Matt Brewing Company in Utica, NY
Most beer fans are very familiar with the Saranac line of beers. Saranac brews are produced by the Matt Brewing Company which is out of Utica, NY. I have been a fan of many of their beers throughout the years, but the Pomegranate Wheat and Adirondack Lager really have won me over. Since I enjoy two of their more popular beers, I decided to give their Irish Stout a try. Now I must admit, I generally don’t spring quickly to a stout (I prefer to drink my beers rather than eat them), but when I do I generally stick to a pint of Guinness which seems to always hit the spot. The disgusting weather outside not only depressed me, but also gave me a hunkering for a hearty, meal-replacement beer. I opted for the Saranac in hopes that it could hit the spot that Guinness usually does.
The first things I noticed when I poured it into the pint glass was the consistency and the smell. The consistency seemed a little lighter than the average stout, and certainly less viscous than Guinness. Considering stouts usually aren’t my cup of tea, I was feeling good about the beer. The smell was extremely distinct. It basically smelled like a freshly brewed cup of coffee and being the coffee freak that I am, I figured this was the second sign that I was about to enjoy.
The first few sips basically validated what I had figured from pouring it. It definitely was a bit thinner, and dare I say drinkable than previous stouts that I’ve tried. The aroma of coffee from before stayed true as the stout had a roasted coffee taste. The deep, roasted taste however was much less than I had anticipated from the distinct smell, yet still seemed to linger on the back of the tongue. The stout actually was fairly light and refreshing. I would recommend giving it a try if you want to experience a stout without eating, but this almost disappointed me a bit. As I mentioned I don’t gravitate towards stouts often, but when I do I want it to be a STOUT. Maybe the smell of coffee got me a little too excited, but the flavor I felt lacked a little compared to some of the other options. That being said, I still can’t get enough of Saranac’s Pom Wheat and Adirondak Lager.
Cheers!
