Three Saranac Brews: How Will They Do?

This week we have a full-out Saranac attack on my liver.

I'll be honest, I can’t fucking wait to drink these beers. They come to us from the Matt Brewing Company, which is responsible for the line of always delicious Saranac beers. On today’s menu, we have both of Saranac’s fall beers, including the always great Pumpkin Ale and the Octoberfest Lager and, why the fuck not, I’ll throw in Saranac’s India Pale Ale for good measure.

A quick word about Saranac: all Saranac beer is brewed by the F.X. Matt Brewing Company located in Utica, New York. It’s the fourth oldest family-owned brewery in the United States and began with Utica Club beer (known for the “talking beer steins” commercials and ads which feature talking, sort-of-racist-but-still-funny, beer mugs named (among others) Schultz and Dooley). Saranac is a New York staple and, being from Buffalo, one of my favorite breweries. They make a ridiculous amount of different beers, ranging from ale’s to stouts to lagers and everything in between- for a real treat, pick yourself up some of their Summer Brew (a lemonade and beer combo) or the Pale Ale (extremely crisp and refreshing).

So up first, I poured myself a pint of the Pumpkin Ale and... well, first a word from Saranac:

In celebration of the fall harvest, here’s an autumn favorite that’s as enjoyable as pumpkin pie. This hearty ale is brewed with cinnamon, allspice, cloves, ginger and vanilla. Look for a full body and amber color. We’re sure you’ll enjoy this special brew!

As soon as you pour out the Pumpkin Ale, you know Saranac isn’t kidding- it’s going to be a special brew. The color, which is on the medium-dark side (sort of like Anakin Skywalker before he went totally fucking crazy), isn’t as dark as last weeks Tumbler from Sierra Nevada, but what really caught my attention was the smell- not overpowering but prominent nonetheless. You immediately get the allspice and cinnamon smell which mixes into a pleasant sweetness. The first taste brought me right back to last fall when the Pumpkin Ale begin to make its annual rounds (pun intended?), and I loved every second of it.

The ginger gives it a bite, while the allspice and clove (the two most noticeable ingredients) mix to give it a spiciness all its own- there are a lot of “pumpkin ales” out there, but this one has that certain “umph” that makes it stand out from the rest. The sweetness from the vanilla and cinnamon (which only adds to the aforementioned spiciness) makes the ale taste very sweet, but not overpoweringly so. I absolutely hate pumpkin pie, but I could drink this beer all damn day.

This 5.4% ABV ale is a must-have for the fall season and it won’t be around for long- get it while you can! …and even if you’re not a fan of fall seasonal brews, get this bottle for the hilarious label.

Next we have the Octoberfest Lager, which I’m not particularly excited about drinking after the epic Pumpkin Ale I just tried.  It’s just going to be hard to go from something like that to, well, anything else.

The first thing I notice after the pour is how much lighter in color this is compared to the previous beer. The smell isn’t as prominent (obviously) as the Ale, but there’s a great hoppy smell to it as most Octoberfest beers will have. It’s slightly sweet but almost… deep, which might be a result of the hops selection.
Saranac says about the Octoberfest:

In 1878, our grandfather came to America from Germany where he apprenticed at the Duke of Baden’s Brewery. Brewed to the standards established over a century ago, Saranac Octoberfest is a rich, flavorful lager. We use imported Two-row and Crystal malt and balance it with the pleasant bitterness of Sazz and Tettnang hops. We hope you enjoy it. Prosit!

Another 5.4% ABV brew, this beer starts strong and finishes stronger, leaving you with a great hoppy aftertaste that stays on the tongue until your next sip, or gulp, or chug, or however you wish to celebrate with this beer. The hops/malt combo is like no other Octoberfest I’ve ever tried, or any other beer for that matter. It has a distinct bitterness and, I have to admit, I like it better than Magic Hat’s Hex from last week.

Wrapping up this review is the India Pale Ale, one of the best year-round Saranac beers available. Saranac describes the beer as:

A hop lovers delight! In the India Pale Ale Tradition, this brew is very hoppy in both aroma and flavor from the generous amounts of Cascade Hops used in brewing. Look for a medium to full body and golden straw color. Enjoy with seafood, pizza and Mexican dishes.

The description isn’t kidding: this beer is pretty fucking hoppy. Not even close in comparison to any Great Lakes Brewing Co. beer in terms of hops, buy definitely a change of pace from the two previous beers I’ve had tonight.

A fantastic crisp smell that’s sweet and strong all at once. The color is light-medium and this is one IPA that must be served cold- it brings out the crispness all that much more. A very strong hoppy taste greets you on the first sip, but it sweetens up after you let it linger for a bit- a great aftertaste comes along with this beer. I love the smell and taste of this one, which is a must-have in my summer drinking collection.

