Hop Harvest Haze
Matt Brewing Company / Saranac Brewery

 

My favorite Matt’s IPA since they stopped making their original IPA about 10 years ago. At that time they had one of the few IPAs on the market in upstate NY. They have since come out with a raft of others, but IMO none as good as this one. Similar to Sierra Nevada Hazy Little Thing. I bought some Saranac Polar Haze IPA when I could not find this, and it seemed thin and watery by comparison.

Pours Pale yellow with 1/4 inch white head. Moderate lacing. Hazy.

Aroma is floral, piney, citrusy.

Taste is very citrusy, grapefruit, lemon, etc. Moderately bitter.

Thin bodied, lightly carbonated. Dry finish.

A bit light on bitterness but a great, easy drinking IPA.

 

 

 

Poured into a grip shaped goblet: color is gold/light copper, definitely hazy, head is off white with fine to small bubbles, good lacing on the glass sides and nice lingering presence with a solid top.

Smell is lightly hoppy with pleasant aroma of citrus, earth and then some solid maltiness with a bready character.

Taste is similar with hop character up front with malt backing: chops are a bit more citrusy but still a notable earthy/floral character; malt is toasty with some biscuit, pleasant.

Mouthfeel is soft, lightly sweet, low-moderate carbonation.

Overall this is a well constructed, easy drinking hazy ipa, does not have a juicy character and does not have a big hop burst aroma or flavor but its quite drinkable.

 

 

Pours a hazy golden color with good carbonation. Aroma is mainly hops with some fruit also. Taste follows the scent, with hops taking over on the back end. Solid mouthfeel with hops dominating the aftertaste

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A: Poured from the can into a Palm tulip. Body is slightly hazy bright golden, with a big (2 fingers) whitish head on top. Good lace.

S: Grainy and hoppy - think straw and fruity hops.

T: Grainy straw foundation, followed by fruity hops - think modest citrus, touch of stone fruit, then faint grassiness.

M: A bit thin/watery in feel - almost like a Session IPA. Carbonation is modest, making this feel a bit slick/oily, even though it's on the lighter side, heft-wise.

O: Meh. Another forgettable, average beer from Saranac. I bought this on a whim - the price was right at $14.99 for a 12-pack - and now I will likely have these beers sitting in my fridge for a while.