Saranac High Peaks Series Imperial IPA (Dec 2006-Sep 2014)
Matt Brewing Company / Saranac Brewery

gautch726 from Virginia

3.42/5  rDev -5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Was not overly impressed by this beer. Rather bland light amber coloring with an ok white head. Strong smell of hops will serve as a prelude to the strong taste of hops that follows. A piney, bitter aftertaste will linger for a while (as expected). Overall, nothing special to report.

Aug 21, 2015

droomyster from Virginia

3.21/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.25

Pours a copper body with a rich head with good retention. Aromas are very sweet and toffee like, with a grapefruit pungency and tropical notes telling you that this is indeed an Imperial IPA. The taste however, simply isn't "big" enough to meet my expectations of the genre. Despite having 85 IBUs, the caramel notes overwhelm the palette.

Aug 07, 2015

Kpasserell

4.41/5  rDev +22.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Light Amber with lasting white head. Smells bright and light, but has a much fuller mouthfeel than you'd think. Packed with flavor! Juicy sweet hoppy yet very balanced and somewhat malt forward for an IPA. Love this 8.5 ABV'er!

Jun 13, 2015

GreesyFizeek from New York

2.94/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

Bottle purchased as part of Wegmans mix a six pack.

Pours out a golden amber, with a one inch head, and some good long lasting lacing down the glass.

Smells very piney. I can tell this will be bitter.

Astringently bitter and piney. Some bitter orange and grapefruit peel provide some citrus flavors, but the dominant flavor is astringent, hard to swallow bitterness. A bit of a boozy sting, as well. The hops seem muddled and just thrown together for the hell of it- just to make a super hoppy bitter IPA. Not a whole lot of skill involved. There is a lot of very sweet malt flavor near the end.

Medium bodied, sticky and sweet mouthfeel. High carbonation.

A miss from Saranac, as per usual.

May 10, 2014

thierrynantes from France

3.91/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Beer bottle (33 cl.) purchased from Bières d'ailleurs (St Herblain, Nantes), and tasted in 2014.

Appearance : dark amber color with white foamy head (w nice lacing).
Smell : malty and caramel aroamas.
Taste & mouth feel : hoppy flavors and dry bitter with a long duration.
Drinkability : a good beer in the Style Imperial IPA.

Feb 07, 2014

DoubleMalt from New York

4.14/5  rDev +15%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

This newly labelled Iperial IPA is way better than the version I rated a 2.75 last year. This one is worth a secon try if you were not happy with last year's recipe!

Oct 31, 2013

TeamMathis from West Virginia

3.33/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: A cloudy amber.
Smell: A bit like strawberry preserves, smoke, and wood.
Taste: Bitter and malty. Aftertaste of cheap vodka.
Mouthfeel: Some thickness and carbonation.

This is definitely an unusual double. The hops are jumbled together with the malt. It doesn't seem to have hints of anything except maltiness, some bitterness, and straight alcoholic aftertaste. Having said that, I really like it. The drink is hardy and full. I probably wouldn't get it again.

Apr 04, 2013

TrappistJohnMD from Mississippi

3.2/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Pours amber color with white head in DFH IPA glass.

Smell is heavily malt with some citrus notes.

Taste is malt forward with some caramel and mild citrus. Mild bitterness.

Mouthfeel is light-medium bodied. Average carbonation.

Overall this was too malt forward and lacking any significant hoppiness.

Mar 18, 2013

gnolan from New York

2.31/5  rDev -35.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

I'm a huge fan of Saranac beers but was disappointed in this Imperial IPA. I like a strong hop smell and finish and this had neither. It is very malty and the alcohol is taste is present and leaves a bitter taste in your mouth. Their Session IPA is much better.

Mar 16, 2013

CloudStrife from New York

3.55/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle poured into it's signature pilsner glass.

A: Pours an deep amber gold with a 1 finger white head. Lots of visible carbonation in the brew.

S: Get some hop notes but also a pretty substantial sweet malt backing.

T: Balanced malt forward approach to an imperial IPA. Would say this leans more toward an English Pale Ale with all of the sweet malts. The aftertaste lingers with sweetness instead of hops.

M: Medium bodied with average carbonation. Real easy drinking for the ABV.

Overall one of the maltier double IPA's I have tasted. Has a flicker of hops but seems to get lost in the 10 different malts.

Nov 06, 2012

CHickman from New York

3.73/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy copper color with a 2 finger foamy light tan head that faded slowly, leaving very good lacing clinging to the sides leaving rings as it goes down.

Smells of sweet floral and piney hops to start, with grapefruit, caramel, cracker, biscuit, citrus hops, grains, flowers or herbs, and some earthy or grassy notes; good balance, but this is like an English IPA more than an American DIPA as the hops are just not that strong smelling, but it’s decent smelling overall.

