Saranac 1888 Octoberfest
Matt Brewing Company / Saranac Brewery

 

 

 

 

Poured into a grip shaped goblet: color is copper, transparent, head is off white to light tan and presents one finger thick, head dissipates to thin top and spotty lacing on glass.

Smell is sweet malt, toast, lighter spiced, earthy hops.

Taste is sweet malt with notes of toast, biscuit, toffee, and then hop notes of earth and spice.

Mouthfeel is crisp carbonation, moderate sweetness, lower bitterness.

Overall a bit sweeter than most but with some warmth the sweetness combines with backing bitterness.

Pours clear gold in color with one inch head. Taste is big dark bread crust and honey with earthy hops. Medium body, sweet with moderate carbonation. Makes for a tasty good lager. Would be happy to get in another mix pack. Nice seasonal beer.

Pours a clear amber. Thin foam. Malty aroma. Biscuit malt body. Clean light sweet finish. A very plain & simple oktoberfest but that's what makes it good. Sometimes simple is best.

Pours clear, dark amber to shiny copper (SRM 12-14). One quarter inch of off-white foam quickly settles to a veil, leaving rings of lace on a pilsner glass.

Dark roasted malt mixes well with toffee and caramel. Sweeter than expected with dry leaves in the background.

This one is surprisingly bitter, front to back. Sweetness is secondary. The finish is long and mild. Warmth brings out nuts, similar to Brazil and toasted almonds.

It has a medium body and soft carbonation. The texture is slick, and the alcohol is as expected.

This is just the kind of beer to enjoy with friends and warm pretzels or nachos as a football game plays out.

This one pours a copper orange color, clear, with a small head, and lots of lacing.

This smells like lightly sweet maltiness, caramel, and spicy hop character.

This feels like a big brewery take on the style, but it's still fairly well done, and decently tasty. There are no real off flavors, they just don't quite *pop* like you want to. Everything is well-balanced, though.

This is light bodied, clean, and pretty drinkable, with a crisp and smooth finish.

This was definitely better than I expected, but still middle of the road altogether.

Chilled Saranac 1888 Octoberfest was poured into a pint glass in Nov. 2020. 2020 rating 3.96. The beer is deep amber, topped by a modest head that dissipates fairly quickly. Never mind the look. The label promises 20 IBU bitterness that initially balances the malt. After the swallow, the hop flavor and bitterness take over for a memorable aftertaste. This is a very good amber lager beer, from Matt of Utica. Nov. 2021 tasting. 65F bottle poured into a sham pilsener glass. This beer is more or less similar in description to the 2020 version but overall, less inviting. And after the swallow, this beer leaves a malty/hoppy flavor that is not at all appealing. The neck label mentions Oktoberfest but calls this a pilsener beer -- so what are they brewing? 2021 rating is significant downgrade.

Saranac's 1888 Oktoberfest delivers a strong malt nose, almost back hidden to putting your nose in a grain bag. The color is more amber than I would like for a festbier. Unfortunately the flavor seems to have a chemical note to it. I always have high expectations for any Oktoberfest entries, and this falls short.

12 oz bottle split with my wife, poured into a snifter. A decidedly mediocre Oktoberfest. Hits the basic caramel/malt/touch of hops notes, but unfortunately it is overly bitter and has a slight metallic twang. Not undrinkable but not something I will feel the need to try again.

9/10/2020

Info: BBD 12/31/2020, 12 oz. glass bottle, 50*F sea level
Glassware: pint glass

L: Brilliant copper. One finger of white head which quickly diminished to light surface foam. Some lacing.
S: Caramel, apple cider, biscuit. Lightly spicy.
T: Sweet clove. Caramel/toffee. Apple cider. Opens into a spicy bitter back end.
F: Very full, creamy, sticky. Satisfying.

Overall: A nice festbier! The taste surprised me, as the nose was much more subtle. A pleasant wallop of spicy, festive flavor!

 

Drinking this at home.
Poured from a 12 ounce bottle into a pint glass.
Appears Clear amber with a nice foamy off white head that dropped to a nice cap with nice lacing.
Smells malty, bready, floral, spicy.
Taste follows the nose, the spicy, the malt, and floral hoppiness are well balanced.
Mouth feel is medium for the style with good carbonation.
Overall a very nice spicy lager that I would definitely drink again.

Pours amber with a 1/2 inch white head. Moderate lacing.

Aroma of cloves, nutmeg, pumpkin.

Taste follows nose: Cloves, nutmeg, pumpkin.

Medium bodied, light carbonation. Semi-dry finish.

A fairly decent Octoberfest.

 

 

Pours a clear amber color with minimal head. Malty and sweet describe both the aroma and taste. Light mouthfeel and malty smooth aftertaste. Rates right at the halfway point between average and outstanding