Saranac Ginger Pale Ale
Matt Brewing Company / Saranac Brewery
- From:
- Matt Brewing Company / Saranac Brewery
- New York, United States
- Style:
- American Pale Ale
- ABV:
- 5.5%
- Score:
- 74
- Avg:
- 3.1 | pDev: 17.42%
- Reviews:
- 15
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Dec 19, 2015
- Added:
- Mar 29, 2014
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 9
SCORE
74
Okay
74
Okay
No description / notes.
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Reviewed by woodychandler from Pennsylvania
3.54/5 rDev +14.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
3.54/5 rDev +14.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Before he headed his snowbird self south for the winter, my (usually) local, in-person trader, tone77, dropped this bottle off for me (along with other gems). I am going to miss his regular drop-offs & pick-ups until he (hopefully) returns.
From the bottle: "We make an amazing Pale Ale. We make an amazing Ginger Beer. Stands to reason we'd make a ridiculously good Ginger Pale Ale, too."; "A Family Brewery Since 1888".
A tiger prowls the label, so I did an unobtrusive Pop! of the cap and a VERY gentle pour so as not to get his attention. I still managed to raise a finger of dense, tawny (an homage to the tiger) head with moderate retention. Color was Deep Amber/Light Copper to Copper (SRM = > 13, < 17) with NE-quality clarity. Nose had a real ginger snap to it, almost like pop! Mmm. Mouthfeel was medium. The taste, while definitely of ginger, was more muted than on the nose. That was kind of disappointing. Finish was dry with a subtle spiciness in the throat, but I wanted more out of it.
I agree with a previous reviewer that it would make a great mixer. There has been a plethora of such beers lately (Not Your Father's Ginger Ale; Sprecher Ginger Beer) and this one would be towards the back of the pack. It just lacked the Ooomph to make it really memorable.
Dec 19, 2015From the bottle: "We make an amazing Pale Ale. We make an amazing Ginger Beer. Stands to reason we'd make a ridiculously good Ginger Pale Ale, too."; "A Family Brewery Since 1888".
A tiger prowls the label, so I did an unobtrusive Pop! of the cap and a VERY gentle pour so as not to get his attention. I still managed to raise a finger of dense, tawny (an homage to the tiger) head with moderate retention. Color was Deep Amber/Light Copper to Copper (SRM = > 13, < 17) with NE-quality clarity. Nose had a real ginger snap to it, almost like pop! Mmm. Mouthfeel was medium. The taste, while definitely of ginger, was more muted than on the nose. That was kind of disappointing. Finish was dry with a subtle spiciness in the throat, but I wanted more out of it.
I agree with a previous reviewer that it would make a great mixer. There has been a plethora of such beers lately (Not Your Father's Ginger Ale; Sprecher Ginger Beer) and this one would be towards the back of the pack. It just lacked the Ooomph to make it really memorable.
Reviewed by Jadjunk from Georgia
3.18/5 rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3
3.18/5 rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3
"We make an amazing Pale Ale. We make an amazing Ginger Beer. Stands to reason we'd make a ridiculously good Ginger Pale Ale, too." Brewed in the style of an American Pale Ale with ginger added. Available exclusively in the Saranac 12 Beers of Summer Variety pack, available in 12 oz. bottles.
Poured from a 12 oz. bottle to a pint glass. Served above 53 degrees Fahrenheit.
(Appearance) Pours a crisp frothy head of a ecru-white color over an orange-amber body with very high clarity and moderate, relaxed carbonation. Retention is average at best, lacing is light and spotty. 3.5
(Smell) There's no mistaking the ginger up front and highly potent, it falls between the lightness of a ginger ale and the subtle sweetness of ginger candy, but ultimately isn't sharp or spicy in its aroma. The malt profile is a simple pale malt character and there are no hops that can be extracted through the ginger aroma. Potency is medium. 3.5
(Taste) The flavor does manage to preserve only the spicy, raw and sharp vegetal essence of ginger flavor, landing nowhere close to the subtle and pleasant ginger candy sweetness that the aroma predicted. The malt body is very thin and tealike, with just a pinch of malt character to touch up the body. Hop notes, if any are concealed beyond the ginger snap, although with a body as light as this beer has, the ginger provides more than enough bittering to warrant any quantity of hops fairly unnecessary. 3
(Mouthfeel) The texture is light, faintly slick and moderately dry. Carbonation creates a medium wave of spritely bubbles for a moderately crisp mouthfeel. The body is light/medium for the style, light/medium amongst all beers. Balance is mildly vegetal bitterness and spicy over sweet. Alcohol presence is very low, and there are no discernible off characters. 3.25
(Overall) Some may be quick to dismiss a negative review against a hybrid style such as this Ginger Pale Ale, but after enjoying quite a many Ginger Ales and American Pale Ales separately, the best of both worlds could easily combine to generate something a little more flavorful on the beer side and better integrated on the ginger side than this beer. Expect some of the earthier flavors of ginger, in their full intensity and far too thin of a body to counter it. I think with a few tweaks to the malt profile, the overall beer would come out more favorably. Until then it's hard to distinguish this GPA from a diet ginger soda. 3
Matt Brewing Company's
Saranac GPA Ginger Pale Ale
3.15/5.00
Oct 21, 2014Poured from a 12 oz. bottle to a pint glass. Served above 53 degrees Fahrenheit.