When all is said and done tonight, the Pumpkin Ale is the clear winner. Absolutely delicious, spicy-sweet taste and it’s amazing cold. If you can find it on draft, don’t leave the bar. Ever.

The Octoberfest is good, one of the best I’ve had this season, and the unique blend of hops gives it a distinct taste. Great smell and color, I would recommend it to any fan of German beers… or beer in general.

The India Pale Ale is great. Very hoppy and crisp, this thing will floor your with its 5.8% ABV. I recommend it chilled on a hot day.

Fred Matt, current President of the Matt Brewing Company, says that “with all of our beers, we try and strive for one thing: making them distinctive and drinkable.” To anyone who has never tasted a Saranac beer before, that’s exactly how I would explain them: you can tell them apart from any other beer and if you have one, you want another one. And with as many beers as Saranac brews, that’s a lot of beer.

Pumpkin Ale 9/10
Octoberfest 7.5/10
India Pale Ale 7/10

Fall Beers Have Arrived!

It’s late August and that can only mean one thing in the beer world- it’s time for fall seasonal brews! Let’s hear it for FALL BEERS… in August...

Anyhow, the two that I’ll be testing out today come from a pair of my favorite breweries: The Vermont based Magic Hat Brewing Company and the Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. out of California.

The latest concoction from Magic Hat, Hex, is supposed to be its autumn seasonal, or what they’re describing as Ourtoberfest (ha-ha clever). An amber lager with an impressive 5.4% ABV, they describe the idea behind Hex and Ourtoberfest as follows:

Ourtoberfest is a celebration of the kindred spirits from seasons past. As they rise from their wooded underworld, a Hex is cast across the land, and song and dance and celebrate the low-slung sun.
To the fallen leaves, barren branches and frosted fields they toast: To the gateway of a new season as it opens. The Hex falls upon us all, a want for warmth within the season’s change.

Ok, so right off the bat, this is NOT an Oktoberfest, it’s an Ourtoberfest? Got it. So I should be expecting an autumn style, dark-but-not-too-dark, warmer beer instead of the heavy and spiced up Oktoberfest brews; sounds good to me.

To cut in real quick, last fall Magic Hat released Roxy Rolles as its autumn brew, a 5.1% ABV amber ale that was pretty damn good. It was a bit on the hoppy side but it will surely be missed, if not because of the taste than because of the awesome motorcycle label design slapped across the bottle. Hex is its replacement and (not surprisingly) it fits in perfectly.

A tasty amber ale, Hex is wicked from the get go. It’s almost sweet at first (these are the guys who brought us #9), but the finish is unmistakably dark. The website describes the brew as “A malty amber ale with hints of toffee and caramel and a slightly smoky finish,” and the description is right on the money. It starts off incredibly sweet and finishes like an autumn-based ale should- a nice, warm feeling. Not much else to say about Hex except go the fuck out and buy some right now! It could go the way of the Roxy Rolles…

Next on the menu is Tumbler from Sierra Nevada. An autumn brown ale, Tumbler boasts a 5.5% ABV and is significantly more bitter than the Magic Hat autumn ale- Hex came in at 25 while Tumbler is up around 37 (all this means is while Hex is a bit on the sweet side, Tumbler has some kick to it).

The Sierra Nevada website describes the beer:

As the nights grow cool, the leaves on the valley oaks begin to turn and fall. In honor of this yearly dance, we bring you Tumbler Autumn Brown Ale and invite you to enjoy the show. We use malt within days of roasting at the peak of its flavor to give Tumbler a gracefully smooth malt character. So pour a glass, and grab a window seat to watch as the leaves come tumbling down.

Another major difference between the two is color. Tumbler has a much darker color, not as dark as a Guinness would be, but not nearly as light as Hex, which almost had a reddish hue to it. This brew is also much more aromatic and has an almost chocolaty/coffee taste to it, similar to Hex but not nearly as sweet and much heavier on the end. While yes, it is more bitter, the bitterness gives it a stronger body than Hex- this is the shit lumberjacks drink... well, besides maple syrup and whiskey (they call it waffler).

My overall opinion of the two beers is positive. I could see myself drinking more Hex than Tumbler simply because Hex has a great start taste and good finish, while Tumbler is a bit on the heavier side. Hex is a sit-at-the-bar-and-pound type of beer, while Tumbler is a sit-by-the-fire-and-sip brew. Despite my favoritism to Hex’s taste, I think Tumbler is the better tasting AUTUMN beer- I could certainly see myself drinking a few as the weather cools down and I feel like it represents the fall season better than the Magic Hat beer does.

Hex 7/10
Tumbler 7.5/10