"On the eleventh day of Christmas, I knew no man nor woman's fault, for I was about to drink Saranac Single Malt."
aboutSARANAC
Saranac beers are brewed by the Matt Brewing Company, a brewery located in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains in Central New York. Over a century old, the brewery is currently being run by the third and fourth generations of the Matt Family (Nick and Fred, respectively). Today, the company brews a number of different beers (27 different beers in the recent past, including seasonals and limited editions), as well as 5 different soft drinks.
aboutSINGLE MALT
As I opened the bottle, I was eager to try what I thought was Saranac's unique creation, Saranac Single Malt. The beer uses a slow aging of Scottish Maris Otter Malt and a touch of English Fuggle hops. According to the bottle, the malt is "traditionally used in the distillery industry."
The beer poured to a nice caramel color with a fairly decent head. The nose was intriguing - a very malty character stands out immediately. The first tastes carry that flavor with a rich carbonation and a slight bitterness from the hops.
And then I waited for the uniqueness to come through. Would there be a Scottish whisky flavor, or would it have a heavy malty tone, speaking of the earth? Well, the flavor of the beer is intriguing, but not overwhelming - nor is there any distinct character that I can put my finger on. The maltiness they speak of is there, with a strange hint of alcohol that isn't common in most beers. But there isn't much more to it than that - a vaguely malted and 'different' beer that doesn't move me at all, despite its pedigree of ingredients.
finalTHOUGHTS
While it is better than most of the domestics, I can't say that I would try it again. I nice experiment perhaps, but they are better served sticking with some of their other attempts.
randomBEER FACT
Babylonians took their beer seriously - to maintain quality, it was decreed that any commercial beermaker who sold unfit beer would be drowned in his/her own brews.
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