Saranac Tramonay Rouge
Matt Brewing Company / Saranac Brewery

I have to hand it to my local, in-person trader @tone77. When he drops some beer, he really drops some beer! I was totally unaware of this one until his latest visit & once I commenced New Beer Saraunacday last week, this one just fell into line, awaiting its turn today.

From the bottle: "Saranac High Peaks Collection"; "Combining the flavors of red grapes and Belgian yeast, Tramonay Rouge is brewed with pale malt and fermented with a Belgian yeast that provides unique fruit and spice notes. Corot Noir grape must is added during primary fermentation and gives the beer its deep amber color and red wine-like fruitiness."

I Pop!ped the cap to the response of some modest foaming coming up in the neck. This led to an immediate aggro pour to kick things off, followed by an in-glass swirl, raising just over a finger of foamy, rocky, pinkish head. Color was a slightly hazy pinkish-Amber (SRM = > 7, < 9) & I couldn't help but think that it was due to the presence of the grapes. Nose was at once funky & vinous! My uncle is a home wine maker & some of his batches have smelled like this. Ha ha. Mouthfeel was medium. I let my first sip roll around in my mouth & on my tongue, trying to parse all of the variegated flavors. It definitely had the grapiness from the must, but at the same time, it had the mustiness from the yeast & no, in that particular instance, I was not trying to be funny. I really liked the way that the fruit kind of cut through that funky Saison flavor that I generally do not like to make it a really palatable beer. I suddenly envisioned myself sitting down to a plate of spaghetti with red gravy! I am not a huge fan of meatballs, but meat gravy would also be okay. This was an absolutely delicious beer. It managed to bring out the best of both wine & Saisons while finding common ground between the two. Finish was dry. but not tannic. It was kind of like a dry white wine as opposed to a red, but it was quite delicious. More, please!

Poured from a brown 12 oz. bottle. Has a rose/amber color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is of grapes, cherries, some spices. Taste is grapes, malts, cherries, some alcohol, light spices. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall is a good quality beer.

 

 

 

A: Pours a hazy reddish orange in color with moderate amounts of active visible carbonation rising along the edges of the glass and moderate ruby red + amber highlights. The beer has a finger tall foamy pinkish white head that reduces to a couple of small patches of medium thick film surrounded by a large patch of thin film covering the remainder of the surface of the beer and a thin ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate aromas of spicy saison yeast, vinous grape must, and sweet fruit (akin to strawberry and stone fruit/nectarine).

T: Upfront there are moderate flavors of pale malts with lighter flavors of toasted malts. There is a moderate amount of fruity sweetness with hints of strawberry and stone fruit/nectarine and slightly stronger than moderate flavors of spicy/peppery saison yeast. Finally there is a moderate to strong flavors of grape must which lingers through the finish. Minimal amounts of bitterness and no detectible hop presence.

M: Medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation.

O: Very interesting - I was not sure what to expect but the saison yeast and grape must work really well together. Easy to drink and quite enjoyable. A very nice offering from Saranac and I feel like they have really stepped up their game with this one.

Beautiful reddish hue with a very small filmish head.

Aroma: grape must, cherries??, bit of alcohol
Taste: slightly tart, very dry, sweet, old fruit

Not a favorite, but not bad.

 

Or Rouge...

Interesting offering. Aroma and flavor are both fairly vinous. The saison funk is prevalent, as well. Finish lacks a bit, but is saison dry.

 

Poured into a stem glass. Age unknown...

Comes in a hazy amber with a thin off white head.

Smells of red grapes, vinegar, earthiness/dirt, mustiness/mildew; kind of a medicinal fruity sweetness, (think cherry novacain) cherries and raisins.

Sweet fruitiness up front--grape juice, cherry, and raisin. Dries off on the finish with notes of coriander, black pepper, and must, and then earthiness, mildew, and lemon zest on the aftertaste.

Medium plus mouthfeel, nice tingly carbonation.

Nice really my cup of tea. Or beer. Or wine. Or whatever this is. It's complex and interesting, I'll give it that. Perhaps well made for what it is. But I have too many mixed feelings.

Enjoyed from the 12 oz bottle in a snifter. This unique hybrid pours a clear reddish orange with a light off white head of foam that lingers long and settles to a 1/4 layer, a thick ring, and nice lacing. Nose of grapes, spicy notes of white pepper, earthy yeast, and a hint of caramel. Flavors follow the nose with grape notes to all sides, that blend with light caramel and brown sugar like notes, then fading to a subtle spicy white pepper and a touch of clove. Interesting. Nice effervescent mouth feel with a lightly tart and lingering herbal finish.

Unique to say the least.

Cheers

12oz bottle poured into a snifter.

A: Red-orange in color with the redder hues being more dominant. Great clarity. Fine-bubbled white head settles to a thin slip. Small, wispy patches of lacing.

S: Red grape skins, very mildly vinous, yeasty, light pithy stone fruits, peppery.

T: Follows the nose. Grape skins and some mild vinous notes open, but are quickly overtaken by a tide of earthy and lightly musty yeast. Pale malts start to pull through a bit. Tropical and stone fruit flavors register every now and then. Slightly medicinal. Very dry. Fruity cherry and grape flavors on the finish.

M: Light and somewhat thin and watery. Faint sense of creaminess and some light grape-skin astringency. Fine, prickling carbonation.

O: The concept aims high, but in the end there just isn't enough depth and complexity to meet expectations. Not bad, but nothing to write home about.

This would make a great summer beer! It is the rosé of beers and has an amazing Belgian style clove aftertaste. Slightly tart, with a short finish except for the clove, this beer is light on the tummy and won't fill you up. A keeper for sure. Kudos for using a New York State wine in the blend!!

Let me preface this review by saying I'm not a fan of yeast forward beers, but I can appreciate them. Cloudy amber to pink in appearance. Yeast forward smell and taste, followed by a somewhat grape like musk mixed with citrus fruit and berries. Nice medium mouthfeel. Great novelty beer wine hybrid. Definitely appreciate the complexity and trailblazing effort. Maybe in years to come this hybrid will be a standard fixture in your beer isle, but for now it seems more of a curiosity buster than a staple. Worth checking out when feeling adventurous!

12oz bottle poured into a tulip glass

A- pours a deep peach color with a ruby hue, small foamy white head retains nicely before settling to a thin film, a bit of lace left behind

S- spicy Belgian yeast gives notes of pepper, light phenols, earthy must. Notes of red grape skin, strawberry & melon

T- peppery & earthy yeast up front gives some clove & musty notes, before giving way to lots of fruity flavors, with an emphasis on grape, white wine & red berries. Dry yeasty finish

M- medium body with moderate-low carbonation leads to a slightly foamy mouthfeel and a dry finish, high drinkability

O- this was much better than I was expecting, the addition of the grape must plays brilliantly with an already solid base saison. I'll pick up more of these if I see them

 

This is a great dinner beer. Definitely a mild subtle fruitiness in the taste, with a berry essence in the background. Someone who doesn't normally care for this style should give it a try, they'll love it.

Unique blend of grape and ale. Flavors pair nicely together.

12oz bottle poured into New Belgium tulip glass. A slightly hazy pale amber coloring with a pink hue has a thin 1/4” head. The fruit forward nose unmistakably recalls a touch of Belgian and wine, which is mirrored in the taste. A touch of tartness follows berries and melon in a medium body. This is a wine-drinker’s beer for the summer months and should be paired with cheese. I wouldn’t have more than two of these in a sitting, although at 8% I wouldn’t want more.