Saranac Black Forest Black Beer | Matt Brewing Company / Saranac Brewery
Brewed by:
Matt Brewing Company / Saranac Brewery
New York, United States
saranac.com
Style: Schwarzbier
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 5.50%
Availability: Rotating
Notes / Commercial Description:
A Bavarian Black beer with distinctive caramel malt sweetness and a rich creamy trademark head. Flavorful, yet smooth…very drinkable!
Added by BeerAdvocate on 10-15-2001
HISTOGRAM
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Ratings: 1,148 | Reviews: 575
3.96/5 rDev +6.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Dark fruits, raisins, chocolate...delicious. Light and easy to drink like a lager but flavorful and fun too. I miss this beer! Is it still in production?
153 characters
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Dark fruits, raisins, chocolate...delicious. Light and easy to drink like a lager but flavorful and fun too. I miss this beer! Is it still in production?
153 characters
3.66/5 rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
A Dark beer, tan head, looks deep and dark, smells of mutated lemons, grapefruit, bitter caramel, hay, toffee, cotton candy.
On the tongue it is very sweet and malty, love the malt, there is however the usual American fascination with hops which put this slightly into the bitter category on the back end, but overall a nice balanced beer, slightly bitter, but passable.
370 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
A Dark beer, tan head, looks deep and dark, smells of mutated lemons, grapefruit, bitter caramel, hay, toffee, cotton candy.
On the tongue it is very sweet and malty, love the malt, there is however the usual American fascination with hops which put this slightly into the bitter category on the back end, but overall a nice balanced beer, slightly bitter, but passable.
370 characters
3.97/5 rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
3.68/5 rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
12oz bottle into Perfect Pint glass
BB 12/31/17
L- pours a dark brown/black, with a huge creamy tan head, and lacing
S- some sweet malt
T- slight toffee, followed by some coffee notes, and a smooth finish
F- clean crisp and smooth
Overall this a typical schwarzbier, light and easy drinking, with the bare minimum of roastiness
327 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
12oz bottle into Perfect Pint glass
BB 12/31/17
L- pours a dark brown/black, with a huge creamy tan head, and lacing
S- some sweet malt
T- slight toffee, followed by some coffee notes, and a smooth finish
F- clean crisp and smooth
Overall this a typical schwarzbier, light and easy drinking, with the bare minimum of roastiness
327 characters
3.5/5 rDev -6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
4.45/5 rDev +19.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
3.9/5 rDev +4.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This beer pours a crystal clear color that looks brown until it is held up to the light revealing a lovely shade of deep ruby garnett. The head is two fingers, creamy and tan.
Smell is sweet caramel malts with a touch of roastiness.
Taste is similar with a bit of green vegetal hop flavor that provides a moderately bitter finish.
Feel is light and smooth. There is a nice tingle from the bitterness on the finish.
Overall this is a very good beer. Very flavorful yet easy drinking. Happy Saranac brought this back so that I could finally review it as this is an old favorite of mine.
588 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This beer pours a crystal clear color that looks brown until it is held up to the light revealing a lovely shade of deep ruby garnett. The head is two fingers, creamy and tan.
Smell is sweet caramel malts with a touch of roastiness.
Taste is similar with a bit of green vegetal hop flavor that provides a moderately bitter finish.
Feel is light and smooth. There is a nice tingle from the bitterness on the finish.
Overall this is a very good beer. Very flavorful yet easy drinking. Happy Saranac brought this back so that I could finally review it as this is an old favorite of mine.
588 characters
3.56/5 rDev -4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.5/5 rDev -6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
The appearance has a dark, almost purplish-brown body with a small creamy colored head and had a slightly reddish beige color of the head with very small lacing. The smell has black cherries, some light malt, some berry aromas, and subdued chocolate. The taste is basically the same as the previously mentioned flavors through a decent bittersweetness. The palate is about a medium; comes across slightly creamy; with a quick clean finish, berry/chocolate aftertaste, slightly sessionable. Overall, this is good for the style and good for me.
542 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
The appearance has a dark, almost purplish-brown body with a small creamy colored head and had a slightly reddish beige color of the head with very small lacing. The smell has black cherries, some light malt, some berry aromas, and subdued chocolate. The taste is basically the same as the previously mentioned flavors through a decent bittersweetness. The palate is about a medium; comes across slightly creamy; with a quick clean finish, berry/chocolate aftertaste, slightly sessionable. Overall, this is good for the style and good for me.
