Not Worthy of the IPA Label
Written: Jan 16 '04
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Nice toasted malt taste; Cascade hops
Cons: Too tame for an IPA; Hard to find
The Bottom Line: An ok tasting product, but not good enough to call IPA
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| Bryan_Carey's Full Review: Saranac I.P.A |
Saranac beer products are brewed by the Matt Brewing Company in Utica, New York. Manufactured at the base of the Adirondack mountains, Saranac uses the photogenic northern Appalachian mountains in many of its advertisements.
Saranac brews many products on a regular basis along with a whole host of other beers that have come and gone. One of these “gone” beers is Saranac India Pale Ale, a limited release beer that was brewed in the past and is now only available as an occasional special brew.
Basic Characteristics of This Beer:
Poured into a glass, Saranac IPA is light golden/orange in color with a crystal clear body that emits a floral aroma that includes some grain and spice notes. The carbonation is lively, but the foam level is low.
The malts used in this beer impart a biscuit- like toastiness to the flavor. Hops are evident, but not overpowering. There is only a slight taste of fruit- a mixture of orange and grapefruit taste- but it’s rather weak. And the aftertaste, which is a little spicy, is weak and fades away quickly.
Saranac brews this product using cascade hops, which helps to give the beer a little more aromatic quality, but there are not enough hops to give it the powerful citrus taste that I expect in this style. The alcohol content is typical of an IPA, weighing in at 5.8 percent by volume.
Food Compatibility:
This type of taste, which is actually balanced between the sweet and the bitter, would go well with many meat dishes, from lamb to pork. It would also hold up well to salty snacks, hot dogs, chicken tenders, and other light fare and appetizers.
Final Thoughts:
Saranac has brewed many good- tasting products during its long history that spans (under different brewery names) more than 100 years. This brewery produces about 8 products on a year- round basis; a few seasonals; and many limited release products. Saranac IPA is one of the products produced only in limited release. As far as I know, this beer has never been brewed and sold in its own six packs or twelve packs. It is packaged only as part of sampler packs.
When I first drank a bottle of this beer, I was surprised at its appearance and flavor. Surprised, because Saranac IPA doesn’t really look or taste like an IPA should. From the golden/orange color all the way to the scant amount of hops used in the brewing process, this beer just doesn’t measure up to the great IPA’s of the world. In fact, in a blind taste- test, I wouldn’t have even guessed that this product was India Pale Ale. To my taste buds, it seems like an ordinary pale ale, and only average at that.
With such a lightly- hopped flavor, this product would make a good beginner’s IPA. Most of the really bold IPA’s have an excessive amount of hops that drives hopheads crazy for a second or third bottle. But this IPA is very benign in comparison, with an obvious hop flavor but certainly not enough to warrant the prestigious India Pale Ale title.
Finding this beer will prove to be a chore in and of itself. Unless Saranac decides to brew more of this product and package it in a future sampler pack (or in its own package), we could very well have seen the end of Saranac India Pale Ale. I’m not even sure if this product is still available on draft at the brewery in Utica. It may not be brewed at this time. The last I saw it was in the Holiday Sampler pack that Saranac distributed at the end of 2003.
Saranac products are mostly fairly good, even if not very exciting. But this IPA doesn’t produce much of a thrill at all. It’s not bad, mind you, but it certainly doesn’t taste the way an IPA should. It lacks the boldness and assertiveness of a highly hopped IPA. The bright green label looks nice, but a pretty package isn’t enough to rescue this IPA from mediocrity.
Recommended:
No
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