Saranac India Pale Ale - An I.P.A. That Screams “Budweiser”
Written: Apr 28 '05 (Updated Nov 13 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: versatile, smooth flavor
Cons: limited release, nothing special about the flavor
The Bottom Line: Not a bad tasting beer, just eerily reminiscent of Budweiser - why pay more for the same taste?
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| AliventiAsylum's Full Review: Saranac I.P.A |
I wanted a nice gift pack for a friend of ours. I was thinking Sam Adams, but their summer variety pack of beers isn’t out in our area yet. As I perused the selection at our local beer distributor, the Saranac label leapt out at me. I bought two; one to give and one to try.
The Matt Brewing Company is located in the town of Utica, New York. Nestled in the Adirondack Mountains, it is New York’s oldest brewery, having been in operation since 1853. The name Saranac is a tribute to the area in which the beer is made. They offer a wide variety of brews, some year-round favorites and many limited release brews.
The first beer I tried from the pack was their India Pale Ale. India Pale Ales are brews which were made in the British Isles to be shipped to India. Hence, they were brewed with increased strength and hops to make sure they lasted through the long journey.
The pour of the Saranac I.P.A. is nice. It’s a light brown color in the glass with orange tones to it. There is a white, slightly foamy head to it, which didn’t stay around too long. The aroma was overwhelmingly hop-scented with undertones which were floral-like.
Upon my first taste, my mind screamed “Budweiser”. I’ve tasted a few beers in my time, but that was what my first thought. I didn’t think the taste was dominated by hops, but instead was a bit more on the sweet side with citrus undertones to it. Overall it had a medium body and smooth taste to it, going down with a somewhat dry, bitter finish. There was some spiciness which didn’t stay in my mouth long, so it left me wanting to continually sip to get the appreciation of the flavor.
Brewed with Cascade Hops and North American 2 Row Malt, it’s a well-balanced brew. Perhaps it’s too well-balanced. I’d expect more emphasis on the hops for an I.P.A. Alcohol content is 5.8% by volume.
This is a beer which is versatile enough to go with just about anything. It’s sweet enough to go with after-dinner offerings, while at the same time having enough body to go with hot wings, chips and dip, barbecued chicken, steak, or even a hearty salad.
Although it’s called Saranac I.P.A., it definitely is more reminiscent of an American brew. Even there, I found it to be more like the mass-produced beers produced by the mega-breweries rather than something special from a small micro-brewery. It’s not a horrible beer, but it just comes off as average and nothing really special, instead of something I’ve come to expect from a micro-brewery.
Other Saranac beer reviews:
Saranac Adirondack Amber
Saranac Black & Tan
Saranac Black Forest
Saranac Traditional Lager
© 2005 Patti Aliventi
Recommended:
Yes
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AliventiAsylum
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Member: Patti Aliventi
Location: Mount Washington Valley, New Hampshire
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