-
Stop lurking! Log in to search, post in our forums, review beers, see fewer ads, and more. — Todd, Founder of BeerAdvocate
Saranac F.X. Matt's Haus Lager
Matt Brewing Company / Saranac Brewery
- From:
- Matt Brewing Company / Saranac Brewery
- New York, United States
- Style:
- Helles
- ABV:
- 4.9%
- Score:
- 84
- Avg:
- 3.67 | pDev: 11.99%
- Reviews:
- 16
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Nov 23, 2021
- Added:
- Jul 11, 2017
- Wants:
- 2
- Gots:
- 7
This light-bodied lager recipe was the house beer exclusively for Matt family members and Brewery employees to enjoy during and after work. This marks the first time in the company's 129 year history that this treasured family recipe has been made available to the public.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by DaveCash:
Rated by DaveCash from New York
3.6/5 rDev -1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Sep 04, 2017
3.6/5 rDev -1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Sep 04, 2017
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by Bluecrow from New York
3.74/5 rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.74/5 rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
-clear golden can pour with a 1cm cap of foam. The aroma is of light haywith woody notes. The flavor is relatively full for such a light beer clean malt flavor dominates without any unwelcome aspects. The finish is somewhat crisp.
Aug 13, 2019Rated by Daoud from Ohio
5/5 rDev +36.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
5/5 rDev +36.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Lager perfection. Traditional german style. Drink from a stein. My current favorite bier. Cheers, lads.
Jan 30, 2019Reviewed by GratefulBeerGuy from New Hampshire
4/5 rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
On tap at the 1888 Tavern upstairs.
Crystal clean look, pure gold, excellent carbonation, easy drinking....perfect example of the style.
This was a nice "time-out" from huge ipa's ! It went down so damn easy and clean. No off flavors or aspects, just a clean, light malty lager with massive grainy tones, excellent adjuncts like wheat, corn, hay etc...in the mix. The hops came across as very herbal, dry-earthy and vety hearty. A perfect compliment to the lightly, sour buttery notes of the lager yeast taste. Great balance and high marks for the style. I seriously felt like I was in a time warp, inside that historic building drinking an old timey classic style.
Jul 25, 2018Crystal clean look, pure gold, excellent carbonation, easy drinking....perfect example of the style.
This was a nice "time-out" from huge ipa's ! It went down so damn easy and clean. No off flavors or aspects, just a clean, light malty lager with massive grainy tones, excellent adjuncts like wheat, corn, hay etc...in the mix. The hops came across as very herbal, dry-earthy and vety hearty. A perfect compliment to the lightly, sour buttery notes of the lager yeast taste. Great balance and high marks for the style. I seriously felt like I was in a time warp, inside that historic building drinking an old timey classic style.
Reviewed by Ahonky from New York
3.84/5 rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.75
3.84/5 rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.75
As others have stated, this really doesn't fit the Munich Helles bill - but that doesn't mean its not worthy of praise.
Drank from the can, so no notes on look
The beer smells like beer. That beer you grabbed of sip from when your dad wasn't looking in 1981 or something.
Anyway, this beer comes in 12-packs of pounder cans. And the design is pretty cool. There is a nostalgia factor playing here, no doubt, but I'll happily oblige.
Saturday, after a night at the local church feast, where we resigned to plastic cups of draft Coors Light, the night was not going to be about beer. We took the party back to my house and Saranac Haus Lager was the perfect beer to smash the night away. Cheap and highly drinkable American lager. I can drink these all day and night - but this is definitely good fridge filler beer. It doesnt hold a candle to Alpenflo, but that is perfectly fine. It has a job to do and it does it well
Jun 04, 2018Drank from the can, so no notes on look
The beer smells like beer. That beer you grabbed of sip from when your dad wasn't looking in 1981 or something.
Anyway, this beer comes in 12-packs of pounder cans. And the design is pretty cool. There is a nostalgia factor playing here, no doubt, but I'll happily oblige.
Saturday, after a night at the local church feast, where we resigned to plastic cups of draft Coors Light, the night was not going to be about beer. We took the party back to my house and Saranac Haus Lager was the perfect beer to smash the night away. Cheap and highly drinkable American lager. I can drink these all day and night - but this is definitely good fridge filler beer. It doesnt hold a candle to Alpenflo, but that is perfectly fine. It has a job to do and it does it well
Rated by odannyob from Colorado
3.95/5 rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
3.95/5 rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Ya Vol; zer goot!
May 27, 2018Reviewed by beergoot from Colorado
3.99/5 rDev +8.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.99/5 rDev +8.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Light, straw-yellow body; lively carbonation; rich, creamy head; rings of lacing down the glass. Bright, lightly sweet caramel and crystal malt smell; fresh cut grass. Delicate malt sweetness with a trace of citrus punch; low-key hop bitterness. Medium-light body; soft yet clean on the palate.
This lager is smooth and delicious, and very easy to knock back.
Apr 15, 2018This lager is smooth and delicious, and very easy to knock back.
Reviewed by Jacobier10 from New Jersey
3.75/5 rDev +2.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.75/5 rDev +2.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Pours a deep gold with a huge frothy white head. Brilliant clarity let's you see right through it. Good head retention with patchy lacing on the glass.
Grainy malt aroma with light spicy, floral hops. It doesn't really have that rich malt character that a Helles usually does. Nice balance in the flavor but it's a little too generic. The best way I can describe it is it tastes very "beery." Extremely clean and finishes on the dry side. Carbonation is lively and right on the money. I could drink multiple pint cans of this!
Overall, it doesn't scream Helles lager to me. In fact it kind of walks a fine line between Helles and adjunct lager, despite any adjuncts being used in the beer. I'm a fan and I would definitely purchase it again. But it's not going to replace any of my favorite German versions of the style.
Jan 22, 2018Grainy malt aroma with light spicy, floral hops. It doesn't really have that rich malt character that a Helles usually does. Nice balance in the flavor but it's a little too generic. The best way I can describe it is it tastes very "beery." Extremely clean and finishes on the dry side. Carbonation is lively and right on the money. I could drink multiple pint cans of this!
Overall, it doesn't scream Helles lager to me. In fact it kind of walks a fine line between Helles and adjunct lager, despite any adjuncts being used in the beer. I'm a fan and I would definitely purchase it again. But it's not going to replace any of my favorite German versions of the style.
Saranac F.X. Matt's Haus Lager from Matt Brewing Company / Saranac Brewery
Beer rating:
84 out of
100 with
43 ratings
We love reviews (150 characters or more)! Check out: How to Review a Beer. You don't need to get fancy. Drop some thoughts on the beer's attributes (look, smell, taste, feel) plus your overall impression. Something that backs up your rating and helps others. Thanks!