Saranac ADK Pils
Matt Brewing Company / Saranac Brewery

I really love going out to The Beer & Beverage Shoppe on Roseville Road, off of the Fruitville Pike, but it can be problematic for me. They always have a deep selection & I am usually on the bus, so it becomes a matter of how much can I carry + the monetary outlay. My latest trip was with a buddy who has wheels & he had never been, so it was def worthwhile. I am always interested in anything that I have not previously drank/reviewed/rated from Saranac/Matt.

From the Bottle: "Fourth Generation Family Brewery"; "Distinctive tasting yet truly drinkable"; "30 IBU".

Umm, how did it get added as an "American Lager" when its name includes "Pils" & it reads "Pilsner" on the bottle's label?!? Wow! C'mon, man!

A Pop! of the cap, a C-Line pour & I was off & running. It was kind enough to form just over a finger of foamy, fizzy, soapy, bone-white head on its own before falling away to wisps. No matter, since its Yellow-Gold color (SRM = 4 -5) with NE-quality clarity was enough to cause The Gelt Gang of Midas, Mammon & Croesus to do a sudden about-face & come running back into my kitchen for a taste. Nose was more bready and malty than hoppy, so I am guessing that it is a German Pils, but I am leaving all of my options open. I will do some due diligence following this review & submit a change request. Mouthfeel was medium, but barely. It was not thin nor watery, but neither was it much removed from either of them. The taste was quite malty & while not precisely sweet, it was bready enough that the grassy hops were relegated to the background. Hmm. Finish was semi-dry, although if you wanted to argue for semi-sweet, I would not put up too much of a fight. It was decent, but I felt like I have a) had better from them & b) I know that I have had better Pilsners. Sorry, fellows.

Aggressive pour into a 16 ounce glass. Clear yellow gold with nice white lumpy head that dissipates fairly quickly leaving some around the edges. No lacing to speak of. Smells pretty good to me. First taste is a mils surprise. A little more going on than expected. You can taste the malty base but I get a hoppy overtone that gives it a unique flavor. Very crisp and refreshing. Great carbonation. I agree with the review that stated that it tastes more like a pale ale than a pilsner. Quite crushable.

 

this is better than its ratings, a nice addition to the summer mix this year, and while maybe somewhat toned down from the recent summer pils they have included in the past, its still got a lot of flavor, including quite a bit of character from the hops, more so than would commonly be found in europe, thats for sure, and not totally noble hop types to me either, although its certainly not as new school tasting as i remember the summer pils being. blonde with nice carbonation, refreshing right away, with a clean fresh citrus and vegetal complexion, a dry and simple crackery european pilsener malt base, and a nice patient lager crispness evident, its nice, super easy drinking and quenching. the hops have a nice summery fruity character without overwhelming the beer, and there is an awesome dryness to this at the end even though the yeast doesnt really have much flavor. the carbonation is killer and there is a delicate overall nature to this. not totally classic, not radically different, but extremely sessionable and light, well done here.

12oz bottle into Perfect Pint
BB rubbed out but was definitely within code
Clear pale gold with white foam
Amazing sweet grainy doughy aroma
Same as nose with floral finish
Crisp smooth if but a bit watery
Overall a great Pils, that is super flavorful and very drinkable

 

 

 

 

Pours light golden clear and bright. Off white foam made a two finger stand and started to fall right away. Nose is breaddy and elmony. Youc an smell the centennial and their signature spice. Also an almost sharp floral grass and grapefruit. taste is IPA ish but not quite. The beer si crisp somewhat breaddy and the bubble is moderate. Small carbonic bite int he finish. With the lemony taste and it's slickness this drinks more like a pale ale than a pilsner. The hops mouthfeel is too prominent overall and especially in the finish. Crisp firm bitterness that lingers . Hoppy piney finish. The more you drink the hoppier it gets and the more bitter too.

 

Bottle. Pours a strong golden color. Frothy head succumbs to a faint ring. Super mellow nose. Pale malt and Pilsner yeast. Flavor is pretty soft too. Some sweetness on the finish. Very easy drinking.