Tastes like it smells with floral hops, strong piney hops, grapefruit, mango, caramel, cracker, biscuit, toffee, toasted grains, herbs, spices like pepper and coriander, grass, faint brown sugar and some earthy notes like peat moss; this hid the alcohol well and the finish was slightly bitter with a grainy sweetness that seemed to leave a hop oil slick across the tongue.

The mouthfeel may be the best part of this beer as it was slick and oily with very light carbonation, a medium body and a slightly bitter finish that seemed to bring out more complexities in the flavor and show great balance.

The 8.5% is very well hidden and this brew went down smooth. What it lacks in DIPA hop flavor it makes up for in drinkability. Give this a try and be patient as it grew on me more after each sip.

Jun 13, 2012

rlee1390 from Indiana

3.62/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A-Clear orange, carbonated, two finger head tries to leave behind some lacing

S-grass, pine, hops and some malt

T-All over the place, but not in the best way. Some dirt and pine, good deal of malt, too much for a DIPA, not much bitterness either

M-Medium bodied, carbonation but not that smooth.

O-A poor DIPA, too much malt and all over the place in flavors

Apr 07, 2012

deleted_user_373835

3.92/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I think Saranac themselves are very honest with this beer's description. They put 5 malts and 5 hops in this mixture and got a high aclohol sweet malty beer that has a citrusy lingering aftertaste.
But I like it. It certainly isn't bland and boring.
I'm sipping it from my oversize restaurant style water glass. It is definitely a sipping beer. If Yards(Philly,PA) added an IPA to their Revolution Series this would be perfect addition to the lineup.

Mar 08, 2012

wafers from New York

4.05/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a standard pint glass

A: Pours a cloudy, tan-orange color, heavy foamy head, moderate lacing
S: Light grassy aroma, some oranges
T: Heavy on the citrus, somewhat sweet, flavors of sour peaches, some apple
M: Pretty thick, heavy, not something to down very quick
O: This one is definitely a sipper and also one of the better choices I have tasted from Saranac, definite hoppy character but also contains a prominent sweetness that blends nicely with the bitterness

Feb 26, 2012

NODAK from Tennessee

2.46/5  rDev -31.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Has a fairly tropical hop aroma to it, with notes of orange there as well...though it certainly shows its sweet malt backbone as well. Fair.

Pours and orangish dark golden color in my pint glass with a decent head...lacing is pretty good.

Taste...well it isn't what I'm looking for in a DIPA. It begins with a tropical hop profile that also has a peppery spiciness present as well. From there though, it turns strongly earthy and woody...and that just isn't pleasant to me in a beer of this style. The only real bitterness in the beer comes at the time of the swallow, where there's a fair bitterness, but it just isn't what one would expect from the style. At least, it isn't what I expect.

It may be cheap for the style, but i think you get what you pay for here.

Jan 18, 2012

Sygma from Vermont

2.97/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

This Saranac Imperial IPA seems to be a New York State type of IPA because I also had another New York State IPA that was a distinct departure of the traditional American IPAs.

Having cut my teeth on Port Brewing's Swami's IPA and HOP 15, and later Dogfish Heads 60 Minute IPA, these New York State IPAs are not overly hoppy, but very heavy, complex ales, more along the line of some country ales I drank in the UK years ago.

Saranac Imperial IPA is not a hop-bomb as it seems they have their own idea of what an IPA is.

Jan 03, 2012

BigPlay1824 from New York

3.17/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Enjoyed in a tulip glass

A: pours a mostly hazy reddish brown with a finger of fine head that dissipates rapidly and is a kind of deep off white to brown color, not all that appealing at the appearance, head leaves no lacing
S: woody, hickory, slight vanilla, whiskey, overall the scent here really reminds me of 120 minute with the depth but also with the alcohol tinge, not well masked comparatively
T: the forefront is of malt and wood, the middle moves into vanilla and whiskey, the aftertaste is really odd, kinda like sucking on wood chips, decent
M: a bit strong on the carbonation, surprisingly little alcohol burn from what i had expected in the nose, leaves mouth only slightly dry but mostly smooth and almost creamy
O: kind of a bland representation, nothing really jumps out as being all that great, everything is just kind of ok, best part was the mouthfeel

Dec 22, 2011

StonedTrippin from Colorado

3.48/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

pours a vibrant honey color, with a hefty white lacing. smells spectacularly complex, with ten malts and ten hops going into the brew kettle here. taste is perhaps a bit muddled by all thats going on, but a sweet hops palate dominates, with strong earthy malts backing it up. this is a really tough beer to describe, because it is so similar to other imperial ipa's but yet so different at the same time. the body is heavy, and the aftertaste evolves for several minutes in the mouth. i think i will need to have more than one to get a better feel for it, but i can say that you can taste (and feel) every bit if its 8.5% abv. will also certainly seek out other saranac high peaks series brews

Dec 05, 2011

Cyberkedi from Georgia

4.08/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Comes out of the tap a hazy, opaque dark amber with a thick and fine-bubbled pale tan head. Strong aroma is completely like fresh-cut evergreen wood. Seriously hoppy gives the impression of drinking a pine tree - but lacks any real complexity. Full-bodied texture is rough and quite fizzy, leaving behind an evergreen and tingly finish.

