Saranac Ginger Pale Ale
Matt Brewing Company / Saranac Brewery

Saranac Ginger Pale AleSaranac Ginger Pale Ale
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From:
Matt Brewing Company / Saranac Brewery
 
New York, United States
Style:
American Pale Ale
ABV:
5.5%
Score:
73
Avg:
3.1 | pDev: 17.42%
Reviews:
15
Ratings:
89
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Dec 19, 2015
Added:
Mar 29, 2014
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  9
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Amedlin18:
Photo of Amedlin18
Rated by Amedlin18 from North Carolina

3.75/5  rDev +21%

Oct 18, 2014
More User Ratings:
Photo of woodychandler
Reviewed by woodychandler from Pennsylvania

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, 2015
 
Rated: 3.53 by kgammell1 from Maryland

Jul 11, 2015
 
Rated: 3.35 by Waveoff from Pennsylvania

Jun 28, 2015
 
Rated: 3 by sachie23 from New York

Feb 24, 2015
 
Rated: 3 by hopley from Massachusetts

Jan 30, 2015
 
Rated: 2.75 by Swift989 from District of Columbia

Dec 06, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by Dan269605 from Connecticut

Dec 04, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by boszormeny from Canada (ON)

Nov 09, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by gwilikers6 from New Hampshire

Nov 05, 2014
 
Rated: 3.79 by bmoraymond from Tennessee

Oct 29, 2014
Photo of Jadjunk
Reviewed by Jadjunk from Georgia

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, 2014
 
Rated: 2.75 by bluehende from Delaware

Oct 15, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by Vogt52 from Maryland

Oct 01, 2014
 
Rated: 2.75 by ntorch from New York

Sep 30, 2014
Photo of chinchill
Reviewed by chinchill from South Carolina

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, 2014
 
Rated: 2.04 by Didier from New Hampshire

Sep 21, 2014
Photo of UCLABrewN84
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
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, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by cavemanlawyer1999 from Massachusetts

Sep 11, 2014
 
Rated: 1.5 by NJBeer265 from New Jersey

Sep 08, 2014
Saranac Ginger Pale Ale from Matt Brewing Company / Saranac Brewery
Beer rating: 73 out of 100 with 89 ratings