(Appearance) Pours a crisp frothy head of a ecru-white color over an orange-amber body with very high clarity and moderate, relaxed carbonation. Retention is average at best, lacing is light and spotty. 3.5
(Smell) There's no mistaking the ginger up front and highly potent, it falls between the lightness of a ginger ale and the subtle sweetness of ginger candy, but ultimately isn't sharp or spicy in its aroma. The malt profile is a simple pale malt character and there are no hops that can be extracted through the ginger aroma. Potency is medium. 3.5
(Taste) The flavor does manage to preserve only the spicy, raw and sharp vegetal essence of ginger flavor, landing nowhere close to the subtle and pleasant ginger candy sweetness that the aroma predicted. The malt body is very thin and tealike, with just a pinch of malt character to touch up the body. Hop notes, if any are concealed beyond the ginger snap, although with a body as light as this beer has, the ginger provides more than enough bittering to warrant any quantity of hops fairly unnecessary. 3
(Mouthfeel) The texture is light, faintly slick and moderately dry. Carbonation creates a medium wave of spritely bubbles for a moderately crisp mouthfeel. The body is light/medium for the style, light/medium amongst all beers. Balance is mildly vegetal bitterness and spicy over sweet. Alcohol presence is very low, and there are no discernible off characters. 3.25
(Overall) Some may be quick to dismiss a negative review against a hybrid style such as this Ginger Pale Ale, but after enjoying quite a many Ginger Ales and American Pale Ales separately, the best of both worlds could easily combine to generate something a little more flavorful on the beer side and better integrated on the ginger side than this beer. Expect some of the earthier flavors of ginger, in their full intensity and far too thin of a body to counter it. I think with a few tweaks to the malt profile, the overall beer would come out more favorably. Until then it's hard to distinguish this GPA from a diet ginger soda. 3
Matt Brewing Company's
Saranac GPA Ginger Pale Ale
3.15/5.00
Reviewed by chinchill from South Carolina
3.17/5 rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
3.17/5 rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
12 oz bottle.
The pour releases a strong ginger aroma, leading me to correctly guess that it has too much of this strong spicy root. The aroma does have some faint signs of the base pale ale, but the malts are almost completely masked in tasting. .. hops join, but don't meld with, the ginger.
O: a cross between a pale ale and a ginger beer.
Sep 26, 2014The pour releases a strong ginger aroma, leading me to correctly guess that it has too much of this strong spicy root. The aroma does have some faint signs of the base pale ale, but the malts are almost completely masked in tasting. .. hops join, but don't meld with, the ginger.
O: a cross between a pale ale and a ginger beer.
Reviewed by UCLABrewN84 from California
3.33/5 rDev +7.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.25
3.33/5 rDev +7.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.25
Best by 10/31/14.
Pours a clear copper with a foamy khaki head that settles to a partial film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace slowly drip into the remaining beer on the drink down. Smell is of malt, candied ginger, and ginger candy aromas. Taste is much the same with earth, ginger candy, and natural ginger soda flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of earth bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is an above average beer with an earthy ginger presence that reminds me more of a natural ginger soda than a beer.
Serving type: bottle.
Sep 20, 2014Pours a clear copper with a foamy khaki head that settles to a partial film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace slowly drip into the remaining beer on the drink down. Smell is of malt, candied ginger, and ginger candy aromas. Taste is much the same with earth, ginger candy, and natural ginger soda flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of earth bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is an above average beer with an earthy ginger presence that reminds me more of a natural ginger soda than a beer.
Serving type: bottle.
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