Oct 15, 2011

kennylopez from New Jersey

3.74/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 12oz bottle into globe glass.

Appearance: dark clear amber with a fingers worth head.

Smell: a lot of hops, pine like with a hay sort of smell.

Tastes: taste is not very balanced in my personal opinion. the taste shifts from floral bitter to bitter and dry which is I like, but there is a lot in the brew and kind of hard for me to taste everything going on all at once.

Mouthfeel: dry and little alcohol burn in the aftertaste, and the end is actually where I start to taste more of what is going on.(which is still to complex for my palette I guess to really pick up and describe)

Overall: I got two of these as a bonus on a great trade(thanks jizfiaco). I don't know if that's why I enjoyed this quite a bit, but I would get a pack if I saw them. I have one more and I want to see if the taste changes in a few months.

Sep 29, 2011

tdm168 from Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a hazy amber with an inch of head with decent retention. Nose is a bit soapy but primarily floral, piny, earthy hop aromas. Taste is subtle, bready malts with piny, earthy hops. Alcohol warmth and some misplaced citrus come through in the finish. Mouthfeel is medium bodied and well carbonated.

Better than their regular IPA, but a little unbalanced. Not bad by any means though.

Sep 23, 2011

ryan1788a5 from Massachusetts

2.26/5  rDev -37.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 1 | overall: 2

12oz bottle poured into a tulip.

A: Clear dark orange with hues of brown.Thick off-white head boasts great retention. Rings of foamy lacing cling everywhere. It is a nice looking beer.

S: Hefty dose of caramel and some bready malt. Pine, mango, tangerine, and other citrus fruits. Leafy hop scents. Pineapple esters.

T: Very sweet malt tastes up front, to the point of being cloying. Sugary caramel and crusty bread. Oily, floral, and leafy hop tastes, pine needles, and some citrus flavors. Moderate bitterness. Toasted malts come out toward the end. Alcohol peeks out just a bit and adds a little spiciness. Finishes with toasted malts and pine tar.

M: On the thicker side of medium. A bit viscous and chewy. Some prickly carbonation. Not at all right for the style.

O: This was not very good. Finishing one bottle was a chore, and now I'm stuck with five. Glad I didn't pay for them. I'll just have to cook with them I guess.

Notes: Tastes under-attenuated. Too sweet, syrupy in body. I realize they are going for more of an East coast representation of the style, but it feels like they went a bit overboard.

Aug 31, 2011

DrDemento456 from Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Grabbed a single with the mix and match price of 10.99

A - Pours a nice clear amber with a bit of carbonation that forces about a half inch of head. Lacing is OK.

S - Not as hoppy as I wanted I mostly get bread malts toffee and caramel. Kind of like a Barleywine.

T - As an IPA it's not very good. OK for a barleywine. Starts off very sweet with the cracker like gram malt then toffee and caramel sweetness that gives just a bit of hop bite at the end which isn't strong enough to leave any bitterness just cover the ABV.

M - Medium bodied it was OK.

Overall it's a pretty average take on the style and without bottle dates it's hard to even tell how old my bottle was. Mine was somewhere between an IPA and a barleywine so it might have been a couple months old.

Aug 28, 2011

gentlystewed from Georgia

4.17/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: This brew pours honey brown topped with what starts out as a two finger head, then mellows down to a quarter inch. Lot's of lacing left behind with this one.

Smell: All caramel, peaches, and toffee, covered in citrisy hops. I also detect the booze.

T: Full malt wallop that ends with a bitterness that sizzles on the tongue.

Mouth-feel: Medium bodied with just the right amount of carbonation.

Overall: Pretty good beer. I'll have to sample more Saranac brews.

Aug 08, 2011

abgba121 from Connecticut

3.24/5  rDev -10%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: pours a light amber color with thin head that dissipated very quickly

S: very malty and sweet, hints of caramel and alcohol, almost no hop aroma

T: Sweet and slight alcohol, very little bitterness

M: medium body and carbonation

O: not a very good example of an Imperial IPA, will not buy again

Jul 16, 2011