Saranac Festival Pils
Matt Brewing Company / Saranac Brewery
- From:
- Matt Brewing Company / Saranac Brewery
- New York, United States
- Style:
- German Pilsner
Ranked #445 - ABV:
- 5.2%
- Score:
- 85
Ranked #32,829 - Avg:
- 3.68 | pDev: 6.52%
- Reviews:
- 9
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Nov 25, 2021
- Added:
- Aug 06, 2020
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 4
SCORE
85
Very Good
85
Very Good
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by Gmann from New York
3.2/5 rDev -13%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25
3.2/5 rDev -13%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25
Pours a very slight hazy straw color with a small dense white head. A bit of lacing on the glass.
The aroma is of light grain and a lime hop note.
The taste is of light cereal grains and a lime hop. Not much bitterness from the hops.
The feel is light and crisp with fizzy carbonation. Nice balance on the palate. Fairly clean. Drinks easy.
It is dry like a Pils but doesn't really hit the flavor notes. Don't really get any German hop flavors. Not bad, easy drinker.
Nov 01, 2021The aroma is of light grain and a lime hop note.
The taste is of light cereal grains and a lime hop. Not much bitterness from the hops.
The feel is light and crisp with fizzy carbonation. Nice balance on the palate. Fairly clean. Drinks easy.
It is dry like a Pils but doesn't really hit the flavor notes. Don't really get any German hop flavors. Not bad, easy drinker.
Reviewed by GreesyFizeek from New York
3.82/5 rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
3.82/5 rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
This one pours a clear golden yellow color, with a small head, and lots of lacing.
This smells a little bit too sweet for a pilsner, but with a solid spicy and grassy hop character.
I'm not exactly sure what they were going for style-wise here - it's obviously a pilsner, but they're also making reference to Oktoberfest. It quite notably stood out as very different in an all Marzen/Festbier tasting, with good reason. The malt character is a little sweet for the style, but the hop character feels really nice here, with a nice spicy and floral bitterness.
This is light bodied, clean, and very crisp, with a good drinkability.
I'm not entirely sure what the intent was here, but it's better than expected.
Sep 21, 2021This smells a little bit too sweet for a pilsner, but with a solid spicy and grassy hop character.
I'm not exactly sure what they were going for style-wise here - it's obviously a pilsner, but they're also making reference to Oktoberfest. It quite notably stood out as very different in an all Marzen/Festbier tasting, with good reason. The malt character is a little sweet for the style, but the hop character feels really nice here, with a nice spicy and floral bitterness.
This is light bodied, clean, and very crisp, with a good drinkability.
I'm not entirely sure what the intent was here, but it's better than expected.
Reviewed by Lucular from Maryland
3.29/5 rDev -10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
3.29/5 rDev -10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
12 oz bottle poured into a tulip pint glass. Overall it's a pretty mediocre pilsner. Sweet corny taste with some grassy/floral hops. Thankfully I just got a single, definitely a one-and-done.
Nov 15, 2020
Reviewed by moodenba from New York
3.65/5 rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.65/5 rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Saranac Festival Pils at 50F poured into a sham pilsner glass. I'm not sure what makes it a festival pils. The body is a good pilsner color. The head is white and a bit thin. Aroma is pleasantly beery. The flavor is balanced malt and hops, but could be more assertive. The aftertaste IS assertive, pleasantly hoppy and bitter. This is a pretty good pilsner. I'd say it's more blue collar than elegant, but maybe that's the influence of the bargain price on my taste buds.
Nov 06, 2020
Reviewed by dkoehler42 from New York
3.26/5 rDev -11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
3.26/5 rDev -11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Saranac's Festival Pils is supposed to be an Oktoberfest inspired pilsner. It has the traditional transparent gold color, as well as the sweet nose. The flavor is a little off, but I can feel Die Wies'n's influence. It has a much breadier mouthfeel than most pilsners. It's not my thing, but I'm glad I tried it.