542 characters
4.18/5 rDev +12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Poured from bottle into tulip, little under a finger of tan colored head, recedes after a minute so so lacing. Dark ruby brown in the glass, little light filters thru. Smells of roasted malt, some caramel peeking thru. Taste is pretty complex for a schwarzbier, initial caramel sweetness, roasted malt taking a backseat here, more predominant on the nose than the palate. There is some dark fruit in the middle there, reminiscent of what you pick up in quads, but very muted. Finishes up with a very mild bitterness. This is a really nice Schwarzbier, perhaps beating out my old favorite Reasonably Corrupt (which I have to give a real review one day)
657 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Poured from bottle into tulip, little under a finger of tan colored head, recedes after a minute so so lacing. Dark ruby brown in the glass, little light filters thru. Smells of roasted malt, some caramel peeking thru. Taste is pretty complex for a schwarzbier, initial caramel sweetness, roasted malt taking a backseat here, more predominant on the nose than the palate. There is some dark fruit in the middle there, reminiscent of what you pick up in quads, but very muted. Finishes up with a very mild bitterness. This is a really nice Schwarzbier, perhaps beating out my old favorite Reasonably Corrupt (which I have to give a real review one day)
657 characters
3.98/5 rDev +6.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4.01/5 rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
3.76/5 rDev +0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.4/5 rDev -8.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours opaque, dark brown in color with 1/4inch head, Taste is fresh malt, grain, and light chocolate..Light bodied, sweet, with moderate carbonation..Very clean..Makes for a solid, average schwarzbier...Worth a shot if you like the style..
241 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours opaque, dark brown in color with 1/4inch head, Taste is fresh malt, grain, and light chocolate..Light bodied, sweet, with moderate carbonation..Very clean..Makes for a solid, average schwarzbier...Worth a shot if you like the style..
241 characters
3.5/5 rDev -6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
4.4/5 rDev +18%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
3.33/5 rDev -10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Poured from a bottle into a pint glass.
Appearance: Darker reddish brown with a thin beige head.
Smell: Fruity tones and Malts.
Mouthfeel/ Taste: Smooth medium bodied. Taste of sweeter malts.
Overall: Good beer. I would have this one again.
245 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Poured from a bottle into a pint glass.
Appearance: Darker reddish brown with a thin beige head.
Smell: Fruity tones and Malts.
Mouthfeel/ Taste: Smooth medium bodied. Taste of sweeter malts.
Overall: Good beer. I would have this one again.
245 characters
3.56/5 rDev -4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.59/5 rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
The beer pours a nice off white and creamy head that dissipates rather quickly. The beer itself is a very nice black color with a decent texture and sheen to it.
The smell is okay. It has a light dark chocolate and weak caramel note. There is a light roasted malt note but it does not come out much.
The taste is okay. It has a light dark chocolate and light roasted note with a slight hop note to it. It also has that slight 'clean' taste you get with a lager yeast. There is also a very light caramel note that travels with the chocolate but gets easily overtaken by the other notes.
The feel is okay. It's a beer that's bordering between light bodied and medium bodied but falls on the lighter side due to the biting carbonation. It has smooth and clean and slightly dry finish.
Overall, a less than stellar beer but not entirely worth writing off. The beer is drinkable and decent when it's fresh instead of when it's close to its expiration date.
955 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
The beer pours a nice off white and creamy head that dissipates rather quickly. The beer itself is a very nice black color with a decent texture and sheen to it.
The smell is okay. It has a light dark chocolate and weak caramel note. There is a light roasted malt note but it does not come out much.
The taste is okay. It has a light dark chocolate and light roasted note with a slight hop note to it. It also has that slight 'clean' taste you get with a lager yeast. There is also a very light caramel note that travels with the chocolate but gets easily overtaken by the other notes.
The feel is okay. It's a beer that's bordering between light bodied and medium bodied but falls on the lighter side due to the biting carbonation. It has smooth and clean and slightly dry finish.
Overall, a less than stellar beer but not entirely worth writing off. The beer is drinkable and decent when it's fresh instead of when it's close to its expiration date.
955 characters
Saranac Black Forest Black Beer from Matt Brewing Company / Saranac Brewery
Beer rating:
3.73 out of
5 with
1,148 ratings
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