Saranac Session Belgian White
Matt Brewing Company / Saranac Brewery

 

 

DATE: August 3, 2017... OCCASION: this review was interrupted by a power outage and will thus be reconstructed from memory... GLASSWARE: Hobgoblin pokal... the body is arresting in its turbulence--thick clumps of sediment swirl about the glass, murky and dense as it is... some effervescence creates an off-white, quickly fizzing head that disappears before can be measured... orange-yellow in appearance... the first breath is soft orange and lemon, earthiness that constitutes an herbal side, and light floral arrangements... tough to draw more from this after repeated sniffs... the palate is refreshed by its medium-bodied, active rush at the throat...slightly cloying, which is off-putting... the taste is tart, and demanding in its intensity: orange, slightly medicinal, faintly earthy, with clove and pepper late in the mix... a bit more complex than expected... God love Saranac, they just keep coming up with new seasonal mix pack beers--this round seems to have "session" on the brain--but I struggle to find a reason to ever want this again... this offering doesn't really nail any of the genre's core requirements, and on a hot, stormy, powerless night like last night, refreshment would have been a much rewarded aspect...

 

 

L: Hazy golden orange. Tons of chunky white floaties. Small white head, but decent retention, as a white ring remains forever.

S: Tons of coriander, some candied orange peel, orange drink, big cracker wheat profile, perhaps a touch of lemongrass.

T: Orange juice and orange peel upfront, some of that coriander spice seeping through, a big crackery, wheaty malt backbone, tapers off to an odd butterscotch sort of flavor.

F: Kinda light and thin, moderate carbonation but doesn't seem to push along too well.

O: Kinda disappointing.

 

This beer pours a very hazy golden color with a dense, two finger, bright white head. Retention is moderate and there is just a few spots of lacing left on the glass.

The smell is fairly subtle. Coriander and spices are most noticable with some orange peel and wheat.

Taste is the same, but slightly less flavorful. It starts off fruity and finishes slightly spicy.

Feel is light and a bit watery. Lacking carbonation as well.

Overall this beer is decent. It is lacking flavor and body, but it would be refreshing on a hot day. Allagash White is my go to for the style, and really one of my go to beers in general and this one won't be replacing it anytime soon.