Oct 29, 2020
Reviewed by RDWHAHB_Tom from Maryland
3.45/5 rDev -6.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
3.45/5 rDev -6.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
9/10/2020
Info: BBD 12/31/2020, 12 oz. glass bottle, 44*F sea level
Glassware: Pint glass
L: Brilliant, pale straw. No head (only the slightest amount of white foam).
S: Hayloft funk. Corn.
T: Funk. Lightly sour. Lightly floral. Corn.
F: Lively carbonation. Mild bite on back.
Overall: Per the style description, this pilsner indeed has less perceived hoppiness than its Czech cousin, and the notes are closer to noble hops in subtlety and complexity. (I would guess that Saaz was used?) My overall criticism is that the beer is too subtle, with the exception of the hayloft aroma/flavor, which I like in a pilsner.
Sep 11, 2020Info: BBD 12/31/2020, 12 oz. glass bottle, 44*F sea level
Glassware: Pint glass
L: Brilliant, pale straw. No head (only the slightest amount of white foam).
S: Hayloft funk. Corn.
T: Funk. Lightly sour. Lightly floral. Corn.
F: Lively carbonation. Mild bite on back.
Overall: Per the style description, this pilsner indeed has less perceived hoppiness than its Czech cousin, and the notes are closer to noble hops in subtlety and complexity. (I would guess that Saaz was used?) My overall criticism is that the beer is too subtle, with the exception of the hayloft aroma/flavor, which I like in a pilsner.
Reviewed by Singlefinpin from North Carolina
3.93/5 rDev +6.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.93/5 rDev +6.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Drinking this at home.
Been quite awhile since I have had Saranac.
Poured from a bottle in to a pint glass.
Appears golden yellow with a nice foamy head that dropped quickly to a thin cap of foam.
Smells lightly bready, floral.
Taste follows the nose.
Mouth feel is medium for the style, not quite as soft as some Pilsners, good carbonation.
Overall a nice Pilsener that I will definitely drink again.
Aug 25, 2020Been quite awhile since I have had Saranac.
Poured from a bottle in to a pint glass.
Appears golden yellow with a nice foamy head that dropped quickly to a thin cap of foam.
Smells lightly bready, floral.
Taste follows the nose.
Mouth feel is medium for the style, not quite as soft as some Pilsners, good carbonation.
Overall a nice Pilsener that I will definitely drink again.
Reviewed by AccipiterofBeer from New York
3.5/5 rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.5/5 rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
poured into a dimpled tankard
L: 4. Very enticing looking lager. Golden body with a lingering white head. Plentiful carbonation.
S: 3.25 unimpressive for a pilsner. Very bready. Corn. Not very floral. Hops are there but dont stand out.
T: 3.5. Malts. Super bready. Soapy hops. Tang of bitterness from the aftertaste. It looks like pilsner, but it tastes more like a festbier or helles. Maybe that's what they're going for.
F: 3.75. Very nice. Goes down easily. Light to medium bodied with ticklish carbonation.
O: 3.5. I can't call it great, but I can't call it bad either. Give it a go and drop your own opinion, I'm interesting in hearing them.
Aug 15, 2020L: 4. Very enticing looking lager. Golden body with a lingering white head. Plentiful carbonation.
S: 3.25 unimpressive for a pilsner. Very bready. Corn. Not very floral. Hops are there but dont stand out.
T: 3.5. Malts. Super bready. Soapy hops. Tang of bitterness from the aftertaste. It looks like pilsner, but it tastes more like a festbier or helles. Maybe that's what they're going for.
F: 3.75. Very nice. Goes down easily. Light to medium bodied with ticklish carbonation.
O: 3.5. I can't call it great, but I can't call it bad either. Give it a go and drop your own opinion, I'm interesting in hearing them.
Reviewed by Zylod from West Virginia
3.77/5 rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.77/5 rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
First new Saranac I've had in a long time. This is a very nice and dry German Pils. I could drink several of these. Another solid beer from Saranac.
Aug 14, 2020
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