Saranac of Utica, New York is part of the F.X. Matt Brewing Company which is the fourth oldest family-owned brewery in the United States. They have brewing beer since 1888. When you’ve been doing something that long you know they have to be doing something right. We have reviewed Saranac beers before which you can check out here. Up for review today is their Pale Ale.
These days when people hear Pale Ale they probably automatically think of a really hoppy India Pale Ale. Pale Ales, however, are an English invention, much like the IPA, but with less hops. Saranac promises a little more hops than your typical Pale Ale but less than an IPA.
Saranac Pale Ale pours a light copper with a frothy, off-white head that rose to over three fingers at its height. Some carbonation could be seen rising to the top to reinforce the head. The aroma has notes of hops, malt, biscuit, and a sweet note of caramel.
The first taste follows the nose, though a little more subtly. Caramel and hops seem to predominate on the palate. It has a light, silky mouthfeel with a slightly dry finish. There was some lacing on the glass early on but towards the end the lacing stopped for the most part.
Overall, this is a good beer. I will reiterate this isn’t an IPA. With that said this is a beverage you can easily make a session beer and at 5.5% ABV it won’t fight you back. If you are looking for something to try this is worth it for sure. It is a good, solid beer.