yellow-gold liquid, soft dusting of suspended sediment; tight yet fleeting foam, thin cap all that's left within seconds... thin crescent collar; no lace

S: blueberry as it's pouring; lingers a little once settled, with the underlying cream ale-like foundation pushing forward.. I suppose once it gasses off a little, the blueberry then regains dominance; blueberry corn muffin to a T... good intensity

T: dominant display of the base beer at contact, with the blueberry subtly emerging on the sides; aftertaste is extra dry, slightly corny, while the blueberry barely whispers, likely getting completely snuffed out if eating anything with this... by the second sip, and this is remarkably bland; light neutral bitterness, likely enhanced by the carbonation

F: relatively light-bodied, devoid of contour, however, with a soft residual drag... seems like it's charged with a good amount of carbonation, soft sizzling, but with small bubbles

O: tastes more like a malt-based hard seltzer... serviceable, but far from flavorsome (1917)
Jul 11, 2022
Photo of Gajo74
Reviewed by Gajo74 from New York

3.73/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
On draught at Pier I Cafe, NYC.

Pours a lightly cloudy golden amber color. A fingernail length head soon dissipates and yields a layer of film and lacing.

Aromas of blueberry dominate the nose. Along with notes of wheat and sweet bready malts and a hint of lemon, the nose evokes blueberry pie crust.

Not surprisingly, flavors of blueberry stand out in the taste, although it never overwhelms the soft bready malt, wheat and oats base. A light earthy hops bitterness, peppery yeast spices, lemon and grass, add balance.

Light to medium bodied with a smooth mouthfeel. The finish is dry, mostly clean and with some crispness. The carbonation is moderate to lively.

An easy to drink and session worthy, blueberry flavored Blond Ale. I don’t find it as mediocre as the ratings seem to suggest.
Sep 07, 2021
Photo of Jpoms13
Reviewed by Jpoms13

3.58/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
A easy summer beer, but if you’re specifically looking for the flavor of blueberry, look elsewhere. Looks and drinks exactly as a blonde ale should, but lacks that subtle sweetness and flavor that you might come to expect from other blueberry beers.
Aug 14, 2021
Photo of Jeez
Reviewed by Jeez from Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours a not-quite-clear gold with some head I suppose. It smells like blueberry (obviously) and not much else. Tastes like the aforementioned primary color seed-bearing pod as well. Every time I think it's fresh blueberry it tastes artificial, and every time I think it's artificial, it comes back around to tasting real again. Commendable, but not ideal. There is also a a fair bit of grainy malt that shares backbone status with the blueberry. Feel is medium and carbonation is appropriate for a fruity summer beer. I'm rating this one as average because it doesn't excel, but there is enough to like about it.
Aug 01, 2021
Photo of tigg924
Reviewed by tigg924 from Massachusetts

2.72/5  rDev -19.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2.25
Pours slightly hazy, gold in color with one quarter inch head. Taste is blueberry syrup and wheat. Light bodied, slightly sweet with low carbonation. Excellent beer in 1990. Reminds me of my youth but a huge step below Sea Dog BluePaw. These days it a a below average fruit beer. Not a drain pour but not much more. A huge pass in the future.
Jun 12, 2021
 
Rated: 3 by 1971bernat from Virginia

Sep 16, 2020
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Reviewed by rudiecantfail from Pennsylvania

3.17/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25
12 ounce bottle poured into a Duvel tulip glass.

L---Slightly cloudy, medium golden color. Fluffy white head that faded quickly and left ok lacing.

S---Blueberry candy. A bit on the sweet side. Not much else going on.

T---Again, sweet blueberry candy. A one-trick pony.

F---Well carbonated. Light/medium mouthfeel.

O---A one trick beer. And its trick isn't that impressive. I'll pass on this one in the future.
Sep 10, 2020
 
Rated: 3.71 by Hockey_Fan from Maryland

Jul 16, 2020
Photo of mikeinportc
Reviewed by mikeinportc from New York

3.75/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Given to me by the sister-in-law/neighbor, out of her 6pk. I don't see any date on the bottle.

Translucent deep gold, with moderate white head, that leaves a 1/8" ring. Other than the short duration of the head, it looks like a blonde. ;)

Smells like blueberry syrup, with a slight scent of bready malt.

Taste is that of blueberries in blueberry muffins, lightly sweet grain, and a bit of spice (coriander?) that is normally associated with blonde ales. Some light bitterness, whose bite is just enough to balance the sweetness of the blueberry & grain. As others have previously indicated, this helps its "beerness" , and prevents the soda vibe that is often found in fruit beers. A definite plus.

Feel is medium-light, barely oily, with light carbonation tingle.

Overall, a pleasant surprise. I'm not usually enamored of fruited beers, especially non-sour, non-citrus ones. This one actually works. Adds the fruit, but stays true-to-style, and keeps that apparent. While I'm not going to rush out and buy a 6pk, I wouldn't mind getting a single every once-in-a-while. :)
Jul 07, 2020
Photo of Mitzvahman72
Reviewed by Mitzvahman72 from California

3.95/5  rDev +17.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
With a clear straw color, the blueberries in this beer is clean and natural and doesn't taste artificial. This blueberry flavor goes well with the biscuit, light grass and sweet citrus flavors of this beer. The aroma consists of light, musty blueberries, with a good mouthfeel and carbonation that compliments the clean, refreshing aftertaste of light blueberry cobbler. Overall, this is a good competitor to the Sea Dog blueberry ale, along with even the Blueberry Cobbler beer from Atwater Brewing and the Blueberry maple stout, albeit the latter two are part of a different class by themselves.
Jan 24, 2020
 
Rated: 3.67 by Hefsbeercaps from Ohio

Nov 21, 2019
 
Rated: 3.83 by 88caprice from Virginia

Apr 17, 2019
Photo of GarrettB
Reviewed by GarrettB from Colorado

1.84/5  rDev -45.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.75
July 16th, 2015 - This jug o' juice was purchased at Trader Joe's, and while nothing normally sounds appealing about a Blueberry Blonde Ale, but it's hot outside and Trader Joe's is selling this to move. It looks like a blonde ale but features a twangy scent, like blueberry candy. This puts me off even more, and just as expected, the flavor disappoints too. It's flat, and tastes like grape cola. A few more sips and the rest gets dumped away.
Dec 14, 2018
Saranac Blueberry Blonde Ale from Matt Brewing Company / Saranac Brewery
Beer rating: 77 out of 100 with 258 ratings